While some advertising can transfer across borders, cultural and market differences make transference difficult. According to an analysis of over 6,000 ads, on average only 52% of ads transferred successfully to other markets. Africa in particular shows low transference at 43% due to strong cultural variations within the continent. Key factors that impact an ad's ability to travel include the category's development stage, the brand's meaning and recognition in different markets, differences in media environments and advertising norms, and cultural response to messaging. A checklist is suggested to evaluate these factors when considering transferring ads between markets.

1. one size fits many?
a d v e r t i s i n g b e y o n d b o r d e r s

2. one size fits many?
A D T R A N S F E R E N C E A N D A F R I C A
B E Y O N D C U LT U R A L D I F F E R E N C E S
2

3. defining ad transference…
analysis : ads tested in multiple
markets to determine ad
transference (6000+ data points*)
as a percentage of all ads
* Source: Millward Brown Global LINK™ Database
3

4. the reality of a diverse world...
North America
Latin America
Asia
Western Europe
Eastern Europe and Russia
51%
48%
40%
56%
58%
43%
Africa and Middle East
4
Transference WITHIN geographies
Global Avg 52%

5. among emerging markets, africa is quite different
when it comes to advertising…
5
relevant everyday situations
emotional messaging
celebrities
prominent music
visual humour
41 49 40
31 35 20
11 09 24
36 25 24
30 20 24
% of ads…

6. so what can work in africa…?
6
emotional connect
family, community
indomie‘mama do good’

7. so what can work in africa…?
7
happy optimism
important to show positive images
coca-cola ‘crazy for good’
emotional connect
a sense of fun, of drama
etisalat ‘two men’

8. so what can work in africa…?
8
simplicity in messaging
firm focus on brand benefit omo ‘soccer girl’
happy optimism
emotional connect
a sense of fun, of drama

9. 9
yet transference within africa
is only 43%...why?
43%

10. there are clear cultural differences within africa
10
ghana nigeria
east
africa
80 80 64
15 30 27
40 60 41
65 55 52
PDI
hierarchy
IDV
individuality
MAS
masculinity/Aggression
UAI Uncertainty
avoidance
authority
community
harmony
structure
power
individuality
assertion
less hierarchical
harmony
comfort in ambiguity

11. nigeria: pride in recognised success, vibrancy
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 strong sense of ‘being nigerian’
 aspirational imagery, a desire for
acknowledged success
 vibrancy matters (local music,
colour) pepsi‘wizkid’

12. ghana: a strong sense of family and community
12
geisha ‘bath time’
 the importance of family
connection and bonding
 the product story must be pivotal
to the ad – important to clearly
communicate the brand benefit
 tonality too is important – warm,
friendly, fun

13. kenya: personal connect and simplicity
13
 A sense of personal connect (with
a touch of humour)
 story-telling is important(e.g.
narratives like soap operas)
molo milk ‘cows’

14. why is it so difficult to
use the same
advertising execution
across countries?
clearly, there is more divergence than convergence in the
world when it comes to advertising
14

15. what impacts an ad’s ability to travel?
Cultural
Differences
Brand
Heritage in
each market
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16. four key factors affect advertising transference
 stage of category development
 brand stature and meaning
 media exposure and advertising diet
main contributors in
70%
of cases where an ad
fails to travel
 cultural factors
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17. stage of category development can influence how
consumers respond to advertising
a number of categories are evolving rapidly…
…and this affects consumer expectations from brands and advertising
fairness/
fade creams
anti-ageing
fairness+
sun protection+
blemish removal
serumsbb creams
skin care
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18. differences in brand stature can affect brand
perception and expectations from advertising
brand status can vary significantly by market…
clusters by brand strength for global deodorant brand
cluster 3
chile, france, italy, japan, thailand
cluster 2:
argentina, australia, germany, turkey, uk
cluster 1:
brazil, mexico, poland, south africa, usa
usa
brazil
south africa
poland
argentina
australia
uk
germany
turkey
chile
france
italy
thailand
japan
mexico
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19. advertising diet and media exposure can also affect
response to advertising
a recent regulation in china that bans ads during dramas and movies on tv and
imposes restrictions on ad length…
is leading to ads such as this on tv… …and this on the internet
wrigleys extra
‘sweet, sour, bitter, spicy’
nivea
‘gangnam style’
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20. a simple travel checklist for advertising
• stage of category development
o are the category offerings similar?
o does the message differentiate you from competitors?
• brand stature and meaning
o is your brand in a similar life stage?
o does your brand have the same positioning?
• advertising and media environment
o are there differences in media context? (e.g. ad length)
o is the advertising context similar?
• cultural response to advertising
o does the consumer insight hold true across these markets?
o do these markets fall into the same advertising clusters?
mkt 1 mkt 2 mkt 3
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21. one size fits many?
a d v e r t i s i n g b e y o n d b o r d e r s
special thanks to e e cummings
For further information please contact:
SHIV MOULEE
Chief Solutions Officer
Africa & Middle East & Asia Pacific
Millward Brown
Cell +6591299487
Email: Shiv.Moulee@millwardbrown.com