Developing Foreign Developing Foreign Advertising in FranceAdvertising in France

Abbey Moore & Nataliya Abbey Moore & Nataliya ZhuravlevaZhuravleva

IntroductionIntroduction

Penetrating a foreign market, you have Penetrating a foreign market, you have to know the country’s to know the country’s beliefs, beliefs, customscustoms, and , and traditionstraditions is incredibly is incredibly important. important.

Advertising programs must be altered Advertising programs must be altered all the time in order to suit each country all the time in order to suit each country due to the rapidly changing culturesdue to the rapidly changing cultures

Cultural & Social Forces Cultural & Social Forces Affecting Buyers BehaviorAffecting Buyers Behavior

Cultural distinctions are one of the most Cultural distinctions are one of the most noticeable differences across countries. noticeable differences across countries.

Due to cultural distinctions, marketing a Due to cultural distinctions, marketing a product internationally the advertising product internationally the advertising campaign must be altered to overcome the campaign must be altered to overcome the language barrier.language barrier.

Non-verbal communication may have different Non-verbal communication may have different meanings in the United States and France, meanings in the United States and France, must also be taken into account when must also be taken into account when developing an international campaign.developing an international campaign.

Example - ChanelExample - Chanel

The Chanel campaign for Chanel # 5 The Chanel campaign for Chanel # 5 perfume attempted to use universal perfume attempted to use universal advertising, packaging, and naming, yet advertising, packaging, and naming, yet soon discovered that the original French soon discovered that the original French advertisement was advertisement was unsuccessfulunsuccessful in the US in the US due to due to differences in culturedifferences in culture – the French – the French concept of ‘concept of ‘prestigeprestige’ is not the same as in ’ is not the same as in the US. the US.

Example 2 – Kellogg’sExample 2 – Kellogg’s

The slow growth for The slow growth for corn flakes was corn flakes was related to two aspects related to two aspects of French culinary of French culinary habits. habits. First, the French did not First, the French did not

eat corn because 80% eat corn because 80% of the corn harvested in of the corn harvested in France was fed to pigs France was fed to pigs and chickens. and chickens.

Second, of the people Second, of the people who ate cereal for who ate cereal for breakfast in France, breakfast in France, 40% poured on warm 40% poured on warm milk, which damaged milk, which damaged the crunchiness and the crunchiness and taste of corn flakes.taste of corn flakes.

To overcome these To overcome these cultural differences, cultural differences, Kellogg's printed Kellogg's printed instructions on the instructions on the back of the cereal back of the cereal boxes to show people boxes to show people the intended way of the intended way of eating the cereal, and eating the cereal, and introduced “Tony le introduced “Tony le Tigre” in its French Tigre” in its French media campaign. media campaign.

As a result of these As a result of these campaign changes – campaign changes – the consumption of the consumption of Corn Flakes in Corn Flakes in France increased. France increased.

Tactics to make Tactics to make International Advertising International Advertising

Campaigns EffectiveCampaigns Effective

When French firms launch international When French firms launch international advertising campaigns in the food and advertising campaigns in the food and beverage sector, they should adhere to the beverage sector, they should adhere to the following guidelines:following guidelines:

GuidelinesGuidelines

Positioning of the product should be more Positioning of the product should be more emotional emotional than informative. than informative.

emphasizes the "emphasizes the "goodnessgoodness" of the " of the product product

HumorHumor should be used with consideration should be used with consideration MusicMusic should be a should be a major factormajor factor in the in the

commercial because of its ability to commercial because of its ability to convey emotions and reinforce convey emotions and reinforce atmospheres.atmospheres.

Sex Appeal in Sex Appeal in AdvertisingAdvertising

French advertisers use French advertisers use sex appeal in sex appeal in advertising more than advertising more than American advertisers. American advertisers.

24 % of the French24 % of the French advertisements used advertisements used sex appeal compared sex appeal compared to only to only 8.6 % of the 8.6 % of the AmericanAmerican advertisements.advertisements.

Why do French use More Why do French use More Sex Appeal?Sex Appeal?

The sexual material in The sexual material in French advertisements acts French advertisements acts as an attention lure and as an attention lure and product recall (especially product recall (especially for perfume for perfume advertisements)advertisements)

Therefore, when marketing Therefore, when marketing in France, companies in France, companies should take the use of should take the use of sex sex appeal in advertising appeal in advertising into considerationinto consideration, as , as this strategy has been this strategy has been effectiveeffective in the French in the French market.market.

French Advertising LawsFrench Advertising Laws

Tobacco and alcohol Tobacco and alcohol cannot be advertisedcannot be advertised

Children are not Children are not allowed to endorse allowed to endorse productsproducts

French can only be French can only be used on television, used on television, radio and other work radio and other work placesplaces

Makes Advertising Makes Advertising expensive for foreign expensive for foreign companiescompanies

Issues affecting Advertising Issues affecting Advertising in the Film Industryin the Film Industry

Films cannot be advertised Films cannot be advertised on TV on TV

Billboards can be usedBillboards can be used

For Example:For Example:

The The AmericanAmerican poster for poster for Frankenstein was a Frankenstein was a greenish, sinister image greenish, sinister image that evoked a morgue.that evoked a morgue.

In In FranceFrance, advertisers , advertisers chose violent colors and chose violent colors and lightening bolts to combine lightening bolts to combine the idea of electricity with the idea of electricity with destruction, and included a destruction, and included a reference to the author of reference to the author of the novel, Mary Shelley, the novel, Mary Shelley, well-known to French well-known to French audiences.audiences.

ConclusionConclusion In order to achieve a successful advertising In order to achieve a successful advertising

campaign and effectively reach a global target campaign and effectively reach a global target market, it is the responsibility the advertising market, it is the responsibility the advertising company to:company to:

analyze competition of other products/brands in the analyze competition of other products/brands in the market, market,

assess cultural differencesassess cultural differences

examine economic trends and communications programs examine economic trends and communications programs

research other cultures research other cultures

train employees on how to deal with partners in foreign train employees on how to deal with partners in foreign countries. countries.

Thank YouThank You