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VIEWPOINT :: MARKETING
Do cultural cues in advertising influence product choice?
A study on branding by Briley and Aaker revealed that culture has significant impact on consumers' decision-making process. Many multinational brands that enter the Indian market re-use brand communication that has worked in other markets. Indian companies too, have been guilty of operating on 'supposed' values of the Indian consumer based on myths and hypotheses rather than research driven insights. These companies would benefit immensely if they focus on comprehending the cultural values of Indian consumers and applying them in their brand communication.
The study was based on responses from 384 consumers belonging to 2 distinct — urban-upper and urban-middle — consumer segments . Members of the urban-upper segment own large properties and belong to exclusive clubs. They are willing to try out new things and are most likely to adopt new product categories and variants. Members of the urban-middle group, on the other hand, are largely professionals and white-collar workers. They are extremely value conscious in their purchase decisions.
The study found significant overlap between the two segments in terms of dominant values.
| Class | Dominant value 1 | Dominant value 2 | Dominant value 3 |
| Urban-upper | Gifting trends | Cooperation | Respect for work |
| Urban-middle | Cooperation | Individualism | Respect for work |
An analysis of the use of cultural cues in advertising for upper and middle brands in tea, hair oil and facial cream product categories revealed significant mismatch between findings of the study and brand communication.
| TEA | Brand | Brand communication | Product category communication |
| Urban Upper Brand | Green Label | Green Label appeals to the sensory pleasures of the connoisseur. | Functional benefits take a backseat compared to identifiable cultural cues. |
| Taj | Taj Mahal to innovativeness of upper class consumers, asking them to experiment with varieties of tea. | ||
| Urban Middle Brand | Taaza | Taaza attempts to appeal to the self esteem and individualism of the consumer. | Functional benefits are shown strongly compared to cultural values. |
| Gemini | Gemini uses traditional colours and symbols and show strong family orientation. |
| HAIR OIL | Brand | Brand communication | Product category communication |
| Urban Upper Brand | Vatika | Uncertainty avoidance is the clear tone in Vatika | This segment uses both functional and cultural cues extensively. |
| Parachute Advanced, Keo Karpin | Personal grooming concepts combined with family bonding values | ||
| Urban Middle Brand | Dabur | Although Dabur uses celebrities, this orientation is not emphasised. | Functional benefits are shown strongly compared to cultural values. |
| Clinic Plus | Importance attributed to peer group by younger generation. |
| FACIAL CREAM | Brand | Brand communication | Product category communication |
| Urban Upper Brand | Lakme, Garnier | Individualism and uncertainty avoidance in personal grooming are emphasised upon, by both brands. | Functional benefits are strongly highlighted. |
| Urban Middle Brand | Fairever, Fair & Lovely | Both brands appeal to the thriftiness of the middle class segment. | Cultural cues are used to attract the consumers while functional benefits are used to retain. |
Recommendations
Tea : This category should use emphasise the group and portray tea consumption in a collective setting. Communicators should focus on hospitality as a means of creating self-esteem for the host. Innovativeness can be encouraged by offering new tea variants such as green tea, fruit tea and herbal tea.
Hair oil : Consumers in this category have shown utilitarianism and conservatism as the dominant values. They may not want fragrance and low viscosity oil. They most likely prefer a no-frills product that keeps hair healthy. A natural or herbal platform that offers healthy hair and value for money is recommended for this product category.
Fairness creams : Innovativeness has emerged as a principal value for the category. Upper brands could pitch the technology improvements in the product. The brand could also be positioned to reinforce the uniqueness of the user's personality.
Conclusion
Cultural knowledge and preferences come to the fore when a consumer makes product choices. Many companies, instead of comprehending the cultural context, end up taking short cuts. They reuse existing communication that may be inapprorpiate for the local market or design communication that is based on a poor understanding of the cultural values of the target market. By comprehending the cultural context and tightly positioning their product offerings to different cultural cues that resonate with their target sub-segments, they are likely to be more successful.
The original article Cultural Values and Branding in an Emerging Market: the Indian Context by Professor S. Ramesh Kumar, Nita Guruvayurappan and Madhurjya Banerjee, appeared in The Marketing Review 2007 Vol.7, No.3.