Course syllabus

MINOR INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING

COURSE: CULTURAL VALUES AND COMMUNICATION IN AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE 

CONTENT

Cultural Differences -> To adapt or not to adapt? 

For the past 20–30 years, the world has been undergoing a vast process of globalization. Companies continue to expand across borders and therefore face considerable marketing challenges, because consumer patterns in the new markets may differ from those in their national market.

Global marketing practitioners today have encountered a paradigm shift from the old globalism to the new globalism, which states that product developments are not necessary to maximize economies of scale, but rather to succeed on the global market. For this it is imperative to understand local consumers’ specific needs and local conditions.

It is essential that companies take into account the lifestyles and culture of countries to which they are considering exporting. Research into culture and lifestyle can identify potential problems with translation, marketing and advertising. Cultural considerations and customs may influence product design, product functions, branding, labeling, packaging colors, sizes and styles and even service arrangements. Certain colors used on labels and packages may be found unattractive or offensive. Some products and services might even be found culturally unacceptable. When planning an international marketing communication strategy, companies have to decide whether to standardize, for example, have a single marketing strategy in all operating countries or to adapt a strategy to fit the unique dimensions of each local market. They must communicate in a way that is acceptable to local cultural preferences. 

So culture has a strong influence on product adaptations in particular, and on international marketing in general. Companies must be able to adapt their products, their marketing and their marketing communication but, in the same time, keep the note of originality, so that the global image of the brand continues to gain consistency.

Only savvy marketers are capable to recognize and to use cultural differences in their advantage….

In this course you will learn about cultures and dimensions of culture in relation to international advertising. You will gain knowledge and skills on how to use research in cultural differences to develop a marketing strategy and a marketing communications strategy to successfully launch a product in a new market. 

COURSE GOALS AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this course is that students learn different approaches to designing and executing ads and commercials in different parts of the world and learn about the various cultural core values that have a strong influence on the effectiveness of (global) marketing communication. They will learn how to analyze and understand different cultures with the help of the theories and models of Hofstede, Hall, Meyer and various other great thinkers in this field. The objective is to gain insight into national cultures which are the bearers of advertising expressions.

Students will show their progress in creating products like designing company brochures, mood boards, drawing up concepts and executing them, keeping in mind what the particular target culture wants or needs.

After finishing this course successfully, the student will know how an advert for one culture should be adapted for a different culture in order to be effective.

course goals:

At the end of the course the student will have gained:

Knowledge: Students will understand the implications of cultural differences for global brand communication

Skills: Students will be able to determine and apply cultural dimensions in global brand communication

Attitudes: Students will develop intercultural sensitivity

learning objectives:

During the course the student will work to achieve the following goals:

• Understanding cultural paradoxes in global marketing communication
• Understanding cultural dimensions and their implications on global marketing communication
• Application of knowledge and insight into successful marketing communication products and/or campaigns

ASSESSMENT

Examination of the learning outcomes will be through an assessment. Students will present in so-called boardroom presentations the outcome of their course assignment. The assignment and the boardroom presentations consist of two parts, a group part, and an individual part, which will be presented sequentially during the assessment:

1. Group part of the assignment is the development of an international brand strategy for a national or local brand of choice. Students will work in a team of 4-5 students to analyze this brand and to subsequently develop a strategy that will make the brand fit for international expansion and growth. The international brand strategy will be presented by the team in a so-called boardroom presentation.
2. Individual part of the assignment is the development of a successful launch strategy for the chosen brand from the group part of the assignment in an assigned new market (country). Every student in the student team will be responsible for his or her ‘own country’. Students will research and analyze the local culture and consumer behavior of the appointed country in order to design an appropriate launch strategy for the brand in the new market. The strategy should be coherent with the international brand strategy that has been developed by the student team in the group part of the assignment. This launch strategy will be presented by the student in the boardroom presentation immediately following the presentation of the international brand strategy.

The boardroom presentations will be assessed and graded according to a grading rubric that is published together with the details of the assignment on this course site on Canvas.

 DELIVERABLES:

1. Group Part of the Assignment: Boardroom presentation including the collectively developed international brand strategy and the individual launch strategies and campaigns. The presentation itself has to be uploaded via the inbox on Canvas the evening before the assessment. Failure to comply leads to cancellation of the assessment and students will have to take the resit.
2. Individual Part of the Assignment: 
   1. Research report containing the insights and conclusions about the cultural differences and consumer behavior of the assigned country, and an evaluation of options and substantiation of choices with regards to the chosen launch strategy and campaign(s) for this particular country (maximum 10 pages A4 in Arial 12)
   2. Critical reflection on the individual learning outcomes and take-aways of the course Cultural Differences. Any feedback regarding course content, teaching methods and assignment will be highly appreciated (maximum 1 page A4)