How Do You Ensure Marketing Messages Resonate Across Different Cultures?
In the quest to craft marketing messages that transcend borders yet remain culturally relevant, we've gathered insights from top marketing professionals. From conducting research and collaborating to mastering cultural nuances and avoiding literal translations, explore the diverse strategies shared by a Marketing Director and a Digital Marketing Manager among others. Here are the five key tactics they recommend for creating culturally tailored campaigns.
- Conduct Research and Collaborate
- Leverage Data, Create Authentic Content
- Segment Audience, Customize Messages
- Collaborate with Local Experts
- Master Cultural Nuances, Avoid Literal Translations
Conduct Research and Collaborate
At The Lanier Law Firm, ensuring our messages resonate across different cultures is a top priority, especially given the diverse population affected by mesothelioma. We start by conducting thorough research on the cultural backgrounds of our target audiences, collaborating with cultural consultants, and involving team members from various backgrounds in our marketing discussions.
One example of a culturally tailored campaign we developed was for Hispanic communities in Texas, where many workers were exposed to asbestos in industrial settings. We created Spanish-language materials that not only translated our legal information but also incorporated cultural nuances and values important to this community. We emphasized family support and unity, which are highly valued in Hispanic cultures, in our messaging about seeking justice for mesothelioma victims.
We also partnered with local Hispanic community leaders and organizations to build trust and credibility. Our campaign included bilingual staff for outreach events and a dedicated Spanish-language hotline. This approach significantly increased our engagement with the Hispanic community and helped many families access the legal support they needed.
By tailoring our message and approach to respect and reflect cultural values, we were able to connect more effectively with this important segment of our audience.
Leverage Data, Create Authentic Content
As the founder of Dancing Chicken Media, I know that cultural sensitivity is key to successful marketing campaigns. Early on, we learned that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work. What inspires one audience can completely miss the mark with another.
For a client in the automotive industry, we tailored Facebook ads based on location and language. For Spanish speakers, we focused on family and community. For English speakers, we emphasized luxury and performance. Open rates increased over 50% as a result.
When promoting a real estate company, we considered homeownership traditions across cultures. Our campaign featured diverse families and properties to resonate broadly. For some, a single-family home was appealing, while others preferred multifamily housing. Sales for this campaign were up over 75% from the previous year.
The key is leveraging data and research to understand cultural values and then creating authentic content that speaks to people's priorities. But it also means engaging with your audience and listening. When you show people you understand them, your message will resonate. Success comes from building real connections within and across cultures.
Segment Audience, Customize Messages
If you have customers across different cultures and industries, there is no single message that can perfectly resonate with each one of them. With that in mind, at PatentRenewal.com, we adhere to our brand with every piece of content we produce and always prepare everything with the customers in mind. This includes having an educational approach and using simple and friendly language that invites potential customers to learn more about our product. Once we create our copies with these principles, we segment our audience and try to customize the message as much as possible to their specific needs and their specific ways of communication. This can include campaigns using different media on different platforms in different countries, or simply researching how our industry-specific terms are being used in different regions of the world.
Collaborate with Local Experts
At Stratosphere, we ensure our marketing messages resonate across different cultures by conducting thorough market research and collaborating with local experts. For example, we developed a culturally-tailored campaign for an insurance client targeting the Hispanic market. Understanding that family and community are central values, we crafted messages emphasizing the importance of protecting loved ones through insurance.
We used bilingual content, culturally-relevant imagery, and local influencers to enhance authenticity. This approach led to a 40% increase in engagement and a 25% boost in lead generation from the Hispanic market, highlighting the effectiveness of culturally sensitive marketing.
Master Cultural Nuances, Avoid Literal Translations
It's essential to do your research beforehand and master cultural nuances. If you nail this, international consumers will think, "this brand gets me." To do this, you must skip the literal translations if you want to engage your target audience effectively.
An example is when KFC translated "Finger-lickin' good" to "eat your fingers off" in China. In contrast, McDonald's is an example of a brand that has mastered this countless times. They renamed the Quarter Pounder to "Royal Cheese" in France due to the metric system, offer burgers with potato patties in India (where the predominantly Hindu population doesn't eat beef), and operate their hours around Ramadan in Muslim-majority countries.
Without this, international consumers will ignore you at best and ruin your reputation in that market at worst, which can take years or decades to recover.
