Cross cultural marketing blunders will only cause great hilarity. When we’re not, they can cause offence and cost us money In the business world, communication is imperative for the successful execution of daily operations. Understanding cultural differences and overcoming language barriers are some of the considerations people should have when dealing with business with people of various cultures. Often business deals are lost because the parties involved did not take the time to learn about their each others’ cultures prior to interacting. then you must consider culture in every aspect of your product development, you will understand how culture affects your bottom line in three important ways through its impact on your company’s: Business relationships with overseas clients, customers, employees, and partners. Consumers lose faith and confidence in your product and company. Customer backlash and highly visible, negative public reactions. Negative public relations and the erosion of the brand you have worked hard to build. Loss of revenue, sales opportunities, and customers.
Possible punishment in the form of retaliatory legislation or lawsuits. Results of poor cross-cultural awareness: Cross cultural differences in matters such as language, etiquette, non-verbal communication, norms and values can, do and will lead to cross cultural blunders. Having a poor understanding of the influence of cross cultural differences can eventually lead to blunders that can have damaging consequences classic cross cultural marketing blunders for your enjoyment. For more examples, how cultural ignorance can and does lead to negative
8) A golf ball manufacturing company packaged golf balls in packs of four to promote their ease of purchase in Japan. Unfortunately, the pronunciation of the word “four” in Japanese sounds like the word “death”, and thus items which are packaged in “fours” are very unpopular. A company advertised eyeglasses in Thailand by featuring a variety of cute animals wearing glasses. The ad was a poor choice since animals are considered to be a form of low life and no self respecting Thai would wear anything worn by animals
One of the most sensitive touchstones to any culture is its religion. The misuse of religious iconography can damage a company’s image with those customers. During the 1994 World Cup, bottles of Heineken beer displayed the flags of all the participants in soccer’s biggest tournament, including Saudi Arabia. The country’s flag shows a verse from the Quran, Islam’s holy book. The Quran forbids the use of alcohol, so thousands of Muslims registered complaints with the brewer for displaying the vers
