INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING

Prof. Neelam
Shetty

Semester -IV

2007-08
COMPILED By:

Rashida Haveliwala, 26
Michelle Michael, 29
Nabilah Ladhabhoy, 30
Sunami Paigankar, 39
Jessica Veigas, 54
INDEX
Introduction 3

Executive Summary 3

International Advertising as a Communication Process 4

International Advertising as a Business Practice 6

International Advertising as a Social Force 9

The Cultural Environment 11

The Demographic Environment 17

The Economic Environment 18

The Geographic Environment 19

The Political – Legal Environment 20

Legal faux-pas which elicited many complaints in India 22

Banned Print Advertisements 28

Case Studies 32

Conclusion 36

Bibliography 37

INTRODUCTION

International advertising entails dissemination of a commercial message to target

audiences in more than one country. Target audiences differ from country to
country in terms of how they perceive or interpret symbols or stimuli, respond to
humor or emotional appeals, as well as in levels of literacy and languages

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spoken. How the advertising function is organized also varies. In some cases,
multinational firms centralize advertising decisions and budgets and use the
same or a limited number of agencies worldwide. In other cases, budgets are
decentralized and placed in the hands of local subsidiaries, resulting in greater
use of local advertising agencies.

International advertising can, therefore, be viewed as a communication process

that takes place in multiple cultures that differ in terms of values, communication
styles, and consumption patterns. International advertising is also a business
activity involving advertisers and the advertising agencies that create ads and
buy media in different countries. The sum total of these activities constitutes a
worldwide industry that is growing in importance. International advertising is also
a major force that both reflects social values, and propagates certain values
worldwide.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Going global, as we all know is not an easy task. A lot of factors have to be
considered before entering a new market. To cite an example: The global brand
manager of Dove beauty bar was planning to launch Dove Shampoo. He had
been testing and learning in each of the rollout markets, and according to him a
winning formula was emerging: Use real-woman testimonial advertising with
plenty of hair & beauty shots. He proposed this for Malaysia, but the local
marketing manager was enraged. In his market, he said, it is insulting for women
to show off their hair in public. He insisted that they do a new local Malaysian
campaign to launch Dove Shampoo.

This very clearly explains that a standardized advertising strategy across the
globe is not always feasible. It is imperative to take into consideration the cultural
factors as well as the legal issues prevailing in different countries.

In this project, we plan to focus on the impact of cultural, economic, political-

legal, demographic and geographic environments on advertising in different
countries, and the strong need for streamlining advertising strategies to meet
local needs.

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING AS A COMMUNICATION PROCESS

In international markets the process of communicating to a target audience is

more complex because communication takes place across multiple contexts,
which differ in terms of language, literacy, and other cultural factors. In addition,
media differ in their effectiveness in carrying different appeals. A message may,

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therefore, not get through to the audience because of people's inability to
understand it (due to literacy problems), because they misinterpret the message
by attaching different meanings to the words or symbols used, or because they
do not respond to the message due to a lack of income to purchase the
advertised product. Media limitations also play a role in the failure of a
communication to reach its intended audience.

The process of communication in international markets involves a number of

steps:

 The advertiser determines the appropriate message for the target

audience.
 The message is encoded so that it will be clearly understood in different
cultural contexts.
 The message is then sent through media channels to the audience who
then decodes and reacts to the message.
 At each stage in the process, cultural or legal barriers may hamper
effective transmission of the message and result in
miscommunication.

In encoding a verbal message, care needs to be taken in translation. Numerous

examples exist of translation problems with colloquial phrases. For example,
when the American Dairy Association entered Mexico with its "Got Milk?"
campaign, the Spanish translation read "Are You Lactating?" Low levels of
literacy may result in the need to use visual symbols. Here again, pitfalls can
arise due to differences in color association or perception. In many tropical
countries, green is associated with danger and has negative connotations. Red,
on the other hand, is associated with weddings and happiness in China. Appeals
to humor or sex also need to be treated with considerable care as their
expression and effectiveness varies from one culture to another. The dry British
sense of humor does not always translate effectively even to other English-
speaking countries.

In addition to encoding the message so that it attracts the attention of the target
audience and is interpreted correctly, advertisers need to select media channels
that reach the intended target audience. For example, use of TV advertising may
only reach a relatively select audience in certain countries. Equally, print media
will not be effective where there are low levels of literacy. Certain media may also
be more effective in certain cultures. For example, radio advertising has

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substantial appeal in South America where popular music is a key aspect of the
local culture.

The cultural context also impacts the effectiveness of communication. In "high

context" cultures, such as the collectivist Asian cultures of Japan and China, the
context in which information is embedded is as important as what is said. In low
context cultures, which include most Western societies, the information is
contained in the verbal messages. In these cultures, it is important to provide
adequate information relating to the product or service in order to satisfy their
need for content. Conversely, people in high context cultures are often more
effectively reached by image or mood appeals, and rely on personal networks for
information and content. Awareness of these differences in communication styles
is essential to ensure effective communication.

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING AS A BUSINESS PRACTICE

International advertising can also be viewed as a business activity through which

a firm attempts to inform target audiences in multiple countries about itself and its
product or service offerings. In some cases the advertising message relates to
the firm and its activities, i.e. its corporate image. In other cases, the message

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relates to a specific product or service marketed by the firm. In either case, the
firm will use the services of an advertising agency to determine the appropriate
message, advertising copy and make the media placement.

An important issue in determining international advertising strategy is whether or

not to develop a global or regional advertising campaign, or rather tailor
communication to differences in local markets. If the purpose of advertising is to
develop a strong corporate or global image, a uniform global campaign is more
likely to be used. When, on the other hand, the objective is to launch a new
product or brand, or to more clearly differentiate the product or brand from other
competing brands or products, local campaigns tailored to local markets are
more typical.

The concept of global marketing was popularized by Harvard marketing

professor Theodore Levitt, who suggested that people everywhere desired the
same products and life-styles; and that the world is developing similar taste
patterns and becoming homogenized.

A global campaign offers a number of advantages. In the first place, it can be an

important means of building a strong and coherent global image for the firm
and/or its products worldwide. Use of the same image in different countries builds
familiarity and generates synergies across world markets. It allows utilization of
good ideas and creative talent (both of which are scarce commodities) on a
worldwide basis. Major benefits associated with such standardization include
lower costs of production, distribution, management and promotion. In addition,
use of a single campaign provides substantial cost savings in copy development
and production costs. Conversely, development of multiple local campaigns can
lead to duplication of effort, result in inconsistent brand images across countries
and confusion in consumers' minds with regard to the benefits offered by the
brand and corporate image.

Coca-Cola, which operates in over 170 countries around the world, provides the
classic example of a standardized global marketer. According to it, a universal
appeal can match a universal desire.

Seagram’s ran a global campaign keyed to the theme line, “there will always be a
Chivas Regal”. The campaign ran in 34 countries and was translated into 15
languages. In 1991, Seagram’s launched a global billboard campaign to enhance
the universal appeal for Chivas. The theory: The rich all over will sip the brand,
no matter where they made their fortune.

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Gillette Company took a standardized “one product/one brand name /one
strategy” global approach when it introduced the Sensor razor in 1990.The
campaign slogan was “Gillette. The best a man get,” an appeal that was
expected to cross boundaries with ease. Peter Hoffman, marketing vice president
of the North Atlantic Shaving Group, noted in a press release: “We are blessed
with a product category where we’re able to market shaving systems across
multinational boundaries as if they were one country. Gillette Sensor is the trigger
for a total Gillette megabrand strategy which will revolutionize the entire shaving
market.”

While use of uniform advertising appeals offers a number of advantages,

differences in customer perceptions and response patterns across countries and
cultures, as well as media availability and government regulation are major
barriers to use of a standardized campaign. Even though technological
developments allow adaptation of advertising appeals to different languages (for
example, TV can have audio channels in two languages, Internet messages can
be automatically translated), development of visual and verbal copy that works
effectively in multiple countries poses major creative challenges.

At the other extreme are companies committed to specialization. They argue that
because consumers and marketing environments in different countries vary so
greatly, it is necessary to tailor the marketing mix elements to each foreign
market.

The Campbell Soup Company serves as an excellent example of the specialized

approach. Campbells is creating new products that appeal to distinctly regional
tastes. For Chinese consumers, there is duck gizzard soup; for Mexicans, there
is creama de chile poblano soup; and for Poles, there is peppery tripe soup.

Faced with this dilemma, firms may use a global umbrella campaign combined
with local country or product-specific advertising. The global umbrella campaign
develops a uniform image for the company or brand worldwide, often relying on
consistent visual images and the corporate logo. Product-specific or country
advertising builds on this image, modifying the appeal and providing information
tailored to the local market. The objective of the umbrella campaign is to provide
an integrating force, while local campaigns provide greater relevance to specific
local customers and markets.

The Polaroid One-Step Camera provides an example of a campaign that is

neither completely standardized nor fully specialized. The One-Step was
introduced in the United States in the early 1980s with the unique selling
proposition that it was the simplest camera in the world. The creative approach
employed a well-known couple in the US. Four months after introduction, the
One-Step became a best-seller. Based on such positive results, Polaroid planned

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to launch the camera internationally by adopting both the same positioning
strategy and the same advertising campaign worldwide. Fortunately, before
doing so, it pretested the spot for recall, comprehension and knowledge in
several European markets. The research revealed that while the unique selling
proposition was well accepted and credible, the advertising heroes were virtually
unknown. In response, the agency decided to keep the US creative concept
overall, but to search out local presenters with equal popularity abroad. The
solution was to use actors H. Felmy and K. Eickelbaum for Germany, R. Briar
and F.Kendall for the United Kingdom, and an individual S. Distel for France. The
campaign subsequently received the highest advertising recall and brand
awareness scores in Polaroid’s history, and the One-Step became the best-
selling camera in all the three European countries.

The organizational structure of the firm often plays a key role in the choice of
global vs. locally adapted campaigns. If international operations are organized on
a country-by- country or geographic basis and operate as local profit centers with
local advertising budgets, pressures exist for use of local advertising campaigns.
If, on the other hand, the company is organized by product divisions, with
centralized advertising budgets at corporate or regional headquarters, use of
regional or global advertising campaigns is more feasible.

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING AS A SOCIAL FORCE

In the view of the advertiser the primary objective of advertising is to sell products
or services. In achieving this primary goal, there are often profound secondary
consequences. Advertising exerts a formative influence whose character is both
persuasive and pervasive. Through the selective reinforcement of certain social

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roles, language and values, it acts as an important force fashioning the
cognitions and attitudes that underlie behavior not only in the market place, but
also in all aspects of life. In an international setting, advertising has an important
social influence in a number of ways. First, much international advertising is
designed to promote and introduce new products from one society into another.
Often this results in radical change in life-styles, behavior patterns of a society,
stimulating for example the adoption of fast food, casual attire or hygiene and
beauty products. International advertising also encourages desire for products
from other countries, it creates expectations about "the good life", and
establishes new models of consumption. Advertising is thus a potent force for
change, while selectively reinforcing certain values, life-styles and role models.

Often the symbols, ideals and mores that international advertising portrays and
promotes are those of Western society and culture. Through the reach of
advertising, brands such as Levi's, Nike, Marlboro and McDonalds are known by
and have become objects of desire for teens and young adults throughout the
world. Similarly, images and scenes depicted in much international advertising
are either Western in origin or reflect Western consumption behavior and values.
Even where adapted to local scenarios and role models, those shown often come
from sectors of society, such as the upwardly mobile urban middle class, which
embrace or are receptive to Western values and mores.

Consequently, a criticism frequently leveled at international advertising is that it

promulgates Western values and mores, notably from the US, in other countries.
This is viewed particularly negatively in societies with strong religious or moral
values, which run counter to those of the West as, for example, Islamic societies
in the Middle East. When Western advertising depicts sexually explicit situations
or shows women in situations considered as inappropriate or immoral, it is likely
to be considered a subversive force undermining established cultural mores and
values. Equally, in some countries such as France, there is a strong negative
reaction to the imposition of US culture, values and use of English in advertising.
Promotion of tobacco products by US and UK companies in countries where
there is no legislation regulating or banning cigarette advertising has also been
criticized.

At the same time, international advertising also acts as an integrating force

across national boundaries. It disseminates messages using universal symbols
and slogans, and establishes a common mode of communication among target
audiences in different parts of the world. At the same time, multicultural values
are reinforced by advertisers, who adopt images incorporating peoples of
different nations and diverse cultural backgrounds, as, for example, the Colors of

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Benneton campaign or the British Airways "Peoples of the World" campaign. The
impact of such campaigns is further reinforced by the growth of global media
such as Star TV, CNN, MTV or print media that target global audiences
worldwide. Consequently, while, on the one hand, international advertising can
be viewed as a colonizing force propagating Western values and mores
throughout the world, it is also an important force integrating societies and
establishing common bonds, universal symbols and models of communication
among peoples in different parts of the globe.

International environment affecting international advertising campaigns can

generally be divided into cultural, economic, political-legal, demographic and
geographic environments. In the advertising history, failure to understand culture
has led to misunderstandings, miscommunications and marketing and
advertising faults, which brought unnecessary losses. Therefore, the advertising
executive should always bear in mind that advertising should derive from and be
part of a culture, sharing the language and values of the target audience.

THE CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

The phenomenon of advertising has long been a subject of research in several

disciplines such as mass communication, marketing, sociology, cultural
anthropology, social psychology and cultural studies. One area that has attracted
a great deal of attention in several disciplines during the last few decades is the

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analysis of mass media advertising content to gain insights into how cultural
factors affect advertising strategies and expressions; how cultural norms, values
and stereotypes, are reflected in advertising, how advertising creates meanings
and affects the audience and the society at large.

Although the phenomenon of advertising has been studied for several decades,
cross-cultural advertising research is a relatively new area of study. In recent
years, the study of cross-cultural advertising has become a subject of increasing
importance because of several important developments:

As the integration of the world economy has increased significantly in recent

years and as nations of the world have become increasingly economically
developed through international trade- diverse people and cultures are coming
into contact through interpersonal interaction as well as advertising and other
media and messages. In an increasingly global economic environment,
international trade has achieved phenomenal growth resulting in increased
international mass media advertising across diverse cultures.

The marketing debates about globalization of markets has come to the forefront
and advertising practitioners and researchers are in a dilemma with respect to
whether or not consumers around the world are becoming homogenous in terms
of values, desires and tastes.

The ‘cultural imperialism’ issue has attracted a great deal of attention aver the
impact of Western advertising and other media products on the cultures of
developing nations.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest over the issue of how
advertising reflects, reinforces and affects cultural values of its target audience.

Cross-cultural analysis of advertising can identify specific differences and

similarities in advertising strategies, expressions, norms and stereotypes of the
target audience and the larger culture. Such findings may be used to address the
question of whether the same strategies and expressions can be used in
international advertising, and whether the values, attitudes, tastes and desires of
consumers around the world are converging.

Obstacles to Cross-Cultural Communication

SRC and Ethnocentrism:

Adopting an international perspective is often difficult for advertisers in cross-

cultural communication. The reason is that experiences gained over a career or

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lifetime may create a cultural comfort zone that is, one’s own cultural values,
experiences and knowledge serve as a subconscious guide for decision-making.

Two subjective obstacles need to be overcome for advertisers to win success.

Self-reference criterion (SRC) is the unconscious reference to one’s own cultural
values, experiences and knowledge as a basis for decisions. Ethnocentrism,
literally defined, means culturally centered; it refers to the tendency to place the
culture of oneself at the center of the universe. People with ethnocentrism not
only evaluate other cultures by the standards of one’s own but also believe that
one’s own culture is superior to others. These two closely related biases are
primary obstacles to success when conducting marketing and advertising
planning that demands a cross-cultural perspective.

For example, AT&T’s ‘Call USA’ advertising campaign, aiming at promoting its
new style mobile phone, was negatively perceived by many Europeans. The ad
featured an American businessman who knew no language other than English
having difficulty to ask for assistance in a busy French hotel to find a telephone.
He asked, “Could you tell me where the phone is?”, and later complained “Oh,
you speak no English.” The mobile that appeared finally got him out of the
trouble. Two mistakes can be seen in this ad. First, European businesspeople
are typically fluent in two or three languages, including English, so such a thing is
not likely to have happened in a busy French hotel. Second, this ad is decidedly
ethnocentric in that the message designer subconsciously considered English to
be the most important international language and, naturally, it appears offensive
to Europeans.

Religion and Morals:

The religious and philosophic beliefs of a people largely determine its social and
business conduct. As such, knowledge of the moral and religious traditions of a
country are essential to the international marketers’ understanding of consumer
behaviors.

Although numerous religious groups exist in the world today, Buddhism,

Christianity, Hinduism and Islam are regarded as the major religions in terms of
numbers of adherents. The influences of religion on international marketing are
manifold. In some countries references to god or religion are taken very
seriously. In cultures practicing Islam, it is considered highly inappropriate to use
Koranic quotations, the prophet’s name, god’s name, or pictures of Islamic

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shrines on products or in promotional materials. In a marketing blunder tied to
religion, a shipment of Chinese shoes whose soles featured a design that
apparently meant ‘God’ in Arabic was sent to Egypt. It took China’s ambassador
to Egypt to ease the tension that resulted.

Religious traditions may forbid altogether the sale, or at least the advertising, of
various products. In Saudi Arabia, for example, alcoholic beverages are
completely banned, and brewers have to find other ways to open this market.
Strohs, one of them, has found success in selling nonalcoholic beer to
consumers there. Gillette faced quite a challenge in promoting its razors to
consumers in Iran because Islam discourages followers from shaving. To obtain
media space for Gillette’s ads, a representative from an affiliate agency racked
his mind and finally worked out an idea. He told a newspaper advertising
manager that ‘If you have a car accident and someone has to shave your head,
Gillette Blue is the best. After the manager consulted his clergyman, he returned
with permission to run the ad. Other products that are banned in this market
because of the very conservative application of Islamic teachings include
cigarettes, lighters, pork and even candy and chocolates. An advertising blooper
occurred some years ago when an appliance manufacturer ran an ad in the
Middle East depicting an open refrigerator containing a chunk of ham. Locals
considered the portrayal of pork to be insensitive and very offensive.

Morals also exert central influence on the development of advertising campaigns

and some of them are directly impacted by religion. In developing commercial
messages for the Muslim world, the image of women wearing bikinis is to be
avoided at all costs as it is regarded as highly offensive. In other countries, such
as France and the United States, even nude models in ads hardly raise an
eyebrow. In Thailand, a company produced commercials fashioned after a well-
known American TV spot showing a young man and woman kissing. Sales
remained minimal, and the problem turned out that public portrayals of male-
female relationships were objectionable to the Thai people. The commercial was
quickly reshot to show two young women instead. The ad caught on, and
increased sales confirmed the effectiveness of the modifications.

Also, Women play an important role in western advertising, such as Cindy

Crawford for Omega and Lauren Hutton for Revlon, Eva Longoria for Maybelline;
in Saudi Arabia, however, women could not be used in commercials, whether
veiled or unveiled.

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Language:

Roughly, the world encompasses over 3,000 languages. In Western Europe,

people speak at least 15 different languages and more than twice as many
dialects. This presents a problem of potentially enormous magnitude to outside
advertisers entering Europe. A similar problem exists in Asia, to a lesser extent in
South America, and to an even greater extent in Africa.

Since language plays such a central role in international marketing, it’s crucial to
understand the close relationship between culture and language. Language is an
element of culture; it cannot be fully understood outside its cultural context.
Culture is also impossible to truly understand without understanding the
language spoken by its people. They are inextricably linked.

Advertisements Gone Wrong In Translation:

 Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish, where it was read as
"Suffer from diarrhoea".

 Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick", a curling iron, into German only to find
out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the
"manure stick".

 Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an

American campaign: Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.

 In Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came

out as "eat your fingers off".

 The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem -- Feeling Free", was
translated into the Japanese market as "When smoking Salem, you will
feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty".

 When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same
packaging as in the US, with the beautiful Caucasian baby on the label.
Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the
label of what's inside, since most people can't read English.

 Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a

notorious porno magazine.

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  An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market
which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the
shirts read "I saw the potato" (la papa).

 In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into
"Schweppes Toilet Water".

 Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi
brings your ancestors back from the grave", in Chinese.

 We all know about GM's Chevy Nova meaning "it won't go" in Spanish
markets, but did you know that Ford had a similar problem in Brazil with
the Pinto? Pinto was Brazilian slang for " tiny male genitals". Ford
renamed the automobile Corcel, meaning "horse".

 Hunt-Wesson introduced Big John products in French Canada as Gros

Jos. Later they found out that in slang it means "big breasts".

 Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "It takes a strong man to make a tender
chicken" was translated into Spanish as "It takes an aroused man to make
a chicken affectionate".

 When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were
supposed to have read, "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you".
Instead, the company thought that the word "embarazar" (to impregnate)
meant to embarrass, so the ad read: "It won't leak in your pocket and
make you pregnant.”

From a more pragmatic standpoint, if specific cross-cultural differences or

similarities in advertising strategies, expressions and norms can be identified,
researchers and practitioners will better understand which aspects of advertising
can be shared across several countries, and conversely, which aspects need to
be adapted to the local cultures. From the standpoint of international marketing
and advertising practitioners, such cross-cultural understanding is imperative in
order to formulate effective localized advertising that would appeal to or reflect
the cultural values and norms of its intended audience. In a broader sense, a
localized approach is beneficial not only to the international marketer (more
effective in getting its message across) but also to the larger host society (its
culture is not adversely affected by alien values, beliefs, and lifestyles).

Cultural factors largely mould and shape people's value-system, perception, faith
and beliefs, aesthetic values and the like. People perceive and interpret
advertising message in the light of their cultural background. For example, the

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customer benefits featured in the advertising may be appropriate in one country
but may not be so in another country. The artwork may be visually unacceptable.
The colour scheme or the copy theme may convey different meaning or cause
different reactions among consumers in different countries. Such dangers of
negative or adverse response become greater when the claim in an
advertisement has a psychological rather than a factual foundation. It is therefore
necessary to understand the various dimensions and nuances of cultural heritage
of people for formulation of effective advertising message aimed at international
markets.

THE DEMOGRAPHIC ENVIRONMENT

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Advertisers should be sensitive to demographic differences in international
markets. The demographics of a population, including size of the population, rate
of population growth, education levels, population density, age structure and
household size, can dramatically affect the type of advertising prepared for a
market.

For example, as there is a rapid increase in population in developing countries,

there emerge more market opportunities for goods serving children and teens.
Similarly, with advanced-age groups expanding, the demand for health care,
travel services and retirement planning will also be on the increase. Advertising
messages need to accommodate these changes.

Besides population growth, national enrollments at various levels of education

also affect message development and the media employed to disseminate those
messages. If large percentages of consumers are illiterate in some market,
advertising programs and product packaging may need to be modified, because
from an international marketer’s standpoint, consumers must be able to read ads
and product labels as well as understand warranty and guarantee information. In
addition, advertising strategies must place ads in media that can efficiently reach
these audiences.

Another component of demographic environment is the household size that can

influence package sizes. The extended families in Thailand and the nuclear ones
in the US provide a typical example for advertisers.

THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

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A nation’s current and future attractiveness is to a large extent based on the
willingness and ability of its people to spend. So a clear understanding of a host
country’s (in contrast to the home country) economic environment including type
of economy, per capita income and level of urbanization is essential to
developing a proper marketing and advertising strategy.

Historically, industrial economies have represented the greatest marketing

opportunities since consumers in these countries have a much larger purchasing
capacity. Nonetheless, such markets tend to have stable or even shrinking
populations, and as a result, they may already be saturated. Thus, marketers are
increasingly turning to less developed nations, which have ever-expanding
populations and, therefore, potentially greater growth opportunities. Gillette, for
example, created a localized product: Prestobarba, a tub-packaged shaving
cream for the Mexican market, as it found its aerosol shaving cream too
expensive for consumers there. Correspondingly, the advertising messages
underwent a big change.

On the other hand, cultures range from the almost classless, contented
Scandinavian countries (where a large middle class dominates) to the
underdeveloped countries. At one extreme, the automobile is viewed strictly as a
functional vehicle, and the advertising positioning it as a sign of wealth and luxury
is simply considered very bad taste; while at the other extreme, the automobile is
just a symbol of wealth and social status, so the ad needs to target at the
relatively small group of wealthy, upper-class people.

THE GEOGRAPHIC ENVIRONMENT

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Geography (the earth’s surface, climate, continents, countries and available
resources) is an uncontrollable environmental element that the international
advertiser cannot ignore. Topography and climate are of particular interest here.

Topography refers to the surface features of a country, its rivers, lakes, deserts,
forests and mountains. Climate refers to altitude, humidity and temperature.
Advertisers need to place the ad in an environment familiar to locals. Take an
automobile for example. In a country typical of highlands, the ad will achieve
better effects with the emphasis being put on the auto’s shockproof performance
than on its ability to demonstrate outstanding speed. And in a flatland country, it
is just the opposite case.

THE POLITICAL-LEGAL ENVIRONMENT

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In many countries, particularly in the developed countries, advertising is closely
regulated, requiring modifications of the creative approach from country to
country. Law pertaining to advertising may restrict the amount spent on
advertising, the use of particular media, advertising of certain kinds of products,
the use of certain types of copy and visuals, comparative advertising, misleading
and unfair advertising, use of foreign-made commercials and the like.

The German advertising legislation, for instance, is considered as the world's

`strictest and most specific'. There as more than 50 central institutions and
organizations monitoring German advertising practices. The other countries
which are restrictive in advertising legislation include: UK, USA, Canada, France,
Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Demark, Finland, Australia, Argentina and
Mexico.

France and Italy do not permit comparative advertising while ads for weight-
losing medicines are banned in Britain. In Italy, children are not allowed to look at
the camera. In Austria and Germany, children must always appear in the
company of adults. In the Netherlands, a child may eat chocolate on the screen
provided that a toothbrush is also shown.

In China ‘socially destabilizing content’ which includes both political and cultural
content, pornography, obscenity in advertisements is prohibited. USA draws a
line between pornography and obscenity, whereas China does not. Also, a large
chunk of the Chinese population smokes. Nevertheless, the government is well
aware of the healthcare issues and has placed a number of restrictions on
tobacco advertising. Tobacco products cannot be advertised on radio or
television, and even the billboards, where it is permitted, cannot use the image of
someone smoking and must contain a warning statement.

In the United States, advertising to children is not allowed because it is a

sensitive and emotionally-charged issue as children are easily influenced and like
to experiment with new things. The proliferation of products, advertising,
promotions and media targeted to children is of concern to lawmakers, the
industry and the general public. Lawmakers in USA opine that children's
advertising is under attack because it is "making kids want what they don't need"
and puts pressure on parents to respond to those needs.

If you take into consideration the Indian scenario, advertising of alcohol,

cigarettes, etc is prohibited. In such a case the company can advertise soda
water, or music cds and the like in lieu of alcohol, as many companies producing
alcohol already do; Seagrams, White Mischief, Smirnoff, to name a few.

Also, media permitted to employ are not alike in various countries. Radio and
television ads are completely banned in Sweden and Norway. In Germany, even

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though TV advertising is allowed, it is severely restricted or banned on Sundays
and holidays and limited to four five-minute blocks on other days. In the
Netherlands, television advertising cannot constitute more than 5 percent of total
programming time, and most time slots must be purchased nearly a year in
advance. Similar circumstances exist in such countries as Switzerland and
France.

One of the main objectives of statutory regulations of advertising is to promote

the interest of the consuming public against factually misleading and unfair
advertising. Consumer movements and consumer organizations have become
stronger and better organized. It is felt this movement has had profound impact
on the advertising industry and consumer legislation.

It is evident from the above points that the legal scenario of a foreign country is of
prime importance to an advertiser. These are a few things which the advertiser
can keep in mind so that the advertisement does not have any adverse legal
implications.

 Make sure that your advertisement does not violate public policy.
 Make sure that the product does not injure consumers.
 The advertisement should be ethical and scrupulous.
 Also, in case of ‘comparative advertising’, the advertiser should be certain
that his ad claims possess sufficient clarity and, if necessary, appropriate
disclosures to avoid deception to consumers.
 It is imperative that you be familiar with the advertising law of the country
where you do business. These are some questions which you need to
answer:
 Have you reviewed the legal appropriateness of your company's or client's
ads or package labels?
 Have you taken into account how that ad or label might be used in court in
a future product liability suit?
 Have you scrutinized all pre-market testing of your company's or client's
product to make sure no safety questions might arise later?
 Do you also make any safety claims, express or implied?
 Have you reviewed any instructions accompanying the product for a host
of possible advertising compliance problems?

Some Legal faux-pas which elicited many complaints in India:

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COMPLAINTS THAT WERE UPHELD BY THE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS
COUNCIL (CCC) (July 2007 to September 2007)

Advertisements Modified Appropriately / Withdrawn / Concluded:

1) Advertiser: - Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

Product:-Vim dish wash liquid

Description of Ad:

“Just one drop is enough, New Vim drop has 10 times more lime power than the
bar, even the grease you cannot see, it gets out”.

Complaint:

Advertiser needs to provide proof and substantiate that “one drop” of Vim could
produce the cleaning effect as visually depicted and claimed in the voice over of
the TVC.

ASCI Code/ CCC Decision:

July 2007;Chapter I.4.

Claim mentioned in the advertisement, was misleading, as the “cleansing

protocol” as provided in the report submitted by the Advertiser, did not appear in
the TVC.

Status:

TVC modified

2) Advertiser: - Procter & Gamble Hygiene &Healthcare Ltd.

Product: - Tide Detergent Powder

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Description of Ad:

TVC while referring to a boy’s cricket team, in the voice over states - “Do nahin,
sirf ek chamach kaaphi hai balti bhar kapde dhone ke liye”, with a depiction of a
typical household spoon with a Super – “1 spoon = 33 gms”. Pack mentions –
“one scoop of powder is required for 12-15 clothes”.

Complaint:

The typical household tablespoon in the market can hold only 16 gms Tide
powder and that too when fully heaped. Also no typical household spoon can
hold 33 gms of Tide. Advertiser contradicts their own statement in the TVC of `1
spoon’ being required when actually `1 scoop’ is required as mentioned on the
pack. This is a clear misrepresentation to the consumers. The TV communication
that one spoon of Tide has same or better efficacy than two spoons of (other)
powder, is totally unfounded / unsubstantiated and merely misleads the
consumer at the cost of the competition.

ASCI Code/CCC Decision:

July 2007;Chapters I.1 and I.4.

Claim mentioned in the advertisement, was not substantiated, and the super was
misleading.

Status:-

Advertiser assured appropriate modification of the claim and super in the TVC.

3) Advertiser: United Spirits Ltd.

Product: Royal Mist Rediffusion

Description of Ad

Ad headline states – “100% premium grain means 100% smoothness”. Copy

mentions -
“World over, premium, wholesome grains stand for quality of the highest order. In
the same tradition Royal Mist has been uniquely crafted and made from 100%

pure, premium grains. Perfected for you to derive maximum satisfaction out of
every moment”. Visual shows - “grains in a tumbler”.

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Complaint:

Visual depiction of brand name is suggestive of a well-known brand of liquor

product – Royal Mist. Advertisement appears to be a surrogate advertisement for
a liquor brand – Royal Mist.

ASCI Code/CCC Decision:

July 2007 Chapter III.6(b).

Advertisement was a surrogate advertisement for a liquor product – Royal Mist.

Advertiser verbally assured appropriate modification of the Ad before future
release.

Status:

Awaiting written assurance of compliance from the Advertiser.

4) Advertiser: - United Spirits Ltd.

Product: - McDowell Signature

Description of Ad:

Advertisement states - “Success is very demanding”, “Success is Good Fun”.

In fine print, the advertisement states, “successories” delinked from any of the
pertinent claims or visuals shown in the advertisement.

Complaint:

Advertisement is misleading by its ambiguity, and is suggestive of a liquor brand

(appears to be a replica of the label of a branded liquor product – McDowell
Signature).

ASCI Code/ CCC Decision:

July 2007 Chapter III.6(b)

Advertisement was a surrogate advertisement for a liquor product – McDowell

Signature.

Status:

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Ad campaign withdrawn.

5) Advertiser: - Coca Cola India Pvt Ltd.

Product: - Thums Up

Description of Ad:

TVC shows - “an actor flicking (or stealing) a Thums Up bottle from a speeding
truck”.

Complaint:

Advertisement is designed to attract lot of youngsters who happen to be the

target audience. The kids will try to imitate the popular actor and may try the
stunts shown in the TVC, which is dangerous. Also, it will motivate the kids to
flick or steal, which is offensive. (Two similar complaints received against the
same TVC).

ASCI Code/ CCC Decision:

August 2007 Chapters III.1(a), (c) and III.2(b)

Advertisement tends to incite people to crime, and encourages people,

particularly minors to emulate criminal acts. Advertisement shows dangerous
acts which are likely to encourage minors to emulate them in a manner which
could cause harm or injury.

Status:

TVC modified.

6) Advertiser:- Rajvansh Clinic Pvt Ltd.

Description of Ad:

Advertisement (in Hindi), as translated in English, claims, “full investigation and

treatment of childless women”.

Complaint:

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(Complaint received from individual consumer, but referred by a GOI department)
These diseases are mentioned in Schedule of the Drugs & Magic Remedies
(Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. Advertisement claiming treatment for
such diseases is banned, as per the public notice issued by the Ministry of Health
And Family Welfare. Advertisement is misleading and is in contravention of the
provisions of the said Act.

ASCI Code/ CCC Decision:

August 2007 Chapter III.4.

Advertisement was in breach of the law, since the advertisement was in apparent
violation of the Schedule of The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable
Advertisements) Act, 1954.

Status:

Ad withdrawn.

7) Advertiser: - Perfetti Van Melle India Pvt Ltd.

Product: - Alpenliebe McCann-Erickson

Description of Ad:

TVC shows - “a well-known celebrity feeds an `Alpenliebe’ chocolate to a

Crocodile in a protective enclosure, and then the animal starts following her
wherever she goes and demands more Alpenliebe”. Advertisement (in Hindi)
says, “Laalach aaha lap lap peeche pad gaya…”

Complaint:

It is prohibited for any visitor to feed an animal in their protective enclosures (zoo
etc). The act in the advertisement is sending a wrong message to viewers
especially children.
(Eight similar complaints received against the same TVC)

ASCI Code/ CCC Decision:

September 2007 Chapter III.4.

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Visual depiction of “a visitor feeding a crocodile in a zoo” was in apparent
violation of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Advertisement was in breach of the
law.

Status:

TVC modified.

8) Advertiser: - Mahindra Renault Pvt Ltd.

Product: - Logan

Description of Ad:

Claims - “No.1 in 3 months”. Source: CRISIL Sales data for July 2007.

Complaint:

The claim of being `No.1’ does not specify whether the car is the largest selling in
the country or it is within a certain segment that the company has considered
itself to be the highest selling. The `Logan’ competes in the A3 midsize segment
and was launched on 4th April 07. Since the launch, around four months ago, the
total sale has been 8056. In a similar period the sales of various other brands
including the `Indigo’ have been far higher than the `Logan’. The advertisement is
misleading.

ASCI Code/ CCC Decision:

September 2007 Chapter I.1.

Claim mentioned in the advertisement and cited in the complaint, was false.

Status:

Advertiser assured that the advertisement will not be released again and also
appropriate modification will be considered in the future, in the event a similar
communication is released.

Some Banned Print Ads

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1) GREAT BRITAIN – MOTOROLA

Adjudication of the Advertising Standards Authority:

The Ad:

A press ad, for the Motorola "MOTORAZR V3i" mobile phone designed by Dolce
& Gabbana, appeared in the Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Sunday Telegraph
and The Sunday Times. The ad showed the two male designers, one standing in
front of the other. The man standing to the rear was holding the phone at an
angle so that it resembled a barber's razor, whilst the other had a cut on his
cheek. Text at the top of the page stated "The new gold MOTORAZR V3i Dolce
and Gabbana. The Cutting Edge of Technology."

Issue:

The complainants thought the ad was offensive and irresponsible, because it

seemed to condone knife-related violence, and particularly to glamorise sexual
violence.

Response:

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Motorola said they had created a visual metaphor between a barber's razor and
the RAZR phone to highlight the "razor" thinness of the phone and its cutting
edge technology.

2) CHINA – TOWERS ANTI-SMOKING CAMPAIGN

The Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health rejected this poster for use in a
2001 anti-smoking campaign. Responding to the Council's decision, the poster's
makers argued that the use of the image of the World Trade Centres was
justified because "six thousand people died in the September 11 tragedy but four
million people die each year from smoking." The Council deemed the poster
"inappropriate".

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3) IRAN – VERSACE

This advert for Versace, which appeared in an edition of Wallpaper magazine

bought in Tehran, was intercepted by Iranian censors, who covered the exposed
knees and cleavage of its model, the actress Demi Moore, with black ink. Such a
method of censorship is common practice in Iran, as was revealed by a Swedish
visitor to the country, Jonathan Lundqvist, who showed this and other doctored
press images garnered from his visit on a website.

In Iran, with fashion adverts such as the one above, censors are generally careful
to avoid inking over the clothes, while leaving exposed body parts well-
concealed. Where some degree of nudity exists elsewhere in the press, however,
large white stickers are used to obscure whole images.

The political environment of international advertising includes any national or

international political factor that can affect the organization's operations or its
decision making. Politics are intrinsically linked to a government's attitude to
business and the freedom within which it allows firms to operate. Unstable
political regimes expose foreign businesses to a variety of risks that they would
generally not face in the home market. This often means that the political arena
is the most volatile area of international marketing. The tendencies of
governments to change regulations can seriously affect an international strategy
providing both opportunities and threats.

Political risk is defined as being: A risk due to a sudden or gradual change in a

local political environment that is disadvantageous or counter productive to
foreign firms and markets'.

The political attitudes toward advertising may vary with different governments. For
example, the Indonesian government commissioned a study of the impact of
television and then proceeded to ban TV for a period of ten years. The

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government decided that television and TV ads could aggravate tensions
between the rich and the poor and potentially promote consumerism, which refers
to the immoderate behavior to buy as many goods as possible.

CASE STUDIES

1) Adidas:

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The American athletic shoe companies are skilled in global marketers. Reebok is
the market leader in France, Spain and England but Nike is number one in many
other European countries. Although advertising tag lines such as “Just Do It” and
“Planet Reebok” are presented in English, other parts of the message are
adapted to reflect cultural differences. In France, for example, violence in ads is
unacceptable, so Reebok replaces boxing scenes with images of women running
on the beach. Also European participation in sports is lower than in America;
accordingly, Europeans are less likely to visit sporting goods stores. In France,
Reebok shoes are instead sold in nearly 1000 traditional stores.

Even in the face of such tough and growing competition, Adidas still enjoys high
brand loyalty among older Europeans. The company recruits young people and
pays them to wear Adidas shoes in public; they are also paid to work at sporting
good stores and promote Adidas products in other ways. Adidas also updated its
image among younger Europeans consumers by creating a new sport called
Streetball. Ads airing on MTV Europe feature players outfitted in the company’s
Streetball apparel line. Unlike its American rivals, Adidas does not utilize a global
ad campaign. For example, a 1995 campaign that ran outside the United States
Featured Emil Zatopke,a Czechoslovakian Olympic runner.

The company does, however maintain a single advertising agency –London

based Leagas Delany-for all its global markets. Bruce Haines, the agency’s chief
executive, notes “Adidas is structured by geographic territories and sports based
business units. We’re anxious to make sure that there’s one hand writing one
signature whatever the work, whatever the sport.

2) International Playtex

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International Playtex, Inc’s efforts in developing a standardized campaign for its
Wow Bra are all the more revealing. The company traditionally ran forty-three
versions of its ads worldwide, employing different ad agencies in various
countries.

For Wow the company assigned the entire global business to grey Advertising,
Inc. The ad theme was based on a single feature: Wow provides extra support
features of underwire bras without using uncomfortable wires. The company
used a plastic that took three years to develop. Beyond the basic theme,
however the commercial for each market had to be fine turned to meet local
requirements.

For example, the most noticeable change in the commercial had to be made for
South Africa, where TV standards don’t allow women to be shown modeling bras.
In this market, fully clothed models hold up the bra on a hanger, while in other
countries the models wear the bras. Further some commercials had to be 20
seconds long, while other had to be 30 Seconds long, because some countries
want silence at the beginning of the ad, while others do not. Certain national
preferences also had to be observed: the French like lacy bras while the
Americans prefer plainer, opaque styles.

3) The United Colors of Benetton

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A Campaign In Trouble:

In January 2000, the United Colors of Benetton (Benetton), Europe's largest

clothing manufacturer, released its ‘death-row' advertisement campaign featuring
prisoners who had been sentenced to death. The campaign appeared on
billboards and in major news publications in Europe, America and Asia. Benetton
had worked for two years on the campaign, for which a special booklet and video
were also released.

Benetton claimed that leaving aside any social, political, judicial or moral
consideration, the campaign aimed at showing the public the reality and futility of
capital punishment.

The campaign resulted in widespread protests against the company from the
customers as well as a number of governments. The families of the victims
(whom the death row inmates were convicted of having killed) objected strongly
to the campaign. The state of Missouri in the US decided to sue Benetton,
claiming that the company had deceived the state by using the death row
inmates as part of an advertising campaign.

Benetton was reported to have falsely told the state that the inmates were being
interviewed for a project sponsored by the National Association of Criminal
Defense Lawyers.) In an out of court settlement, Benetton had to write apology
letters to the families of the victims. Benetton was also ordered to pay $ 50,000
to the Missouri Crime Victims Fund. Benetton expected the protests against this
campaign to die down, as they had for its earlier campaigns. However, public
opposition in the US intensified further. The biggest setback for Benetton came in
the form of the cancellation of its deal with the US retailing major Sears, Roebuck
& Co. to open Benetton outlets in Sears stores across the US...

Background Note:

The Benetton story began in 1955, when the Benetton family, led by Luciano
Benetton (Luciano) started a small fashion company in Italy. The business
expanded significantly in the 1960s and the Benettons constructed a factory in
Ponzano Veneto, Italy...

Benetton's Advertising History:

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Benetton has been credited with pioneering a new era of advertising by removing
its product from its advertisements, and focusing only on colors and the selection
and placement of items on the copy. Analysts remarked that Benetton
deliberately manipulated its advertisements over the years to gain publicity and
thus stimulate interest in its products. Till the 1980s, Benetton advertisements
focused on the products, with the logo - a stylized knot of yarn with the word
‘Benetton' printed under it - contained within a dark green rectangle.

In 1982, Oliverio Toscani (Toscani), a prominent fashion and advertising

photographer, joined the Benetton group. On Toscani's recommendation,
Luciano handed over Benetton's advertising account to Eldorado - a small
advertising agency in Paris. The initial advertisements were conventional in style,
showing groups of young people wearing Benetton clothing...

Benetton Decides It's Enough!

The bitter experience of the ‘death-row' campaign seemed to have made

Benetton realize the damage its advertising strategy was causing. The fact that
many people had decided not to shop at Benetton as a result of its campaigns
could no longer be denied. Benetton sources admitted that the main problem with
the company's current and past advertising campaigns was the repeated use of
controversial subjects. The sources also admitted that the advertisements were
not targeted towards the actual customers of Benetton...

CONCLUSION

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As telecommunications and transportation develop at a high speed, a global
village is taking shape and the world market competition is intensifying. To win
the competition, international enterprises try hard to firmly establish their brands
in the global market and thus, the cross-cultural communication of brands has
become an important subject that should attract great attention in the field of
international advertising. To better achieve the communication, a perfect point
concerning the advertising strategy along the standardization/specialization
continuum should be decided, and there should be a compatible relationship
among the logo, the packaging and the advertising message.

In addition, brand construction should never stay in the primary stage of only
emphasizing brands’ appearances that are fragile and can be easily changed.
Only when the factor of culture is incorporated into a brand to form its value, can
the brand possess competitive edge and lasting vitality in international markets.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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1) www.agencyfaqs.com

2) www.warc.com

3) http://www.bestrejectedadvertising.com

4) http://www.witiger.com/internationalbusiness/culturalconsiderations.htm

5) Global Marketing- Warren Keegan

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