How cultural variations can have an effect on your content material advertising and marketing technique

If your business is aiming to grow your presence around the world, content needs to be carefully crafted to have maximum impact on the culture you are aiming for. Marketers need to consider the buyer persona in terms of demographics, interests, education, career, and identity. A global content marketing strategy also requires awareness of different languages ​​and cultural norms in order to get in touch with different target groups.

This article explains how your company can improve customer loyalty in international markets by leveraging culturally intelligent content. We’ll also address some key content marketing mistakes that companies have made in overseas markets and how to avoid the same mistakes with your brand.

Cultural differences and intercultural models

Cultural differences are important because they affect people’s perception at all levels. Images, hand gestures, colors, sounds, and symbols can have very different meanings in different cultures. Phrases and slogans that are literally translated into different languages ​​can lose their original meaning and regional differences in dialect, tone and tone professional communication culture can add additional levels of complexity.

Many cross-cultural models have been developed by anthropologists that can help marketers genuinely nurture Connections between brands and consumers. One of the most widely used models was developed by Richard D. Lewis, a communications specialist and social theorist. His theory claimed that cultures can best be divided into three behavioral categories: multi-active, reactive, and linear-active.

Multi-active cultures placed great emphasis on emotions and relationships. Reactive cultures tended to be more passive and authoritative. Linear-active cultures were less emotional and focused more on organizational and factual data. According to this model, many Latin American cultures score high on the multi-active scale, while Asian cultures tend to be more reactive and Western societies in general are more linearly active.

While these models can be a helpful guide, it is dangerous to over-simplify cultures. There are many nuances in translation, context, and perception of color and imagery that play a role in creating localized content. Like many companies have Chief Compliance Officer To ensure their businesses comply with local laws and regulations, international brands should also have local marketing consultants.

These consultants should provide input on content creation and marketing strategies for the local context. By creating culturally appropriate content, your business can help nurture online customers and turn them into your customers Local brand evangelists in other markets. Without them, you could be making some harmful faux pas.

Translation and context

Many companies make the mistake of translating their content literally. While the translation may be technically correct, the chances are that the context or connotation isn’t. Even Product names Get companies in trouble as one word in another language can mean something completely different.

Even large corporations have made mistakes when it comes to translations. IKEA, for example, ran into this problem in Thailand. As English speakers know, many of their products are named after Swedish words or cities in Sweden. However, many of the Swedish product names have been translated into inappropriate words in Thai, which has become a problem for the international brand.

Pepsi also got into trouble when their catchphrase “Pepsi Brings You Back To Life” came into being. It has been loosely translated into Chinese as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the grave”. Just bringing in a native Thai or Chinese marketer could have helped avoid these two mistakes.

Situations like this highlight the importance of hiring a quality translator, preferably one who speaks the language as a native speaker. Fortunately with the internet, Freelance across national borders is easier than ever as many specialize in translation and writing in foreign languages.

Cultural perception of color and imagery

When designing images and logos too Build your online business, it is important to know that certain colors or symbols are perceived differently in different cultures. Even if the reaction is subconscious, you want to avoid creating content that gives the wrong associations to your brand. The imagery and logo design of your brand and your online content must be in harmony with the culture you are speaking to.

In Western cultures, for example, white is largely associated with cleanliness and purity, and in clothing with marriage. In many Asian cultures, however White is a color of sadness, and red is more commonly used for marriage ceremonies.

An extreme example of images gone wrong came when Gerber, the popular baby formula maker, wanted to expand its reach into Africa. The company sold its products to African stores with the same packaging as in America – the famous and adorable baby on the front of its products.

However, they failed to see the cultural context of this image. In Africa, goods are often packed with a photo of the contents, as many people are illiterate. Certainly not many buyers were interested in buying a canned baby. This shows that the involvement of a diverse team of local content creators is required to produce meaningful translations of your text and images.

Format and tone

Find the right one Tone for your brand and your audience is difficult enough in your own culture. Copying the tone you’ve worked so hard on into another language and culture can be even more difficult.

In English, for example, we have got used to reading content that is written in a casual tone. We even learned to simply accept what used to be considered grammatical and spelling mistakes as conversational writing. However, not all cultures and languages ​​will adopt a casual, friendly tone for your content.

Note that many languages ​​require different pronouns to be used when speaking to a manager than when speaking to a close friend or child. If your content is trying to make a joke, make sure your audience knows that they are involved in the joke, and not at the expense of the joke.

Dolce & Gabbana made that mistake with an ad in China that they thought the Chinese would find humorous. The Italian luxury brand created an ad in Mandarin in which a Chinese woman struggled with chopsticks to eat Italian food. The ad sparked outrage in China, many boycotted D&G and the owners of the luxury house were forced to apologize to the Chinese people.

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When deciding to expand to an international audience, companies need to do more than just research the local market. While your product or service has a great chance of success in many countries, the type of content you create for your website or blog may beat or destroy your chance. Your content should not only reflect the personality and traits of your buyer, it should also reflect a cultural awareness that promotes an authentic connection between the consumer and your brand.

This post was written by Nahla Davies, a software developer and tech writer. Before she devoted her entire work to technical writing, she managed – among other fascinating things – to function as a senior programmer at an Inc. 5,000 branding organization whose clients include Samsung, Time Warner, Netflix and Sony.