Influence of Indian Culture on Blackberry Advertising Essay Example
Influence of Indian Culture on Blackberry Advertising Essay Example

Influence of Indian Culture on Blackberry Advertising Essay Example

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  • Pages: 7 (1719 words)
  • Published: November 17, 2017
  • Type: Case Study
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Mobile phone usage has experienced a significant surge within Indian communities over the last decade.

The current surge in cell phone usage in India has opened up numerous avenues for local entrepreneurs to disseminate messages related to development communication. However, there is apprehension about the effects of cell phone advertising, particularly blackberry advertising, on traditional cultural values. This paper aims to explore Indian cell phone advertising, with a specific focus on the role of culture in shaping it. An overview of Indian culture is presented, followed by an analysis of how cultural differences influence advertising. The findings reveal that various aspects of culture have an impact on cell phone advertising and ultimately determine customer behavior.

India, with a population of nearly 1 billion people, is the second most populous country globally. While there is no single Indian culture, the populace remains united th

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rough significant cultural traditions. The country's unique cultural diversity is a defining characteristic, and their customs and interactions with each other are integral components of Indian culture.

Although modern lifestyles and advancements have been embraced, basic beliefs and values persist. Even with alterations in attire, eating habits, and daily schedules, cultural values continue to be deeply ingrained in people's hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.

The language used in advertising can present a linguistic obstacle. It is advisable to become skilled in the language or obtain aid from a fluent speaker. India is an expansive nation with diverse cultures and geography where numerous languages are spoken.

India boasts a wide variety of spoken languages, some nationally recognized and others considered regional dialects. The impact of foreign domination has influenced Indian languages, leading to English becoming prevalent as the official

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language because of its association with British sovereignty.

The Indian Constitution's eighth schedule acknowledges 22 languages as part of significant language families, such as Aryan and Dravidian languages. These tongues have had influence on each other and also been influenced by the Austeric and Sino-Tibetan languages. Nevertheless, the constitution has established Hindi as the official Union language.

Around 20% of people living in the 'Hindi-belt' or 'cow-belt' in northern India, which includes Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand / Uttaranchal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Rajasthan speak Hindi as their first language. Hindi is also used as the official language in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Although having Indo-Aryan roots like other dialects spoken in the north, there is a noticeable linguistic difference in southern India.

The Languages of India, including Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri and Gujarati among numerous others, are distinct from both the Dravidian languages as well as the Indic or Indo-Aryan languages. In Assam, almost 60% of the population speaks Assamese while Bengali is an official language in West Bengal and widely spoken by around 200 million people across West Bengal and Bangladesh. Additionally, Gujarati serves as an official language of Gujarat and is used by almost half of its inhabitants. Furthermore, although Hindi has many variations based on accent and dialect that differ regionally throughout India, it remains generally understandable to most Indians due to its official status within the country.

The Devanagiri script is used in various languages, including Kannada, which is spoken by 65% of the population in Karnataka, a Dravidian language. Kashmiri, on the other hand, is only spoken by 55% of people in Kashmir and can be confused as the state language. Konkani is spoken

in Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra while Maithili is another language used in Bihar. Lastly, Malayalam has been added to the Dravidian family and serves as Kerala's official language.

India has a variety of languages spoken across its states. Manipuri/Meitei is spoken in Manipur, Marathi is an official language in Maharashtra with complete modern literature, Nepali is spoken in Sikkim and West Bengal, Oriya belongs to the Indo-Aryan family and is the official language of Orissa state, while Punjabi holds official status in Punjab.

Angad, a Sikh Guru, is credited with creating the Gurmukhi script, which may be the oldest recorded language in the world and an ancient Indian language. Despite being the language in which all ancient scripts were written, Sanskrit has lost its significance in modern times.

The regions of India have a variety of languages spoken by different tribes and groups. Santhali and Santhal are native languages spoken in Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Orissa. In the Northwest frontier of the Indian sub-continent, Sindhi is widely used across parts of India and Pakistan.

Tamil Nadu recognizes Tamil as its state language with a literary heritage dating back centuries before Christianity. Belonging to the Dravidian language family, it has over 73 million speakers.

Andhra Pradesh has Telugu as the largest linguistic group based on population size in India.

Urdu is the state language of Jammu and Kashmir in India with a speaker population of over 28 million. It shares the same origin as Hindi but uses Persio-Arabic script, along with many Persian words. Additionally, "Hinglish" advertising has become popular in major Indian cities - an entertaining blend of Hindi and English that effectively promotes goods and services while incorporating Western culture.

'Glocalisation'

of advertising in India is influenced by the Hindi and English languages, with Hinglish being a popular choice. The use of Hinglish can have a positive impact by increasing focus due to the abundance of daily information. Advertisements for cell phones need to be localized to the market and people, which requires finding appropriate verbal communication for our advertising project in India.

The use of Hinglish is a popular way for local people to express their desire for and need of cell phones, including the Blackberry Bold (our product). Nonverbal communication is an important aspect of human interaction, accounting for about 70% of communication within a single culture. Sign systems represent shared meanings or understanding in communication. Advertising is a concern for its impact on society's values and lifestyles, with its overwhelming presence in mass media suggesting it plays a major role in influencing and transmitting social values alongside other cultural factors.

The media and advertisers should be cognizant of the nuances of words and symbols utilized in their messages, as well as comprehend the translation of advertising copy and slogans. Moreover, connotative meaning associated with signs and symbols used in messages can pose challenges for advertisers. Nevertheless, smaller subgroups or segments within a culture have distinct variables that distinguish them from the larger cultural mainstream. Nonverbal communication incorporates gestures, symbols, colors, time symbolism, and polycbronic time, all of which exert an impact on advertising.

To increase the chances of success, marketers should consider cultural values when creating advertisements for a specific target market. For instance, when advertising Blackberry Bold, a cell phone with exceptional features and a new style, symbols and colors that appeal to Indians

can be used to make a stronger impression and stimulate sales. Market segmentation and positioning are important factors in deciding which nonverbal communications, colors, and symbols will be used to avoid negative or ambiguous gestures and symbols.

Milton Rokeach's classic definition of a value states that it is an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is personally and socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence. For example, the instrumental value of "loving" denotes being affectionate and tender. This perception of affection may vary from one culture to another and can influence promotional efforts. Research In Motion Ltd (RIM) intends to introduce an enhanced upscale version of the Blackberry mobile phone, which is aimed at niche consumers in the business segment. Nevertheless, the company aims to attract the attention of other retail consumers with this trendy Blackberry device.

Introducing the BlackBerry Bold - the first BlackBerry device with HSDPA support for high-speed cellular networks. Equipped with GPS, Wi-Fi, and multimedia features, this smartphone sets the bar for business mobility in India. The BlackBerry Bold is crafted with premium materials and supports tri-band HSDPA networks worldwide, delivering superior performance for power users and business professionals. In essence, values represent contrasting tendencies towards certain states of affairs such as good versus evil or beauty versus ugliness.

According to Indian businesspeople, the significance of the new Blackberry Bold lies in its attitude and abstract appeal rather than its physical features, as it reflects their values. To market these phones successfully in India, appropriate colors and images should be selected that symbolize achievement and cultural principles. Religion

holds a crucial position in Indian society and impacts every aspect of life within the nation.

Hinduism is the religion of choice for approximately 80% of India's population, while Islam and Sikhism or Christianity are practiced by around 10% and 5%, respectively. The remaining populace, which comprises about 45 million individuals, follows a multitude of other religions including Buddhism, Jainism, Bahai, among others. To develop successful advertising strategies in India, it's essential to concentrate on pertinent aspects of its religious culture such as customary practices, people's conduct and festivities. Acknowledging these factors can result in more productive ad campaigns.

The interaction between people and products or services defines customer behavior. This behavior is shaped by cultural elements such as verbal language, nonverbal communication, signs and symbols, needs and values, religion, and customs. These factors determine various aspects of consumption like what products are consumed, when they are consumed, how they are consumed, who consumes them and how much is used. The thought process individuals use while selecting between brands or products is known as consumer psychology. Environmental factors also have an impact on consumer behavior.

A number of factors including culture, family, signs, and media have an impact on consumer behavior. Marketing decisions and outcomes can be influenced by limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities. Motivation and decision strategies are determined by the degree of interest or importance attributed to a product by a consumer. In order to effectively reach consumers, marketers must tailor their campaigns accordingly.

The BlackBerry Bold has been launched for GSM customers in India through a collaboration between RIM and Reliance Communications. Co-CEO of RIM, Jim Balsillie expressed satisfaction with the initiative that

brings benefits of BlackBerry to both CDMA and GSM users in India.

The advanced communication and multimedia features of the BlackBerry Bold smartphone, along with its global connectivity capabilities, provide users with a truly freeing mobile experience. This is why we feel that customers in India will greatly appreciate this new device.

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