Cultural dimensions and other factors

A cross cultural analysis is fundamental to devise a successful integrated advertising strategy that reflects the cultural values and behaviours of its targeted audience. By recognizing cross cultural differences or similarities among countries, advertisers can understand which aspects are shared worldwide and diversify the elements that need to be adapted to local cultures_[6].

Cultural dimensions and other perceivable factors (such as stereotypes and habits) play an important role in the identification of differences among countries.

An important contribution to these studies is given by Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, that are globally recognized and are reflected in every aspect of life_[7]. These cultural dimensions are:

Individualism - collectivism

Power distance

Masculinity - femininity

The uncertainty avoidance

Long- and short - term orientation

Indulgence vs restraint

In addition to these dimensions, other factors (habits, traditions, customs …)  can be identified and used when customizing and tailoring advertisements. On the basis of these factors, which are specific for each culture, stereotypes are usually created to catch the audience attention by connecting a specific meaning to some characteristics of the advertised product.

Stereotype is “a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing” (Oxford Dictionary) _[8]. The use of stereotypes in advertisements is justified by the advertisers’ intent to make their products and brands easily and sometimes even unconsciously identifiable in the mind of consumers. Stereotypes can be used intentionally to show a product as appealing to their desired target market or unintentionally to enrich the ad with humor. Generally, stereotypes can be race-, gender- , income, social status, or age-based _[9].