Marketing Communications

ADVERTISING IN A CROSS-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT 237

Figure 7.7 Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions

is distributed unequally. In high-power-distance cultures (e.g. Malaysia), a few people have all

the power and make all the decisions. Th e other people carry out orders. In low-power-distance

cultures (e.g. Denmark, Austria) power is not concentrated in the hands of a few and interactions

between people occur on a more equal basis. In the latter case, people are used to evaluating

information and making decisions themselves. For advertising, this might mean that expert

endorsers are more appropriate in high-power-distance cultures in which people are used to

being and expect to be told what to do, while information-dense ads might be more appropriate

in low-power-distance cultures in which people appreciate making decisions on the basis of

information off ered.^149

In masculine cultures , assertiveness, competitiveness and status are valued highly, while in

feminine cultures , caring for others and quality of life are central values. In feminine cultures

men’s and women’s values and roles coincide, while there is a larger gap in their roles in masculine

cultures. Uncertainty avoidance refers to the extent to which people feel uncomfortable with

uncertainty and ambiguity and have a need for structure and formal rules in their lives. Com-

munications for uncertainty avoidance cultures can focus on expert appeals and providing

information and guarantees to reassure consumers. Long-term versus short-term orientation

deals with values such as pragmatic future-oriented thinking, virtue, thrift , perseverance and a

sense of shame versus conventional, historical or short-term thinking, fulfi lling social obligations,

respect for tradition and a sense of security and stability. Table 7.4 shows how diff erent countries

are positioned on Hofstede’s dimensions and on the communications context dimension.^150

Advertising as the classic instrument to reach a large audience, and as one of the most flexible communications tools, is the

obvious channel to support and supplement other communications efforts. Advertising can be used to reinforce sponsorship

campaigns, by using events and celebrities in advertising, by capitalising on product placement in movies and TV programmes,

or by pointing out the corporate social responsibility efforts of the company. Advertising can also be used to monopolise the

broadcast of the sponsored event. Shareholder meetings, points of view on societal issues and press releases can be referred

to in advertising campaigns. Sales promotions can be announced in ads, and ads can build traffic for in-store and promotion

campaigns. The latter can be reinforced by referring to the ads on the shop floor (‘as seen on television’). Offline advertising

can be used to build traffic to websites and as an introduction to interactive advertising formats. In general, advertising can

be used to build the necessary awareness and brand image to provide the fertile soil for other communication efforts.

IMC INSIGHT

Integrating advertising in IMC

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