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

Can you rely on your friends?

Have you ever wondered what your best friend would do if you called him for help in the middle of the night?

The Danish brand Carlsberg wants to encourage its customers to live more courageously. Thus, it launched a digital campaign with a video in which people can put their best friends to the test. The story ? A man playing poker at night in a seedy place with people who look everything but reliable, and a friend receiving a call in the middle of the night. The player pretends to need him/her to come immediately with 300€ so that he is released. Then, some of them are told spurious excuses but many are lucky and find out they have great friends, ready to take the risk to come over a scary place crowded with weird people to save their friend. A curtain falls down and an audience applaud the brave friend for taking up the challenge. The hero will recover his/her presence of mind with a deserved Carlsberg.

With this campaign, Carslberg honours friendship. The brand wants its beer convivial, something around which good friends can share a nice time, and it found a very good way to hightlight it. I really loved this ad, firstly because it is very original, the concept is really clever. Secondly, it puts a big suspense, I was really interested in seeing people's reactions and if they would really do it. I was especially surprised and admiring about the girl who came over whereas the place was full of strange and fighting people and she didn't seem to be very afraid! This video is a "short suspense movie", with the difference that it is true and so we can see great and courageous people who are able to do everything for their best friends. It is at time funny but also has an emotional aspect.

What about you, what would you do?

Agency: Guillaume Duval Modem

Julie Jamis