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Економіка
Kateryna Polianska
Economic Supervisor – Kateryna Goncharova
English Superviser – Yuliya Shtaltovna
CULTURAL ASPECTS OF MARKETING ON FOREIGN MARKETS
КУЛЬТУРНІ АСПЕКТИ МАРКЕТІНГУ НА МІЖНАРОДНОМУ РИНКУ
Cultural surroundings is an element of the international surroundings which is
characterized by a very wide, diversified scope and the multiple influence on marketing
activity of the enterprises in industries of consumer goods, supply, and services. Culture is
subject to an evolution, however, at a particular moment it constitutes the shared system for
the given society or its distinguished parts. The purpose of the article is to identify and
characterize basic cultural conditioning in international marketing, the elements of which
can be: verbal and non-verbal language, the religion and turning consumers towards foreign
products. Cultural diversity of markets is a premise of distinguishing the concept of crosscultural marketing.
Key words: Culture, adaptation, self-reference criterion (SRC), ethnocentrism,
language (verbal and non-verbal), religion.
International marketing is a hard work. Companies have to be prepared to confront
myriad obstacles with optimism and a willingness to continue learning new ways. The
successful businessperson in the 21st century will have global awareness and a frame of
reference that goes beyond a region or even a country and encompasses the world. Knowing
about the cultural circumstances of your target country can either help you save money, or
prevent making mistakes and, moreover, when international marketing is done well and the
needs and wants of customers in other countries are well understood - it can enrich you, your
company as well as your country.
According to the definition of one of the first researchers – E.Tylor, culture is “a
complicated and interdependent set of elements including the knowledge, beliefs and values,
the art, the law, customs and the moral rules and all other types of abilities and customs
purchased by a human being as the member of a particular community”(1)
The importance of culture can be shown by following statements:

culture affects market demand;

managerial behavior is driven by his/her cultural knowledge;

knowledge of Native culture is useful when dealing with home markets but it has
little value when dealing in foreign markets

culture affects the nature of business negotiations

culture acts as a hidden entry barrier, but it can be overcome with cultural
sensitivity, hard work & quality
But the very fact is that cultural adjustment is the most challenging task confronting
international marketers. Cultural conditioning is like an iceberg—we are not aware of ninetenths of it. Therefore the key to successful international marketing is adaptation to the
environmental differences from one market to another. The primary obstacles to success in
international marketing are a person’s self-reference criterion (SRC) and an associated
ethnocentrism.
SRC is a process by which one judges others actions with reference to one’s own
native culture. Characterized by making “Right” & “Wrong” decisions and often leads to
wrong opinions and mistakes. Closely connected is ethnocentrism – the notion that one’s own
culture or company knows best how to do things. Both the SRC and ethnocentrism impede the
ability to assess a foreign market in its true light. In order to avoid many of the mistakes
possible in international marketing, it is important to have an awareness of the need to be
sensitive to differences and to ask questions when doing business in another culture.
Cultural main conditions of international marketing are represented by:

Language. As a basic cultural conditioning (verbal and non-verbal) and it has great
significance in the activity of companies in the international environment;

Religion. As the main indicator of the spiritual culture it requires the compliance
with different principles and influences consumer behaviors by means of orders
and bans. The acquaintance with different religions and their geographical
distribution across foreign markets plays a significant role for enterprises in
creating the right offer allocated for individual markets.
Rules for doing business across cultures:

be prepared. Look at the vocabulary in your marketing promotions material and
think about the words in your presentations and consider substituting any phrases
or terms that might be difficult for people to understand;

slow down. When people are listening to you in a language other than their mother
tongue, it takes several seconds longer to hear and understand the meaning of
phrases, even for long-time speakers of second-languages;

establish trust. Be precise and accurate about directions to a meeting location and
reliable and trustworthy about the time;

respect the culture. “De gustibus non est disputandum” (latin), what means:
“About taste there is no argument” - attitudes towards change, and history;

be able to handle culture shock;

understand surface culture and deep culture. There are some taboo subjects, be
ready;

be sensitive to different body language and different meanings of gestures;

keep the appropriate physical space/distance, eye contact, volume and speed of
speech and silence in the course of conversation.
Taking into account the fact that differences between individual foreign markets
concern cultural conditioning in many cases it is possible to speak about the development of
the concept of cross-cultural marketing. The culture influences behaviors of consumers and
enterprises as collective entities, and hence it creates the framework of choice of marketing
plans in the international and global environment.
REFERENCES:
1. Karcz K. Miedzynarodowe badania marketingowe. Uwarunkowania kulturowe.PWE.Warszawa, 2004.-P.37
2.
Slideshare present yourself/ Culture And Global Marketing/
http://www.slideshare.net/kvarun/culture-and-global-marketing
3. Slideboom/ The Scope and Challenge of International Marketing/
http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/100368/International-Marketing%3AChapter-1-(The-Scope-and-Challenge--of-International-Marketing)
4. Witiger/ Social Cultural Considerations/
http://www.witiger.com/internationalbusiness/culturalconsiderations.htm
5. Національна бібліотека України імені В. І. Вернадського/ Cultural conditioning in
marketing/http://www.nbuv.gov.ua/portal/natural/Vnulp/Menegment/2009_657/54.pdf