Adaptation of Advertisement Campaigns to Foreign Markets. A Content Analysis
The present
paper analyses examines whether multinational companies adapt their global
advertising campaigns to the country of destination or standardise their
communication strategy. The contingency hypothesis is widely accepted as an
appropriate solution for the standardisation/adaptation debate. However, little
research has been conducted to reveal which contingency variables are actually
considered by multinational companies to define the appropriate degree of
adaptation. We assume that the decision whether to convince by information or
emotions depends upon the economic condition of the country of destination. The
frequency of specific design elements is supposed to be influenced by the
cultural profile of the target country. A content analysis of German and
Russian print advertisements supports our assumptions to a large extent.
Nevertheless, we found that German car manufacturers address the high Power
Distance Index (PDI) of the Russian Federation insufficiently.
Hoffmann, S.; Wittig, K. (2007). Adaptation of Advertisement Campaigns to Foreign Markets. A Content Analysis, Journal of European Economy, 6 (2), 128-150.