CROSS CULTURAL MARKETING

The course presents topics concerning how to develop marketing strategies across different cultures affecting the behaviors, expectations, values of the people as consumers or buyers of a company in choosing and buying products in the international markets, moving from a global to a local point of view. A particular focus will concern new emerged markets with remarkable cultural distance as Far East, South America, etc.
Students should analyze the importance of the cultural context in business behavior and decisions as well in international marketing strategies.

1. Knowledge and understanding
● Knowing the main theories and models of cultural differences in the business.
● Know ing the different ways of adaptation of marketing strategies and solutions used by companies in different cultural contexts.
● Knowing the basics of strategic marketing behavior of companies in international markets and culturally distant markets.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
● To Know how to correctly recognize which marketing tools and activities can be used in the various situations of international company-market relations.
● To Know how to do a simple analysis of the marketing problems that a company faces daily in a complex cultural context.
● To Be able to recognize the key aspects of a cross-cultural marketing decision and its implementation.
● To Be able to work in a multicultural team to solve complex problems.
3. Ability to judge
● Knowing how to formulate and argue hypotheses for solving cross-cultural marketing problems, also developing a critical approach to the evaluation of alternative hypotheses.
4. Communication skills
● Knowing how to use the appropriate language in describing aspects of cross-cultural marketing.
● Knowing how to interact with peers, critically and respectfully, problem-solving.
5. Learning skills
● Knowing how to critically consult the reference texts and the bibliography contained.
● Knowing how to find, collect and select useful information from various sources to solve intercultural marketing problems

Students should have the basic knowledge of the Marketing course

1. The cross cultural approach
1.1 Concept of culture
1.2 Models of cross-cultural analysis
2. Towards a cross-cultural strategic marketing model
2.1 Evolution of international markets
2.2 The standardization/adaptation dilemma
3. Cross cultural marketing choices and decisions
3.1 Cross-cultural aspects in market research
3.2 Consumer behavior and cultural factors
3.3 International brands and country of origin
3.4 The product and local cultures
3.5 Importers, distributors and international sales force
3.6 Cross cultural communication
3.7 Cultural context and price perception
4. New cross-cultural marketing challenges

Textbook: Usunier J-C., & Lee, J.A. MARKETING ACROSS CULTURES. Pearsons 2013.
recommended reading: UNEXPECTED LESSONS IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, T. Vescovi; Webster 2016
available in Italian: CHIAVI CHE APRONO GABBIE; T. Vescovi; Angeli 2017.

The attending students will be involved in the Experior Project, preparing and presenting a project work for a company, as part of the exam (25%). They will be evaluated about their ability in solving brand and communication problems. They will prepare a short paper describing and commenting a cross-cultural marketing strategy (15%). They will present a country in group, focusing on the cross-cultural characteristics and the market opportunities (10%). The final exam (only written) will refer to the textbook and to the topics discussed during the lessons (50%).
For non attending students the final exam (written -11 open questions- +oral) will refer to the textbook and to other materials available online. To be admitted to the oral exam the student should pass the written part.

Lectures will be concentrated in the first part of the course. Cases studies will be used to develop group works. Students will be directly involved in the lessons through the presentation of a different country and ist cultural context for each lesson. Some managers will be involved who will present the cultural aspects in the business of the countries in which they operate. At the end of the course there will be a collective presentation of group work.

English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Circular economy, innovation, work" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development