Introduction
If your company is targeting international markets, then it is essential that you tailor your marketing campaigns to the local culture of each market.
Culture profoundly affects the way consumers think, feel and interact with the world.
Here at Webcertain, we work with international clients, day in, day out, and I see first-hand that placing culture at the heart of a marketing campaign is key to its success.
By thoughtfully tailoring your messaging so that it resonates on a deep cultural level, you can elevate your brand from just one of the crowd, to one that customers feel a deep and meaningful connection with.
But how can you measure a country’s culture and ensure that your marketing campaigns are as aligned with that culture as possible?
One way I like to examine culture is through the lens of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.
What are Hofstede’s cultural dimensions?
Geert Hofstede was a renowned social psychologist who put forward the theory that there are six main dimensions that can be used to describe national cultures:
- Power distance
- Individualism
- Motivation towards achievement and success
- Uncertainty avoidance
- Long-term orientation
- Indulgence
Each dimension can be visualised as a spectrum ranging from 0 to 100, and all countries sit somewhere on each spectrum.
Bear in mind that it is not “better” or “worse” to have a high or low score on any of the dimensions. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are not moral judgements, but simply a way to understand the cultural differences between countries.
In this blog post, I will explore what different scores on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions mean – and what those differences mean for marketers who want to successfully tailor their campaigns.
Dimension 1: Power distance
“Power distance” describes the extent to which there are unequal distributions of power within a country, and the extent to which these power inequalities are accepted by members of society.
Low score (0 to 40)
- For example, Austria (11), Israel (13), Denmark (18), Norway (31) and Sweden (31).
- What does it mean? These cultures tend to be informal, without strict social hierarchies.
- Marketing tip 1: When doing B2B marketing, make sure to target numerous personas – even more junior ones, so long as they are relevant – as multiple perspectives are taken into account during the decision-making process.
- Marketing tip 2: When creating your website, make sure to put the user’s needs first, prioritising a good user experience that helps the user complete their task.
Middle score (41 to 59)
- For example, Hungary (46), South Africa (49), Argentina (49), Italy (50) and Japan (54).
- What does it mean? Whilst social hierarchies do exist, they are not extremely strict and people lower down in the hierarchy nevertheless still expect to have a voice.
- Marketing tip: When doing B2B marketing, target numerous personas – both senior and junior – as this will cover the multiple perspectives that may be taken into account during the decision-making process.
High score (60 to 100)
- For example, Romania (90), Qatar (93), the Philippines (94), Malaysia (100) and Slovakia (100).
- What does it mean? Authority is respected and hierarchies are adhered to.
- Marketing tip 1: When doing B2B marketing, focus on targeting the senior decision-makers. There is little point in targeting personas in more junior roles, as they do not have much input into purchasing decisions.
- Marketing tip 2: It is important to highlight your own authority on your website – for example, by prominently featuring your senior management team.
Dimension 2: Individualism
“Individualism” describes the extent to which members of society are independent or interdependent on one another.
Low score (0 to 40)
- For example, Indonesia (5), Egypt (13), the Philippines (17), Qatar (18) and Thailand (19).
- What does it mean? These are collectivist societies. In collectivist societies, people tend to see themselves as part of a group, rather than a standalone individual. They are loyal to their group, strive for group harmony, and value the wellbeing of the group.
- Marketing tip 1: Emphasise how your product or service can benefit the group.
- Marketing tip 2: Celebrity endorsements work well, since celebrities are seen as influential members of the group – and people are quick to copy their behaviours.
- Marketing tip 3: Looking more at B2B, make sure to spend time nurturing a personal relationship with your prospective clients, as interpersonal relationships are seen as very important.
Middle score (41 to 59)
- For example, Saudi Arabia (48), Chile (49), Bulgaria (50), Hong Kong (50) and Argentina (51).
- What does it mean? These cultures share some features with both individualist and collectivist societies. People see themselves as individuals, but also place value on being a member of a social in-group. They value both their own personal wellbeing, and the wellbeing of their in-group.
- Marketing tip: Use a mix of marketing messaging, to appeal to both individualist and collectivist values. Talk about how your product or service can personally benefit the customer as an individual, as well as how it can benefit wider society.
High score (60 to 100)
- For example, Belgium (81), Norway (81), Sweden (87), Denmark (89) and the Netherlands (100).
- What does it mean? These are individualist societies. In individualist societies, people tend to see themselves as standalone individuals, rather than as part of a group. People are expected to prioritise their own and their family’s personal wellbeing, and to support themselves rather than expect support from wider society. Independence, self-reliance and initiative are desirable qualities.
- Marketing tip: Emphasise how your product or service can personally benefit them as an individual.
Dimension 3: Motivation towards achievement and success
“Motivation towards achievement and success” describes whether members of society are primarily motivated by wanting to be the best or wanting a good quality of life.
Low score (0 to 40)
- For example, Sweden (5), Norway (8), Latvia (9), the Netherlands (14) and Denmark (16).
- What does it mean? People are primarily driven by a desire to have a good quality of life and to care for others. Modesty and cooperation are valued, whilst standing out from the crowd is not.
- Marketing tip: Emphasise how your product or service can help the customer achieve a better quality of life.
Middle score (41 to 59)
- For example, Singapore (48), Brazil (49), Malaysia (50), Canada (52) and the UAE (52).
- What does it mean? Being successful is important, but so is having a good quality of life and having a work-life balance.
- Marketing tip: Use a mix of messaging, mentioning how your products or services can help boost both success and wellbeing.
High score (60 to 100)
- For example, Italy (70), Austria (79), Hungary (88), Japan (95) and Slovakia (100).
- What does it mean? People are primarily driven by a desire to be successful – i.e. to be the best at what they do.
- Marketing tip: Emphasise how your product or service can help the customer become more successful.
Dimension 4: Uncertainty avoidance
“Uncertainty avoidance” describes the extent to which members of society feel comfortable or uncomfortable with uncertain situations.
Low score (0 to 40)
- For example, Singapore (8), Denmark (23), Sweden (29), Hong Kong (29) and China (30).
- What does it mean? People are comfortable with uncertainty. They are adaptable, pragmatic and flexible.
- Marketing tip: With regards to marketing, this means that they are comfortable with general statements about products and services. They want to know about the benefits of your products, but do not care so much about the exact details of how they work. Explain your offerings in terms of their results, not their detailed processes.
Middle score (41 to 59)
- For example, Canada (48), South Africa (49), Norway (50), Australia (51) and Slovakia (51).
- What does it mean? People are neither strongly comfortable nor uncomfortable with uncertainty.
- Marketing tip: Use a mix of marketing messaging to promote your product or service, highlighting both specific details about the features and processes, as well as more general information about the benefits and potential results.
High score (60 to 100)
- For example, Japan (92), Poland (93), Belgium (94), Portugal (99) and Greece (100).
- What does it mean? People are uncomfortable with uncertainty.
- Marketing tip 1: They want to see specific statements about products and services, rather than vague generalisations. Explain your offerings in terms of their detailed processes, not their vague potential results.
- Marketing tip 2: They want to know in-depth about your product features, and for this reason product demos are popular.
- Marketing tip 3: It is crucial to build brand trust in such a culture, and therefore brand awareness is important.
- Marketing tip 4: Featuring quality assurance information and awards on your website will also generate good results, as this will build brand trust.
Dimension 5: Long-term orientation
“Long-term orientation” describes whether members of society are more focused on the past, present or future.
Low score (0 to 40)
- For example, Peru (5), Colombia (6), Chile (12), Qatar (14) and South Africa (18).
- What does it mean? People are more focused on the present and the past than on the future. Change is viewed with caution, and traditions are seen as important. People and businesses tend to measure success in the short-term.
- Marketing tip: Focus on how your product or service can help them in the short-term. Do not focus on long-term benefits, as that is not relatable. Instead, focus on how your product or service can help them get quick, instant results.
Middle score (41 to 59)
- For example, Poland (49), Slovenia (50), the US (50), Bulgaria (51) and India (51).
- What does it mean? People are interested in the past, present and future. Tradition is valued, but so is innovation.
- Marketing tip: Use a mix of messaging to appeal to both short-term and long-term orientations. Talk about how your product or service can help the customer both immediately and in the future, since both quick, instant results and long-term benefits are valued.
High score (60 to 100)
- For example, China (77), South Korea (86), Taiwan (87), Hong Kong (93) and Japan (100).
- What does it mean? People are more focused on the future than on the present or the past. Change is viewed as a good thing, and traditions are easily altered to fit with modern circumstances. People tend to be pragmatic, and saving and investing for the future is important, as the future is their focus.
- Marketing tip: Focus on how your product or service can help them in the long-term. Do not focus on getting quick, instant results, as that is not relatable. Instead, focus on long-term benefits.
Dimension 6: Indulgence
“Indulgence” describes the extent to which members of society feel free or restrained with regards to indulging themselves.
Low score (0 to 40)
- For example, Egypt (0), Latvia (13), Saudi Arabia (14), Bulgaria (16) and Estonia (16).
- What does it mean? These cultures are restrained. People are good at controlling their impulses and desires – and may in fact see indulgence as a negative thing.
- Marketing tip: When coming up with your marketing messaging, make sure not to come across as promoting something overly extravagant or gaudy, as this may be seen as distasteful.
Middle score (41 to 59)
- For example, Slovenia (48), France (48), Taiwan (49), Türkiye (49) and Greece (50).
- What does it mean? People like to enjoy themselves, but also have a degree of restraint.
- Marketing tip: When coming up with your marketing messaging, try to use a balanced tone, talking about how your product or service can help the customer enjoy themselves, but making sure not to sound too extravagant, as this may be seen as distasteful.
High score (60 to 100)
- For example, Denmark (70), Australia (71), Sweden (78), Colombia (83) and Mexico (97).
- What does it mean? These cultures are indulgent. Value is placed on leisure time, gratification of one’s desires, and personal enjoyment.
- Marketing tip: Do not be afraid to make bold or exciting statements that emphasise how your product or service can help the customer enjoy themselves.
Conclusion
I hope you have found this blog post a useful overview of what Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are, what they mean, and how to tailor your marketing campaigns accordingly. If you need help tailoring your marketing campaigns to different cultures, feel free to get in touch! Here at Webcertain, we specialise in international digital marketing and our team are more than happy to answer any questions and provide any support you may need.
