Signals of global advertising appeals in emerging markets

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate advertising appeals and cultural values in television advertisements from newly emerging markets. Specifically, the paper hypothesizes that the advertising appeals in the advertisements of sub-Saharan African (SSA) emerging consumer markets (ECMs) with higher level of economic development (South Africa) will reflect more hedonic appeals than the ones from SSA ECMs with a lower level of economic development (Ghana). The paper also developes hypotheses in relations to Munene, Schwartz, and Smith's cultural value framework in SSA. Design/methodology/approach -The research approach used in this paper, entails a combination of qualitative and empirical content analysis of 505 unduplicated advertisements from Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa. Content analysis technique is appropriate if the paper is focused on testing how environmental trends (e.g. cultural values, economic situations, etc.) impact the content of sampled advertisements from different regions of the world (Holbrook, 1977). Findings -The paper reveals some global advertising appeals. The findings from the paper also suggest that the advertisements from SSA are homogenous in terms of the use of the cultural values underlying the conservatism dimension and heterogeneous with respect to the use of the cultural values underlying the hierarchy dimension. Practical implications -The paper uncovers important dimensions that can be employed in implementing standardized and localized advertising programs in SSA. Originality/value -The paper identifies novel categories of cultural values (e.g. hospitality) in the television commercials from SSA.

Positioning strategies and congruence in the positioning of high‐end indigenous and foreign retailers in sub‐Saharan Africa: An illustration from Ghana

“…Based on the results presented in this study, some managerial implications are put forward. Managers may proactively pursue the following two sets of tactics on the basis of the findings: (a) attitude change, in which managers may direct efforts aimed at altering or repositioning consumer beliefs about or perceptions of retailer offerings by using the strategies put forward in this research in day‐to‐day and long‐term marketing practices (Oyedele et al, ); and/or (b) brand change, in which managers may symbolically or actually modify the offerings' attributes to reflect the positioning strategies identified in this study.…”

“…The interviews and observations confirm that only FR2 employs advertising in print and digital media, and, as such, the firm achieves 100% congruence in positioning. A challenging market environment calls for managers to be proactive and to emphasize positioning strategies that they intend to follow in marketing communications while ensuring that those efforts are consistent with perceptions of target markets (Oyedele, Minor, & Ghanem, ). In support, Burton and Easingwood () claim that a firm's communication of its positioning strategy projects an image, communicated category, or emotional selling proposition.…”

“…Managers may employ these tactics in marketing communications (e.g., advertising) that reflect, in one way or another, the contemporary local cultural values, location, situation, casting, lighting, style, photographs, endorsers, and tone used in each commercial or other type of promotion (Oyedele et al, ). This study has, to a degree, responded to Coffie and Owusu‐Frimpong's () and Coffie's () call for future research directed at increasing positioning research and generalizability through continued testing and validation using different sample groups, contexts, and, more specifically, emerging sub‐Saharan African economies.…”

“…However, the goal of this study was specifically aimed at studying positioning strategies and congruence in typical and specific firm contexts (i.e., using a case study approach) (see also Diwan, ) and testing the applicability of a Western‐developed typology of positioning strategies, which has been overlooked in positioning research in sub‐Saharan Africa, and Ghana in particular. Continued refinement, replication, and validation of this study is important (Diwan, ; Peterson & Merunka, ) and could include a comparison of retailers from several developing economies, as in the case of Oyedele et al () investigation of advertising appeals and cultural values of emerging consumer markets in South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana.…”

Consumers’ Message Orientation in Television Advertising and Branding: a Study on Indian Consumers

“…Later, Albers-Miller and Gelb (1996) have used Pollay's guidelines to understand the relationship between cultural values and advertising values in the cross-cultural context. Subsequent research reveals that global 'advertisement appeals' in emerging markets are homogenous in nature (Oyedele et al 2009). This confirms that 'advertisement appeals' as a variable is very culture-specific and consumers have shown positive response to advertisements that are congruent with their culture (Srivastava 2010).…”