5 Factors To Consider When Marketing To Different Cultures

Marketing to different cultures can be frustrating. Sometimes the response you expect just doesn’t come. Instead of chalking your lose down to culture, why not re-examine all of the foreign demographic factors.

Personality – there have been several studies done providing guidelines on how to identify cultural differences with personality types. Most people know this and attempt to address this in their marketing. The world has changed though.

Don’t get bogged down in old-fashioned cultural prejudices. Many of the characterizations of 20 years ago are just that: old characterizations. Internet and the global economy have flattened many markets. Are you sure this has not happened to your target market?

Do some research. Get some more feedback. Adjust your message to the personality of your current target market, and stay in tune with it over time.

Wealth – The average household salary varies so much in different cultures. This has a huge impact on consumer habits. Putting a figure for each household in each country is a very simplistic analysis.

Is important to evaluate how consumer wealth impacts your target market’s habits for your product or service? This often explains why something does not sell well in a particular country…and also why other products sell like gangbusters.

Consumer habits – Consumer habits are influenced by many things. Getting to know your market better will give you further insight as to why people have the habits they do.

There are often very logical reasons, difficult and even impossible to understand if you are looking in from a different cultural standpoint.

Be flexible, and again re-examine your market feedback. Re-adjust and test.

Language – There are so many ways misunderstanding can come into play with language. It is best to concentrate on developing a dialogue and a relationship with people in your target market. This will give you the feedback to ensure the language you are using is suited to your market.

Age – The age of your target market is important to understand. The age of your ideal clients in one market may be different in another market. Also, different generations interact differently in different cultures. How does this play out in your markets?

Determine the age group for each of your different cultural markets. Question this, and re-confirm this from time to time. Each age group will have different characteristics in each country and culture. A 15 year old has a different profile in different countries. This factor is often overlooked.

Keep these factors in mind when marketing to markets with cultural differences and you will get to know your market well. You will then be able to create an effective global marketing strategy.

This article is part of a series on International Market Research. Here are the other articles in this series:

• Take Action To Uncover International Business Opportunities
• 7 Initial Market Research Ideas To Define Your First International Expansion
• Initial International Market Research Can Feel Like A Cliff Hanger
• International Market Research - Don’t Get Stumped When Digital Age Communication Fails
• 5 Success Keys For Small Businesses Developing Into International Markets
• How To Learn From Intercultural Communication Difficulties
• Music In Cultural Differences