Cultural Branding

According to Hofstede culture is “the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from another”, also it can be defined as a set of values, beliefs and traditions that are learned from generation to generation. International marketing has been searching how to relate globalization and culture to a perfect approach to branding. In this context there are two types of approach that can be analyzed: Universal and Cultural. Which will be more accurate considering that culture influences an individual’s desires and wants? Would it be wrong to say that only one of them can be applied to branding in order to have success?

International Marketing has not been able to explain globalization, its tools and theories are insufficient to clarify the role of branding of a globalizing world (Holt, 2002). As the world keeps on developing, creating knowledge and changing, international marketing has not adapted its concepts to these changes.

Some authors defends that branding has only one approach, universal, that it´s the only technique that can achieve success (Roberts, 2004). This may be true from one point of view. For example , let’s explain the Coca Cola case, it´s marketing and branding has make the product known and consume in almost every country of the world except Cuba and North Korea (Stafford, 2012), and due to its popularity they can use an universal approach in terms of branding. For example, the use of the slogan “Enjoy life is simple” with the campaign “Open happiness” has been used all around the world, and it is because happiness is a concept that is globally accepted.

According to Cateora and Hess: “Marketing principles are universally applicable, and the marketer´s task is the same whether applied in Dimebox, Texas or Katmandu, Nepal”. Even though it is not correct to consider that every country has the same objectives and beliefs, these statements can be applied to strong Western brands such as Nike (Just do it) with 858 retails stores around the world (Statists, 2014); Harley Davidson, among others, that have created with strong campaign of marketing a life style example just reachable by the consume of their products. Because of that they can use a universal approach to maintain a general worldwide concept of the brand.

On the other hand, taking into consideration the differences in terms of culture, one of the approaches that ca be made by international marketing is talking into consideration the distinction made by Hofstede. For example, we can take the case of United States and Europe compared to China, advertisements that highlight individualism may be more accepted in the United States than by Chinese people who are more collectivists. (Chan et al, 1996) (Triandis and Gelfand, 1998). For example they may be the same product, Coca Cola in the USA the ad may include only one person drinking it, and in China it may be the same slogan and message but the ad will be about sharing with friends or family.

Cultural Branding as the other type of approach, it takes into consideration culture and historic develop of a brand (Bach, 2002; Coombe 1996; Roizer, 1993; Schroeder and Salzer- Morling, 2006; Sherry, 2003). Normally the products that have more in common with this definition are those produced in a specific country, but one good Multinational example of this approach is McDonalds that have changed its original menu of Hamburgers to adapt

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