Approaches to marketing are not universal: They need to be adapted depending on the country in question and even more so on the region or state. Artur Glebov, a marketing expert with many years of experience and creator of the BERG Target agency, told us how to do it.
To start, regional culture includes values, traditions, art, language, and other factors that determine the peculiarities of life and behavior of people in a certain geographical location. Such culture is formed under the influence of historical, social, economic, and geographical processes. Needless to say, all aspects of social life—from cooking to the way of thinking—are subject to its influence, and consumer behavior is not an exception.
Moreover, the culture of the region largely determines people's preferences and their attitudes to brands and goods. That is why it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the local market when developing marketing strategies, as well as their adaptation: this will make campaigns more efficient.
Promotion in the USA: The Differences Exist Even Between States
In my view, the best way to see the difference between the necessary marketing approaches is to observe the example of the United States. Even though it's the same country, the difference between how to market to the people from different states can be enormous.
My agency has been helping interior designers find premium clients since 2017—and during this time, I have tracked a number of peculiar patterns.
In fact, US consumers are generally (although to varying degrees) interested in the so-called American style of interior design. The latter usually includes a large free space, which can be achieved by combining the living room and the kitchen, imitating luxurious interiors using affordable materials, spatial zoning, and a large amount of furniture.
In New York, Florida, or Miami, there are many people I would describe as bohemian. Those people prefer an active social life and interesting, peculiar things. So, you can pique their interest by offering premium and truly unusual, unique designs. Those people are focused on American style as well, however, they lean more towards global trends. Besides, they do not favor gigantomania, which is extremely popular with consumers in the United States.
Thus, internet marketing that targets residents of these states needs to be built on, first, prioritizing exclusivity of offers and, second, using catchy, interesting designs as references.
However, this approach will not work in conservative states, such as Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, where cultural and national identity is of extreme importance to their residents. In this case, you should sell to these clients, delivering that very message. You can do that by focusing on designs which are most in demand, such as the traditional American style, as well as elements of gigantomania.
In the northern states, such as Alaska, Washington, Montana, and others—people tend to be more "severe." The climate there is cold, which is also reflected in the interiors, which are characterized by austerity in details and the craving for gigantomania. At the same time, American style is always welcome.
Lastly, there seems to be a definite trend in the tastes of Californians (especially those from Hollywood), which can be described as implementing a lot of kitsch in design. There, people often seek to reflect their financial well-being in their interiors.
The opposite situation occurs in those states where a lot of people work in IT, especially in Silicon Valley and San Francisco. There is virtually no need for design there. That happens because IT specialists, who happen to be the main clients of designers there, are often satisfied with minimalist white walls.
Specifics of Promotion in Different States
One can ask how else the approach to marketing differs depending on where the potential client lives. In general, the US market favors promotion through completed projects. Thus, potential clients should be shown what the designer has already done that has been implemented. In fact, people realize that you can create the appearance of almost anything. So, actual projects show the real level of service. However, in Florida and New York, oddly enough, rendering and overall visualization work better.
In California and Texas, marketing through Instagram, Pinterest, Houzz, and personal websites is most efficient. Moreover, business cards are a must! In Florida and New York, European trends prevail. Personally, I recommend focusing your marketing on building Instagram presence, but at the same time staying active on all of the aforementioned platforms. Also, my advice would be to promote your website, as it is a very important channel in the US market.
To summarize, in the north of the United States, it is best to promote yourself through completed projects and various channels. In the south, I would emphasize classic design and creating websites because of the conservative nature of the audience.
California residents get hooked on Instagram and other social networks. And if you are promoting a brand in New York, Florida and the whole east side of the US, try using Pinterest, Houzz and personal websites.
I will also emphasize a crucial point: regardless of state, Facebook presence is vital!
Marketing in Different Countries
The most distinct differences can be observed in campaigns of the same brands presented in the markets of different countries. For instance, if a potential buyer from the US is interested in the description of the advantages of the product, a consumer from Japan would appreciate the emphasis on the history of the product in the marketing material.
The case of McDonald's is illustrative: the restaurant adapts its menu depending on the taste preferences and familiar food of the audience in a particular country: in China, the menu includes rice, and, surprisingly, you can find traditional flatbreads in India.
The Coca-Cola case is another vivid example of using country and language characteristics in marketing. You see, Its name sounds like "ke-kou-ke-le" in Chinese, which translates to "happiness in the mouth." More than that, the color red, according to Chinese traditions, symbolizes happiness and good luck. Evidently, building branding around these features helped Coca-Cola gain a foothold in the Chinese market.
A Few Key Tips
So, if you are customizing your marketing strategy for a region in any part of the world, try considering the following aspects:
- Research cultural characteristics: language, traditions, consumer preferences;
- Adjust the tone and style of communication;
- Adapt products and services to the needs of the regional market;
- Use the most popular social networks in the region to cooperate with local influencers;
- Comply with local laws and regulations.
