Page 231 - Foundations of Marketing

198 Part 3 | Customer Behavior and E-Marketing

And, of course, marketing communications often must be translated into other languages.
Sometimes, the true meaning of translated messages can be misinterpreted or lost. Consider
some translations that went awry in foreign markets: KFC’s long-running slogan “Finger
lickin’ good” was translated into Spanish as “Eat your fingers off,” and Coors’ “Turn it loose”
9
campaign was translated into Spanish as “Drink Coors and get diarrhea.”
It can be difficult to transfer marketing symbols, trademarks, logos, and even products
to international markets, especially if these are associated with objects that have profound
religious or cultural significance in a particular culture. Gerber began marketing their baby
food products in Africa and made minimal changes to the traditional packaging, showing the
Gerber baby on the label. When baby food sales fell way below expectations, the company did
some investigation and learned that, because the literacy rate is low in many parts of Africa,
it is customary to put a picture of what is in the container on the package. Many consumers
were not buying the product because they thought Gerber was selling baby meat. Cultural dif-
ferences may also affect marketing negotiations and decision-making behavior. In many parts
of Asia, a gift may be considered a necessary introduction before negotiation, whereas in the
United States or Canada, a gift may be misconstrued as an illegal bribe.
Buyers’ perceptions of other countries can influence product adoption and use. Multiple
research studies have found that consumer preferences for products depend on both the coun-
try of origin and the product category of competing prod-
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ucts. When people are unfamiliar with products from
another country, their perceptions of the country as a whole
may affect their attitude toward the product and influence
whether they will buy it. If a country has a reputation for pro-
ducing quality products and therefore has a positive image
in consumers’ minds, marketers of products from that coun-
try will want to make the country of origin well known. For
example, a generally favorable image of Western computer
technology has fueled sales of U.S.-made Dell and Apple
computers and Microsoft software in Japan. On the other
hand, marketers may want to dissociate themselves from a
particular country in order to build a brand’s reputation as
truly global or because a country does not have a good repu-
tation for quality. Because China has had issues with prod-
uct quality in the past, a Chinese company that purchased
Volvo is keeping Volvo positioned as a Swedish brand. The
extent to which a product’s brand image and country of ori-
gin influence purchases is subject to considerable variation
based on national culture characteristics.
When products are introduced from one nation into
another, acceptance is far more likely if similarities exist
between the two cultures. In fact, many similar cultural
characteristics exist across countries. For international
marketers, cultural differences have implications for prod-
uct development, advertising, packaging, and pricing. The
© iStockphoto.com /501room 1959. Although BMW was reluctant to export the car to the
original Mini automobile was introduced in England in

United States, the company gave it a try in 2002 and was
surprised that Americans purchased the Mini.

Economic Forces
Global marketers need to understand the international trade
Marketers from Western countries might not be familiar with the
umbrella festival or other customs in Thailand. However, under- system, particularly the economic stability of individual
standing cultural differences and local customs can help marketers nations, as well as trade barriers that may stifle marketing
adjust their marketing mix to appeal to different cultures. efforts. Economic differences among nations—differences

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