A complete and thorough appreciation of the origins (geography,
history, political economy, technology, and social institutions) and
elements (cultural values, rituals, symbols, beliefs, and ways of
thinking) of culture may well be the single most important gain to a
foreign marketer in the preparation of marketing plans and strategies.
Marketers can control the product offered to a market -- its
promotion, price, and eventual distribution methods -- but they have
only limited control over the cultural environment within which
these plans must be implemented. Because they cannot control all
the influences on their marketing plans, they must attempt to anticipate
the eventual effect of the uncontrollable elements and plan in
such a way that these elements do not preclude the achievement of
marketing objectives. They can also set about to effect changes that
lead to quicker acceptance of their products or marketing programs.
Planning marketing strategy in terms of the uncontrollable elements
of a market is necessary in a domestic market as well, but
when a company is operating internationally each new environment
that is influenced by elements unfamiliar and sometimes unrecognizable
to the marketer complicates the task. For these
reasons, special effort and study are needed to absorb enough understanding
of the foreign culture to cope with the uncontrollable
features. Perhaps it is safe to generalize that of all the tools the foreign
marketer must have, those that help generate empathy for another
culture are the most valuable. Each of the cultural elements
is explored in depth in subsequent chapters. Specific attention is
given to business customs, political culture, and legal culture in the
following chapters.
