WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL MARKETING?

International marketing is simply the application of marketing principles to more than one country.
However, there is a crossover between what is commonly expressed as international marketing and
global marketing, which is a similar term. For the purposes of this lesson on international marketing
and those that follow it, international marketing and global marketing are interchangeable.

At its simplest level, international marketing involves the firm in making one or more marketing mix
decisions across national boundaries. At its most complex level, it involves the firm in establishing
manufacturing facilities overseas and coordinatingmarketing strategies across the globe.

DEFINITION OF INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING

International advertising entails dissemination of a commercial message to target audiences in more

than one country. Target audiences differ from country to country in terms of how they perceive or
interpret symbols or stimuli, respond to humor or emotional appeals, as well as in levels of literacy
and languages spoken. How the advertising function is organized also varies. In some cases,
multinational firms centralize advertising decisions and budgets and use the same or a limited
number of agencies worldwide. In other cases, budgets are decentralized and placed in the hands of
local subsidiaries, resulting in greater use of local advertising agencies.

International advertising can, therefore, be viewed as a communication process that takes place in
multiple cultures that differ in terms of values, communication styles, and consumption patterns.
International advertising is also a business activity involving advertisers and the advertising agencies
that create ads and buy media in different countries. The sum total of these activities constitutes a
worldwide industry that is growing in importance. International advertising is also a major force that
both reflects social values, and propagates certain values worldwide.

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In the international marketing literature the issue of advertising standardization has ignited a lively
and heated debate among academics and managers alike. However, the decision whether to
standardize or not cannot be considered a dichotomous one. Develops a comprehensive framework
to capture the relevant factors that determine the selection of the appropriate international
advertising strategies and tactics. More specifically, first identifies three broad sets of factors (“local”,
“firm” and “intrinsic”) which influence international advertising decisions. Then proposes that the
standardization and adaptation of international advertising strategies represent the polar ends of a
continuum of transitional stages. Finally, discusses the ways and the degree to which international
advertising strategies can be adapted to different situations.

NEED OF INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING

It's early days on the Internet, perhaps the most important communications conduit we've seen so
far. Yet even now, history is repeating itself. There are those who want to direct the traffic and set up
the roadblocks. We believe hyperspace is one more place where you should have the freedom to
know what's out there and the right to choose. Which is why advertising is dedicated to help develop
the tools and the technologies that will let you do just that?

While use of uniform advertising appeals offers a number of advantages, differences in customer
perceptions and response patterns across countries and cultures, as well as media availability and
government regulation are major barriers to use of a standardized campaign. Even though
technological developments allow adaptation of advertising appeals to different languages (for
example, TV can have audio channels in two languages, Internet messages can be automatically
translated), development of visual and verbal copy that works effectively in multiple countries poses
major creative challenges.

Faced with this dilemma, firms may use a global umbrella campaign combined with local country or
product-specific advertising. The global umbrella campaign develops a uniform image for the
company or brand worldwide, often relying on consistent visual images and the corporate logo.
Product-specific or country advertising builds on this image, modifying the appeal and providing
information tailored to the local market. The objective of the umbrella campaign is to provide an
integrating force, while local campaigns provide greater relevance to specific local customers and
markets.
International advertising is also a major force that both reflects social values, and propagates certain
values worldwide.

Language barrier
Language is one of the major barriers to effective communication through advertising. The problem
involves different languages of different countries, different languages or dialects within one country,
and the subtler problems of linguistic nuance and vernacular.
The bicardi company wanted to sell the drink “pavane” in germany, but “pavane” is perilously close
to “Pavian” which means “babbon”. A company Marketing tomato paste in the middle east found that
in arabic the phrase tomato paste translates as tomato glue.

Tropicana brand orange juice was advertised as jugo de china in Puerto Rico, but transported to
Miami’s Cuban community, it failed.
Language translation encounters innumerable barriers that impede effective, idiomtic translation and
thereby hamper communication. This is especially apparent in advertising materials. Abstraction,
terse writing, and world economy, the most effective tool of the advertisers, pose problem for the
translators. Communication is impeded by the great diversity of cultural heritage and education
which exists within countries and which causes varying interpretations of even single sentences and
simple concept. Some companies have tried to solve the translation problem by hiring foreign
translators. This often is not satisfactory because both the language and the translator change.
Everyday words have different meanings in different cultures.

Low literacy in many countries seriously impedes communications and calls for greater creativity and
use of verbal media. Multiple languages within a country or advertising area pose another problem
for the advertiser.

Cultural Diversity
Communication is more difficult because cultural factors largely determine the way various
phenomena are perceived. If the perceptual framework is different, perception of the message itself
differs.

Knowledge of cultural diversity must encompass the total advertising project.

Media Limitation
Media may diminish the role of advertising in the promotional program and may force the marketers
to emphasis the other elements of promotional mix.

A marketer’s creativity is certainly challenged when a television commercial is limited to to 10

showing a year with no two exposure closer than 10 days. In some African countries advertisers run
boats up and down the rivers playing popular music and broadcasting commercial into the bush as
they travel.

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING HELPS IN:

Ø Remind customers and prospects about the benefits of your product or service

Ø Establish and maintain your distinct identity

Ø Enhance your reputation

Ø Encourage existing customers to buy more of what you sell

Ø Attract new customers and replace lost ones

Ø Slowly build sales to boost your bottom line

Ø Promote business to customers, investors

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING CONCEPT

It entails dissemination of a commercial message to target audiences in more than one country.
Target audiences differ from country to country in terms of how they perceive or interpret symbols or
stimuli, respond to humor or emotional appeals, as well as in levels of literacy and languages
spoken. How the advertising function is organized also varies.

International advertising can, therefore, be viewed as a communication process that takes place in
multiple cultures that differ in terms of values, communication styles, and consumption patterns.
International advertising is also a business activity involving advertisers and the advertising agencies
that create ads and buy media in different countries. The sum total of these activities constitutes a
worldwide industry that is growing in importance. International advertising is also a major force that
both reflects social values, and propagates certain values worldwide.
The Communication Process
The process of communication in international markets involves a number of steps. First, the
advertiser determines the appropriate message for the target audience. Next, the message is
encoded so that it will be clearly understood in different cultural contexts. The message is then sent
through media channels to the audience who then decodes and reacts to the message. At each
stage in the process, cultural barriers may hamper effective transmission of the message and result
in miscommunication.

International Advertising as a Business Practice

International advertising can also be viewed as a business activity through which a firm attempts to
inform target audiences in multiple countries about itself and its product or service offerings. In some
cases the advertising message relates to the firm and its activities, i.e. its corporate image. In other
cases, the message relates to a specific product or service marketed by the firm. In either case, the
firm will use the services of an advertising agency to determine the appropriate message, advertising
copy and make the media placement.

Art Direction
Art direction is concerned with visual presentation- the body language of print and broadcast
advertising. Some forms of visual presentation are universally understood. Revlon, for example, has
used a French producer to develop television commercials, English and Spanish for use in the
international markets. These commercials, which are filmed in Parisian settings, communicate the
universal appeals and specific advantages of Revlon products. By producing its ads In France,
Revlon obtains effective television commercials at a much lower price than it would have to pay for
similar –length commercials produced in US. Pepsi Co has used four basic commercials to
communicate its advertising themes. The basic setting of young people having fun at a party or on a
beach has been adapted to reflect the general physical environment and racial characteristics of
North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia,. The music in these commercials has also
been adapted to suite regional tastes, ranging from rock and role in North America to Bossa nova in
Latin America to Africa.

The international advertiser must make sure that visual executions are not inappropriately extended
into markets. Benetton recently encountered a problem with its “United Colors of Benetton”
campaign. The campaign appeared in 77 countries, primarily in print and on billboards. The art
direction focused on striking, provocative interracial juxtapositions- a white hand a black hand
handcuffed together, for example another version of campaign, depicting a black woman nursing a
white baby, won adverting awards in France and Italy. However, because the image evoked the
history of slavery in America, that particular creative execution was not in the U.S market

Cultural Considerations
Knowledge of cultural diversity, especially the symbolism associated with cultural traits, is essential
when creating advertising. Local country managers will be able to share important information, such
as when to use cautions in advertising creativity. Use of colors and man-women relationships can
often be stumbling blocks. For example, white in Asia is associated with death. In Japan, intimate
scenes between men and women are considered to be in bad taste; they are outlawed in Saudi
Arabia.

Advertising Communication System

Advertising communication always involves a perception process and four of the elements shown in
the model: the source, a message, a communication channel, and a receiver. In addition, the
receiver will sometimes become a source of information by talking to friends or associates. This type
of communication is termed word-of-mouth communication, and it involves social interactions
between two or more people and the important ideas of group influence and the diffusion of
information.

An advertising message can have a variety of effects upon the receiver. It can

Ø Create awareness

Ø Communicate information about attributes and benefits

Ø Develop or change an image or personality

Ø Associate a brand with feelings and emotions

Ø Create group norms

Ø Precipitate behavior

Efficacy - Effectiveness of Advertising on International Markets

International Advertising as a Business Practice
International advertising can also be viewed as a business activity through which a firm attempts to
inform target audiences in multiple countries about itself and its product or service offerings. In some
cases the advertising message relates to the firm and its activities, i.e. its corporate image. In other
cases, the message relates to a specific product or service marketed by the firm. In either case, the
firm will use the services of an advertising agency to determine the appropriate message, advertising
copy and make the media placement.

Advertising has gone through five major stages of development: domestic, export, international,
multi-national, and global. For global advertisers, there are four, potentially competing, business
objectives that must be balanced when developing worldwide advertising: building a brand while
speaking with one voice, developing economies of scale in the creative process, maximising local
effectiveness of ads, and increasing the company’s speed of implementation. Born from the
evolutionary stages of global marketing are the three primary and fundamentally different
approaches to the development of global advertising executions: exporting executions, producing
local executions, and importing ideas that travel.

Advertising research is key to determining the success of an ad in any country or region. The ability
to identify which elements and/or moments of an ad that contributes to its success is how economies
of scale are maximised. Once one knows what works in an ad, that idea or ideas can be imported by
any other market. Market research measures, such as Flow of Attention, Flow of Emotion and
branding moments provide insight into what is working in an ad in any country or region because the
measures are based on the visual, not verbal, elements of the ad.
MEASURING ADVERTISING EFFECTIVENESS
Just as important as creating a strong marketing plan is following through on the results. How will
you know which ads are working if you don’t analyze the results? Check the effectiveness of your
advertising programs regularly by using one or more of the following tests:

1. Run the same ad in two different publications with a different identifying mark on each. Ask
customers to clip the ad and bring it in for a discount or free sample. Or, if you’re running an ad that
asks customers to order by mail, put a code in your company address such as “Dept. SI.” By looking
at the marks on the clipped ads or the addresses on the mail-in orders, you’ll be able to tell which ad
pulled better.
2. Offer a product at slightly different prices in different magazines. This has the added benefit of
showing whether consumers will buy your product at a higher price.
3. Advertise an item in one ad only. Don’t have any signs or otherwise promote the item in your
store or business. Then count the calls, sales or special requests for that item. If you get calls, you’ll
know the ad is working.
4. Stop running an ad that you regularly run. See if dropping the ad affects sales.
5. Check sales results whenever you place an ad for the first time.
6. Checks like these will give you some idea how your advertising and marketing program is
working. Be aware, however, that you can’t expect immediate results from an ad. Especially with
small ads—the type most entrepreneurs are likely to be running—you need to give the reader a
“getting to know you” period during which he gets to feel comfortable with your business.

METHODOLOGY
The manager needs to engage in situation analysis with respect to the market conditions that are
operating at the time and to assess the consumer/market, competitive, facilitating agency, and social
legal, and global factors that will affect decision making and the development of the plan. It is vital
that the advertising plan be developed so as to mesh with and support the various components of
the marketing and communications mix such as personal selling, pricing, public relation, and
promotion. The advertising manager also needs to know the major areas of his or her planning and
decision-making responsibilities.

There are three areas of major importance:

Ø Objective And Target Selection,

Ø Message Strategy and Tactics,

Ø Media Strategy and Tactics.

Consumer and Market Analysis A situation analysis often begins by looking at the aggregate market
for the product, service, or cause being advertised: the size of the market, its growth rate,
seasonality, geographical distribution; the possible existence of different segments; and trends in all
of these aggregate market characteristics. Competitive Analysis Advertising planning and decision-
making are heavily affected by competition and the competitive situation the advertiser faces.
Competition is such a pervasive factor that it will occur as a consideration in all phases of the
advertising planning and decision-making process. A type of market structure analysis that involves
the development of perceptual maps of a market, for example, attempts to locate the relative
perceptual positions of competitive brands.
Situation analysis should usually include an analysis of what current share the brand now has, what
shares its competitors have, trends in these shares, reasons for these trends, what share of a
market is possible for the brand, and from which competitors an increase in share will come. The
planner also has to be aware of the relative strengths and weaknesses financial, production, and
marketing of the different competing companies, and the history of competitive moves and objectives
in the product category.
 The Marketing Plan Advertising planning and decision making take place in the context of an
overall marketing plan. The marketing plan includes planning, implementation, and control functions
for the total corporation or a particular decision-making unit or product line. The marketing plan will
include a statement of marketing objectives and will spell out particular strategies and tactics to
reach those objectives. The marketing objectives should identify the segments to be served by the
organization and how it is going to serve them. The needs and wants of consumers on which the
firm will concentrate, such as the needs of working men and women for easily prepared meals, are
identified and analyzed in a marketing plan.
There are several marketing tools that can be used to help an organization achieve its marketing
objectives. Most people are familiar with the “4 Ps” the marketing mix which includes product, price,
place, and promotion. A marketing plan formulates the strategy and tactics for each of these.

Message Strategy and Tactics

The actual development of an advertising campaign involves several distinct steps. First, the
advertising manager must decide what the advertising is meant to communicate by way of benefits,
feeling, brand personality, or action content. Once the content of the campaign has been decided,
decisions must be made on the best and most effective ways to communicate that content.

Media Strategy
Although there are many rules of thumb often used to decide how much money to spend on
advertising, the soundest rules involve beginning with a detailed specification of what a corporation
is attempting to accomplish with advertising, and the resources necessary. It is only when the job to
be done is well specified that the amount and nature of the effort the amount of money to be
invested in advertising can be really determined.

STANDARDISATION VIS A VIS LOCALISATION

Adaptation as a general tendency of the cross-national advertising literature
The feasibility of ad standardization depends on variables related to the economic,

technological, legal, social, and cultural environment. Within a homogeneous environment

advertising standardization is recommendable. If, on the contrary, environmental variables across
markets are heterogeneous, customized advertising should be favored. Reviews of cross-national
advertising studies, either regional or global generally conclude in favour of adaptation. Standardized
advertising is hindered if the use of certain media or execution elements is restricted, for instance in
countries such as Malaysia which prohibits the use of foreign models in advertising. In a similar way,
a heterogeneous economic environment across countries makes advertising standardization more
difficult. Advertising execution has to take into account the education, literacy, and income levels of
target groups. The competitive environments as well as the actual life cycle stage of a product are
further factors in favor of adaptation. The cultural environment is seen as the highest barrier against
standardized advertising. Differing needs, traditions, consumption habits, religion etc. make the use
of an identical advertising approach across markets difficult.
On average, the cross-national advertising literature leans towards adaptation rather

than standardization of advertising worldwide.

Change over time

Many studies point to the persistent need of ad adaptation . For instance, an analysis of U.S.
companies operating in Europe showed that, between 1963 and 1983, advertising was more
resistant to standardization than product or brand policies . However, there are many arguments in
favour of a trend towards advertising standardization, especially due to strong globalization over the
last 20 years. A number of developing countries have been accessing the status of advertising
intensive countries. China and India are a case in point for a dramatic change in the place of
advertising in the overall business and consumer scene. Authors coming from the corporate world,
either advertisers or agencies, have consistently argued in favour of ad standardization and the
possibility of putting up a global message with localized communication . Furthermore, rapidly
changing communication technologies (Internet ads, satellite TV) influence global advertising: media
overlaps push companies to more standardized advertising approach.

: Advertising standardization is increasing over time due the globalization trend.

Adaptation to local contexts still needed
Religion act as filters of advertising messages, transforming factual information into culturally
interpreted meaning.

: Culture and local customs are positively related to adaptation recommendation

Advertising strategy versus advertising execution
Advertising content consists of two major elements: strategy and execution. Although there is
obviously some overlap between both categories, advertising strategy comprises 'what is said' and
execution concerns more 'how it is said'. Degree of adaptation should increase over a continuum of
four levels: mission (long term, identity and vision of the communicator), proposition (campaign
themes), creative concepts (how themes are translated in the language and cultures of the target
groups) and execution. While mission and proposition can rather easily be globalized, execution will
need much local tailoring.
: Advertising strategy is more standardization prone than ad execution.
Influence of product category on the degree of standardization Of international advertising
Product type may have an influence on advertising standardization. Products satisfying

fairly universal needs whose ad messages mostly carry rather context-free information cues are
easier to standardize. Ads for certain product categories may be easier to standardize because they
correspond to global (airlines, tobacco, banks,) rather than multidomestic industries (food, motor
insurance,).
: The level of advertising standardization is contingent on product category
i’m lovin’ it”: An International Motto
For example, McDonald’s launched a new – and for the first time, global – marketing strategy in
Germany at the beginning of September. The campaign focuses around the motto, “i’m lovin’ it” and
it is part of a new and broader marketing approach that McDonald’s calls Rolling Energy. The
company says this approach will revitalize the brand in the entire world, unify its messages and
integrate all its marketing moves.

“McDonald’s realized that it can save money. To create a campaign of this sort, which is not
individualized for each country and each market and which is going to use the same slogan,
presumes a terrific cost savings that could have an impact on [McDonald’s] accounting results.”

Despite the benefits that this campaign offers, “it contains the risk of not being able to adjust to the
peculiarities of each individual market” . “The value shared by the youths in different countries
makes it possible today more than ever to create global campaigns with a same message”.

In fact, the strategy of unifying a campaign behind the same message for the brand is nothing new.
Nike, with its “Just Do It” slogan had already done that, and enjoyed very good results. When Nike
launched its campaign, “in some countries they had to change the fundamental image of the
advertising because of cultural questions. That’s the most that can happen to McDonald’s in its
global campaign.”

Axe Chocolate-man Ad Banned

Axe ad is a classic example of standardization vs localization debate. Keeping in line with its
crackdown on suggestive advertisements being televised.The Indian government has taken strong
objection to the AXE chocolate deodorant ad .Ministry of information and broadcasting has regarded
the ad as indecent ,vulgar and repulsive. It clearly reflects the importance of understanding cultural
sensitivity in advertising.

Facilitating Agencies

Another external factor involves the agencies that facilitate advertising and provide the means to
advertise. From a situation analysis viewpoint, the advertiser basically needs to know what kind of
facilitating agencies exist and the nature of the services they can provide. From a planning
viewpoint, much local advertising, for example, is done without the services of an advertising agency
or a research supplier. A national advertiser, on the other hand, may have under contract many
different agencies and research suppliers, each serving one or more brands in a product line made
up of several products.

Many advertising decisions involve choices among facilitating agency alternatives. What advertising
agency should be chosen? What media should be used? What copy-testing supplier will be best for
our particular situation? Concerning the question for agency selection, for example, Cagley and
Roberts found that the people factor” tends to dominate in agency selection. Characteristics such as
the quality of personnel, reputation, integrity, mutual understanding, interpersonal compatibility, and
synergism were very important.

Fact file
Ø The majority of large advertising agencies are headquartered in the US. Of the ten largest
advertising agency groups, seven are headquartered in the US, and one each in the UK, France and
Japan, although WPP, the British agency holding company, is made up of two large US-based
agencies.

Ø With the exception of Dentsu, the Japanese agency, most other agency networks generate the
majority of their revenues outside their home country.

Ø The largest agency group, Omnicom, places over $37 billion of advertising for its clients around
the world and derives half its revenue from outside the US.

Ø US-based advertising agencies and their subsidiaries are responsible for most of the
advertising throughout the world.

China is the next largest advertising market and is also growing rapidly

INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING AS A SOCIAL FORCE

In the view of the advertiser the primary objective of advertising is to sell products or services. In
achieving this primary goal, there are often profound secondary consequences. Advertising exerts a
formative influence whose character is both persuasive and pervasive. Through the selective
reinforcement of certain social roles, language and values, it acts as an important force fashioning
the cognitions and attitudes that underlie behavior not only in the market place, but also in all
aspects of life. In an international setting, advertising has an important social influence in a number
of ways. First, much international advertising is designed to promote and introduce new products
from one society into another. Often this results in radical change in life-styles, behavior patterns of a
society, stimulating for example the adoption of fast food, casual attire or hygiene and beauty
products. International advertising also encourages desire for products from other countries, it
creates expectations about "the good life", and establishes new models of consumption. Advertising
is thus a potent force for change, while selectively reinforcing certain values, life-styles and role
models.

Often the symbols, ideals and mores that international advertising portrays and promotes are those
of Western society and culture. Through the reach of advertising, brands such as Levi's, Nike,
Marlboro and McDonalds are known by and have become objects of desire for teens and young
adults throughout the world. Similarly, images and scenes depicted in much international advertising
are either Western in origin or reflect Western consumption behavior and values. Even where
adapted to local scenarios and role models, those shown often come from sectors of society, such
as the upwardly mobile urban middle class, which embrace or are receptive to Western values and
mores.

Consequently, a criticism frequently leveled at international advertising is that it promulgates

Western values and mores, notably from the US, in other countries. This is viewed particularly
negatively in societies with strong religious or moral values, which run counter to those of the West
as, for example, Islamic societies in the Middle East. When Western advertising depicts sexually
explicit situations or shows women in situations considered as inappropriate or immoral, it is likely to
be considered a subversive force undermining established cultural mores and values. Equally, in
some countries such as France, there is a strong negative reaction to the imposition of US culture,
values and use of English in advertising. Promotion of tobacco products by US and UK companies in
countries where there is no legislation regulating or banning cigarette advertising has also been
criticized.

At the same time, international advertising also acts as an integrating force across national
boundaries. It disseminates messages using universal symbols and slogans, and establishes a
common mode of communication among target audiences in different parts of the world. At the same
time, multicultural values are reinforced by advertisers, who adopt images incorporating peoples of
different nations and diverse cultural backgrounds, as, for example, the Colors of Benneton
campaign or the British Airways "Peoples of the World" campaign. The impact of such campaigns is
further reinforced by the growth of global media such as Star TV, CNN, MTV or print media that
target global audiences worldwide. Consequently, while, on the one hand, international advertising
can be viewed as a colonizing force propagating Western values and mores throughout the world, it
is also an important force integrating societies and establishing common bonds, universal symbols
and models of communication among peoples in different parts of the globe.

CONCLUSION
Thus we see advertising has multiple layers to it. A lot more than what actually meets the
consumer’s eye goes into creating a successful advertisement or an advertisement campaign. In
today’s era of consumerism the need for advertisements to break the clutter and stand out becomes
absolutely imperative. Advertising has multiple media at its disposal with each having its respective
strengths and limitations. For instance radio still has a reach to rural India like no other medium can.
Also it overcomes the barrier of illiteracy in a developing country like India. On the other hand
mailers pop ups are an excellent way to remain visible to the urban techno- savvy Internet using
consumers. Depending on the target audience the medium best suited should be exploited to the
hilt.

Digital media advertising (internet, mobile and digital signage) is expected to emerge as the medium
of choice for advertisers. Of the available media, it was the fastest growing segment in 2008. Its
better return on investment and the comparative ease with which its efficacy can be measured will
ensure that the trend continues, say analysts. Rising interest in social networking in 2008 has made
brands think seriously about online advertising. According to a Ficci-PwC report, it is expected to
touch Rs 1,100 crore in 2011 from the current Rs 300 crore.

In terms of marketing it is a very potent tool to create awareness and lure the consumer to buy the
product. But one must not underestimate the discerning capacity of the buyers. Advertisements must
achieve the difficult task of creating the world of possibility at the same time living up to what they
promise to the consumer. Else, it may backfire. The common traps in marketing are promising
something and then not delivering it. Therefore, along with your marketing strategy, it’s also
important to service other not so obvious touch- points so as to provide a consistent 360-degree
brand experience to your consumers.

International advertising is a creative and cultural challenge. Before conveying any message one
must have a fair idea about the sensitivities that are specific to every culture. For instance, different
cultures have different flavours of humour. An Indian advertisement cannot humour the elders as it
would offend the cultural beliefs that the country represents. A good positive example of this would
be “ ” which captures the spirit how money has different cultural connotations to it in India.

Clients increasingly working in global matrix structures expect their service providers to mirror those
structures. With the market maturing, international expertise has become imperative at the local
level. Globalisation, too, has opened up opportunities for Indian professionals.

An advertisement campaign is a big challenge. The critical part of making an advertising campaign is
determining acampaign theme, as it sets the tone for the individual advertisements and other forms
of marketing communications that will be used. The campaign theme is the central message that will
be communicated in the promotional activities. The campaign themes are usually developed with the
intention of being used for a substantial period but many of them are short lived due to factors such
as being ineffective or market conditions and/or competition in the marketplace and marketing mix.
The Vodafone campaign is yet another classic example of the same.
Getting celebrities who have attained iconic status is a popular way to endorse a brand. But what
makes it break the clutter is the fact how one creatively leverages the presence of a celebrity. This is
exactly where Amir Khan with his Coca Cola campaign achieved wonders. His each character
catered to different cultural ethnicities that India comprises of.

Celebrities are seen to covertly endorse brands as well. For example, one observes product
placement for Omega Watches, Ford, VAIO, BMW and Aston Martin cars are featured in recent
James Bond films, most notably Casino Royale.
It is seen that after United States, China is the next largest market in terms of advertisement. But
India too is not far behind as some its advertisements have got noticed in the international
community.
Advertisement is therefore, has elements of both an art as well as science. The art comes in the
creativity and visualization. While the other bit is taken care of in terms of consumer behaviour
comprehension in marketing. A good example of this would be Virgin Mobile, a brand targeted at the
youth, the learning was that Indian youth are not out and out rebellious, but work around problems to
get their way. Or, as one teenager put it, their mantra is “jugaad”. This was expressed evocatively as
“inventive thinking that breaks the firewall of sanctions”.

A final word of caution by David Ogilvy a Scottish born British military intelligence officer and later top
advertising executive “Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your family to read.
You wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine.”