It is almost inevitable for a firm to disregard business opportunities in foreign land, especially when competing in todays growing global world. I believe the key to developing a successful marketing strategy is understanding the core values that lie in one’s culture, and influences it has on individuals.  People tend to base their preferences and consumption on cultural influences such as: value, symbols, rituals and thought process.

I would like to focus a little on Japanese adverts and why they are viewed as “weird”. I believe, in specific, it is the values within a culture that set aside the difference in how the message is conveyed through adverts. Values dictate what is acceptable or not within a society.  Countries such as the United States where people are individualistic, purchasing decisions are more based on consumer preferences. On the other hand in Japan, where consumers are more passive and base their values on the welfare of the group, it is more important to target the group rather than individuals. Having briefly covered the difference in values, below is a “well-known” Japanese advert of Mcdonalds’ spongebob happy meal set.

“The Japanese culture places a great emphasis on the community”, in other words, the attempt for marketers to position their brand and allow consumers to talk about their product is what differentiates their brand in Japan.  The mere attention commercials receive will highly influence the purchasing trend of that product.  Therefore, the many “absurd” or “weird” adverts Western people view as, was in actual a fact a promising marketing strategy, as it is. Because consumers in Japan adhere to the social group rather than themselves, it is important for the product to be talked about, whether it be viewed as weird or eccentric from other viewers outside Japan.