Mac and PC's Overseas Adventures Case
Mac and PC's Overseas Adventures Case
Situation
Apple’s Mac reshot its classic “Mac vs. PC” series American ads for Japan and UK, important markets and home to unique advertising and comedy cultures. The UK visions which are close to the original ones that uses two local famous actors to show the different between Mac and PC, but the dialogue makes more relevant to local audiences. However, a survey showed that consumers’ respect for Apple fell in Britain in five days after the ads started appearing in cinemas and Web sites. The similar situation happened in Japan, since Japanese consumers think the brand is dumb and obnoxious if it catches bragging about its strengths, smart and nice. Another reason is that Mac's office-casual clothing implies low-end brand while PC who dresses like a nerd represents respectful person in Japanese culture.
Problem
The problem for Mac or other companies or products who seeks to tap into global markets is how to make suitable global communication strategies. What's funny in one culture can seem ill-mannered in another. The companies of course can use the same communication strategies in different countries where consumers have different cultures. However, it often leads to no profits increase in oversea markets. What’s worse, both profits and corporate image can be hurt.
Solution
A company should changes marketing communications for each local market, which is called communication adaptation.
The first approach is to consider the message. That is to say the company must deeply understand the local customs and then it can use one message everywhere, varying only the language, name, and perhaps colors to avoid taboos in some countries. For example, yellow in many East Asian countries represents honorable and elegance while in some western countries it is a sinister color.
The second possibility is to use the same message and creative theme globally but adapt the execution. As what Apple has done, the company reshot the
Situation
Apple’s Mac reshot its classic “Mac vs. PC” series American ads for Japan and UK, important markets and home to unique advertising and comedy cultures. The UK visions which are close to the original ones that uses two local famous actors to show the different between Mac and PC, but the dialogue makes more relevant to local audiences. However, a survey showed that consumers’ respect for Apple fell in Britain in five days after the ads started appearing in cinemas and Web sites. The similar situation happened in Japan, since Japanese consumers think the brand is dumb and obnoxious if it catches bragging about its strengths, smart and nice. Another reason is that Mac's office-casual clothing implies low-end brand while PC who dresses like a nerd represents respectful person in Japanese culture.
Problem
The problem for Mac or other companies or products who seeks to tap into global markets is how to make suitable global communication strategies. What's funny in one culture can seem ill-mannered in another. The companies of course can use the same communication strategies in different countries where consumers have different cultures. However, it often leads to no profits increase in oversea markets. What’s worse, both profits and corporate image can be hurt.
Solution
A company should changes marketing communications for each local market, which is called communication adaptation.
The first approach is to consider the message. That is to say the company must deeply understand the local customs and then it can use one message everywhere, varying only the language, name, and perhaps colors to avoid taboos in some countries. For example, yellow in many East Asian countries represents honorable and elegance while in some western countries it is a sinister color.
The second possibility is to use the same message and creative theme globally but adapt the execution. As what Apple has done, the company reshot the
References: Kotler and Keller, Marketing Management, (Pearson Education, Inc. 14th ed, 2012) Isobel Doole and Robin Lowe, International Marketing Strategies, (Cengage Learning, Inc., 2008) Oliver Reichenstein, Read Different: Apple Ads in Japan, (http://informationarchitects.net, Nov 13, 2006)