Marketing Communications

STANDARDISATION OR ADAPTATION 15

Some product categories seem to lend themselves better to a global approach than others

( Figure 1.2 ).^31 Some products can be sold to similar target groups across countries. Th is boils

down to global segmentation or fi nding groups of consumers that share similar opinions,

values, interests, etc., across borders instead of looking for diff erent target groups in diff er-

ent countries. Young people or people with a higher education, for example, are very similar,

whether they are French, Italian, German, Belgian or American. Th e reason for this is that

these groups, in general, are more open-minded, less culturally bound, more receptive to

international media, make more use of international media, have more international contacts

and/or go abroad more oft en. Th is factor explains the success of MTV, Calvin Klein and Dell

computers. Products that can be sold on the basis of image appeals are also more suited for

global communications.

Images, visual messages and international music lend themselves more to standardisation

than a spoken or written message. Examples of successful campaigns in this category are Marlboro,

Levi’s, Coca-Cola, Martini, Smirnoff vodka, perfume ads and airline campaigns. Luxury pro-

ducts are targeted at upper-class people who buy the product for the status it brings. Because

only the status and no product information needs to be communicated, these appeals are

easier to standardise. Although innovative, high-tech products, such as the latest computers,

the latest soft ware, etc., need an informational appeal, these products seem to be used every-

where in the same way, which can justify a global appeal. Products with a country-of-origin

appeal can be more easily globalised. Belgium is famous for its chocolate, France for its wine,

Japan for its technology, Germany for its durability, Switzerland for its watches. Products that

use a country-of-origin positioning may well be advertised by means of a global approach.

Figure 1.2 Product suitability for global approach

Based on : Fannin, R. (1984), ‘What Agencies Really Think of Global Theory’, Marketing and Media Decision (December), 74–82.

and the puppets Darren and Lisa used for the UK market were retained because the cloth puppets and teddy have

been used for years and connect well with local people. Dumping them would be throwing away valuable brand

equity. Moreover, cost savings that can be achieved by standardising brand hardware are much higher than can be

achieved by globalising an advertisement campaign.

Similar reasoning is followed by 's competitor, Procter & Gamble. It learned the hard way that globalisa-

tion is not always the way to go. Changing the name of the Mexican soap brand Escuda into Safeguard led to a

serious sales decrease. After the name was changed back to Escuda again, sales went back up. Since then, P&G has

been thinking of the hard points it wants to keep consistent across regions. For example, the machine used to make

Bounty has to be standardised, but the brand name, the colours, etc., can be adapted to meet local needs, as can

the advertising. For Pampers, for example, widely varied copy is used for the Middle Eastern, Latin American and

South African campaigns.^30

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