International Advertising Strategy Research Articles

Content Order in Advertising and Thinking Styles: A Cross-Cultural Study of the United States and South Korea

Considering cultural distinctions is an essential part of success in international advertising. In the current research, we provide novel findings of a cultural congruency effect of content order within a unit of advertising. Drawing on the theory of cognitive fit and processing fluency, we explore the contrasting influence of the order of content within a unit of advertising between American and Korean consumers. Across three experimental studies, more favorable responses were found when the presentation order of content in advertising was compatible with cultural distinctions of the respondents, namely, cognitive thinking styles (i.e., analytic versus holistic). Specifically, we demonstrate that Koreans respond to the advertising and the product more favorably when an ingredient is presented first and a final product made with it is shown later, whereas Americans do so when the order is reversed. We provide rigorous evidence of the psychological mechanism by testing a serial mediation model in which processing fluency, induced by perceived fit, is confirmed as a critical mediator underlying the proposed effect. Implications are provided for planning and implementing international advertising strategies, and theoretical contributions are described.

Network Centrality Measure as an Indicator for Standardized Advertising Strategy in Economically Similar Countries

In response to certain discrepancies prevalent in the debate on global advertising, we have identified important gaps in the global advertising literature. The focus of this inquiry is an investigation of the operational aspects of the standard advertising strategy by multinational companies (MNCs). Specifically, the authors attempt to identify the path to strategic implementation of standard advertising strategy through network analysis, with the determinant factors that play an important role in determining the degree of advertising strategy. The findings suggest that the extent to which multinationals can standardize their international advertising strategies will depend on the level of similarity among the countries in the network. The authors highlight that, given the inconsistency that exists in observation, it is evident that a single distinctive strategy for standard advertising may be followed by MNCs which can be the optimal solution of standardized global advertising for sustenance in the presence of steep competition. The authors discuss and highlight the various implications of the findings for business practitioners. The authors conclude the study by showing the scope for future research along with the limitations of the study.

The influence of self-construal and materialism on social media intensity: a study of China and the United States

This study investigated the potential influence of self-construal and materialism on intensity of usage for three social media platforms: social networking sites (SNSs), microblogging sites (MBSs), and video sharing sites (VSSs). Data were collected from China and the United States – two countries with the highest advertising expenditures and Internet populations. Drawing from the social comparison theory (SCT) and the framework of independent and interdependent self-construal, results of the hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that both independent and interdependent self-construal were positively related to SNS intensity among Chinese and American users. However, interdependent self-construal had a significant, negative relationship with the intensity of MBS use among users in the two countries. Materialism was found to positively relate to SNS intensity, MBS intensity, and VSS intensity among Chinese and American users. These results provide evidence that self-construal and materialism contribute to social media use independent of nationality. Theoretical and managerial implications for international advertising strategies are discussed.

A cross‐national and cross‐generational study of consumer acculturation to advertising appeals

PurposePrevious research on global marketing has typically focussed on marketing strategies across national markets. Yet, the cross‐national mobility of individuals has increased heterogeneity within country markets. The purpose of this study is to examine how immigrant consumers perceive advertising appeals in the context of the consumer acculturation process. Specifically, our study focusses on the reactions of Mexican, American, and Mexican‐American consumers to puffery‐laden advertisements.Design/methodology/approachUsing two‐factor theory as our theoretical prism, the study offers salient hypotheses regarding consumer perceptions of puffery‐laden advertising appeals, which are then tested in a cross‐national experiment in the USA and Mexico.FindingsThe results show that Mexican consumers are more susceptible to puffery‐laden claims than Americans. In contrast, American consumers are more susceptible to advertising that does not contain puffery‐laden claims than their Mexican counterparts. Interestingly, the findings also reveal that Mexican immigrants are highly susceptible to both, puffery‐laden and no puffery appeals. The mixed results show that recent Mexican immigrants struggle as they transition to the dominant American consumer culture. First and second generations of Mexican‐Americans, however, react to puffery‐laden advertisements just as typical American consumers.Practical implicationsThe paper discusses relevant implications not only for the study of puffery and acculturation of immigrant minority groups, but also for companies engaged in global advertising campaigns in countries with diverse immigrant communities.Originality/valueThe paper offers a worthwhile and unique examination of consumer acculturation in an international cross‐cultural setting and puts forward interesting insights regarding the application of international advertising strategies.

The Effect of International Advertising Strategies and Consumer Characteristics on the Effectiveness of Fashion Jeans Magazine Advertisements

The Effect of International Advertising Strategies and Consumer Characteristics on the Effectiveness of Fashion Jeans Magazine Advertisements

Culture, cognitive style and consumer response to informational vs. transformational advertising among East Asians: Evidence from the PRC

Existing literature suggests that people's cognitive styles vary significantly across nations and cultures, and that East Asians emphasize holistic information processing and are more receptive to transformational advertising than people in the West. Yet, both theoretical rationale and empirical evidence of the effect of cognitive style on consumers' advertising responses are lacking. This study proposes a congruency-activation model and adopts a three by two experimental design to examine Chinese consumers' attitude towards different advertisements. The results indicate that Chinese consumers prefer transformational and integrated ads to informational ads under both low and high involvement conditions. Protocol analysis shows that Chinese consumers engage in more affective processing than cognitive thoughts. Thus, marketers should consider the effect of the cognitive style of indigenous consumers when devising international advertising strategies.

Influences of culture and market convergence on the international advertising strategies of multinational corporations in North America, Europe and Asia

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to study creative strategy and execution as opposed to all elements of marketing and advertising standardization. It explores the standardization model (e.g. global, glocal, local, and single case strategy) by examining the international advertising strategies that multinational corporations (MNCs) from North America, Europe, and Asia used in their advertising campaigns targeting two culturally different markets: the United States and China.Design/methodology/approachA content analysis of 210 print advertisements compares the extent of standardization in creative strategy and execution across product country of origin (Japan, Korea, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States). Western versus non‐Western cultural cues are also coded and examined.FindingsOverall, MNCs are more likely to adopt the glocal strategy than any other strategies in their international campaigns. Specifically, EU‐based MNCs tend to pursue the global strategy, whereas the North America‐based MNCs seem to favor the glocal strategy and Asia‐based MNCs tend to use local strategy. Western and non‐Western cultural values are found to manifest in the American and Chinese ads similarly, indicating a trend of increasing similarity in international advertising in face of global consumer culture.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this content analysis provide a fuller picture in understanding the long‐standing issues of standardization in international advertising because of an approach to analyze creative strategy separately from execution. However, content analysis is inherently limited in inferring causality between observed patterns and mechanisms/variables that account for the patterns. Also, the time frame for sample selection, which is set as a year prior to the 2008 global financial crisis, is another limitation of the study.Practical implicationsThere is an ongoing trend of using “one‐creative, multiple‐execution” strategy in international advertising. MNCs may distinguish advertising creative strategy from execution when developing their international advertising campaigns.Originality/valueFirst, this study addresses the issue with a clear conceptual definition of standardization and differentiates the strategic and tactic standardization. Second, this is the first attempt to explore the standardization model using a sample of 51 multinational brands from North America, Europe, and Asia. The authors find that MNCs are practicing some standardization advertising strategy, but to varying degrees. Third, this study identifies and empirically tests two external factors – culture and convergence of external markets – that influence standardization.

The implementation of international advertising strategies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address the issue of the implementation of international advertising strategies by first introducing a framework of four options that multinational enterprises (MNEs) can use to implement such strategies and second by drawing on contingency theory to develop and test hypotheses relating to how environmental factors and company characteristics affect such implementation.Design/methodology/approachHypotheses are tested using web‐survey data obtained from 182 Latin American managers based in the Mercosur trading bloc.FindingsFindings show that the choice of implementation process option is contingent on the environmental factor, cultural homogeneity and the company characteristics subsidiary size and MNE country‐of‐origin, yet not on regional economic integration.Research limitations/implicationsThis exploratory study contributes to advertising theory by offering an alternative approach to the consideration of the international advertising standardization question that focuses on the implementation of strategies rather than on their development. The findings further confirm the theory of regional multinationals in the context of international advertising decisions.Practical implicationsThe study presents practitioners with four distinct approaches to implementing their international advertising strategies as well as with clear guidelines as to how managers should implement those strategies depending on the specific benefits of standardization they want to achieve.Originality/valueTo the knowledge of the authors, this study is the first to specifically address the implementation of international advertising strategies.

Effects of Selected Environmental and Structural Factors on International Advertising Strategy: An Exploratory Study

Abstract International advertising has been dominated for over two decades by the standardization-adaptation of advertising message controversy. This study reports how selected structural and environmental elements impact multinational corporation decisions to change or maintain sales platforms and creative contexts of advertising themes. It was found that message adaptations are more likely in high sales subsidiaries and in high GNP per capita markets. Few significant differences were found between developed and developing markets as to reasons given to adapt and standardize themes.

Standardization or Adaptation in International Advertising Strategies: The Roles of Brand Personality and Country-OfOrigin Image

Standardization or Adaptation in International Advertising Strategies: The Roles of Brand Personality and Country-OfOrigin Image

International Advertising Strategy In New Asia: A Country-Of-Origin Approach On Standardization Vs. Customization

This study revisited the debate concerning standardization vs. customization of the international advertising strategy from a Country-of-Origin (COO) approach. The objective here is to compare the perceptions of the exporting country and its products from the vantage point of different host countries, and to compare exporting countrys self-image with the perceived images prevailing in the host countries. Further, the study also examines the images of search products and experience products across different countries. Through analyzing survey data collected from 189 Americans, 238 Chinese, and 236 Japanese consumers, we found that different host countries have significantly different perceptions of the same exporting country. Moreover, exporting countrys self-image also largely varies from the host countrys perception of the exporting country. Finally, differences in product image were found both for search and experience products. Therefore, customized advertising strategy is suggested in the New Asia, especially in the countries studied.

De la estandarización a la adaptación en la publicidad internacional: revisión teórica del debate

Technological advances together with the gradual disappearance of borders draw a new geopolitical and socioeconomic scenario which is commonly associated with the concept of globalization widely discussed in diverse areas such as sociology, anthropology, politic and communication. In this context brands and products had to communicate with consumers of other cultures and languages, being advertising the main media for that purpose. The debate on how to implement international advertising strategies is the subject of this article.

How consumer heterogeneity muddles the international advertising debate

Standardisation versus localisation is an enduring topic in international advertising. The generalisability of research on the topic is another issue. We address the second issue and in the process shed light on the first. Multifacet analysis on an international advertising data set indicated that individuals within countries accounted for much more variance than countries could account for. This portends that researchers should generalise with caution. It further suggests that some form of standardisation may be appropriate more often than is currently considered. Both between and within-country heterogeneity should influence international advertising strategies.

MNE executive insights into international advertising programme standardisation

The standardisation/adaptation debate in international advertising has been a key topic of discussion among practitioners and academics for over 40 years (Agarwal 1995). The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that influence executive decisions to standardise or adapt as determined by experienced international marketing executives working for large multinational enterprises (MNEs). The investigation initially provides a review of existing literature about the constructs under investigation and then, through in-depth qualitative interviews, it aims to develop an understanding of the factors executives consider important in the standardisation/adaptation decision in order to develop their international advertising strategies. This paper suggests that recognition of the impact of competition, culture, education, marketing institution and consumer related determinants have increased in importance over the years, affecting decisions of advertising theme, creative expression and media mix. Of these, advertising theme is the easiest and most appropriately standardised theme, whereas, creative expression and media mix are most susceptible to adaptation as per the requirement of the MNEs. The paper concludes by highlighting managerial and academic implications.

A Meta-Analysis of Studies on the Determinants of Standardization and Localization of International Marketing and Advertising Strategies

We performed a systematic quantitative meta-analysis of international marketing/advertising research with regard to standardization versus localization or similar versus dissimilar marketing approach across national markets. The analysis used nine estimated moderators from 1268 statistical models in 152 studies published in 10 major marketing, advertising, and international business journals during the period 1960-2004. The study was framed in an extended conceptual model which utilized 10 advertising and marketing moderators. The study findings provided support for standardization approaches with regard to marketing mix (e.g., product, price distribution, promotion) and organization factors. There was slight or little support for localization approaches with target market, market position, environmental factors, and information ad appeals. The conceptual advertising moderators, which include sender (agency/company), affective ad appeals and ad executions, and receiver (attitudes toward advertising and beliefs, values/custom/psychographics) are strongly influenced by the localization approach. Regional differences are also analyzed.

International advertising strategy

This paper reviews and critiques the standardization debate in international advertising strategy. First, the paper identifies the standardization, adaptation and compromise schools of advertising including their advantages and disadvantages and then presents some of the contingency models with special focus on variables related to products, customer segments and organization. Then, a number of deficiencies in the academic literature as a whole are presented. The conclusion is that the preferred school of advertising is the compromise school, but that the continuum perspective is of little use to practitioners as they want to know what variables determine the position on the standardization continuum in their sector and whether the level of standardization is increasing or decreasing.

Consumer processing of foreign advertisements: roles of country-of-origin perceptions, consumer ethnocentrism, and country attitude

This paper reports the findings of a study that examined the impact of consumers’ three cross-national individual difference variables — country-of-origin perceptions, consumer ethnocentrism, and country attitudes — on their responses and attitudes toward foreign advertisements and advertised products. A model of consumer processing of international advertising has been proposed that consolidates a dual-element thesis comprising research on consumer processing of advertising, and several streams of research on cross-national individual difference variables. Empirical analysis of the hypothetical model through structural equation modeling yields supportive results: positive effects of consumers’ country attitudes on their responses to the creative presentation of international advertising, and positive effects of consumers’ country-of-origin perceptions on their responses to the buying proposal of international advertising. However, the hypothesized negative effects of consumer ethnocentrism on their responses to international advertising was not confirmed. The study contributes to our understanding of cross-national individual difference variables that precede and determine consumers’ attitudes toward foreign advertisements. It has practical implications for standardization versus localization of international advertising strategy.

Consumer Processing of International Advertising

SUMMARY This research examines the impacts of consumer's two crossnational individual difference variables-country-of-origin perception and consumer ethnocentrism-on their responses and attitudes toward foreign advertisements. Empirical analysis of the hypothetical model through structural equation modeling yields supportive results: negative effects of consumer's ethnocentrism on their responses to the creative presentation of international advertising, and positive effects of consumer's country-of-origin perceptions on their responses to the buying proposal of international advertising. This study may contribute to our understanding of cross-national individual difference variables that precede and determine consumers' attitudes toward international advertising. It also has practical implications for the standardization versus localization debate in international advertising strategy.

Determinants of the Control of International Advertising by Headquarters of Multinational Corporations

AbstractThe arguments for and against the standardization of international advertising are numerous and varied. However, the organizational and control variables related to international advertising are not well understood. This paper attempts to identify the factors influencing multinational headquarters' degree of control over their international advertising and their standardization strategy. Significant differences exist between home countries on the degree of control but not based on the nature of the product. Certain decision‐making factors that affect the degree of control over advertising, as well as standardization strategies, have been identified. Finally, an original decision‐making model is proposed for further testing.RésuméLes arguments enfaveur ou non de la standardisation de la publicité internationale sont nombreux et variés. Cependant, les variables organisationnelles et de contrôle liées à la publicité Internationale ne sont pas bien comprises. Cette recherche essaie d'identifier les facteurs qui influencent le degré de contrôle par la maison mère des multinationales sur leur publicité Internationale et leur stratégie de standardisation. Les différences entre les pays d'origine sur le degré de contrôle sont importantes, mais non selon la nature du produit. L'article identifie certains facteurs décisionnels affectant le degré de contrôle sur la publicité et la stratégie de standardisation. Enfin, il propose un nouveau modèle de décision pour guider les recherches à venir.

Standardization versus adaptation of international advertising strategies: Towards a framework

In the international marketing literature the issue of advertising standardization has ignited a lively and heated debate among academics and managers alike. However, the decision whether to standardize or not cannot be considered a dichotomous one. Develops a comprehensive framework to capture the relevant factors that determine the selection of the appropriate international advertising strategies and tactics. More specifically, first identifies three broad sets of factors (“local”, “firm” and “intrinsic”) which influence international advertising decisions. Then proposes that the standardization and adaptation of international advertising strategies represent the polar ends of a continuum of transitional stages. Finally, discusses the ways and the degree to which international advertising strategies can be adapted to different situations.