Track 25

Unit 4

Business

The art of marketing in a global culture

Page 40

Extend the topic

Part A

One question I frequently find myself asking marketing professionals is when does culture influence consumer purchasing decisions?

That’s a tough question and one we researched pretty thoroughly.

And?

Well, it seems that culture-based differences show up when information is processed quickly, spontaneously. If for instance, you pass a roadside billboard, chances are you’ll be influenced by advertising that appeals to your particular culture however if you have time to think about information more, say looking at a website then cultural factors play a much smaller role.

Interesting. So how did you conduct your research?

Well, we asked some American and Asian students to give their reactions to advertisements for a brand of juice. Half of the ads promoted the benefits of drinking the juice. The other half positioned juice as a preventative, as something you could drink in order to avoid health problems.

And the results?

Well, they were very informative. When giving their immediate reactions to the ads, the Asians preferred the preventative message, the ad that portrayed the juice is helpful in avoiding health problems. Meanwhile the Americans preferred the promotional message, the benefits of juice. In contrast when both groups had time to think about the message, they had the same reactions to the two ads.

So why the difference in their immediate reactions?

Well, it seems that Americans focus on the positive effects of purchasing decisions because they value achievement and independent thinking. Asians on the other hand, focus on the negative consequences of their purchasing decisions. This is because they value protection and security and have more interdependent ways of viewing the world. So it really is culturally based.