Name: Pham Quang Vu
Student ID: L9928865
Class: S61601A
Word count: 641

SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING REQUIRES CROSS­CULTURAL
AWARENESS.

Advertising have long been an important introducer for every company product to their customer. As the world is focused on economic development, companies are racing for revenue resulted from high income and attractive image. Almost all companies want to have international business to get more profit. However, culture affects everything we do as to persuade people is “easy said than done”. Therefore, not only “know your audience” but also the need of cross­cultural knowledge are the target of all advertising activities. This essay will examine why successful advertising requires cross­cultural awareness.
It seem obviously to be stated that language is key to effective cross­cultural advertising. Firstly, the essence of successful advertising is how to use different languages convincing people what the product meant to them. Checking linguistic implication of company product name is important to avoid taboos and misunderstanding . In fact, the introduction of Ford for the car ‘Pinto’ in Brazil is one of examples of linguistic advertising blunders. After seeing sales fail, they soon realised that this name meant by residents in Brazil is ‘tiny male genitals’. Moreover, using suitable language for each country make advertisers show respect to their audiences, lead to increase revenue and increase the value of reputation. Language analysing must also be needed for its cultural suitability. Every country have its native culture, unsuitable language in advertising will lead to negative impacts. To illustrate, the slogan “Challenge Everything” employed by the computer games manufacturer EA Sports is unacceptable in some religions or societies where harmonious relationships are maintained. In conclusion, language is imperative be examined carefully in any international or cross­cultural advertising campaign.

Apart from the language, cultural communication styles in advertising is also one of the most essentially granted aspects of advertising need to be inspected under a cross cultural microscope. Firstly, having cross­cultural communicating knowledges allows the advertisers to speak the potential customer in a way they understand and appreciate in any advertising campaign. Communication styles can be explicit or implicit depends on the culture of each country but when advertising abroad, communication style which cover the cultural values underpinning the society must be analysed carefully. In addition, explicit communicator such as US residents assumes the listener is unaware of background information or related to issues to the topic of discussion and therefore provides it themselves. Implicit communicator such as Japanese assume the listener is well informed on the subject and minimises information relayed on the premise that the listener will understand from implication.
To conclude, an explicit communicator would find an implicit communication style vague, whereas an implicit communicator would find an explicit communication style exaggerated. However, it is unnecessary to analyse communication styles carefully, particularly in many Eastern country. Firstly, cross­cultural advertising activities also need concentration on using suitable colours and numbers. Due to the habit of using favourite colours and also prejudice of ‘bad luck’ colours or numbers, some colours and numbers have certain significance. For instance, there are many different culture with lucky colours is red such as China or Vietnam and black is considered an unlucky colour in Japan. Many buildings in the US or the UK, visitors can not see the existent the floor 13th or even room 13 because Western people believe that number 13 is a deadly number, which brings bad luck for residents who own it.
Finally, when advertising should avoid numbers with negative connotations abroad, presenting or packaging products in those colours to prevent the fail in sales.
By way of conclusion, the principle of successful advertising require cross­cultural knowledge. That is ­ ‘know your audience’, what is attractive to them and what the product meant to them. Cross­cultural advertising is simple about imperative examined language and focused on the communication styles,analysing how the different element and modifying them to best speak to the target audience.

References List:
Roberts, M 2009, ‘Reaching out beyond the mainstream’, Marketing week, viewed 27th February 2016, http://www. arketingweek.co.uk/reaching­out­beyond­the­mainstream/3004474. m article Cross­cultural advertising, (2016), Quintessential, [online] Available at: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural­services/article/cross­cultural­advertising .html