Tuesday 19 March 2013

Multicultural Business by HSBC

In recent years HSBC has portrayed a global business image, attempting positioning itself as the 'Worldwide Local Bank'. With their headquarters in London, HSBC has grown to be one of the largest financial services in the world, located in 87 countries.



I was recently introduced to some of their TV advertisements when I met with a Communications lecturer from The Netherlands. She used one of the adverts to illustrate how small local values or habits can be so vastly different in other regions. As I study Marketing, I am becoming increasingly more aware of how in-tune we need to be with many international cultures when entering the world of business.

Taking pride in understanding local cultures, or the 'localisation' of a brand is essential to growing a large international or global organisation. Customers expectations are ever changing, especially as customers travel, and share experiences. Businesses can learn a great deal from the understanding they get from each culture, and should put this local knowledge back into their core ideas. What is learned from one customer should be utilised to help better serve another.



The 'English Clearing Plate' advert considers the different cultural habits in comparison to British culture. I particularly enjoyed this version as it is humourous but also as there is no talking throughout, illustrating how simple gestures alone can mean the complete opposite. 

I learnt quite a few interesting tips from viewing these adverts, some that I hope will save me from some sticky situations in years to come. However, I wonder what might happen when we all become more culturally aware, say a Spanish business man meets a potential business partner from China, for a meeting in Brazil - what values apply? I can definitely see future Marketing students in colleges having a text book titled 'The Safe Option During Foreign Encounters'.

Watch the this video and it might just save you some awkward situations....





Author: Laura Smith



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