Advertising spending is a significant part of any marketing budget. And, if the company is advertising to a global market, the campaigns need to be able to effectively reach consumers around the world with a consistent message. Creating the messages can be difficult as not all messages resonate the same way with various constituents.
Nielsen Research conducted a global survey of trust in advertising and polled more than 29,000 Internet respondents in 58 countries on advertising formats. The results clearly indicated that global respondents agreed that humorous ads resonated the best with them (47%); ads that make people laugh are more appealing than other formats. Another winning format, particularly in Latin America and Asia-Pacific, is the use of authentic ads that featured real-life situations (57%). Other themes with global appeal are ones that portray family or health issues (38%).
Marketers need to make a meaningful connection with their advertisements, regardless of the format. While various regional nuances do indeed exist and can influence the consumer’s reaction, advertisements that focus on family and health, and use humor, can impact consumers worldwide.
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
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View the Nielsen report and charts at http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2013/Mass-appeal-how-some-ad-characteristics-resonate-with-consumers-around-the-world.html
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Bring magazines to class and distribute to students. Have students count the number of humorous ads.
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What products and markets are represented by the ads?
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What other ad strategies are there?
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Divide students into teams. Have each team select a product and create a humorous ad that could be used globally.
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What are the pitfalls of trying to use one ad in a global marketplace?
Source: Nielsen Company, 10/1/13
