The Impact of Culture on Marketing Communications across Africa and the Middle East

Date
2012-09-10
Authors
Dramalis, Sotirios
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Abstract
International marketing communication programmes that work in other parts of the world are often of mediocre success only in the Middle East and Africa. Consumers as well as business and government prospects in these regions do not respond to the same marketing communication stimuli as the cultural environments in Africa and the Middle East differ from the ones in Europe and North America where such international marketing communication programmes are usually designed. Drawing on intercultural studies of the African and Arabian cultures and cross-cultural marketing communications, this report examines to what level culture impacts marketing communications across Africa and the Middle East. Based on qualitative semi-structured expert interviews with 14 marketing executives and cultural experts from these regions and a resulting content analysis, this report reveals a number of striking parallels when deploying marketing communications programmes in Africa and the Middle East. The research elicits some interesting findings. The analysis of the cultural landscapes of Africa and the Middle East reveals that both regions are characterised by strong power distance and collectivistic structures, two cultural dimensions which have a serious impact on preferred marketing communications messages and successful promotional tactics across Africa and the Middle East. These cultural parallels result in 15 out of 19 analysed marketing communications tools having similar relevance to both regions when executed correctly. They also dictate preferred messages (product usage in groups, status and progression in life) and advertising appeals (family, sports, status symbols, celebrities). The research report concludes with a recommended framework for selecting the appropriate marketing communications elements when marketing across Africa and the Middle East. The framework takes into consideration cultural relevance and infrastructure readiness and suggests a number of suitable marketing communications elements to apply in the Middle East and Africa, including TV advertising, events, personal selling, and government relations.
Description
MBA thesis (WBS)
Keywords
Culture, Marketing communication
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