This document discusses important differences marketers should consider when advertising to independent versus collectivist cultures. Individuals in independent cultures, like Western countries, value uniqueness and individuality. They are more open to new ideas and taking risks. Collectivist cultures prioritize group harmony and see uniqueness as a threat. They prefer stability and avoiding uncertainty. The document provides examples of how advertisements can emphasize either individualism or group affiliation depending on the target culture. It also discusses high vs low context communication and the role of power distance in influencing the effectiveness of spokesperson use. Understanding these cultural differences is key to creating advertisements that will appeal to and be understood by the intended audience.

1. Advertising around
Culture
With an expanding global
market it is essential for
companies interested in
advertising to understand
cultural differences to
effectively advertise to
culturally different nations.
This informational
brochure will guide
venturing marketers into
the world of important
differences between two
major cultural classes.
Independent Culture
Independent cultures tend
to be associated with most
Western countries such as
the Americas and most
European countries. They
are given the term
independent because the
culture supports
uniqueness and
individuality. In this
culture uniqueness is
perceived as a positive
aspect of an individual
which in term encourages
individuals in this culture
to express their own
uniqueness. Thus when
trying to appeal to people’s
of independent cultures it
is important to keep in
mind that standing out
from the rest of the crowd
is perceived positively by
the general public.
For example a marketer
trying to advertise shoes:
“Fortune rewards the bold”
This suggests that being
different and acting
courageous will
beneficiary. Acting
courageous is perceived
more positively by
independents because this
can be perceived as a trait
that may harm the group
from a collectivist
viewpoint.
Collectivist Culture
Collectivist cultures on the
other hand function very
differently from
independent cultures.
Collectivist cultures
instead support group

2. cohesion and conformity,
while instead uniqueness is
negatively perceived
negatively. One’s self
identity is more associated
with their role in society
rather than the
independents self
identification revolving
around their uniqueness.
Collectivist tend put the
benefit of the group ahead
of themselves which alters
the style marketers should
take when advertising to
this culture.
For example here is a
Japanese ad for Converse
shoes:
Notice how different the
advertisement is from the
independent culture’s ad
for Nike. The ad does not
emphasize the
individuality that shoes
will give the consumer.
Rather it demonstrates how
the shoes will help the
consumer fit into the
group.
Uncertainty avoidance
Moving onwards,
marketers must understand
how these differences
between cultures sprout a
variety of other differences
in perceptions that will
change how individuals
perceive a company’s
product. For starters one of
the most important
differences between the
two cultures is how
uncertainty is perceived. A
culture can either be
uncertainty avoiding or
uncertainty taking Western
cultures tend to be more
uncertainty taking when
Eastern cultures tend to be
uncertainty avoiding.
Eastern culture’s display of
uncertainty avoidance is
highly influenced from
their frequent behavior of
groupthink. Since
conformity to the group is
more highly valued,
participating in activities
that are different is
perceived with an
uncertain outcome. Thus
because the overall benefit
of the group can be
threatened with uncertain
outcomes these behaviors
tend to be more often
avoided to protect the
benefit of the group.
Marketers need to keep
this in mind when trying to
appeal to collectivist
individuals. Products or
activities that might be
perceived as different or
unfamiliar can be more
often perceived as a
negative aspect of a
product than compared to
individuals in independent
cultures. This is part
explains why independent
cultures are more
accepting of uniqueness,
because unfamiliarity is
not necessarily perceived
as harmful.

3. Humor
Humor has been found to
be an effective use of
advertising to help the
consumer more often
remember the product
being advertised. But this
has been found to be most
effective only in
independent cultures.
Collectivist tend to
perceive uncertainty in
humorous ads thus
lowering their perceived
trust in the product or
company.
High Context
This leads to the next
important difference
between the two cultures,
whether a culture is high
context or low context.
The contextuality of a
culture relates to the
importance and
prominence of symbols or
other iconic imagery that
relies in the culture.
Collectivist cultures tend
to have higher context than
those in independent
cultures. This can be
related to the cultures
avoidance of uncertainty.
Tradition, honor, and
iconic symbols are used at
a higher frequency in
collectivist cultures
because these iconic
symbols represent a
trustworthy image allows
the consumer to trust the
product they are buying. A
trusted brand name will be
more effective by
advertising the
trustworthiness and honor
that comes with the
company name
For example here is an
example of a Japanese
Toyota advertisement:
Notice how the
advertisement does not
include very much
information about the car
itself. The most prominent
features of the
advertisement is the brand
name and the dragons
which is a Eastern symbol.
On the other hand Western
Cultures tend to be low
context cultures. Since
independent’s perceive
uncertainty less negatively
they tend less likely to
avoid uncertainty due to
unfamiliar products. Thus
the brand name is
perceived to have a
significantly less of an
impact influencing
consumers to buy a
company’s product.
Independent people have
been shown to perceive
information as more
influencing factor in their
positive perception of a
product. It is important to
insert facts and figures
about a product in an
advertisement for
Westerners’ for this

4. reason. Look at the
Scirocco advertisement:
Here one can notice the
immediate presentation of
information about the
company’s product. The ad
demonstrates the utility,
improvements, and reasons
why their product is better
than other car’s in the
forefront of the
advertisement.
Power Distance(Far)
Another important aspect
of advertising that is
different between the two
cultures is the power
distance of the society. A
nation’s power distance
relates to the distribution
of power within a society.
For example collectivist
cultures tend to have a far
power distance because
they tend to have high
respect for authority and
their elders. The power is
unevenly distributed
among the population
because of the respect and
acceptance they have for
the elderly population and
authority. Thus the source
of information is highly
valued compared to the
expertise of the source.
Research has shown that
collectivist favor the
source that the information
is coming from because
they have a higher respect
for those in a high position
of power. It would be a
good idea to have a
recognizable spokesperson
promoting the product
more so than in
independent cultures.
Power Distance(close)
A close power distance is a
society that has the power
distribution evenly
distributed amongst its
population. In independent
cultures they do not
perceive the authority of
elders or authority as
favorably as those in
collectivist cultures. On the
other hand for independent
cultures research has
shown that expertise of
information was favored
more so than the source.
This is in relation to
independent cultures
tending to be low context
cultures. Independents
want to hear the
information and it is the
quality of the information
rather than the quality of
the spokesperson that they
perceive more positively.
That is not to say that the
source of expertise of the
source is not important to
the differing culture only
that one is more highly
valued.

5. Review
1. Independents have a
desire to be unique and to
stand out.
2. Collectivists are more
focused on group cohesion
and the ultimate benefit of
the group.
3. Uncertainty in situations
will be perceived more
favorably by independents
and less favorably or
avoiding by collectivists.
4. How information is
displayed and preferred
varies culture to culture.
Due to uncertainty
avoiding tendencies high
context cultures,
collectivist cultures, prefer
symbols and icons to relay
information. While
independents prefer
quantities information.
5. Power distance is also
important to remember due
to how source expertise
and strength argument
effects the perception of
the product. Eastern
Cultures prefer a stronger
source expertise rather
than independents who
prefer a stronger source
argument.
"I am one who
believes that one of
the greatest
dangers of
advertising is not
that of misleading
people, but that of
boring them to
death."- Leo
Burnett