Adaptation of Advertisement Campaigns to Foreign Markets. A Content Analysis

Abstract

The present paper examines whether multinational companies adapt their global advertising campaigns to the country of destination or standardise their communication strategy. The contingency hypothesis is widely accepted as an appropriate solution for the standardisation/adaptation debate. However, little research has been conducted to reveal which contingency variables are actually considered by multinational companies to define the appropriate degree of adap- tation. We assume that the decision whether to convince by information or emo- tions depends upon the economic condition of the country of destination. The frequency of specific design elements is supposed to be influenced by the cul- tural profile of the target country. A content analysis of German and Russian print advertisements supports our assumptions to a large extent. Nevertheless, we found that German car manufacturers address the high Power Distance In- dex (PDI) of the Russian Federation insufficiently.