Posted by Chia-Yi in Marketing-Communications Hong Kong, Marketing-Communications Taiwan | 0 Comments
Similar Heritage, Different Cultures
East-West cultural differences are not the only things that you need to take into account. Although the Chinese, Taiwanese and Cantonese mostly originate from the same Han roots and many share the same language, religion, ethnic traditions and dynamic culture, there are a number of differences between these groups. For example, the Taiwanese passion for baseball, for which the mainland Chinese people are not very keen, results from the influence of the Japanese colonisation that lasted for half a century.
Chu and Chan (2008) have looked into the differences between Taiwanese, Cantonese and Chinese consumers. Among others, they have discovered that the Taiwanese respond much less to promotions that aren’t based on price, unlike the two other groups. They also noted that the factors that positively influence consumers when faced with the image of a company differed from one group to another. Brand names, product packaging, labelling and how easy the product is to purchase are the factors that the Taiwanese consider the most, while Cantonese put more attention on the availability of the goods and product presentation (display shelves, window displays, etc.).
In a world where few communication barriers remain, culture is more and more subject to various influences. What characterises a nation today may not be the case for future generations.
Sources : CHU, K-M et CHANG, H-C (2008). “Cross-cultural Consumer Behavior of General Merchandise for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Taiwan”, The Business Review, Cambridge , Vol. 11 , No. 1
TAO, S-P (2003). “Life Style and Consumers in Taiwan and the United States; A cross cultural comparison of Activities, Interests and Opinions (AIOs)”, Thesis, University of Minnesota.
Posted by Chia-Yi in Marketing-Communications Taiwan | 0 Comments
Cultural differences and the implication on marketing
The cultural gap that separates the East and the West is profound. As consumer behaviour is strongly influenced by culture, international advertisers face big challenges when developing their communication strategy. Some researchers have studied the difference between American and Taiwanese consumers towards advertising. For example, as elsewhere in Asia, Taiwanese society has been strongly influenced by Confucianism, it is thus always dominated by men on the whole. This variable has an impact on the way that advertisers can promote their product. For instance, Tao (2003) explains in his thesis how an advertisement that promotes a cosmetic product focusing on the importance of having young-looking skin to please one’s spouse has a lot more chances of success in Taiwan than in North America. Another of his findings is that the Taiwanese tend to boycott a product mentioned during a TV show that they don’t like, or because they don’t like the advertisement. This is why it is important to be particularly prudent when engaging in media planning.
Sources : CHU, K-M et CHANG, H-C (2008). “Cross-cultural Consumer Behavior of General Merchandise for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Taiwan”, The Business Review, Cambridge , Vol. 11 , No. 1
TAO, S-P (2003). “Life Style and Consumers in Taiwan and the United States; A cross cultural comparison of Activities, Interests and Opinions (AIOs)”, Thesis, University of Minnesota.
Posted by Chia-Yi in Marketing-Communications Vietnam | 0 Comments
A growing number of opportunities
Throughout Vietnam, recent economic growth has benefited a certain portion of the population who has actually seen their purchasing power increase. Indeed consumers are becoming more open to novelties and diversity, especially those under the age of 30 who represent more than 50% of the population. Foreign brands, perceived to be of better quality, are warmly welcomed by wealthier people. In order to benefit from these opportunities, it is important to take into consideration certain idiosyncrasies of the Vietnamese market.
Also, recent economic growth has contributed to the emergence of a bigger class of wealthy people. This wealth is concentrated in urban areas: the GDP there is six to eight times higher than in rural areas. More than a third of the urban population (Hanoi / Ho Chi Minh) are now a part of the upper-middle class.
Furthermore, it is necessary to geographically divide the market into parts according to the product or service that is to be offered. It is in Ho Chi Minh that consumers are most fond of foreign brands. In fact, more than half of foreign consumer goods are bought there. On the other hand, foreign companies specialized in infrastructure development (energy, environment, aviation, telecoms, etc.) should be looking more towards Hanoi, as it is where the majority of state company’s headquarters are located, which are responsible for a significant proportion of total imports.
Attitudes towards brands differ from man to woman. Women shall choose products based on efficiency (perceived), whereas men choose certain brands in order to project an image of success and social achievement.
In all cases, it is important to remember that although brands influence the decision-making process of the Vietnamese consumer, he remains very sensitive to the price. It is still the number one criteria when it comes to making a purchase decision.
Source:U.S. & FOREIGN COMMERCIAL SERVICE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 2008.
Posted by Chia-Yi in Marketing-Communications Asia, Marketing-Communications Vietnam | 0 Comments
Focus on Vietnam: Introduction
Composed of more than 54 official ethnic groups, the country takes its name from the majority group, the Viet. The official language, Vietnamese, is their mother tongue. Until the 18th Century, the writing system used Chinese characters. The system was romanised following the arrival of Western missionaries and is still used today. Although Vietnam is part of the French-speaking world, French is only spoken as a second language by about 100,000 people and one very small French community. English dominates over French in terms of languages learnt.
Source:http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/Asie/vietnam.htm
Posted by Chia-Yi in Ethnic Marketing | 0 Comments
The effects on marketing
According to a study conducted by Ipsos Reid, advertisements in the mother tongue of the target consumer would be more effective at capturing Chinese and South Asian audiences. Moreover, 63% of the Chinese people who participated in the study said they would be more inclined to promote companies that are involved in their local community.
But simply translating an advertisement that is targeted at a different audience is not enough, especially when trying to capture newcomers. A significant portion of them do not identify with the advertisements. The language and presence of actors from various cultural backgrounds is not sufficient to reach the different communities. Publicity needs to be designed or adapted to reflect the reality of your audience.
Prasad Rao, a specialist in ethnic marketing provides a concrete example of the ethnocultural impact on marketing: the concept of a hassle-free mortgage initiated by certain large banks is undoubtedly attractive for the average Canadian, but for South-Asians and the Chinese, for whom haggling to obtain the best price is part of their culture, this practice was not well received.
Source: http://jimmintz.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/marketing-to-canadians-of-south-asian-and-chinese-origin-a-hot-trend/ , http://www.marketingmag.ca/english/news/marketer/article.jsp?content=20070129_68441_68441 and http://www.consumerology.ca/Consumerology_Release_Mar2.pdf
Posted by Chia-Yi in Ethnic Marketing | 0 Comments
Different media to attract different segments
Ethnic communities don’t only differ in their ways and customs, they also have different media-related habits. A study conducted by the Bensimon Byrne agency has revealed that first and second generation (male) immigrants read more newspapers than the rest of the population. In fact, the vast majority of them read newspapers in their mother tongue, a trend that is more pronounced in new arrivals and second generation immigrants.
Internet use is also more intensive among certain large ethnic groups (notably Chinese, South-Asian, westernised Asians and Hispanic communities). A survey conducted by Solutions Research Group revealed that the penetration rate of computers in Chinese and South-Asian households has reached 88% (compared to 83% of Canadian households). The internet is particularly popular among Chinese Canadians who use it for an average 2.4 hours per day (compared to an overall average of 1.7 hours) and 80% of those have access at home (the national average being 68%).
Sources: http://www.consumerology.ca et
http://www.srgnet.com/pdf/New%20Canadians%20Hooked%20on%20Internet%20Press%20Release%20(April%2024,%202008).pdf