Cultural & Social Factors in Marketing
Business: BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma, topic 4.4.4
Influence of Cultural and Social Factors on Global Expansion
Several factors influence a business’ consideration of global expansion:
Cultural differences
- Cultural differences can affect global expansion as businesses may need to adapt to the cultural differences of different countries.
- Some nations may have communist or collaborative cultures like Vietnam and North Korea and others like the USA may have very individualistic cultures.
Tastes
- Different tastes can affect global expansion as businesses may need to adapt to the cultural differences of different countries.
Language barriers
- Language barriers can affect global expansion as businesses may not have the skills and expertise within its business to trade through and across different languages.
- If Seneca offers courses in Brazil, then it will have to provide courses and marketing in Portuguese (the national language).
Unintended meanings
- Unintended meanings, inappropriate and inaccurate translations and inappropriate branding and promotion can affect global expansion as businesses may need to recognise differences in cultural norms throughout the countries it operated in.
- Cock is a common Dutch name, but clearly, some of you may find it amusing...
- Coca Cola's brand translation in Chinese initially meant "Bite the tadpole".