Skip to main content

Cultural Identity in Business

This series of branding discussed the role of cultural identity in developing the brand image of a business. Including cultural aspects in the branding strategies, the organizations would find it easier to reach their audiences, develop meaning relationships with consumers. 
Defining Cultural Identity: Cultural identity in business is the identity of a culture in terms of values, traditions, beliefs and social aspects in the form of the company branding, marketing and communication (Hatch & Schultz, 2008). 
It allows the businesses to convey an effective message and to develop a long-term relationship with the consumers. Cultural identity is expressed by companies in terms of logos, colors, images and advertising campaigns. These visual components assist the audiences in constructing their brand image and brand values (Hatch & Schultz, 2008). 
In the international market, the cultural identity assists the business to develop brand images, which appeal to different communities. Through recognition of cultural diversities, firms can cater to many markets, but without being fake. 
Example in Advertising: Cultural identity is used by brands such as Coca-Cola in marketing. Very recognizable bottles and traditional campaigns do not only present the product but also the cultural narrative of the brand which creates emotional attachments to the consumers. 
                                                  
Figure 1: Cultural identity is shown through the Coca-Cola bottle and vintage promotional images (Source: eyeimage, 2015, Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/coca-cola-art-graffiti-atlanta-736967/ 
Strong brand recognition can be achieved through using cultural identity. By considering the way culture is reflected in images and marketing, brands can form valuable interaction and connection with audiences at a global scale. 

Reference: 
Hatch, M. J., & Schultz, M. (2008). Taking Brand Initiative: How Companies Can Align Strategy, Culture, and Identity Through Corporate Branding. John Wiley & Sons. https://books.google.ca/books?id=J5OiNWAREdAC

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Diversity in Advertising

The term diversity in advertising describes how marketing campaigns display individuals from various cultural and racial and gender and social background groups. The growing multicultural diversity of societies requires companies to include various racial backgrounds in their advertising because this method delivers better results for their marketing efforts (MAZODIER). Advertising that includes all people enables viewers to find their own identity through both media content and marketing materials.  The presence of identity elements in advertisements enables individuals to establish a stronger emotional bond with the brand. The result will establish brand trust while simultaneously building a positive company reputation. The authentic representation of diversity in advertising requires proper implementation. The primary purpose of diversity initiatives for some businesses exists as a marketing tool instead of an honest effort to achieve inclusion. The growing awareness among consu...

Dove Real Beauty Campaigns

Figure 1 Note. From “The lasting genius of Dove’s ‘Real Beauty,’ and the formal daring of Jeep’s ‘Portraits’,” by T. Nudd, 2016, Adweek. https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/lasting-genius-doves-real-beauty-and-formal-daring-jeeps-portraits-174095/ I t is a daily struggle to be a woman and deal every day with thoughts about how your body looks, if it is enough, or if you need to improve it to fit into a society where thin and slim bodies are still the beauty standard. These expectations are present everywhere, especially in advertising and media, where certain body types have historically been promoted as the “ideal.” For me, this has been a personal struggle since I was a kid. I grew up going to diets and nutritionists, and many times people were looking at me or judging what I was eating. At that time I didn’t fully understand it, but now as an adult I realize that food was also an emotional escape for me. I used to look at models like Gigi Hadid or Blake Lively because they ar...