Marketing and Sales - Cross-Cultural Communication

1. Cross cultural communication introduction: Welcome to this course on cross cultural communication. This is quite an involved course, and it looks at the differences that culture makes in marketing and sales, and it is part of our marketing and sales series. So we start looking at the role of language in cross cultural communication. We also look at body language, how that varies across different cultures. We look about how we adapt our style for international audiences. We look at business etiquette in a global sense. We also look at some different technologies that we can use to assist us with our global reach, and also cross cultures of conflict resolution. And ideally, of course, we would avoid these in the first place, and there's a lesson on that. And there's a lesson on building report and trust. But my two favorite lessons are at the end, and these are actually genuine case studies. And the first one shows the good case studies where things went well, and we look at what they did well, why it worked, and you can use that as a template for your own marketing efforts. Then my favorite one is the last one. I know it shouldn't be, but it is. And that's where things went bad. This is bad case studies where marketing and sales went horribly wrong, and we can see what they did wrong and how you can avoid the same mistakes. Now, with all skill share courses, there are downloadable PDF files that you can print out for offline use. Please ask any questions that you have, you will, of course, get an answer and don't forget the project. So any material you wish to upload for the project, we'll have a look at it and give you some feedback. 2. Understanding cultural differences: Welcome to this lesson on understanding cultural differences in marketing and sales. So in this lesson, we'll understand how cultural differences impact marketing and sales, we'll identify key cultural dimensions and their influence on consumer behavior, and we'll specifically look at Hofstadter's framework. We'll also recognize the importance of cultural awareness when crafting our marketing strategies. But why does culture matter in marketing and sales? Well, first, let's define what we mean by culture. And this is the shared values, beliefs, norms and behaviors of a group of people. And specifically its impact on sales and marketing, it will shape consumer preferences and buying behavior. It'll affect the communication, the negotiation, and decision making, and it also influence brand perception and loyalty. So as an example, in some cultures, word of mouth recommendations carry a lot more weight than advertising, whereas in other cultures, of a flashy expensive advertisement will actually build trust. So look at Hofster's cultural dimensions framework. This was developed by a Dutch guy in late 60s, early 70s. And I'm going to butcher this, but I'll try HertHofster. And he identified six dimensions of culture that would help explain differences and then their impact on things like behavior, communication, and business. And these dimensions are individualism as opposed to collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, the masculinity versus femininity. Long term versus short term orientation and lastly indulgence versus restraint. And we'll look at all of these now with examples. So the individualism versus collectivism, this helps us to shape messaging and engagement strategies. So if we take say an individualist type culture such as a USA or UK, the marketing here should focus on personal benefits, self expression and individual success. And Nike's Just Do it campaign that appealed to individual ambition and personal achievement. And if you're in a sales context, you need to have customers value your personal attention and have tailored solutions that are customized to their individual needs. In contrast, a collectivist culture, for example, Japan or China, the marketing messaging here should highlight group benefits, community impact, and family orientation. So ads showing family or community using the product together would be good examples to use in this type of culture. And then a sales environment, you want to build trust by showing respect for group decisions and involving family or colleagues in the process. Then we have power distance. So understanding how power distance works can also affect communication with potential clients. So in so called high power distant cultures such as India and the Philippines, the marketing should emphasize authority. You should get endorsements from respected figures and also highlight traditional values. So you would use a government or religious endorsement for credibility. And in the sales context, you want to remain formal and show respect for hierarchy and address the decision makers directly. Now in low power distance cultures, for example, Sweden and Netherlands, the marketing should focus on equality, collaboration, authenticity. So adverts would feature everyday people rather than celebrities. And in a sales context, you wish to encourage sort of informal conversations and empower employees at all levels to participate in decisions. Then we have uncertainty avoidance. This is a measure of risk tolerance and how basically risk averse or not the people are. So we have high uncertainty avoidance cultures, for instance, Greece and Japan, the marketing here should provide sort of product information, guarantees, and endorsements. And so you would offer as an example 100% satisfaction guaranteed. This will help these sort of risk avoidance cultures to buy your product. And in sales, you would focus on things like reliability, certifications, and risk mitigation strategies. Now in low uncertainty avoidance cultures such as Singapore and USA, your marketing would emphasize innovation, flexibility, and would make bold promises. So a campaign would promote exciting cutting edge features of a product. And in the sales context, you want to highlight the adaptability and customization. Then we have masculinity versus femininity. And this again will influence the tone and focus of your campaigns. So in very masculine cultures, say Japan and Germany, your marketing would stress, sort of competitiveness, success, and performance. So a car advert would highlight speed and power and engineering excellence. And then a sales sort of room, you want to be assertive, you want to highlight sort of real outcomes, and you also want to project confidence. And in more sort of feminine cultures such as Sweden and the Netherlands, you would want to highlight sustainability, values, quality of life. And so your campaign would focus on eco friendliness and family values. And in a sales context, you would use collaborative and empathetic approaches and really emphasize relationship building. The next one is long term versus short term orientation, how consumers view time and results. So when I say long term cultures such as China and South Korea, your marketing should emphasize the durability, the future benefits, and some sort of sense of heritage. So your advertising would promote investments in education or savings plans. And when you're doing sales, you would really focus on building relationships and loyalty over time. Whereas in short term orientated cultures such as USA or UK, your marketing should highlight immediate results and should show instant gratification. And your marketing messaging would have examples like limited time offer, buy and out pay later. And with sales, you want to show that the investment they make will give quick results and fast returns. And the last one is indulgence versus restraint. And this shows sort of how consumers prioritize sort of leisure and enjoyment. So in indulgent cultures, an example say Sweden or Mexico, we'd use vibrant, fun and emotionally engaging campaigns. So you would have sort of holidays, celebrations, lots of nice food. And your sales should offer experience or sort of extras that enhance the enjoyment of the product. Whereas in more restrained cultures, for example, Russia or Pakistan, your marketing would focus on value, practicalities, and meeting sort of essential needs. So your ads would show savings, responsibility, energy efficient aspects, things like this. And then the sales, you want to stress how cost effective it is and that your products are reliable in the long term. So how do we use these best practices when using Hosted as framework? Well, in marketing or market research, you would study the target culture dimensions before launching campaigns. You would design your ads and campaigns such that they aligned with the local cultural preferences. Would also train your sales team with the insights on these cultural norms so they can build rapport with the people they're talking to. And most importantly, test and iterate is not a one and done. You have pilot campaigns, you get feedback, and you would go back and adjust and go through this again. And Hofstaa's framework really enables businesses to anticipate cultural needs and then connect authentically with the global audiences. Na a look at cultural influence on consumer behavior. So cultural differences, they really shape the way the consumer behaves. It affects how they perceive, evaluate, and interact with your products and services. So elements such as language, color symbolism and social norms play significant roles in shaping marketing strategies that will resonate with diverse audiences. And misunderstandings in these sometimes very fine cultural nuances can cause big mistakes, such as mistranslation or culturally inappropriate branding. So let's have a quick look at these key factors we've mentioned with some real examples to show the importance of aligning marketing efforts with cultural expectations. The first one is language and messaging. So a literal translation can really miss the mark. So you have to adapt slogans to resonate culturally, not just replace the words. And as an example, Pepsi had a come alive with Pepsi advert, which was interpreted in China as Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead, which obviously is not what they wanted. I look at color and symbolism and also colors have cultural significance. And these significance or the symbolism of cultures can vary hugely across different cultures. For example, in western cultures, white symbolizes purity. But in some Asian areas, white symbolizes morning and death, which in Western cultures is more black. So you can see how vastly this can change. Now we have social norms and values, and the products must align with the cultural norms. And as a really obvious example here, alcohol adverts are banned in a lot of Muslim countries where alcohol is baned, so why would you advertise a product that they're not allowed to buy? The challenges of cross cultural marketing. If you overgeneralize about a culture through use of broad stereotypes, this can lead to not only in effective marketing, but also a negative marketing where your stereotype is considered somewhat offensive. And with translations, you have to be careful. This is why you need a professional translator and not just some software that swaps the words around. Now we have legal and ethical considerations. There might be regulations around advertising standards and consumer protections, so you can't just go making wild claims about what your product will do. As an example, an advert in one culture that is quite funny could well be highly offensive in another. So be careful. Look at some best practices for actually understanding these. Conduct your market research. This is important. Learn about local customs, values, and consumer behavior. Also hire local experts to get insight from cultural insiders. Ask the people there. And then test campaigns on a small scale first, do pilot campaigns. And when they go well, then you up it to full scale launches. Don't do the big one first without testing it. And as we mentioned, be adaptable. Be prepared to modify your strategies as needed to make sure they align with the cultural norms in your target market. I'll give you a real world example, and this is the McDonald's Global adaptation. So in India, they introduced vegetarian options like the Mc Atika, which I believe Au is potato to cater for dietary preferences, in this case, vegetarians. But then in France, they redesigned their restaurants to create a more cafe style atmosphere. The basic takeaway here, no put on the word Donald's takeaway, is that successful companies will adapt their offerings to meet local cultural expectations. 3. The Role of Language in Cross Cultural Communication: Welcome to this lesson on the role of language in cross cultural communication. So in this lesson, we'll look at the impact of language on marketing and sales. We will recognize the role of translation and localization in business communication, and we'll learn some strategies for overcoming these language barriers. Look at the power of language. So language really reflects cultural values and beliefs, and it also influences how messages are perceived. Though, for instance, the same word might have different emotional connections and connotations across different languages. So the things we have to be careful of is not to translate things literally because this can often miss cultural subtleties. So under this, we have idioms, humor and tone might not translate effectively, and we run a risk of unintended offense when we have poor localization, and we'll look at localization in a bit more detail what we mean. Localization is more than just sort of swapping the words around. You actually have to adapt the message to fit the context and the preferences. And we have to look at sort of dialects, symbolism, and also cultural references. So what is an obvious cultural reference in one country might be completely unknown in another. For example, Coca Cola adapts its slogans and imagery to actually fit the local markets. So what's the best thing? How do we best do this? Get professional translators and localization experts. Don't just do it all using translation tools. You need people who actually know the local customs, the local practices, and the local culture. And test campaigns with native speakers. Don't just assume it will be okay. Get feedback from native speakers and if necessary, modify and re test. And also, try to keep the language simple and clear. This way, you avoid misinterpretation. If your message is vague and it's not really clear what you're saying, it's much more open to misinterpretation than a clear and simple statement. 4. Nonverbal Communication Across Cultures: Welcome to this short lesson on non verbal communication across cultures. In the previous lesson, we looked at language, I verbal communication. And in this lesson, we'll look at nonverbal cues. We'll look at the key differences in non verbal communication across cultures, and we'll learn to adapt body language to different cultural contexts. So often non verbal cues will convey more meaning than words. And cultural norms really shape interpretations of gestures, posture, and expressions. So for example, eye contact is actually seen as quite positive in Western cultures. But in some say Asian cultures, it might be actually rude to look someone directly in the eye and even here with eye contact. Don't stare, okay? This is not what we mean here, normal eye contact. Also, things like gestures. So the same gesture can have very different meanings depending on where you do it. And good example of these are say, the thumbs up gesture and fingers crossed. The concept of personal space can vary very differently, for instance, in the Middle East and India, for example, personal space is about half what it is in Europe, which can lead to quite interesting situations where some guy goes to India and he's keeping his meter personal space, and the Indian guys keeping his half a meter personal space. And so the Indian guy steps forward. The European guy steps back. The Indian guy steps forward and they keep doing this dance until the Po European guy is sort of stuck in a corner and has nowhere to go. I've seen it happen. It's funny. Have things like facial expressions. So things like smiling are generally seen as universally understood in the same way. But even the universal ones, depends on how you do it. The intensity and appropriateness could also differ. So how do we best approach this? Be observant and watch the body language of the people you're talking to. Also, make a point before you go to learn about some of the things you shouldn't do. For instance, pointing, so if you go to say Thailand, pointing is considered very rude. Don't do it. And also maintain an open and non judgmental attitude. Now, ideally, the other people have also done their cultural research or understand that when you make a certain gesture, you're not being rude, and they would also try not to make gestures that you would understand as rude. But if they haven't or haven't done it enough, don't get cross and take things personal. It's probably more to do with ignorance than anything else. 5. Avoiding Misunderstandings and Stereotypes: Welcome to this lesson on avoiding misunderstandings and stereotypes. So in this relatively short lesson, we'll understand the impact of stereotypes on cross cultural interactions. We'll learn some strategies to avoid these misunderstandings when communicating, and we'll look at skills to identify and challenge cultural biases. So firstly, what exactly are stereotypes? Well, stereotypes are a generalized belief about a group of people. And they either oversimplify or ignore individual differences, it should be worth pointing out that stereotypes can be positive and negative, as we'll see at the end of the lesson. So here's some examples of stereotypes, assuming that all people from a certain country behave the same way, or assuming that all individuals from, say, a specific country are good at math. Or believing that all people from warm climates are naturally relaxed and easy going. What are some common causes? Well, for instance, language barriers are common cause, so words or phrases might actually mean different things depending on where you come from. So for example, a phrase like, I'll try might imply commitment in one culture but hesitation in another. And nonverbal communication, so gestures, facial expressions, personal space can also greatly differ. As an example of this, a thumbs up gesture is positive in many cultures, but offensive in others, as is, for example, the fingers crossed gesture. Then we have sort of implicit assumptions. So what we do here is we apply our own cultural norms to everybody else and assume that the way we think is the way everybody else thinks. And we see this when we look at punctuality, and in some cultures, it's valued highly. In others, it's really not a thing. So how can we avoid this? Well, we have to actually practice actively listening to people to understand their individual perspective, and we should listen to understand and not to respond. And we would sort of paraphrase what they say to confirm our understanding. And we should also not be afraid to ask questions instead of just making assumptions. So instead of asking, Do you celebrate Christmas, try asking a more open question. What holidays do you celebrate? And self education is also important learning about cultural diversity. So before you have the meeting or the presentation with some culture you're not familiar with, do a bit of your own research into their cultural practices and values. This will help you. So this last slide is called Heaven and Hell. It's actually an old joke that shows positive and negative stereotypes. So if you are very easily offended, you might want to skip to the end to the next lesson. But if you like a bit of a laugh, then stay put. So we said before that stereotypes can be positive and negative. And there's a wonderful old joke that shows this. And here it is. It's a difference between heaven and hell. So in heaven, the police are English. The cooks are French. The mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian, and everything is organized by the Swiss. And this shows the positive stereotypes that you'll often see. So English policemen are nice. You know, the French are good at cooking, the Germans are good at fixing cars, et cetera. And then we show what it's like in hell. So we use the same people, but we swap what they're doing. So in hell. The police are German, the cooks are English, mechanics are French. The lovers are Swiss, and everything is organized by the Italians. So that shows the negative stereotypes. Have a look at them, pause the video. You'll see that, you know, do you agree with them? Do you not agree with them? Let me know in a Q&A. We'll add some more if you want to. Anyway, it's always good to finish on a positive note with a laugh, so this is the last slide in this lesson. 6. Building Trust and Rapport with Customer: Welcome to this lesson on building trust and rapport with customers from different cultures. So in this short lesson, we will understand the role of trust in cross cultural business relationships. We'll look at some strategies to build rapport with various different customers, and we also recognize cultural differences in trust building practices. The importance of trust. Trust really is the foundation of successful business relationships. It really doesn't matter whether it's B to B, B to C, B to B to C, it doesn't matter. Trust. If you don't trust someone, you're not going to deal with them. But cultural norms can influence how trust is established. So in high context cultures, trust is often established through personal connections, and this happens before you do business with them, you actually get into the details. Whereas in low context cultures, trust is often built on, say, performance and contractual agreements. So if you genuinely show interest in your customers cultures and values, this will help. For instance, attend local events or express an interest in their traditions, and you should communicate transparently and consistently. Avoid overpromising it's always a bad thing and also avoid using vague language because it's an open to misinterpretation and it will only cause a problem later. The opposite of this, of course, is to demonstrate reliability to actually deliver on your promises, and this will then build credibility and trust with the other party. Now, there are cultural differences in trust building. As we said before, high context cultures, relationships and loyalty come first. Whereas in low context cultures, efficiency and outcomes are emphasized. And a couple of examples, for instance, in Japan, which is a high context culture, trust may develop over time over a series of, say, informal meetings. Whereas in the US, which is in a low context culture, formal agreements might actually be enough to make the relationships get off to a good start. 7. Adapting Communication Styles: Welcome to this lesson on adapting communication styles for international markets. And in this lesson, we will recognize the need for communication flexibility. We will identify key cultural factors which will influence our communication preferences, and we'll learn strategies for effective communication in an international context. If we have direct versus indirect communications, in other words, cultures differ in how they convey messages. We also have say formal or informal tone, and again, preferences will vary across regions. A couple of examples, say Germans might prefer a more formal email communication, whereas Americans often favor a more casual tone. And in the UK, as of an indirect form of speech is seen as polite and a direct form is seen as rude. And this little decide here can cause problems. So if Germans say it's very direct and the UK is very indirect, if the German guy says, the report must be finished by Friday, the English guys sort of get taken aback at the rude and demanding nature of the request. And in the other direction, the English guy using an indirect polite form would say, Hey, it would be great if the report could be finished by Friday. And the German guy reads this and doesn't understand it and thinks, Oh, it's not important. I'll do it next week. And so purely by misunderstanding this one small thing, there's unnecessary friction in the relationship. So what factors influence our communication styles. Again, we have power distance, so high power distant cultures will value formality and hierarchy. We have context, so high context cultures rely on implied meanings, whereas low context cultures will value clarity. Then we have time orientation, so punctuality can differ wildly and the expectations of punctuality. By recognizing these cultural dimensions, you can adapt your style and expectations, which, of course, will lead to more effective and better, more profitable cross cultural interactions. And we look at a few examples of these. So power distance, this refers to the degree to which members of a culture both accept and expect unequal distribution of power. So I say a high power distant example of China. So in Chinese business meetings, the seating arrangement is often very strict and hierarchical. So the most senior person sits at the head of the table with others seated according to rank. And if you are in a meeting like this, whatever you do, do not say hello and greet one of the lower people before you've greeted the main boss. Bad idea comes across as horribly disrespectful. Employees typically use titles such as manager Wang or director Le when addressing superiors, though their position is part of their name. And decision making is usually top down, and subordinates will rarely challenge their opinions or their superiors opinions openly. Then we have a low power distance example of say, Denmark. So Danish workplaces are often open plan offices, and the CEO will sit alongside the other employees. It's very common for employees to address their bosses by first name, irrespective of where you are in your organization. And Danish companies such as Lego, are quite known for their flat organizational structures, and even junior employees are encouraged to contribute ideas directly to management. We have context. So here, context refers to how much information is implicitly conveyed versus explicitly stated. So if we take a high context example such as Japan, when you're doing Japanese business negotiations, often what is not said is at least as important as what is said. So maybe might actually mean no, but they express it indirectly because they want to avoid a confrontation. And then, again, I hope I pronounce this correctly, the concept of Nmawhi and this is where you have informal discussions before the proper meeting. And the idea here is to hash out any differences before you go into the meeting. So much of the real work is done actually outside of the meeting and the official channels. And here, gift giving as well in business is very common and can have considerably more meaning beyond just the gift itself. We take a low context culture, for example, Germany, German business tends to be very direct and explicit. So if a German colleague says a proposal is interesting, they mean exactly that. You don't have to interpret whether they think it's good or bad. Means it's interesting. And you'll find that contracts and agreements in Germany are very, very detailed with very little room for interpretation, which is usually, I think, a good thing. And meetings in Germany tend to follow the agenda quite strictly, and discussions are expected to stay on topic. We have time orientation. So this refers to how cultures perceive and manage time and often specifically includes sort of punctuality expectations. So if you look at a so called monochronic culture like Switzerland, so Swiss trains are famous for their punctuality, often arriving and departing to the minute, similar to Japan. I don't know if you remember a few years ago, the Japanese transport minister had to make a public apology because a train left the station a minute late. I mean, that's how silly you can get. Now in Swiss business culture, just being even 5 minutes late to a meeting is considered disrespectful and rude to be on time. And Swiss watchmaking companies like Rolek I really embody this sort of precision approach to time. If we take a completely other extreme, like say, Mexico, in Mexico, it's not uncommon for social events to start 30 minutes to an hour later than the stated time. And in business meetings in Mexico, they might start late, run over schedule, and nobody really cares. Then they have a phrase ajorita which literally means right now. But depending on the context, can mean anything from in a few minutes to maybe sometime today or even not at all. Never, which illustrates a more flexible approach to time. So how do we deal with all this? What can we do best? Ideally, again, research the communication norms in your target market. Make sure you're on the same wavelength culturally. Also, use culturally appropriate greetings and expressions. And the greetings can be anything. Do you shake hands? Do you bow? Do you give them a kiss? What do you do? And also, be mindful of non verbal cues and their meanings. This is harking back to the previous lesson on body language and signage. When we do all those, you'll be fine. 8. Navigating Cross cultural Business Etiquette: Welcome to this lesson on cross cultural business etiquette. And here, specifically, we will look at the importance of etiquette in cross cultural interactions, identifying key differences in etiquette across cultures, and we'll get some practical tips for professional behavior in a global context. The importance of business etiquette basic etiquette reflects respect and professionalism. Obviously missteps in etiquette or errors can harm relationships and opportunities. So a very common thing that people these days tend to know is when you're saying in Japan and Asia, when you're giving someone a business card, you present it with both hands, and also you take it with both hands. So say Europe, a business card is just a piece of paper, and you tuck it around to people right on the back of it, whatever. In Japan and Asia, it's seen as extension of the person. And so it's something they're giving you that they value, and you should treat it with respect and handle it as if they've given you something valuable, which in their eyes, they have. So whatever you do, don't write on the back of it. Accept it with both hands, look at it and appreciate it and pass them yours with both hands, they will take it with both hands. I think this is probably the one that most people these days tend to know. So what about the differences? There's all sorts of differences, starting from how you greet people. Do you shake hands? Do you bow? Do you left right, left? Kiss cheeks can vary globally. And if you get it wrong, it causes is huge mistakes. Dress code. So some cultures prefer formal attire, whereas others are quite casual. A good example of this is between the UK and Germany, where in the UK, the formality comes in the way you dress, so everyone tends to go around with suit and tie. But then the speech is informal. You call people by their first name. Whereas, say in Germany, it's the exact opposite. You can go to a customer site in jeans and t shirt, but then you speak very formally to the people there. Gift giving. In some cultures, gifts are expected, and others, it may be hugely inappropriate. And punctuality. In a lot of places, lateness is seen as lacking respect. Check which is where you're going. Look at some practical tips. So if you're doing international business, the dress code is usually formal, I suit and tie, and people are often referred to by their first name. Is the so called what we mentioned, the English version, the British version. However, big however, check the local customs first, okay? You don't want to make a huge mistake and come across as being disrespectful. Observe and follow the local norms during meetings and events. And if you're really not sure, it's probably better to sort of go on the side of more formality and politeness, which you can always correct to a less formal version than trying to appear informal and possibly disrespectful and then having to try and correct that. So things to avoid. Here's a list of don'ts. Don't assume universal values and beliefs. So different cultures will have hugely different perspectives on hierarchy, time, work ethics, and other aspects of business and life. Don't use too many idioms or colloquialisms or slang, these expressions often don't translate well across languages and cultures, and sometimes they might not even have an equivalent expression, and it will just come across as being completely meaningless. Don't neglect non verbal communication. Things like body language, gestures, facial expressions can have hugely different meanings across different cultures, and you should bear this in mind. Also, don't fail to adapt to the context. So different situations might require different levels of formality or tone or etiquette. Read the room, people. Do not only focus on delivering your message. So effective cross cultural communication also involves active listening and learning from others. Also don't assume that everybody understands language the same way. So even if you're using a common language like English, accents, after we've mentioned idioms and expressions, they can differ even in the same language. And the last one and probably the most important one is do not neglect your research and preparation. If you can understand the cultural nuances and expectations beforehand, this will go a long, long way to preventing misunderstandings. You will have a much smoother time and at the end of the day, more profitable. It 9. Technology and Cross Cultural Communication: Welcome to this short lesson on technology and cross cultural communication. In this short lesson, we'll look at the role of technology in cross cultural communication. We'll identify some common challenges and their solutions, and we'll look at best practices for virtual interactions across cultures. Technology today enables instant communication across borders. We have lots of collaboration through tools such as email, video calls, and messaging apps. So as a very quick example, Zoom is often used for weekly meetings for people all over the world in different time zones. We use the modern technology that we have, we don't avoid it. Look at some video conferencing examples. The Zoom, we've already mentioned offers real time video meetings with features like screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, allows face to face interactions across different cultures. Have teams from Microsoft, also provides video calls, chat and collaboration tools, and also integrates with other Microsoft products. We also have Google Meet, enables video conferencing with features like live captions and translations, which is also useful for overcoming language barriers. Obviously, there are others. These are just the ones that were very common at the time of making this. Instant messaging apps. So Slack. This is good for team communication with direct message, file sharing, and integrations with a range of productivity tools. You have the good old Whatsapp, which is popular for general communication, international communication. It's also end to end encrypted, and you can also use it to make voice and video calls. And in China and other Asian countries, wechat is more commonly used, which again, provides messaging, social media, and also has payment features. But. Look at the challenges in digital communication. We have language barriers. We could be misinterpreted when we write something or when we say something. We also have time zones. We need to make sure that the people we want to talk to are awake at that time. Then we have technology access. This can vary by region and the tools and availability of the tools might be a technological thing. It could be a legal thing. There could be some reason why your favorite tool is not available in a certain country. You need to check all these in advance. So the best practices would then use clear and concise language and emails and messages. Schedule meetings at mutually convenient times when everyone can make it. And ideally you would use tools that have multilingual support and accessibility features. 10. Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution: Welcome to this lesson on cross cultural conflict resolution. And in this lesson, we'll look at some common causes of cross cultural conflicts. We'll learn about strategies to resolve these conflicts, and we'll look at understanding the role of cultural awareness and actually preventing them in the first place. So what are the common causes of these conflicts? Communication styles. This could be misunderstandings due to direct versus indirect approaches. It can be down to decision making processes. So the differences between individual versus collective approaches, and also just expectations, misaligned assumptions about, say, roles and responsibilities. Look at communication styles first. So Misunderstandings here often arise due to the direct versus indirect communication approaches. So a direct communication approach, in say, cultures such as the United States and Germany, people tend to be quite straightforward and direct and explicit. Whereas in an indirect communication culture, places like Japan and China where context and the implicit messaging is important. I read between the lines. For example, in a business negotiation, an American manager might well state directly, this proposal doesn't work for us. Fair enough. The Japanese counterpart might well say, we will consider it carefully, which actually could mean no, this difference could lead to misinterpretations and potential conflict if it's not properly understood. We have the decision making process. So we have the difference between individualistic and collectivist cultures, which will have different approaches to decision making. So the individualistic approach will focus on personal goals and quick autonomous decision making, and the collectivist approach emphasizes group harmony and consensus building. So if we look at an example of this, so in a team project, an American team member might just make a unilateral decision to speed up the process, whereas a Chinese colleague might prefer to consult the entire group before moving forward. And these type of differences can actually create tension and conflict within multicultural teams, which, of course, we want to avoid. We have expectations. That if you have unclear assumptions about roles and responsibilities, this can also lead to problems. Again, we have individualistic cultures often expect of a clear job description and individual accountability, whereas in contrast, the collectivist culture may have more fluid role boundaries and emphasize collective responsibility. So for example, in a multinational corporation, a German manager might expect employees to take initiative and make decisions independently, while employees from a more collectivist culture might wait for their boss to tell them what to do. And this type of misalignment can lead to frustration and perceived underperformance. So what strategies should we use for this? Ideally, we would promote culture and intelligence among team members. We should encourage open dialogue so that everyone can be understood from their perspective, and if necessary, use a neutral mediator. Should also focus on common goals to find mutually beneficial solutions. We should adapt communication and decision making processes to accommodate diverse cultural approaches, and we should provide clear guidelines on roles and responsibilities while at the same time remaining flexible to cultural variations. Ideally, we wouldn't have a conflict at all. We would prevent the conflict, and we do this through an understanding of cultural values, which will then reduce potential trigger points. And we would encourage sort of respect for diversity, and doing this will create a positive environment. That's a really good example of this is during the project planning phase, right at the start, you would think about these potential conflicts and proactively address them right at the beginning. 11. Case Studies in Cross Cultural Marketing: Welcome to this lesson on case studies in cross cultural marketing. So here we'll look at some successful marketing campaigns that really authentically connect with diverse audiences. We will see how they demonstrate a deep understanding of their target audience and how they weren't afraid to take bold staances on important issues. Then by doing so, they not only increase their brand loyalty in sales, but position themselves as culturally aware and socially responsible brands. It's Nikes or Nike's by now you want to pronounce it Dream crazy campaign. So this campaign was launched in 2018 and featured a former quarterback Colin Kapanik with the slogan, believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. And this campaign resonated strongly with younger sort of diverse consumers by addressing social justice issues. And the key successes to this campaign, which generated over 5 billion media impressions within days of launch resulted in a 31% increase in online sales. It boosted the brand value by over $6 billion, and it led to a record high stock price for Nike or Nike. And this campaign's success, it really stems from its bold stance on social issues. I had emotional storytelling and integrated with traditional and digital marketing channels. If you're not sure of why they chose this guy, go look it up. It's an interesting read. We have Coca Cola's Share a Coke campaign. So in this campaign, coke bottles were personalized with popular names, and these names were also from various diverse cultural backgrounds. And in the US, it was particularly impactful in this multicultural market. And the key successes were it increased brand engagement across diverse communities. It boosted sales by creating a personal connection with consumers, and it generated a significant amount of social media buzz because people were sharing photos of the personalized bottles, presumably with their name on it. And this campaign's inclusivity and then personal touch that really made it resonate with a wide range of cultural groups. Apple's shot on iPhone campaign. In this campaign, they showcase photos and videos that iPhone users all over the world have taken. And this, of course, the global aspect highlighted diversity and creativity. And the key successes here was it demonstrated the product's capability through user generated content. The culture diversity was celebrated by featuring content from lots of different countries, and it created a sense of community among iPhone users. And this campaign's success lay in its ability to showcase both product features and cultural diversity. Now, Amazon's the show must go on campaign. So this ad portrayed global challenges during the pandemic, the COVID 19 pandemic that we've hopefully come out of and featured diverse performance. And the key successes were it addressed a universal experience, the pandemic, through a multicultural lens. It highlighted Amazon's role in supporting people during difficult times. And it also connected emotionally with viewers, and it did this through powerful storytelling. And so this campaign effectively combined cultural sensitivity with very, very timely messaging. Another Nike or you can't stop us. So this campaign showed 36 diverse athlete pairings which emphasize universality and connection. And the key successes here were it demonstrated unity across different sports and cultures. It showcased their commitment to diversity and inclusion, and it also went viral due to its innovative split screen technique. And this campaign's success stemmed from its powerful visual storytelling and inclusive message. Then have Budweiser, this buds for two campaign. This celebrated diverse friendships and relationships in America. And the key successes here were that it showcased various types of relationships, thus promoting inclusivity. And it positioned Budweiser as a brand that brings people together, which also resonated with younger consumers who value diversity and inclusion. And this campaign success came about from sort of an authentic portrayal of modern American relationships. And the last one we'll look at is Fenty Beauty's inclusive makeup line. So this was launched by Rihanna, and it offers 40 different shades of foundation to cater to all skin tones. And the key successes here were it generated $100,000,000 in sales within 40 days of launch. Take a minute to let that sink in. It set new industry standards for inclusivity and it also resonated very strongly with women of color, who up until then had been really traditionally underserved by the beauty industry. And this campaign's success came from addressing a longstanding gap in the market and authentically celebrating diversity. 12. Bad Case Studies in Cross Cultural Marketing: Welcome to this lesson on bad case studies in cross cultural marketing. So in the previous lesson, we looked at some good examples of how cross cultural marketing worked well. And here we'll look at some unsuccessful ones. And these really demonstrate what not to do. So, in a sense, you might find it quite funny, and if so, think of it as your reward at the end of completing a course. So Coca Cola in China in the 19 twentyties going back away here, but their initial entry into the Chinese market faced a significant branding challenge. And here's the key issue. When they first phonetically rendered like Coca Cola's name in Chinese characters, it was translated as Keko Kela, which means bite the wax tadpole or female horse stuffed with wax depending on the dialect. Not what was needed. So the result was they had to research 40,000 Chinese characters to find a phonetic equivalent that had a meaningful translation. And they ended up with ku cool, meaning happiness in the mouth. And I apologize for the way I butchered those pronunciations. I'm sure it was horrible. Not to be outdone, Pepsi, 40 years later, they tried the same thing. They went to go into China and had a classic case of translation gone wrong. And the main problem here was that the slogan, Come alive with the Pepsi generation was mistranslated as Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave. Yi. So whilst this wasn't like horribly catastrophic and the same way as we see other ones. I really highlighted the importance of cultural and linguistic expertise in international marketing. You need people who know what they're doing. They need to know both markets. Sticking with the 60s, we had General Mills cake mix in Japan. So General Mills, they completely failed to understand the cultural significance of home baking in Japan, the market they're going into. And here's the two main problems they had is that Japanese consumers viewed pre mixed cakes as something impersonal and lacking effort, admitting to being lazy. And then the concept of convenience food clashed with the traditional value of food preparation. And the result of this was the product failed to gain traction, and General Mills were forced to rethink their whole strategy in the Japanese market. Kellogg's in India in the 1990s. So in 1994, Kelloggs entered India or the Indian market, hoping to change the breakfast habits in this market, where traditionally hot breakfasts were the norm. And the key issues they had, were they attempted to change Indian breakfast habits without understanding the cultural preferences of India. And they failed to adapt product to then suit the local tastes. So like in India, cold milk with cereal was not seen to be attractive or appealing. And the result of this was that Kellogg struggled for years before finally adapting their product and marketing to suit the Indian tastes. I think we're bashing on non European countries. Let's have a look at this one. This is a doozy Walmart in Germany. So Walmart's failure in Germany was a complex mix of cultural misunderstanding and regulatory issues. And there was a whole lot of issues they faced. Starting with customer service. So the German consumers found Walmart's friendly greetings and smiling staff to be uncomfortable and somewhat insincere, because it is. And the employees didn't like it, either. So this kind of Walmart cheer and everyone being happy and motivation talks at the beginning of the morning, this didn't go down well with the German staff who worked there. The Germans prefer to bag their own groceries and shop at sort of smaller, more frequent intervals. They buy less more often. They don't buy a whack and this having people sort of touching their stuff, they didn't like it. And also the pricing, these sort of everyday low prices didn't resonate well because in Germany, there are already discount stores. And the result of this was that after trying for nearly ten years to get a foothold in the market, they left the German market losing an estimated $1 billion. Hmm. Now we have Starbucks in Australia. So in 2000, Starbucks entered the Australian market in an attempt to replicate the success it's seen in the States. However, Australia already had a well established coffee culture with high quality independent cafes. And so the main issues that Starbucks faced was they completely underestimated their coffee culture that was in place at the time. They failed to adapt to local tastes and preferences, and they tried to rapidly expand without really understanding the market. And a result of all this was in 2008, they closed 70% of their stores and really only maintained a minimal presence. Back to China, Home Depot. So Home Depot's DIY model really failed horribly with Chinese consumers because in China, labor was cheap and people preferred to hire someone to do it rather than do it themselves. So the issues they faced here were they completely misunderstood the local home improvement culture, so they prefer a sense of do it for me rather than do it myself. They failed to adapt the store formats and the product offerings to suit local preferences. And they also completely underestimated the importance of building relationships and not only with local suppliers, but also local officials. And as a result, Home Depot closed all its big box stores in 2012, losing an estimated $160 million. Now, save the best for last. This is my favorite, seriously. I'll say Proctor and Gamble with a question mark. I couldn't find out which particular company it was, but it's one of the large ones. And what they did as they thought they would make an advert that had no words in it, thinking that this would then avoid any linguistic misunderstandings, translation problems, and whatso. Now also I couldn't find pictures of this, but I know it happened. Basically, what the advert was, which was three images. So on the left, you had sort of a pile of yucky dirty laundry. In the middle, you had a packet of washing powder being advertised, and on the right of that, a pile of nice clean, neatly folded clothes. And the idea being, you know, this is what you start off with, use this product and clean these clothes. So what could possibly go wrong? Now, if you want to think about it, what could go wrong? And pause the video, by all means, do, and I'll carry on after the key issue. The main problem, not all countries read from left to right. And as a result, this advert was not universally understood. And those countries that read from right to left, they looked at it and said, Oh, you take your nice pile of clean, neatly folded clothes and you use this product to turn it into a pile of dirty laundry. That's hilarious. This is my favorite example and the last one and the last lesson in this course. So I hope you finish with a smile. That's it.