11 11 MEDIA,TRENDS & CONSUMERS

PUBLISHED BY THE CULTURE ISSUE

UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE OF CULTURE

REVEALED SOLVED CRACKED EXPLAINED Why culture tops China’s luxury The cultural codes How to connect with geography puzzle of Latin America tech-savvy migrants Words: Stephen Allan, Worldwide Chairman & CEO, MediaCom INTRO

Understanding the science of culture BLINK CONTENTS This edition of BLINK concerns itself with culture. Not the superficial, no 11 2017 - The Culture Issue 06 Understanding the science of culture transient cultural trends that marketers often focus on, but the deep cultural 10 Why culture tops geography forces that define how societies and consumers think, feel and behave. MediaCom Global 124 Theobalds Road 14 Cracking the cultural codes of Latin America London These forces — or dimensions — are defined in Cultural Connections, WC1X 8RX 16 Q&A: Talking pictures: A chat with Unruly a new study we have commissioned in partnership with Itim UK 18 Culture Shock!#@! International’s Hofstede Centre. In this study, we have interviewed Tel: +44 (0)20 7158 5500 22 Understanding Canada’s tech-savvy migrants 60,000 consumers across 63 countries to understand why they 24 Listen and learn: Shazam and the culture of music sharing respond to specific brands and messages in different ways (p. 6). Email: [email protected] 26 When culture goes live Web: mediacom.com/blink These results have allowed us to build detailed profiles of consumer 28 Six brand lessons from the Kardashian Clan cultures and remap the world according to attitudes and behaviours Editor-in-Chief: 30 What does social location data reveal about regional culture? Ian Smith (p. 10). It’s a major shift away from our industry’s traditional binary [email protected] 34 How to solve China’s luxury puzzle ‘global versus local’ view, and the results may surprise you. 38 Why great global content doesn’t look the same everywhere Design & Layout: Propellant ApS, propellant.dk 40 100% Guaranteed: Why power claims work in Japan In this issue, we explore a few of these findings in detail, and reveal 42 What Indonesia teaches us about Islamic Marketing insights that will help brands connect with more consumers in more Cover: markets. This includes in Latin America, which is more culturally diverse Lenike Sundström 46 How to launch successful products in Israel than many marketers think (p. 14), and Japan, where consumers Printed By: 48 M:Files: Making Head & Shoulders part of Passover prefer facts and figures to emotional messages (p. 40). Production Facilities ApS 50 A new approach to audience targeting

ISSN: 1903-5373 53 Image AI: How brands can benefit from neural networks Elsewhere in the magazine, we explain how tech advances are changing the way immigrants assimilate in Canada (a trend which is forcing The opinions expressed in the brands to take a more granular approach) (p. 22), and investigate articles are those of the authors. Minor textual contents may be why Chinese consumers love luxury brands so much (p. 34). republished as long as the original author and publication are cited. We also examine the cultural profile of Israel — a place where many global advertisers have struggled to achieve long- term success — and share universal learning points for brands looking to launch new products in new markets (p. 46).

I hope our opinions inspire you to think about how culture works in your country, and reflect on the underlying forces that influence your own attitudes and behaviours.

Regards, 06 Stephen Allan Understanding the science of culture To understand what makes people similar and different, you first need to understand the elements — or dimensions — of culture that influence identity. By Pinaki Dutt, Global Head of Applied Connected Intelligence, MediaCom

2 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 3 SELECTED CONTENT 34

How to solve China’s luxury puzzle Why are luxury brands so popular in China? Alex Zhang examines the cultural landscape of the world’s third-largest luxury market. By Alex Zhang, Strategist, MediaCom 22 Shanghai

14 Cracking the cultural codes of Latin America Although Latin American countries seem similar from afar, 100% guaranteed: Why power there are local cultural codes that claims work in Japan require brands to make changes In some markets, emotional messages market by market. 40 resonate with consumers. But By Matias Warlet, Head of consumers in Japan prefer facts. Mrinal Knowledge, Business Science, Six brand lessons from the Kardashian clan Sinha explains why. MediaCom Argentina & You might not like celebrity culture, but stars certainly know how to Mrinal Sinha, Director, Strategy and Carolina Vergel, LatAm Business connect with consumers. Here’s what you can learn from the most Planning, MediaCom Japan Development & Marketing famous celebs of the lot. Manager, MediaCom By Hannah Mirza, Global Head of Partnerships, MediaCom Understanding Canada’s tech-savvy migrants Technology is affecting the way migrants assimilate. Learn how brands in Canada are finding new ways to reach consumers caught between cultures. By Aarti Bhaskaran, Director, Research & Insights, MediaCom Canada

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How to launch successful products in Israel In Israel, many brands experience a product cycle that 10 moves from hyper-successful launch to complete 46 disappearance. Here’s how to buck this trend. By Gilad Kat, Communication, Planning Director, Reimagining planet Earth: Why culture tops geography MediaCom IsraelOfficer, MediaCom It’s easy to group countries by geography. But in marketing terms, this is often a mistake. Here’s how to remap the world by culture instead. By Matthew Mee, Global Chief Strategy Officer, MediaCom

4 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 5 Hofstede's Words: Pinaki Dutt, Global Head of Applied Cultural Dimensions Connected Intelligence, MediaCom FEATURES Over time, Hofstede’s study has grown and become more detailed. It now measures behaviours in 70 countries around the world, each scored on a 0-100 point scale for the following measures:

2. Individualism: The extent to which people think about themselves as 3. Masculinity: ‘Me or We’ Whether people focus on ‘achievement’ verses ‘quality of life’ (or whether they are 1. Power Distance Index: ‘tough’ or ‘tender’) The degree to which people Understanding the respect leaders and hierarchy science of culture 4. Uncertainty Avoidance: 6. Indulgence: How likely people are to avoid The extent to which people uncertainty and ambiguity To understand what makes one group of people similar or different indulge themselves (without 5. Long Term Orientation: caring what others think) How likely people are to to another, marketers first need to familiarise themselves with the or restrain themselves focus on short term results elements — or dimensions — of culture that influence identity. verses long term results

Culture is a complex beast. It is informed by a soci- a comprehensive analysis of the attitudes and Firstly, the original Hofstede study was conducted Creating a new framework ety’s customs and traditions. It is revealed through a behaviours of IBM employees around the world. in an institutionalised environment. People often for modern marketers society’s artistic and intellectual achievements. behave differently outside of work and are influenced Working with Itim International’s Hofstede And it is maintained by a series of behavioural His work subsequently identified a number of by different things. Centre, MediaCom has now added new insights codes passed down from generation to generation. key factors — or dimensions — that managers, to Geert Hofstede’s original study, updating HR teams and change consultants have long Secondly, consumer cultures change over time, the original dimensions framework to reveal the As marketers, it’s vital that we understand these used to explain the workplace challenges that impacted by information availability, changing cultural forces that influence the motivations and behavioural codes, because they determine what sometimes emerge when different cultures are borders and greater immigration. behaviours of consumers. consumers think, feel and do. But breaking asked to work together. behaviour down into data is no easy task. It’s not Thirdly, brands need greater granularity in order As part of this study — called Cultural Connections an exact science. These dimensions help explain why, for instance, to really understand consumer segments. — we have interviewed more than 60,000 consumers a Brit does not behave like an American (despite In every country, cultural behaviours change from in 63 markets around the world to understand why At least, it didn’t use to be. Fortunately, there are the shared language), or why a Belgian does not generation to generation, between ethnicities, and they think, feel and behave differently. now a number of tools that can help us quantify share the same opinions as his neighbour in within political ideologies. culture and understand why a marketing or media The Netherlands. We have quantified these responses using nine strategy that works in one market, won’t work in the What’s more, advances in technology have had consumer-specific (or consumer-modified) nation next door. The foundations of these tools can Applying Hofstede’s dimensions to marketing a massive impact on the spread of cultures. dimensions, as shown on the following pages. be found in the work of Dutch social psychologist When applied to marketing, Hofstede’s Cultural Whereas immigrants once had to assimilate to Geert Hofstede. Dimensions provide insights into the way their adopted homeland, nowadays they can stay people in different countries behave. But there in touch with home much easier. This has made A background to Cultural Dimensions are some limitations. countries more heterogeneous. Many have become Hofstede set the template for comparative melting pots of cultures — and this is changing the cultural studies in the 1970s, when he conducted consumer landscape.

6 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 7 We will continue to grow and evolve Cultural Connections to keep pace with changing cultures. This level of Consumer-centric Marketing cultural detail is essential information for cultural dimensions dimensions marketers looking to succeed in different countries and regions around the world. Five cultural dimensions reveal insights into the Four marketing-specific dimensions consider how consumers are national psyche that underpins consumer attitudes: likely to respond to certain types of brand messages and content: For the first time, they can use data to qualify which markets are culturally consistent (and therefore likely to react to brand messages in the same way). 1. Identity (Fixed or Flexible) measures the strength of a This kind of knowledge can make or nation’s self-image. Monumentalist or ‘Fixed’ societies have very break multi-market campaigns. clear identities rooted in tradition; they see no reason to change 6. Vanity (Secure or Insecure) measures how much or evolve. Examples include Venezuela and Colombia. ‘Flexible’ consumers are likely to buy certain products to feel good countries, however, are always looking to adapt and improve. Conversely, marketers can use this about themselves. A high score suggests insecurity; They might have traditional values, but they are interested in more scientific approach to spot people use products to reinforce a positive self-image. moving with the times. Examples include Japan and Taiwan. A low score suggests security; people already have a where countries differ, and where their positive self-image so this is not a motivator for buying campaigns will have to be modified — or a product. Russia and Hong Kong score high on vanity, media rules re-thought — to successfully while New Zealand and Peru score low. transfer between markets.

2. Individualism (Me or We) measures the extent to which people think about themselves as ‘Me or We’. Australia and As an example, brands looking to reach Canada, for example, are ‘Me’ cultures, where people think Muslims in Indonesia, for instance, can of themselves and their immediate family first and let the use Cultural Connections to understand state take care of the welfare of everybody else. Nigeria and why they should adopt a different Kenya are more collective; people here put the welfare of their 7. Impact (Concerned or Unconcerned) assesses how strategy to the one they used to target community or group first, rather than the specific wants or conscious consumers are of the impact their purchases Muslims in Turkey (p. 42). needs of individuals within it. have on themselves or others. Do they buy products just to serve their immediate needs or do they make more considered choices? While Indonesia and the Brands looking to launch in Israel, Philippines tend to focus on immediate needs, societies where it’s notoriously difficult to achieve like Belgium and France consider a range of factors sustained success, can finally work out (like health benefits). 3. Emotional state (Anchored or Anxious) determines what sets this market apart (p. 46). whether a culture is emotionally stable or more anxious. Countries that score highly (Anxious) tend to show their And brands keen to crack the burgeoning emotions easily. One example is Italy. Emotionally stable (Anchored) markets include Indonesia. They tend to be LATAM markets can use these cultural more relaxed and calm. insights to connect with consumers across the whole region (p. 14). 8. Information need (Informed or Impulsive) measures the extent to which consumers research products. Impulsive cultures, like the Philippines In fact, Cultural Connections can help and Vietnam, prefer to share opinions and act on brands understand consumer cultures all anecdotal recommendations. Informed cultures, over the world. And that’s the ultimate 4. Ambition (Content or Competitive) measures the like Norway and Sweden, prefer more qualified formula for success. degree to which people want to climb the social ladder. opinions. They like detail and want to know every People in highly ambitious societies, such as China and South thing about a product before buying. Korea, tend to put pressure on themselves and judge others Head to by their social and professional successes. The converse is true www.mediacom.com/culturalconnections in countries like the Chile and Egypt, where success is more to learn more about MediaCom’s Cultural about achieving quality of life on one’s own terms. Connections study and how it can help your business.

9. Badge appeal (Functional or Fashionable) measures the extent to which consumers are susceptible to the glamour or allure of — often high-end — products. Do they use designer labels as status symbols? Turkey and 5. Curiosity (Closed or Curious) assesses the degree to which Indonesia are big fans of luxury goods and score highly people follow a prescribed way of life or actively pursue new for ‘Badge appeal’. Consumers in Israel and Ukraine care experiences and ideas. Indonesia and Thailand, for instance, more about functional benefits. are typically more closed cultures, while Portugal is more curious.

8 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 9 GUATEMALA CZECH REPUBLIC

Words: Matthew Mee, Global Chief SPAIN Strategy Officer, MediaCom FEATURES ECUADOR NEW ZEALAND

BELGIUM

AUSTRIA DENMARK UK CANADA Reimagining planet Earth: HUNGARY

INDONESIA

NETHERLANDS COLOMBIA FIJI ISRAEL AUSTRALIA Why culture GHANA USA COSTA PAKISTAN RICA ITALY JAPAN tops geography SLOVAKIA

KUWAIT

Identifying ‘me’ and People in these countries think about Another interesting point: while the ‘we’ cultures themselves first, and the let the state take USA is stereotypically individualistic, care of everyone else. The size of the its Cultural Connections scores reveal Look at what the world looks like bubbles indicates how extreme these that, over the last 40 years, it has started according to the dimension of scores are. exhibiting slightly more collective scores. Individualism. This determines whether Interestingly, the United Kingdom’s This might be due to the increasing people think in terms of ‘me’ or ‘we’. bubble is much larger than most of its influence of Latin American cultures, neighbours in Europe. This suggests that which are typically more collective. Mapped this way, the USA, Canada, the while the UK might be geographically United Kingdom and Australia suddenly close to mainland Europe, culturally, it’s become neighbours. That’s because they very different. Most other countries in Source: MediaCom Cultural Connections are all ‘me’ cultures. Europe are more mildly collective. (selected results only)

It’s easy to group countries by geography. But in marketing terms, this is often a mistake. After all, people who live next door to each other don’t always have things in common. Instead, marketers should remap the world according to culture. INDONESIA Collective cousins

GUATEMALA FIJI As marketers, we often get blinded by Ok, so here’s a radical idea: tear up your 60,000 consumers in 63 markets to The countries in the outer ring are all ‘we’ cultures. geography. We’re used to talking about atlas. Forget about geography, forget uncover the nine factors (or dimensions) People in these countries put community first. This cluster ‘developing markets’ and ‘developed about regions, and forget everything you that shape consumer behaviours around ECUADOR reveals a few surprises. markets’,east and west, and regions like think you know about the world. Because the world. KUWAIT EMEA, APAC and LATAM. when it comes to marketing, it’s not COLOMBIA TAIWAN For example, people in Guatemala, which has a highly GHANA very helpful. Instead, it’s time to start Using data from the study, we can hierarchical structure, are actually very collective. But there’s a problem with that. Because remapping the world by culture. remap the world according to how grouping countries by location means we consumers think, feel and behave. And In this instance, they are similar to Costa Rica — a often lump markets together that have MediaCom’s Cultural Connections that makes the world look very different. COSTA RICA geographical neighbour, but a country with a more PAKISTAN nothing in common culturally. study (p. 6) helps us do that. Launched This is essential knowledge for marketers obviously egalitarian structure. Take the countries in APAC, for instance; in partnership with Itim International's looking to transplant a product or is Australia really similar to Japan? Hofstede Centre we have interviewed campaign from one market to another.

10 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 11 Risk takers UK

REPUBLIC When it comes to product launches, brands might find it easier to OF IRELAND DENMARK succeed in countries in the outer ring. Consumers in these countries UK CANADA don’t shy away from risks, and are more likely to accept new products MALAYSIA NORWAY and ideas. SINGAPORE

CHINA In this cultural cluster, we can group the UK and China together. REP. OF GREECE SWITZERLAND These are countries where new technology and new ideas catch on fast. IRELAND NETHERLANDS RUSSIA DENMARK GUATE- HONG KONG MALA As an example of how ‘up for change’ China is, consider this: China AUSTRALIA URUGUAY first taught people how to queue during the 2008 Olympics and that CHINA behaviour still persists to this day. ISRAEL SINGAPORE VIETNAM BELGIUM But what about Singapore? That’s a country with a highly regulated POLAND FINLAND JAPAN culture, isn’t it? Actually, Singapore is more open for change than some SWEDEN people think. As an example, a few years ago Singapore changed its PORTUGAL time zone to fall in line with Hong Kong. That’s a pretty radical move. SOUTH AFRICA HONG IRAN KONG SLOVAKIA EGYPT

MALAYSIA VIETNAM

SWEDEN Uncharted territories

The findings and implications from Content providers can use the data to our Cultural Connections study are understand why content performs one way To learn more about MediaCom's Grouping the world by In MediaCom’s Cultural Connections difficult it is to change a habit or create a exciting and far-reaching, and help us in one market and differently in another. Cultural Connections study and how ‘risk avoidance’ study, the dimensions which determine new habit. see the world from new perspectives. And creative teams can use the data it can help your business, head to uncertainly are Emotional State and That creates new opportunities for brand to determine how to adjust campaign mediacom.com/culturalconnections Let’s remap the world again. Curiosity. These are especially important In more prosaic terms, it has a huge strategy and marketing teams. messages to work across borders. This time by how much people tend dimensions for marketers as they identify impact on how difficult or easy it can be to avoid uncertainty and ambiguity. how ‘up for change’ people are, or how to launch a new product or service. Global brands can use the data to refine What if you were to remap your business their propositions for products and assess by culture and not geography? It’s a Source: MediaCom Cultural Connections (selected results only) risk and opportunity when launching in radical proposition, but it could help new markets. your brand enjoy global success for years to come.

Risk avoiders

When we redraw the map this way, Japan, Belgium and Israel become GREECE neighbours. Interestingly — or perhaps worryingly — for marketers, RUSSIA some of the most risk-averse countries are also some of the world’s largest or fastest-growing markets. That includes Russia.

GUATEMALA URUGUAY Again, we see some surprises though. Who would have put Greece, Israel and Japan in the same bucket if grouping the world geographically? ISRAEL Or indeed in terms of (often outdated) stereotypes? BELGIUM POLAND In these kind of markets, consumers often need reassuring that they are JAPAN buying the right products. That can correlate with a high information need. If you go to a supermarket in Japan, for example, you’ll actually PORTUGAL see people reading the packaging. Detail is required. If you go over to Africa though, it’s a completely different ballgame. There, share of voice is king and there is low information need.

12 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 13 Words: Matias Warlet, Head of Knowledge, Business Science, MediaCom Argentina & Carolina Vergel, LatAm Business Development FEATURES & Marketing Manager, MediaCom

For example, in Argentina and In Mexico, however, Chile women are viewed as having a women make more rational diverse role in society. But in more decisions. They are happy to Cracking the cultural conservative countries, like Mexico try new products, but typically and Central America, women are look for qualified advice before still seen primarily as housewives. making a purchase. Softener That’s useful information for marketers brands in this market can succeed with codes of Latin America when defining target audiences. more value-driven or functional messages that highlight cleaning power. Attitudes towards luxury are just as Although Latin American countries seem similar from afar, there are local different. In Central America, a certain Brazil and Mexico also reveal contrasting cultural codes that require brands to make changes market by market. amount of bling is regarded as a sign cultural attitudes towards hair care. of success. But flaunting wealth is seen as vulgar in the southernmost countries In Mexico, 98 % of consumers Sometimes, surface similarities can behaviour with other traits seemingly 2. Small Groups of South America. We see similarly use shampoo, but only 38 % use hide big differences. That’s certainly inconsistent with a hierarchical struc- Brazil is similarly indulgent but contrasting attitudes towards body image; conditioner. Cultural norms — perhaps the case in Latin America when it ture, including consensus behaviour more feminine. This is a more subdued understanding these differences can be a nod towards those exhibitionist Nerf Blaster comes to culture and behaviour. On the and always putting ‘family first’. culture where experiential tendencies vital for food and health sector brands. characteristics — mean consumers worry toy gun product surface the continent looks culturally are often more powerful in small or more about the final look of their hair illustrates. similar, but dig a little deeper and In theory, Latin America’s cultural closed groups. Here, brands can benefit Promoting regional messages than its overall health. In some markets, you’ll find significant nuances that similarities make it suited to hub-style from leveraging existing clubs or societies Latin America’s specific cultural attitudes including Mexico, demand planners adapt and evolve their operations, where work is controlled to deliver experiences in environments can — and should — impact the way They just want to look good. Hair care the brand promotes messages from country to country. from a single office. There are no where consumers feel most comfortable. brands develop their content and speak to brands should consider focusing on the product directly to obvious reasons why campaigns cannot consumers across the region. The FMCG communicating value or products that children through TV Generally speaking, in Latin cultures be shifted from country to country 3. Restrainers sector provides us with many examples of offer simple benefits, like adding shine commercials showing there is a strong separation between the without much difficulty. The final group encompasses Peru how brands can do this. or preventing split ends. kids playfully “blasting” general population and those in power. and Uruguay. These markets index as each other. That’s fine These are countries that have a But by mapping the classic Hofstede more feminine and more restrained in exhibitionist cultures, but in other preference for cooperation, modesty and dimensions of Masculinity (which than their neighbours. Consumers are Latin America’s specific cultural markets this approach is inappropriate. quality of life rather than achievement, measures whether a country is ‘tough’ sensitive and require a greater push heroism and material rewards. or ‘tender’) and Indulgence (which from brands before they take action. attitudes can — and should — impact Mums in Peru — which has a more measures the extent to which people Here, brands might benefit by putting restrained culture — are particularly Consumers here tend to avoid indulge themselves) across the region, PR at the top of their list of priorities, or the way brands speak to consumers sensitive about the relationship between uncertainty and ambiguity, stick with we can see three clear groups: accompanying experiential activity with a violence, guns and kids. As a result, the brands they know and love, and higher paid budget than in other markets. Hasbro focuses its message on another are uncomfortable with unorthodox 1. Exhibitionists Take fabric softener, for example In Brazil, on the other hand, around attribute of the Nerf Blaster: the behaviour and ideas. In broad strokes, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Decoding Latin culture — a product targeted at women 88 % of consumers use conditioners precision and the skill it takes to master the region is characterised by loyalty, Venezuela are all highly masculine and These nuances underpin a diverse Latin (specifically, mums). In Brazil, we — and hair health matters. In this type hitting a target. hierarchy and implicit order. We some- indulgent, which makes them more American culture map that brands know mum often buys on impulse. of market, brands can place more focus times call this a ‘Pyramid’ culture. exhibitionist, experimental and open need to understand in order to market That makes her more likely to be on promoting treatments that offer These examples highlight just three to experiential experiences. In these efficiently across the region. persuaded by emotional messages than specific health benefits, like repairing of the ways brands can benefit from Cultural dimensions and differences markets, brands can benefit from getting This includes recognising specific value-driven benefits. Here, brands can sundamaged hair. adopting a granular cultural approach Such homogeneity is unusual. in touch with consumers directly or cultural attitudes — such as attitudes succeed with family-focused stories in Latin America. Those wishing to gain In other regions, like Asia, we often delivering innovative media experiences towards women, luxury and health — of protection and comfort rather than Recognising cultural sensitivities a competitive advantage should focus see more diverse cultural models. that truly touch them, like virtual reality that impact local shopping habits. functional messages (how many washes Cultural influences also go beyond on cracking these cultural codes sooner Asian countries mix ‘Pyramid’ or augmented reality. mum can get out of a bottle). routine everyday shopping, as Hasbro’s rather than later.

14 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 15 Regardless, you need to think about what emotions MM: Do you see many videos that surprise Q&A with Ian Forrester, fit with your brand values. you in terms of performance? Global Vice President of Insight, Unruly Q&A You might be tempted to create a funny online IF: Yes, from APAC and Thailand, video when targeting young men in the US, for in particular. We’ve just done some research instance, but this might not be the right message assessing the shares of beauty videos in Thailand. for your brand. The most successful can feel a little cheesy and overly product focussed, but such ads work in MM: Brands used to be driven by economies maturing ad markets. However, that kind of of scale. They used to pump out centralised approach possibly wouldn’t work in territories with messaging strategies, often with a single a more developed advertising landscape. The more piece of hero content for multiple markets. we test, the more we learn, but it’s important not to Have we moved passed that? make judgements based on what we are used to in our home markets. IF: I think so. Partly because it’s become much easier to create content cheaply. There are lots of MM: What determines what content formats small content producers that can help a brand do work where? something bespoke and market specific. Talking pictures: IF: One of the key issues that determines what At Unruly, we work with lots of teams to produce content works is technology, both in terms of the content quickly and efficiently. For instance, infrastructure and the devices that consumers use. we work with The Smalls — an international These vary hugely by territory, so brands need to A chat with Unruly community of film-makers and production adapt their approach. companies — and Storyful, part of News Corp, which specialises in UGC licensing. Mobile is predominant in India, for example, The emotional responses and creative demands of individual markets can be so it makes sense to lead with vertical video rather than landscape hero content. In Indonesia very different. MediaCom’s Matthew Mee talks to Ian Forrester, Global Vice User-generated content can be just the mobile signal is still poor in many places, President of Insight at video ad tech company Unruly, about navigating this so longer-form content is unlikely to get viewed sea of emotion, and creating content that works around the world. as effective as the big budget stuff to the end. The approach should be based around shorter content. Both are very effective and relatively inexpensive. Of course, UGC isn’t as polished as big budget MM: Do you think this more local-nuance Matthew Mee: When did you first start MM: Has that experience helped you develop cinematic content, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be driven understanding is encouraging brands noticing big differences in the way people typologies or methodologies that identify just as effective as the big budget stuff. to make wider changes in terms of how they respond to video in different markets? the differences between markets? create and approve content? MM: Are brands using these resources to Ian Forrester: We tested videos in about 30 IF: Our testing framework is based on 18 experience and try new things? IF: A lot of our clients are starting to think in markets and I remember one test, for Nivea, called psychological responses, which we split into four this way. One FMCG client, for example, has “Stress Test”. The video showed a girl and other categories: emotional, primal, cognitive and non- IF: Absolutely. People are testing stuff because recently reorganised its team and significantly people waiting at an airport when Nivea played a empathetic negative responses. Whenever we test it’s so affordable to do so. Some of the most bolstered its digital resources. They’ve hired a prank on her. a piece of content we use this model to see how shared Jaguar/Land Rover videos, for instance, team of 80 — they used to have two people — different markets react. are low-budget clips from India. They just show because they realise the landscape has changed. Nivea basically pretended that she was a wanted a guy walking around a car show. They cost very criminal and started putting her name on screens little to make, but they give the audience access to They know they need to create content more and newspapers. People started looking at her You need to think about what something aspirational that they might not be able quickly now and can't spend six to nine months oddly making her feel uncomfortable. to attend. creating a video like they used to. They are putting emotions fit with your brand values all the approvals in place to remove barriers and After a short while some men with a large suitcase Moreover, the most shared ad of all time, become more agile and responsive. approach her. Inside is a can of Nivea deodorant These are universal responses — we’re all human, Android’s “Friends Furever” featured UGC clips to stop her sweating. The strapline is “Are you and will all feel certain things under certain of unlikely animal buddies, evoking warmth, stressed — use Nivea Deodorant”. circumstances — but specific emotional triggers happiness and amazement in a vertical more often sometimes differ from market to market. associated with product-centric advertising. When we analysed this video in Germany they This new approach gained Android cut-through found it exciting, but in the UK people found Content that evokes warmth, humour or pride, for and broadened the ad’s appeal beyond the tech it funny. It succeeded in both markets but for example, might look very different in India versus brand’s male heartland. different reasons. the UK versus Brazil.

16 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 17 Words: Jon Gittings, Chief Strategy Officer, Americas, MediaCom FEATURES Illustration: Lenike Sundström

Culture Shock!#@!

Why immigration is a cultural force that brands should embrace.

“Look around, look around at how lucky we are a surge of German immigration. Then came Fortunately for us, they did. Hollywood, and third generations, like Miranda himself, who to be alive right now! History is happening in the Irish in the mid-1800s. In 1865, America Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, hip-hop and are inspired by new possibilities and higher-risk Manhattan and we just happen to be in the abolished slavery, emancipating 3.9 million African rap, for example, all emanated from immigrant pursuits. Shunned by elite professions like law greatest city in the world.” Americans. At the turn of the 20th century, communities and experience. and finance, these immigrants may themselves America experienced successive waves of Polish, reject conventional careers in favor of those The Schuyler Sisters, Hamilton Italian and Russian immigration. Most recently, Hamilton’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, chose that foster cultural innovation and reward people are coming from Mexico, China, India and hip-hop and rap as the basis of the show that is determination, resilience and creativity. When a musical about American founding the Philippines. now the hottest ticket on Broadway. father Alexander Hamilton opened in 2015, it His inspiration came from the famous (and fatal) The multicultural, quasi-outsider experience of quickly became one of the most talked about Indeed, in the one hundred years following 1804 duel between Hamilton and Aaron Burr; second- and third-generation immigrants may events on the American cultural landscape. Hamilton’s death in 1804, waves of immigrants Miranda, a second-generation Latino immigrant, be uncomfortable, but it also stimulates ‘the new’, Hamilton is sold out for months and tickets drove America’s population from around 6 million saw a parallel with the rap rivalries of the 1990s. as individuals create their own place in the sun. go for $1,000 or more. The show broke a record to more than 84 million people. by grossing $3.3 million… in a single week. “It’s a hip-hop story,” Miranda told The New “Persons who have been socialised in two or more Simply put, Hamilton is a phenomenon. York Times. “It’s Tupac.” The music and cultures have broader imaginations about the American culture has been predominantly non-white cast of blacks and range of human responses to love, death, family But why? Latinos are ways of “pulling you into the story and other aspects of life,” wrote Professor Charles — and continues to be — defined and allowing you to leave whatever cultural Hirschman of the University of Washington. The answer begins in the era in which Hamilton baggage you have about the founding fathers “Marginality, combined with extraordinary talent is set (1776 to 1804), a time when only 32,000 by its immigrant creators at the door.” and strong artistic sensitivity, leads to greater people lived in Manhattan. A map of the city openness to innovation.” in 1782 shows Manhattan Island’s largely Regardless of origin, nearly all immigrants This ‘cultural baggage’, however, is critical to unoccupied, natural condition. shared a similar, unwelcoming experience. how culture evolves and develops. They were willfully misunderstood, at best, Then everything changed, and it never stopped. with most simply trying to find a new path for While first-generation immigrants may struggle In the last 20+ years of his life, Hamilton witnessed themselves and their families. to adapt to a new society, it is often the second

18 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 19 American culture has been — and continues Which brings us back to Lin-Manuel Miranda, to be — defined by its immigrant creators. a man of Puerto Rican descent, from the Latino Among the most influential are: neighborhood of Inwood, New York, and the author of Hamilton:

“ Ho w does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, Dropped in the middle of a forgotten Spot in the Caribbean by providence, impoverished, in squalor Grow up to be a hero and a scholar? The ten-dollar Founding Father without a father Got a lot farther by working a lot harder By being a lot smarter Literary figures like Eugene O’Neill and Creators and innovators of perhaps the most- By being a self-starter August Wilson, and giants of Abstract American art form of them all, the musical, … Plannin’ for the future Expressionism and Pop Art, including including Ira Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, see him now as he stands on Rothko, Lee Krasner and Warhol. Richard Rodgers and Miranda. The bow of a ship headed for a new land In New York you can be a new man.” These are all entrepreneurs who succeeded, created and over-performed because of the very nature of the immigrant experience and condition. They were Too often, immigrants and still are the outsiders, the marginalised, the strugglers and the risk-takers who, in many cases, are an afterthought The moguls of Hollywood (including Singers like Ella Fitzgerald, one of the create the most beautiful things in the world. the majority of directors with two most influential vocalists of the 20th for brands or more Academy Awards), who century, who worked with Gershwin, Too often, though, immigrants, or ‘multicultural are all immigrants or the children of Rodgers and Berlin to create ‘The Great audiences’, are an afterthought for brands: And so, rather than leaving ‘the multicultural immigrants. American Songbook’. the subject of the “Have you remembered to question’ for last, there are some brands that might include a slide on multicultural?” question. This benefit from considering immigrants first. can be a real miss. After all, as another culture creator, Chuck By being so culturally influential, immigrants Palahniuk, author of Fight Club and the grandson are often incredibly valuable allies, endorsers of a Ukrainian immigrant, puts it: Musicians like Benny Goodman, and consumers: who ignored racial taboos and moved “ The truth is… immigrants tend to be more American jazz from segregated nightclubs into • As consumers, immigrants are more likely to than people born here.” the mainstream. be risk-takers who are open to new things and experimentation (a pretty good trait for NPD, Author’s Note: This article owes a huge debt of thanks testing and trial). to the work of Professor Charles Hirschman and Daniel Griswold, from whom I have liberally borrowed.

• As members of tight-knit communities, they have and can offer access to networks of influence and brand adoption.

Artistic directors like George Balanchine Songwriters like Irving Berlin (otherwise • As creators, they develop the innovative (Giorgi Melitonovitch Balanchivadze), known as Israel Isidore Baline), the content and entertainment franchises that the Russian godfather of American dance Russian-Jewish writer of the definitive are so deeply desirable to brands. and founder of the New York City Ballet. holiday song, “White Christmas”.

Entertainers like Al Jolson (Asa Yoelson), the highest-paid entertainer of the 1920s and 1930s.

20 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 21 Brand tactics qualifications — a key requirement for Words: Aarti Bhaskaran, Director, Faced with this entry — have been singled out by brands Research & Insights, MediaCom Canada FEATURES challenge, brands in offering high-value products and services. Illustration: Esther Aarts Canada are typically These include banks, such as CIBC pursuing one of three and Royal Bank of Canada, and brands paths to connect with from the automotive and telco sectors. migrants, although no FMCG or CPG companies, on the other brand has yet cracked hand, have been slower to reach out the challenge. specifically to these communities.

Some are simply send- Unsurprisingly, the key targets for many ing messages into the are incomers from China and South Asia. vibrant ethnic media These people are highly skilled with high landscape, using net worth, and are more digitally savvy translated versions than the average Canadian. of their English or Understanding French copy. The cultural mosaic created by Canada’s This approach new citizens doesn’t just end with the means having a sepa- first generation. Technology and talk of rate line in the plan to home can make the second-generation Canada’s tech-savvy reach out to these groups. distinct as well. In many ways these Canadian-born migrants are even more Others are adopting important for brands. a more sophisticated migrants approach, targeting festivals After all, young tech-savvy audiences not and events that are relevant only retain their links to home but make to individual cultures. an effort to connect with mainstream Pepsi, for example, Canadian culture. In the future, brands Technology is helping migrants feel more connected to home than ever before. The French-speaking population has appealed to the huge South Asian would do well to recognise this group Aarti Bhaskaran explains how brands in Canada are finding new ways to reach is particularly distinct, with a more community by sponsoring the ICC as an important piece of Canada’s consumers caught between cultures. formal, hierarchical and emotionally Cricket World Cup in Canada and population puzzle. expressive culture than its English- several other markets. Pepsi has backed speaking counterparts. But Canada’s this up with ticket contests and new arrivals come with alternative on-the-ground activations in In a world where many countries are is not a first language. In the two biggest find the right mix of messaging, media cultural backgrounds. These vary wildly, Toronto, building enduring putting up fences and walls, Canada has cities, Vancouver and Toronto, the and content that appeals to Canada’s but what’s critical is that technology is connections with this group. remained resolutely open to incomers. minority population rises to around 50 %. diverse population. enabling them to hold on to their beliefs Annual migration now accounts for 1 % for much longer than previous waves The most sophisticated of the current population of 36 million. This is creating a huge challenge Canada’s cultural make-up of immigrants. strategies tailor messages And data from Statistics Canada for brands seeking to connect with Canada’s overall culture is defined to the ethnic background (Canada’s national statistical agency) consumers outside of the established in MediaCom's Cultural Connections Technologies such as Skype and digital of a specific audience. notes that in the 2011 census, 20.6 % English- and French-speaking Canada. study (p. 6) by its strong score news feeds, along with the growth of For example, household of the population — nearly 7 million mobile data usage in recent years, make cleaning brand Clorox people — were foreign-born. That’s the it easy for migrants to stay in touch with featured a South highest number since 1931. Technology makes it easy to stay the culture and news from home. Asian woman And this is affecting the way they impressing her In the 1930s, more than 50 % of foreign- in touch with the culture and news assimilate. The process of integration mother-in-law born Canadians came from the British from home. And this is affecting no longer works as it once did — or, with the cleanli- Isles. Today this complex society has at least, how brands and politicians ness of her house, a become home for thousands of people the way consumers assimilate. imagined that it used to work. culturally accepted from Eastern Asia, China, Southern Asia norm in that part and Southeast Asia, among others. The mind-set of the modern migrant is of the world. Rather than juggle messages between for Individualism. It is a country with a increasingly influenced by the culture As a result, the cultural makeup of the two distinct cultures (which was lack of hierarchy and an expectation that of his or her birth country, not the Connecting with country is changing. Twenty percent challenging enough), brands now have everyone will strive to attain high stand- adopted one. And brand affiliations are migrants of Canada’s population is regarded as to understand a mosaic of different ards of performance in all endeavours. shaped by their experiences from their Immigrants minorities — people for whom English beliefs and behaviours. Their goal is to home culture long after arrival. with money and

22 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 23 Words: Scott Holechek, Senior Director Research, Shazam 13 % of FEATURES Indians share Illustration: Jossdim 66 % of Saudis watch on YouTube

63 % of Germans preview

26 % of Australians buy 14 % of Listen and learn: Egyptians read lyrics Shazam and the culture Above: What people do after Shazaming a song (click skews among countries with 1m+ Shazams/month) of music sharing With no airplay, the most obvious We can explain these differences by reflective of its score for Individualism; route to this discovery would have referring back to Geert Hofstede’s people here think about their family as been through friends or at clubs. Cultural Dimensions study (p. 6). well as themselves. Searches grew rapidly as the artist According to Hofstede’s research, Music is a powerful emotional draw right around the world, but how people listen to it became well known, hitting peak Germany and Japan both score highly for Listening and learning and what they do afterwards can change dramatically from market to market. exposure at the Brit Awards in Uncertainty Avoidance. For global advertisers, understanding early 2017. how consumer motivations change from In a marketing sense, they are more likely market to market is crucial to driving Tribal data also lets us identify to be ‘try before you buy’ consumers. engagement with their brands and their Culture comes in different forms and This changes globally. While the same district’s local culture or ‘scene’. As our demographics and group people Australia, on the other hand, scores communications. That’s where music music culture is no exception. The way artist (Major Lazer, say) might be user data reveals, night spots like Parque based on their full musical diet of highly for Indulgence and low for Long can help. people access or learn about music, listen trending in both Rio and London in De Aqua Branca in Sao Paolo, or The past Shazams. We know most Shazams Term Orientation; people here indulge to their favourite artists, or hear about any given week, the most played songs Barclays Sector in Brooklyn, New York, for Rag ‘n’ Bone Man were by people themselves and are happy to make Music tells us far more than just which new stars, changes from country to in these places can be vastly different. are hugely influential in shaping music aged 18-34, for example. spontaneous decisions. bands consumers like; it reveals a great country, and even from region to region. James Bay’s latest single might be top of tastes in those areas. deal about their emotional states too. the charts in Rio, but Grace Featuring We can identify what other artists they In Saudi Arabia, behaviour is different These kinds of insights can help marke- At Shazam, we help people identify the G-Eazy could be blasting out of speakers Shazams for emerging artists often spike like, too. To use another example, fans again. Two thirds of Shazam users here ters well beyond those in the music and sounds around them just by listening with all over London. in clubs first and then spread across who Shazam The Weeknd, say, often go regularly watch the video on YouTube as entertainment categories. their phone. One hundred and twenty on to listen to tracks by Wiz Kalifa, Sam opposed to using a streaming service. million people around the world use the Smith, Ed Sheeran, and Mark Ronson. By understanding the music culture of a Shazam app every month, capturing Music tastes are tribal, and often Again, this possibly reflects the country’s country (and where tracks are listened nearly 600 million searches for songs. influenced by a town or district’s Tech insights high Uncertainty Avoidance score; people to by whom), brands can identify how to What consumers do after identifying a want to know everything about what create a soundtrack that appeals to broad Using this global data, we’ve identified local culture or ‘scene’ song reveals a lot about how people use they’re looking for. We’ve seen the same target audiences, for example. several distinct cultural behaviours tech in that country and their broader Shazam behaviour in Israel (61 %) and which influence how music is Music choices vary widely on a hyper- surrounding areas — and further — digital habits. By analysing millions of Turkey (57 %) — countries that score By understanding how to track local discovered, identified and enjoyed. local level too. Not so long ago, for soon after. This underlines the cultural Shazams across global markets, we have similarly for this cultural dimension. rising stars, brands can ensure they are These elements have implications for example, we spotted Zedd’s Beautiful influence that venues like this have, identified a number of key differences. on the money when selecting the latest marketers and can help inform their Now was trending in Berkeley, and just how important they are in Other interesting highlights from our trending sounds for commercials and creative and media approach. California. But in Oakland, just a few helping bands catch on with different In Germany, for example, 63 % will pre- research include the fact that 14 % of content aimed at hyper-local audiences. miles away, La Poderosa Banda San communities before going mainstream. view the song before doing anything else. Egypt’s Shazamers are likely to read Driving discovery on a local level Juan’s Disculpa Corazón was at the The numbers are similar in Japan. the lyrics. And by understanding the tech culture of Location obviously impacts the choices top of everyone’s playlist. We spotted Shazam users were searching In Australia, consumers are more likely a country (and how consumers respond that consumers make. Where people are for British singer-songwriter Rag ‘n’ Bone to buy or stream the track in the full Elsewhere, 13 % of India’s music to content), brands can identify the best and what they are doing influences the This is because music tastes are tribal, Man as early as June 2016, for instance, as soon as identifying it; 26 % go on to lovers will share the song with friends, ways to share their messages, in terms of music that attracts them. and often influenced by a town or weeks before his first single release. reward the artist by listening more. colleagues and family. This is perhaps content formats and paid channel support.

24 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 25 Facebook is working hard and spending a lot of streamed live content from those arenas, helping Words: Nick Burcher, Head of money to promote its live video capabilities to Deutsche Telekom’s message reach a new audience Social Media EMEA, MediaCom FEATURES its user base and ‘Live’ creates new dimensions of hyper-engaged consumers. Illustration: Propellant for brand storytelling. But to be really useful, marketers need to use live video in line with their Celebrities can be an even bigger draw. overall strategic objectives. In 2014, we worked on the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour for Coca-Cola and had Brazil’s Telling brand stories with live video Rivaldo do a live chat on the official Facebook Page Live video is a great way of telling brand stories. — although back then it had to be run as Q&A Land Rover, for example, has run “Live test in the comments section of a Facebook post. drives” to demonstrate its off-road capabilities, More recently, we’ve worked with the 2016 Formula while Coca-Cola used Live to bring the Coca-Cola 1 champion Nico Rosberg to host a live video Q&A Christmas Truck Tour to life for Facebook users with BOSE (an F1 sponsor). It allowed fans to get that couldn’t attend the events in person. even closer to their hero by asking questions and What’s more, every movie premiere now seems receiving real-time answers in the video itself. to have ‘Live from the Red Carpet’ streamed for When culture social media fans. Live video opens up new opportunities for advertisers. Time will tell if this is truly a new The other rich area for brands is in partnering content play or just another way to serve paid with influencers for live video. A study by Tubular advertising, but however Live is used it needs to be goes live found that the engagement generated for live integrated into the wider communications system, videos is significantly higher if a celebrity or social planned and promoted to connect with specific media star is involved. This is especially true when audiences in a credible way. influencers help share messages through their own Live broadcasts on social media not only reveal our personal identity and channels and notify their followers to tune in (and local cultures, they are also transforming the entertainment we consume. influencers have now been given the opportunity to run ad breaks in their live broadcasts too).

For Deutsche Telekom in Germany, for instance, A few months ago I went for an even- streamed on Twitter, and frontline Amazon’s Twitch game-streaming we let Izzy, a games influencer, take over the ing run. I took my phone so that I could reports of protests and disturbances platform, for example, is widely used brand’s Twitter feed to broadcast live from broadcast it through Facebook Live. are often shown in real time. in gaming circles, generating up to one GamesCom, Europe's largest gaming conference. My Facebook friends were not only million viewers per day. Izzy asked his thousands of followers to tweet the able to join me without the actual effort In Scandinavia, an innovative new show names of the games they wanted to see and then of running but they were also able to called Skam (re-named Shame for the In China, live streaming has become leave comments. US) has challenged traditional broadcast an alternative form of entertainment, approaches further, scoring massive with live streamers potentially earning Along the way, I passed Alexandra viewing figures among teen audiences. thousands of dollars a month. In this Palace, the birthplace of TV, where the Set in a high school, scenes from market, live video is huge with 325 BBC launched the world’s first regular the show are broadcast live, across million users across 106 different apps. high-definition television service on A blueprint for going live November 2, 1936. Eighty years after those first BBC pictures, Facebook Live, To be really useful, marketers need to If your brand is considering going Live, you should consider the following: Periscope, Instagram Stories and more use live video in line with their overall \ 1. To semi-paraphrase a 1980’s pop song, ‘Live is Live!’ \ 4. Using a social media star or celebrity in your campaign are allowing all of us to broadcast what- There are no edits so you need to ensure your messages are can help drive reach and engagement, but different ever we want to anyone and everyone. strategic objectives carefully planned in advance. You should also think about personalities resonate in different markets. concepts and plan for any worst-case scenarios that might Some YouTube stars have global awareness, but the These live video platforms are not only interrupt your live stream. majority of influencers are region or country specific. changing the media landscape and multiple platforms, in real time. A full All of this is tapping into the culture Using them in your brand programs will only be effective \ 2. Timing is also crucial, especially if you are targeting if your message resonates in their sphere of influence. cultures of consumption; they’re also episode is then posted online every of impatience and the need for instant a global audience. Wherever you’re broadcasting from, It’s also important to think about content. What may be challenging programming norms and Friday stitching everything together. gratification. Chatbots now provide some markets on the other side of the world will be asleep. acceptable or feel “authentic” in one place may not work changing how we consume events. Throughout the week characters instant customer service, broadcasters It’s critical to time your messages to hit your biggest in another. interact live with audiences on show Game of Thrones at 2am to avoid targets when they’re most likely to be engaged. The 2016 US presidential election Facebook and Instagram. spoilers, and in 2016 game players \ 5. Use your system. Pre-promote your live activity as \ 3. Don’t forget about post-event audiences. Some widely as possible by using different channels to steer to debates, for instance, were broadcast abandoned their cars to chase Pokémon platforms like Facebook Live allow content to be saved for your content. live across social, NFL ‘Thursday But let’s be clear; live culture is not just across Central Park. (and promoted to) a catch-up audience, so it’s important Night Football' games are now based on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. to ensure your video can live on when the live stream stops.

26 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 27 ethnicities, body shapes, interests, 3. Use digital and mobile 5. Get the most out of Words: Hannah Mirza, Global Head public agendas; there’s a Kardashian for to keep fans engaged your partnerships of Partnerships, MediaCom FEATURES everyone to love (or hate) the most. In December 2015, Kim launched The Kardashians have redefined Illustration: Lenike Sundström KIMOJI, an app that lets users send how an influencer can and should act But despite their differences, the ‘K’ clan Kim-related emojis to their friends. when it comes to product endorsements stick together. The sisterhood amongst It reportedly reached a record of 9,000 on social enterprise platforms. the women is astonishing given how downloads per millisecond and crashed Their marketplace is driven by the publicly they are pitted against each other. the Apple store. daily bite-size content consumers are No matter how much they argue, fight so hungry for. This formula has created and bitterly complain about each other, The rest of the family are in on the a co-dependent relationship between they are united behind their brand name act too. Kim, Kylie, Kendall, Kourtney the Kardashian business model and the and never fail to promote it. and Khloe have all launched branded media machine feeding from it. apps containing fantasy lifestyle adventure games, fashion advice, But as well as cracking the digital code, recipes, live updates and long-form the Kardashians are expert negotiators public content. when it comes to setting up deals as paid product endorsers, lending their With over a billion downloads between celebrity to promote product lines in them and more than $100 million in fashion, beauty, food and diet, exercise, earnings for one of Kim’s apps alone, perfume and more. the Kardashians have cracked the mobile market by giving fans what they want. 6. Be wary of oversharing Of course, the Kardashians have been guilty of missteps, too. Mostly, due to 2. Manage your social oversharing. Their spectacular success channels carefully has also repelled many consumers who There’s rarely a day when the will do anything to stay out of the K Kardashians are not featured in the Clan bubble. press. But when they’re not posing for paparazzi in exotic locations, they’re For the truly allergic there is driving the conversation themselves on K Blocker, an app that lets you Six brand lessons from social media. ‘Enjoy Kardashian-free web browsing’. Working much like an ad blocker, it Kim Kardashian alone has nearly goes one step further and cleanses 90 million followers on Instagram, browsers of any K brand content. the Kardashian Clan and her fans try to keep up with her every move. Historically, they could. 4. Release new content Kim’s social strategy was to be always regularly to sustain interest on, sharing (supposedly) unfiltered Kim also knows a few tricks about You might not like celebrity culture, but a star’s ability to influence consumers images and behind-the-scenes updates keeping fans coming back for more. is unrivalled in many markets. Hannah Mirza reveals what marketers can learn of her glamourous lifestyle in a carefully In 2016, a year after its release, she from the most famous celebs of the lot: The Kardashians. controlled way. released 160 new KIMOJI designs to keep the app fresh and relevant. Most importantly though, many of the Ever wanted to send a twerking derriere photos being used in the mainstream to your friends? Well, now you can. If you are looking for a conversation Their show ‘Keeping up with the press are those that have been taken and starter, just mention the Kardashians. Kardashians’ is broadcast all over posted to social media by the family Smart brands adopt similar long- The lesson here? Make sure your brand You’ll probably get a deeply impassioned the world, and has launched a global themselves. These are by virtue the most term thinking in their own content is everywhere your consumer is, but response to this famous family and its brand empire. access-all-areas photos available outside strategies, releasing content at the only share content that’s helpful, sincere widely publicised shenanigans. of the media frenzy. The Kardashians right times to sustain interest and and genuine. Consumers will soon Love them or hate them, you know They’ve achieved every global marketer’s control their own brand image and know keep consumers engaged. start tuning you out if you become too who they are. goal: a genuine global presence. how to market it to feed the machine. wrapped up in yourself. And they are increasingly shrewd with Why? Because Kim, Kylie, and the how they grow it. In many ways, ‘Brand 1. Have a varied portfolio extended Jenner clan — as well as their K’ should be the modern marketer's The Kardashians’ mass appeal is driven clingy partners and friends — are the muse. Here are six things brands can by the huge number of varieties in the epitome of reality TV in the 21st century. learn from them… portfolio. Different ages, sizes, genders,

28 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 29 Words: Greg Lee, Head of Agency, Brandwatch FEATURES What location reveals about audiences

Once we’ve determined where our audiences are, we can What does social begin to understand how and why these consumers behave as they do. We know that location data helps marketers:

• Measure market share worldwide At Brandwatch, we use the clusters identified by location data reveal • Un derstand the success of a campaign in Hofstede’s cultural research to identify common behaviour different regions across groups of countries. • Pinpoint customer service issues relating to a particular brick and mortar location These six clusters are defined as: Contest; Network; Family; about regional culture? • Refine their targeted advertising and Pyramid; Solar System and Machine. location-based marketing • Track location-based events in real-time The chart below identifies the countries that belong to Every marketer needs to know where their audiences are, how they behave, and how • Discover regional trends these clusters and the typical characteristics they exhibit: to tailor their campaigns to suit consumers’ regional preferences. Greg Lee, Head of Agency at social media monitoring company, Brandwatch, explains how social location data can help.

All brands can use social media to reach determine social location by country, In these cases, time zones can prove very CLUSTER CHARACTERISTICS COUNTRIES audiences across the world. But social state, region and even below city level. helpful in determining the country or is only powerful if you reach the right sometimes the region or the city where audiences with the right messages. These include: the message was posted. Competitive, value-driven, quantity over quality, That’s where you’ll find maximum IRE, NZL, UK, USA Contest quick to accept change social ROI. 1. Geo-Coordinates 4. Top-level domains This is information provided by the If we don’t know which time zone a user Location data gives brands a powerful user, often from GPS-enabled mobile is in, or if they haven’t provided any foundation for identifying these audiences. devices. This location information is information themselves, we can refer Network Make decisions by consensus DEN, NET, NOR, SWE, FIN But while many forward-thinking very precise, and is currently the best to the country of the site’s top-level companies have already started using way of defining user location. It allows domain. For instance, a ‘.fr’ website is this kind of information, far fewer are us to pinpoint users down to street-level. likely to be in France. Top-down organisation Family CHI, HOK, IND, IDO, MAL, PHI, SIN clear on how to get the best value from it. Clear leadership. 2. Profile location 5. Geo-IP Used correctly, social location data If someone doesn’t have location Finally, where we cannot verify the can help brands deliver location-based enabled on their device, we can check country of a site from the top-level Hierarchical, top-down society BRA, CHL, COL, ECA, SAL, GRE, GUA, ITA South, Pyramid advertising, differentiate between their profile location. This relies heavily domain (for example, .com sites can be Follow rules and structures KOR, MEX, PER, POR,RUS,TAI,THA, TUR, URU, VEN markets, spot popular areas, and on the amount of information a user United States or United Kingdom), we determine where their brand’s presence provides. For instance, a person may can use the Geo-IP of the website host. Similar to Pyramid but more individualistic. is strongest geographically. Tying that include a city, country or both on his This uses the location of the host server Solar System BEL, FRA, ITA North, SPA, SWI (FRENCH) data in with cultural markers helps Twitter user profile. of the site. Less focus on family. marketers predict how their audiences will respond. 3. Time zone Ordered Not all social media posts are tagged CZE GER, HUN, ISR, SWI (GERMAN) Machine Trust ‘experts’ & adhere to rules Determining location with geo-coordinates, and not all users We can use multiple data points to provide their location information.

30 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 31 We can see how much these different clusters behave In this analysis we’ve used percentages rather than Using the same data set, we can also see how users in It is interesting to see different groups leading in online by looking at how customers talk about the raw volume to try and counter the natural language bias each group interact with brands. Monitoring the levels different types of interaction. features and characteristics of consumer technology. (for example, the Contest group includes more English- of which each group @mentions brands, replies to The data here covers English language mentions of speaking countries and will therefore have a much higher owned Twitter feeds, and retweets posts, we get a good specific brands (globally recognised) and types of volume of activity). indication of engagement potential of each cluster. technology (e.g. smartphones, smart TVs and more).

Graph 03: How culture affects interactions

Mentions Replies Retweets We can see that: • Users from countries in the Pyramid group Graph 01: How culture affects online consumer tech conversation Contest 65 14 21 retweet brand posts most Words used while chatting Affordable Cool Innovative Quick Simple Useful • Solar System countries are more likely to Network 68 15 17 engage in direct contact through Contest 5 22 22 30 14 7 As the graph shows, the Solar System and Network countries typically talk about @mentions (which possibly reflects this Family 63 12 25 group’s more individualistic mentality Network 2 21 50 9 612 innovation more than any other clusters. This fits the group’s suggested cultural — they prefer engaging 1-on-1) Pyramid 57 11 32 • Network countries display a much higher Family 5 17 35 25 513 characteristics of being open to change and innovation. They are happy to consider new rate of replies and conversation (which Solar System 69 12 19 tech and ideas. possibly reflects this group’s desire to Pyramid 2 23 34 18 17 6 discuss and make decisions by consensus) Machine 66 14 20

Solar System 2 20 47 15 313 %

Machine 2 19 41 20 513 % Putting data into action Even when used in isolation, it’s clear how location- Graph 02: How culture affects consumer tech features mentioned based social data can help inform marketing campaigns targeting these groups. But when combined with other Words used while chatting Compatibility Waterproof Wireless Portable Wifi Durable cultural research, sales data and product development insights, it becomes even more valuable. In this graph, we can see that countries in Contest 9 15 32 7 34 3 the Family group deliver a significantly higher Highly-accurate location data lets digital marketers number of mentions relating to ‘durability’. Network 56 21 5 60 3 With further research we might find this answer questions like: where are specific campaign types best received? What content resonates in specific correlates with national GDP, disposable Family 125 21 7 45 10 incomes or other relevant economic factors. areas? Does social chatter actually correlate to sales in nearby stores? That can be vital information when Pyramid 8 11 29 6 41 5 planning future campaigns.

Solar System 22 3 19 11 43 2 Location insights add value to both brands and consumers. They provide a new layer of intelligence to brands’ Machine 56 25 7 50 7 campaign strategies, and give those engaging with these % campaigns the chance to say “that’s me, I was there”.

32 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 33 Words: Alex Zhang, Strategist, MediaCom Shanghai FEATURES

How to solve China's luxury puzzle

The rise of China as an economic power has been a boon for luxury brands. From LVMH to Burberry to Prada, countless high-profile fashion houses and premium labels now look to China for a key part of their sales. Cultural factors explain this demand.

It is no secret that China has an enormous appetite These millions of consumers are going to continue for luxury goods. In fact Bain & Company data to want to wear wonderful clothes, to sport marks it as the third-largest luxury market in the beautiful watches, and to fill their homes with the world — well behind the US, but creeping up on smartest, most refined items. Japan at #2 in euro currency terms. In 2015, more than €17.9 billion was spent on luxury items in But the rise of luxury in China is not simply China, an increase of 17 % in Euro terms on 2014, an economic story, it’s also a cultural one. helping it overtake Italy and France. That’s because both the social background to luxury consumption and the purchase journey in China is very different. In fact, as much as 80 % The truth is that China is of Chinese luxury consumption occurs outside Mainland China. The truth is that China is a far a far bigger luxury market bigger luxury market than the data indicates.

than the data indicates Understanding off-shore consumption is key. Brands that fail to grasp that are not just missing And a growing economy means consumption of up to 50 % of their top customers annually luxury products is likely to continue to grow as (according to Epsilon Research and the Luxury more and more households rise up the socio-eco- Institute), but they are also missing the opportunity nomic ladder. According to McKinsey & Company to communicate with and create a personalised nearly 54 % of urban households will be upper experience for them. middle class — with earnings of 60,000-106,000 RMB a year — by 2022, up from 14 % in 2012.

By 2016 the average age of the chinese luxury 34 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue shopper will have fallen to the mid-twenties BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 35 The average Chinese luxury shopper is likely to live in Badge Appeal: Apple’s flagship store a first-tier city, such as Beijing or Shanghai (image) The allure of high-end products in Beijing

VICE News, UkraineA demographic Burning. puzzle youth brand Me & City partnered with Tencent to goods and for consumers to showcase what they Its WeChat account allows the user to book an According to Forbes in 2015, the average age of bring fashion to the streets. The goal was to bring have bought, as well as where they have bought it. appointment at any Cartier boutique in the the Chinese luxury shopper was in their mid-30s, the fashion show direct to the target audience of world, and has a geolocation function that shows already younger than the global average. But by young consumers. Using Tencent’s Maps app, the Brands need to be careful, however, not to become nearby Cartier boutiques. Being not Google or the end of 2016, the World Luxury Association brand shot panorama images of the models, taking too common. Big names such as Louis Vuitton Baidu dependent is especially handy for Chinese predicted this will fall closer to the mid-20s. the catwalk to the streets of Shanghai. Users were were the epitome of high badge value. These items consumers overseas. able to view the products in real-world settings and were so desired that white-collared workers starved China’s millennials amount to more than the purchase from a linked e-commerce function. themselves for a month just to afford one. Traditional luxury brands are also seeking to working population of both the US and Western regain their badge value. In 2015, 11 luxury fashion Europe combined. Goldman Sachs predict But everybody and their aunt came to have brands closed a total of 34 stores, all outside the first their aggregate income will grow by $3 trillion China’s millennials amount an Louis Vuitton bag — which then became tier cities, in a bid to regain their exclusivity. in the next 10 years. They are not just a super labelled as the ‘secretaries’ bag’. Counterfeits also Other strategies include partnering with elite segment in China, but a cornerstone for global to more than the working became ubiquitous. As a consequence, young celebrities, improving brand experiences, luxury consumption. luxury shoppers are now turning more to niche tightening control on distribution, cracking down population of both the US and luxury brands and minimalistic branding to on the gray market, extending personalisation The average Chinese luxury shopper is likely to showcase their individuality and taste. options and introducing sub-brands. live in a first-tier city, such as Beijing or Shanghai. Western Europe combined Many are products of the One-Child Policy, Dior, for example, has sought to make the digital ensuring they have the full attention of both The cultural angle Chinese consumers have an purchase experience more personal and special. parents, and often grandparents from both sides MediaCom’s Cultural Connections study (p. 6) re- A recent campaign during the Qixi festival was of the family. This intense doting creates a more veals why offshoring is such a strong trend. The cul- extremely high score for Vanity targeted at men in relationships, offering them individualistic outlook, as well as a lot more tural drivers for this behaviour are can be explained limited edition Dior handbags. Buyers were able to ‘pocket money’ than their international peers. by the fact that Chinese consumers have the world’s Ways to take advantage interact with brand reps over WeChat one-to-one, highest scores on the marketing dimension of Badge The story of Chinese luxury is one of economic enabling them to feel comfortable with their big So while their income appears lower than their Appeal, and an extremely high score for Vanity. success combined with cultural values. money purchases. The bag models on offer were Western counterparts, Hylink Digital Solutions Brands that want to take advantage need to sold out within a day. reports that 96 % rely on their family for support, Badge Appeal measures the extent to which celebrate these behaviours to encourage more which includes everything from money to housing. consumers are susceptible to the glamour or allure travelling consumers to seek them out. It’s early days for such digital strategies and Many of these luxury consumers are best defined of — often high-end — products. Vanity measures it’s not yet clear if any are striking a chord with by attitudinal and behavioural indicators rather how much consumers are likely to buy certain They might find that their messages are better younger generations. But as luxury brands are than income level. products to feel good about themselves. targeted at the journey abroad, for example, where scrambling to play catch-up in China, they must Markets that score highly on this cultural dimen- they can capture consumers when they are most create tailored strategies that communicate In response some luxury brands are increasing sion tend to prefer premium products. Think of it likely to be looking for spending opportunities. effectively with their primary consumer. their digital presence and improving mobile as a kind of ‘snob value’. Airport advertising then might be better focused on touchpoint experiences. They are also recruiting international terminals rather than domestic gates. This is both a unique and historical challenge young idols as spokespeople, in order to entrench In China, these factors combine with a high as luxury brands are forced to appeal to a much their positions among this consumer base. Ambition score, to create a cultural framework in One of the few brands that has sought to target younger target audience, not just in their home During Shanghai Fashion Week, for example, which there are compelling reasons to buy luxury travelling Chinese shoppers is Cartier. market but right around the world.

36 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 37 We recently conducted a global study exploring In a separate study, we surveyed more than 2,700 Words: Henry Clifford-Jones, Director, how 9,000 LinkedIn members worldwide engage LinkedIn members worldwide and asked “Do you Marketing Solutions — UK, DE and ES, LinkedIn FEATURES with content. listen to Podcasts?” The results suggest that this Illustration: Propellant may be a particularly underused content format This showed us, for example, that while audiences in many markets. Globally, more than one-third of in Spain, Malaysia and Indonesia respond most our members listen to podcasts, and engagement strongly to inspirational content, audiences in increases significantly with seniority. India prefer practical content that helps develop their skills. What's more, while audiences in the US Among department heads, VPs, owners and C-suites, and UK value detail, Germany, Spain and Brazil 44 % are listening. However, as with other formats, respond best to argumentative opinions. there are variations from market to market. Brazil is leading the way with 41 % of people liste- Different regions also favour different sources of ning to podcasts, while in the UAE only 25 % are. authority, which can and should inform how con- tent is distributed and presented on social media. Timing tactics to fit local media habits Why great global Audiences in most countries see peers and col- Besides the purpose, format and source of content, leagues as their most credible sources of content, local media habits and tastes can also inform the which shows the value of amplifying such content best time or day to release it. through employee networks. content doesn’t look A global professional services brand recently worked with LinkedIn to target C-suite decision- In some markets, people see makers in France. The assumption was that the most content distributed directly by effective time to target the senior executives would the same everywhere be 5pm, at the end of the working day. What the company actually found was that engagement spiked a brand as more credible much later, at 8pm, outside of business hours.

It’s tempting for global marketers to search for a single piece of content People in India, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia, LinkedIn data helps us understand why: more that resonates with audiences all over the world. But to really connect, Indonesia and Thailand, see content distributed than two-thirds of French CEOs regularly access content needs to be plugged into specific market tastes. directly by a brand as more credible. In the LinkedIn content on their phones. It turned out that Philippines, meanwhile, industry influencers this particular C-suite audience was most free to have the most authority. engage with content once they had shut down their laptops and switched to a different screen. At LinkedIn, we support many global businesses appetite to keep testing that understanding and har- The UK and US place greater emphasis on that are looking to build sophisticated global content nessing data to guide global content decision-making. influencer content than France, Germany, the You can only uncover this type of local insight by strategies and enthuse audiences in every market. Netherlands and Spain, where content shared by committing to testing different content tactics At the same time, we’ve built up our own very In our experience, regional content marketing teams peers and colleagues is relatively more important. — and optimising your approach based on the successful regional content operations in North are often the natural fulcrum in the balancing act data they generate. That’s exactly what this client America, Asia Pacific and EMEA. between global content priorities and local markets. Matching content formats to markets did, and they generated great results because of it. They are attuned to the issues motivating audiences Local preferences also mean that different formats As a result of these experiences, we know global on the ground, and are best placed to identify what can deliver higher levels of engagement. Ultimately, when you have an exciting and content that engages and resonates with audiences works where and in what format. Video content and infographics have similar important piece of content on your hands, there’s in the same way everywhere on earth is very rare. engagement levels within a given market, but there real value in being able to access local insight and Designing and implementing this kind of content is are some nuances. Video content is particularly data about how you can best present it. difficult, but that doesn’t stop marketers from trying. Audiences in India prefer effective in Australia, say, whereas infographics have Truly global content has the potential to be changed a higher chance of success in Hong Kong. and optimised on the ground, while still retaining its Global content strategies don’t mean the practical content that inherent value for your business. same content everywhere Most of the content that any country consumes is The smartest global content marketers don’t priori- helps develop their skills written, with blog posts and articles dominating. tise rolling out the same content everywhere. Instead, But not every form of written content generates the they prioritise the most engaging content they can Localising content with local data same engagement everywhere. Newsletters , as an distribute in any given market. Doing this success- Localising content can take many forms: ‘turkey example are significantly less popular in Europe than fully requires flexibility about the way that content is slicing’ global content assets to select the elements in the Middle East. localised, re-engineered, distributed and formatted. that resonate most in different markets, recreating headlines and intros to align with an audience’s Case studies follow the same pattern. Audiences in Above all, it requires an understanding of what dif- priorities, deciding on the most effective format, and Spain and the UK are more likely to download and ferent audiences want from their content — and an even settling on the best time of day to launch it. read an e-book than those in France and Sweden.

38 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 39 they know. The country also has an extreme score Of course, the US influences consumerism Words: Mrinal Sinha, Director, for Long-Term Orientation; the Japanese see their everywhere, possibly because all consumers tend Strategy and Planning, MediaCom Japan FEATURES Illustration: Copenhagen Signs lives as a short moment in time. In a marketing to become more individualistic — a dominant sense, this makes them rather pragmatic. They don’t characteristic in US culture — while shopping. have time to waste with products that don’t work. Some brands overcome Japan’s high uncertainty avoidance by referencing their overseas popularity. People here want to But these claims still need to backed-up by detail. Japanese always need compelling reasons to buy. know exactly how and One international shampoo brand, for instance, why a product works earned immediate trust on launch by revealing it was the best-selling brand on a well-known 100 % Guaranteed: e-commerce site in two influential markets, the US Underpinning this pragmatism is a strong ‘know- and France. It has since enjoyed massive success. how’ culture. In Japan, people want to know exactly how and why a product works so Why power claims they can make an informed judgement Too much information call about whether it will help them. Emotional messages don’t provide is almost always work in Japan this kind of information. better than too little Finally, Japan over-indexes for Masculinity. In this cul- Thinking beyond Japan ture, which is mildly Other markets likely to respond to power claims In some markets, emotional messages help brands connect collective, masculinity include South Korea, France and Spain, all of with consumers. But in other countries, like Japan, doesn’t manifest itself which score similarly to Japan for Uncertainty in an aggressively Avoidance. While these countries have less consumers respond better when messages are supported competitive or self- extreme scores than Japan across other measures, by cold, hard facts. Cultural insights help brands serving way, but rather brands can still succeed without using statistical understand when to pump out the power claims. in a quiet pursuit of proof points (although it will only help them if excellence across they do). the board. In a marketing sense, this While consumers in most markets might not In a world of fake news, it’s hard to know whom Country A and you should means consumers always expect as much detail as consumers in Japan, to trust. That makes life particularly tricky for listen because people there look for the best. providing too much information is almost always brands. Launches, relaunches and reformulations always go for quality/know Detail matters to them. better than providing too little. In short, detail will are the kinds of messages that slide by unnoticed. what they are talking about.” help brands succeed around the world. And that’s Consumers know brands are trying to sell them Power plays a power claim every advertiser should buy into. something, and that makes them likely to reject or The power struggle in Japan Taken together, these scores ignore what they have to say. One market where power claims indicate that in Japan effective are particularly effective is Japan, power claims provide consumers Enter the power claim — an advertising device a country with a rich and distinct with the reassurance and detail they that doesn’t hide the fact it’s a sales message, but cultural identity. According to Hofstede’s need to make a purchase. They also backs it up by including a fundamental truth about Cultural Dimensions framework (p. 6) provide customers with the confidence to the product. You know the formula: Brand X is the — which analyses countries based on a change their previous behaviour. best because it kills 99 % of germs. number of cultural parameters — Japan exhibits extreme scores on three behavioural measures. Specificity is key. It’s not enough to simply Power claims tend to come in two handy sizes. say that compound X is featured in cleaning There’s the science bit, which often features product Y. Brands have to show that their products people in white lab coats and is beloved of Japanese consumers don't makes a difference, either by saying they’re haircare commercials. And there’s the sales bit, clinically proven or pulling out statistical evidence. which tells you this is the No. 1 product in its have time to waste with sector (millions of your compatriots can’t be products that don’t work In Japan, foreign success stories work when they wrong, so you should buy it, right?). involve markets people here respect. These are typically countries that share similar cultural The sales bit also has a subclass, the foreign Japan scores highly for Uncertainty Avoidance, qualities. One anomaly is the United States, sales success story: “This is the No. 1 product in which means people prefer to stick with what which has a very different cultural makeup.

40 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 41 Words: Arindam Bhattacharyya, Head of Strategy, MediaCom Indonesia FEATURES

on the lookout for the latest halal This message of inclusivity is important That’s because Islamic fashion is part restaurants and eateries. Bloggers such in Indonesia, which has a very collec- of mainstream culture in Indonesia. as Halal Corner provide consumers tive culture. As MediaCom’s Cultural Events like the Jakarta Islamic Fashion with real-time updates about Connections study tells us (p. 6), Week are growing every year, while restaurants with halal certification. Indonesia is a ‘We’ not ‘Me’ country. movies big on Islamic sentiment are People here are concerned about the increasingly popular. Dramas like Ayat- But halal is about more than just food. welfare of their peers and community. ayat cinta, Ketika Cinta Bertasbih and Wardah, an Indonesian-based cosmetics Emak ingin naik haji, all of which speak company, has had great success with 2. Islamic fashion has about Islamic life, have had a big impact. What Indonesia an ‘always-on’ halal communication gone mainstream regarding premium beauty care. Turn on a TV or open a magazine and An interesting consequence is that And Wardah’s visuals always include you are likely to see a celebrity wearing online search queries in Indonesia are hijab- and non-hijab wearers, a stylish hijab. now dominated by Islamic topics. emphasising the brand is for all Muslims In 2016, the nation’s top three search teaches us about — however strictly they observe — queries were: ‘Religion’, ‘Cantik-islam’ and everyone else too. (being beautiful), and ‘fashion’ (baju, Islamic Marketing busana). ‘hijab’ also ranks highly.

Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. But to really connect with Muslim consumers, brands need to adopt an Islamic marketing approach shaped as much by local culture as it is by faith.

Despite the title, this article isn’t about religion. Indonesia, for example, is very liberal compared Instead, it’s about how culture and religion are to some other Islamic countries and is home to combining to influence the attitudes and spending a number of different sects, each of whom follow habits of Indonesian Muslim consumers. Sharia law to different degrees. So while Indonesia’s Muslims are predominantly Sunni, other sects Indonesia is particularly interesting to marketers worship freely here too. Only one province (Aceh) because it’s home to the world’s largest practices Sharia law in its strictest sense. concentration of Muslims. Eighty-seven percent of the country’s 260 million citizens are Muslim — and combined they have a vast spending power. Consumers in Indonesia

The Indonesian consumer market is currently are becoming increasingly valued at a staggering $2.1 trillion, and it’s growing influenced by their faith by $500 billion annually. This has created a huge opportunity for global brands willing to adopt an Islamic marketing approach in this market. What’s clear though, is that consumers in Indonesia are becoming increasingly influenced by Very simply, Islamic marketing is designed to be their faith. Three trends stand out: empathetic to Sharia law, which governs, or at least informs, every aspect of a Muslim’s life. This is a 1. More people are choosing halal complex area, and some Muslim countries follow The halal foods industry in Indonesia is valued at Sharia law more strictly than others. $500 billion and growing. Consumers are always

42 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue Brands have reacted to the growing demand for sophisticated (and collective) ways. Since 2014, Some brands, including Saaf Cosmetics is to research current interests and Indonesia into other Muslim territories. Islamic fashion in different ways. Some digital Google and other brands have completely digitised and Colgate-Palmolive, have gone a step conversations around faith. They also But to work elsewhere, of course, they platforms, like branded YouTube channels, now Ramadhan, with activities such as live broadcasts further by following Sharia law through need to map out where their brand will need to be sensitive to the specific have special tabbed sections for ‘hijab’ tutorials of daily prayers from Mecca. every stage of their business process, is missing opportunities and where it beliefs and behaviours of Muslims in and in many content portals relating to fashion from manufacturing to branding. might play a positive role. those target markets. and lifestyle, hijab is present as a separate tab. FMCG brands are particularly active at these times, targeting families when they come together. Lessons that work While Sharia law isn’t enforced across Author’s Note: Thanks to Irsyad Iryenal, There’s also a demand for Islamic fashion online. In Indonesia, advertisers sponsor Ramadan-related across borders the whole of Indonesia, the global Senior Planner, MediaCom Indonesia, and Siska Agusriani, Planning Manager, MediaCom HIJUP, launched in 2011, is known as the world’s content (including TV shows and the YouTube In Islamic markets like Indonesia, brands that are growing here are those Indonesia, for additional input. preeminent e-commerce platform for Islamic Ramadan channel) and drive social conversations making sure your products are that have adapted their messages to modest fashion. It was also one of the first Muslim about topics they can speak credibly about (family, acceptable to an Islamic audi- conform in some way. lifestyle companies to receive funding from global homecare, cooking). ence isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ investors. HIJUP offers private shopping via anymore, it’s a ‘must have’. The most compliant brands messenger apps, including WhatsApp, BlackBerry But successful Islamic marketing needs to go are also giving themselves Messenger and Line. It uses paid search to sell beyond key calendar dates. Just as adherents The first step for brands a chance to extend their hijabs, dresses, hair care and halal cosmetics. practice their faith every day of the year, so too embarking on this journey messages beyond should brands that are serious about creating real 3. More people are investing and strong consumer loyalty. They can’t just share in Islamic finance Islamic messages sporadically and expect Muslims Global Islamic banking assets are currently valued to embrace them. Instead, brands need to adopt an at more than $1.1 trillion and growing 18 % year- always-on approach. on-year. But while Islamic finance asw introduced in Indonesia more than two decades ago, it’s still only a small part of the overall banking system. Successful Islamic marketing

Indonesian Islamic banks hold roughly 5 % of total needs to go beyond key banking assets. This compares with more than calendar dates 20 % in neighbouring Malaysia and about a third of total banking assets in several Gulf countries. They might do this by including Islamic actors In recent years, however, the Indonesian and actresses in their ads, or more explicitly by government has launched a national plan to develop introducing new product lines for Muslims. its Islamic finance industry via two key initiatives: In Indonesia, hair brand Dove, for example, lending support to more charity projects and features groups of Islamic women in its TV ads. granting interest-free savings for Indonesian pilgrims planning a Hajj visit to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Other brands, like Persil, Pril and The Body Shop, also feature immediately identifiable Muslim The government’s goal is to see Islamic finance consumers in their campaigns. Going one step take as much as a 20 % share of the financial further, hair care brand Sunsilk introduced a sector in 10 years. It has also committed to shampoo into Indonesia specifically targeted at boost its use of Islamic debt instruments to as hijab wearers. It now speaks credibly to Muslims much as 50 % of total issuance in 10 years. year-round. Currently, Islamic instruments represent around 13 % of total outstanding government debt. This isn’t the only example of brands changing their approach in Indonesia to comply with Islamic Adopting an always-on approach law or culture. When McDonald’s started selling Festivals such as Eid and Ramadhan provide ice cream in the region, for example, it used Halal- obvious opportunities for brands to reach Muslims approved products. As a result, McDonald’s took with Islamic marketing messages, and advertisers share from Haagen-Dazs, which did not have the in Indonesia are doing this in increasingly same certification.

44 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue Words: Gilad Kat, Communication Planning Director, MediaCom Israel FEATURES Taking action Illustration: William Ditlev Barfoed

1 Focus on repeat purchases, 3 Work out how to become not just the initial purchase a part of consumers’ daily In a country like Israel the challenge isn’t so routines much about getting consumers to buy once. When a brand fits in with the cultural truth The key is convincing them to try the product of the market (which aligns with its own How to launch many times until it becomes an old favourite brand truth), it has a much better chance they automatically select. Loyalty of surviving and thriving. But you can’t apply offers, rewards and ongoing a one-size-fits all approach to culture. incentives are essential The smartest brands find specific cultural successful products to making this happen. moments to suit each of their brands. This is where your insights teams can help. in Israel

It’s hard to launch new products in Israel. Many global brands experience a mysterious 2 Extend campaign periods product cycle that moves from a hyper-successful launch to complete disappearance Beyond rewards incentives, brands launching in Israel on retailers’ shelves. Cultural understanding is key to bucking this trend. should resist the urge to withdraw ad support as soon as their market share drops. This only creates a negative cycle. Instead, brands should extend their initial campaign periods to help their messages remain top-of- Most new product launches are For example, when snack brand Cultural clues failures. After all, there isn’t room Pringles launched in Israel, it acquired Smart brands look for cultural mind for longer and increase the likelihood consumers in the market for all new products a 50 % category share in six months. clues to solve this puzzle. As social will find a way to include them in their daily routines. that brands would like to offer to Shortly afterwards it was down to 8 %. psychologist Geert Hofstede revealed consumers. But in Israel, many new Global coffee chain Starbucks enjoyed in the 1970s, there are a number of product launches fail in the most queues around the block when it cultural dimensions that influence what When Israeli consumers have doubts Israelis don’t look to products to Leveraging this insight, we made the unique and baffling ways. launched in Tel Aviv in 2001. Two years consumers think, feel and do (p. 6). about a product, or if they are reinforce their self-image, leading to search for flakes of dandruff a new later, it had left the country. challenged to think or act differently, low scores for Vanity. And designer addition to the tradition. We also gave Initially everything is rosy. A product is According to Hofstede’s research, Israel they tend to revert back to the tried labels and Badge Appeal are not of the brand a passport into synagogues launched, demand is high and the item Procter & Gamble’s cleaning has a very low score for the Power and tested. great concern. for the very first time. This was flies off the shelves. Brand managers pat brand Swiffer suffered the same Distance Index (PDI). This is the degree accomplished by sponsoring Passover themselves on the back. Within a year, fate, launching successfully but to which a society is stratified. A high This helps explain why so many As a whole, these measures reveal a kits and making them available for free. however, demand sinks like a stone. disappearing within months. score means people accept authority products fail over time. Brands either pragmatic buying mentality; Israeli There were no complaints because without question. A low score means don’t fit in with Israelis’ existing consumers only make purchases as and the association fitted both the cultural people question the hierarchy. routines and lifestyles, or they don’t when they are required. At MediaCom, moment and the brand truth. When a brand fits in with the cultural make clear exactly how they do. we are using this cultural knowledge to truth of the market, it has a much When applied to marketing, the PDI bring our insights to life and help our The result? Sales soared. results verify Israelis are open to trying Cultural connections strategies succeed. Head & Shoulders' market share better chance of surviving and thriving new products that challenge existing These scores are reflected in grew by 35 % year-on-year. Sales have market leaders. This explains why many MediaCom’s Cultural Connections Our 2015 campaign for Head & remained high as consumers recognise This isn’t just a case of poor planning or No matter how hard planners tweak new product launches are initially study (p. 6), produced in collaboration Shoulders, for instance, was based on the purpose of the product and have a sharp cut in the communications sup- their media schedules or activation successful. At the same time, Israel also with Itim International's. It introduces a specific cultural truth. Before the become familiar with using it as part of port budget. It happens time and again, models, the same pattern reoccurs. scores highly in another dimension a number of new dimensions — holiday of Passover, Jews search for their daily routines. with a variety of brands, sectors, agencies The answer clearly isn’t as simple — Uncertainty Avoidance People here including Vanity and Badge Appeal any crumbs of bread, which must be and companies. Countless global imports as changing the TV copy. So what’s avoid ambiguous situations and follow — designed to complement Hoftstede’s eliminated from their homes. have experienced the same problem. the solution? strict routines and guidelines. original framework.

46 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 47 Words: Gilad Kat, Communication Planning Director, MediaCom Israel M:FILES

Making Head & Shoulders part of Passover

Understanding Execution With so many Israelis unwilling or unable to We bought the entire national stock of Passover kits recognise they have dandruff, we recruited from the sole supplier; a quarter of a million packs the most powerful advocate around — their containing a candle, a feather and a dustpan used religious traditions. to symbolically locate, swipe and remove any tiny suspicious objects. The Passover tradition involves families conducting formal searches of their houses by candlelight, We branded each kit with the Head & Shoulders disposing of any ‘unkosher’ or ‘chametz’ elements. logo and added dandruff testing strips.

So while families carried out their devotions for We arranged for these kits to be distributed via syna- Passover, including removing any bread crumbs in gogues — a first for a brand, and acceptable because the house, we added dandruff to their removal lists. the Passover kit contained the text of a key prayer.

We leveraged this national preoccupation with Results keeping a 100 % kosher home as the perfect Our strategy of 'Divine Sampling' made our analogy for keeping a 100 % dandruff-free head. message culturally relevant.

Solution The result? All 250,000 Passover kits found homes, We created a new mechanism: ‘Divine Sampling’. sales soared, and H&S's market share grew by 35 % Word of mouth is incredibly powerful, but we year on year. discovered an even more effective channel: Word of God. Awards and Recognitions Cannes Lions 2016 | Gold: Media Lions, FMCG We did this by making Head & Shoulders part Festival of Media Global |Silver: The Creative of Passover, including special dandruff detection Use of Media Award strips in the traditional search kits. M&M Global Awards 2016 | Best Local Execution of a Global Brand

BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 49 Words: Liam Brennan, Global Digital Director, MediaCom FEATURES Illustration: William Ditlev Barfoed

Behaviours, Emotions, Moments: A new approach to audience targeting

Data can confuse as much as it illuminates. Modelling behaviours, emotions and moments can help us identify consumers and when to reach them.

Many marketers think reaching the right audience Putting audiences first with the right message at the right time is the holy That’s because the digital world thinks audience grail of media. But this is becoming increasingly first, not media first. So grouping audiences into complex for global brands and campaigns that demographics can be counterproductive. cross borders and cultures. Online, these definitions are too narrow and exclude potential consumers who don’t fit a Lost among the myriad data points, profiling rigid profile. We call this valuable wastage. and targeting tools now available, many brands are struggling to identify even the first of those three ‘rights’. And they aren’t helped by media’s With so many data points, traditional ways of working. profiling and targeting tools In a typical campaign brief, for instance, we to choose from, some brands might be asked to identify people looking for a new car, who want on-demand entertainment, or have lost their way are seeking an alternative to high-calorie juices. That target audience is then translated into a I recently ran a data analysis for a client, which demographic: 18-34s, 35-44s, Male or Female, revealed 35 % of its sales came from valuable Urban, $50k+, ABC1. wastage — audiences outside of its broad 18-34 target. Staggeringly, 50 % came from outside its The trouble is, while these kinds of demographics 18-24 bullseye. might have been suitable in an offline world, where selecting properties that maximised coverage of If this client had relied on demographic targeting a demographic helped you reach your desired alone, they would have massively limited their audience, they have limited use in a digital world. ability to build brand awareness and drive sales.

50 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue This is not a unique case study. In 2016, many Overlaid on top of broader-reaching brand- brands realised that over-targeting brand loyalists building activity, we can use BEM targeting to (or people who look like them) was restricting capture consumers moving into a consideration their ability to reach new growth audiences. mind-set, and speak to them directly with relevant messages. The results can be dramatic. So how do we overcome this problem? Moving from demographic targeting towards blanket audience coverage is often a step too far BEM targeting enables us to backwards. Thankfully, there is a harmonious middle ground between coverage and targeting. capture consumers as they move into a consideration The BEM approach At MediaCom, we analyse Behaviours, Emotions mind-set, and begin a more and Moments and build more optimised audience models. We call this the BEM approach. relevant and direct conversation We only use demographic data to do one thing: remove outliers. BEM in action In a recent test run for a blue-chip MediaCom Powered by consumer data, the BEM approach client (whose advertised product is positioned helps us understand: around breaks and relaxation), we used the BEM model to analyse Facebook conversation data and 1. Behaviours: understand consumers’ daily ‘stress’ moments. Have consumers shown an interest in (or exhibited behaviour that indicates they might be interested We built customised creative responding to these in) a specific product vertical or related area? moments, and served it programmatically to Have they actively sought out or mentioned a reach consumers when they needed a break. specific product or service? We targeted consumers based on their behaviours and emotions (analysing the positive/negative 2. Emotions: sentiment of their previous Facebook posts), What is the general mood of a nation? Has a and the moments that influenced them to share particular product or service suddenly become (like time of day, location and weather). more relevant? Are consumers displaying particular emotional responses to suggest they would be more The BEM approach worked. By targeting receptive to certain brand messages? consumers in this way, rather than using demographics, we doubled brand preference 3. Moments: and purchase intent for our client’s product Has a trigger like weather, transportation issues, when compared with typical demographic or other real-world events caused a product or targeting. Base level activity outside of typical service to become relevant? Has the consumer daily ‘stress’ times ensured that we built salience entered a specific locationwhere certain products in addition to this ‘moment’ targeting. are more easily available or can help them? The BEM model is often a more accurate targeting The BEM model allows us to combine new data model than demographics, and far more efficient sources and triggers — including conversation than blanket audience coverage. It increases media scrapes, content emotion analysis and real-world effectiveness and media efficiencies by turning data events — with programmatic buying technology from filter to facilitator. Isn’t it time you considered to improve targeting and tailor messages for behaviours, emotions and moments? local cultures.

52 BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue Words: David Rose, MIT Media Lab lecturer, CEO and Co-Founder of Ditto Labs FEATURES

Image AI: How brands can benefit from neural networks

A picture says a thousand words, but how can marketers understand what each image means to consumers around the world?

Every image has a meaning. A meaning that extends communicate primarily with images, compared to well beyond a description of what is represented; be millennials who communicate with text. Her 2016 it a bunch of flowers, a restaurant, our family or a presentation predicts that in five years at least 50 % beach. And these meanings are different, based on of all searches are going to be images or speech. our upbringing, culture and values. Already, Google Photos, and Apple iOS 10 lets us search for objects in photos. What an 18-year-old woman from Dubai considers ‘luxury’, for example, is radically different to what How we capture images is also changing a middle-aged man from Japan thinks. That’s why dramatically. Cameras are appearing everywhere; the ability to understand and skillfully use images inside fridges to reorder food, inside jewelry is so vital for brands. and watches to help us take selfies, and inside sunglasses and tie-clips to record snippets of video. Knowing how people will react to the pictures they use in social media advertising, in their app. The photo remix society or on the web, will help brands establish more Consumers are also becoming better at manipula- meaningful connections, create more compelling ting pixels. While this may be the age of the selfie content, and avoid wasting incredible amounts of — 30 % of photos contain faces — it’s also rapidly money by missing their target. becoming the age of the photo editor. Many have become skilled at editing on the move by cropping, Images are the lingua franca colourising and adding filters. Over 5 % of photos Images are increasingly important in the way now include superimposed text as people create consumers talk about themselves, and to each other. more memes, overlays, grids, and other remixes. As internet analyst Mary Meeker revealed, 3.3 Pristine original photos are a thing of the past. billion photos were shared every day in 2015 on the five biggest western social media platforms As cameras become ubiquitous in malls and cities, it — up from just under two billion in 2014. raises the question about how the visual web might Include the Chinese internet players and the turn into the big brother web. Belgium digital artist number would be even higher. Meeker also notes Dries Depoorter, who specialises in challenging that Gen Z — those born up to 20 years ago — surveillance and privacy concerns, has an artistic

BLINK 11 · The Culture Issue 53 Above: What ‘luxury’ looks like in America Above: What ‘luxury’ looks like in UAE

response to this consideration. Depoorter’s 2016 human art director. Our neural networks can score personal concept of luxury. As we found, someone mood boards of images around certain key words installation, ‘Jaywalking’, allows onlookers to photos on anything, from identifiers like ‘romantic’ from New York, for instance, might have a very or topics like ‘family friendly’ or ‘luxury’. view traffic webcams and decide on the fate of and ‘modern’, to ‘alluring’ and ‘luxurious’. different concept of ‘luxury’ to someone in Dubai. Brands can use this information to tweak their pedestrians recklessly crossing the road in a town campaign visuals to cater to local tastes. in Canada. Viewers can press a special button to This helped us compile 1,471 examples of positive email a screen shot of the violation to the nearest Machine learning is making it matches (images that the majority of people agreed Secondly, neural networks can help brands deliver police station. represented ‘luxury’) and 1,485 negative matches more personalised messages, and help them reveal easier to identify cultural insights (images where opinion was split). We fed this data the right images to the right consumers. At Ditto, The rise of machine learning into an internal software tool to build a neural we helped one of our clients improve engagement It’s impossible for marketers to sift through the coded into images network capable of ‘classifying’ or identifying by 20 % by sharing photos matched against their billions of social media images shared every day other images people from specific countries would audiences’ cultural aspirations. to understand the meaning and context of brand How a neural network works consider ‘luxury’. images. Thankfully, machine learning is making Mimicking the neurophysiology of the human brain, Finally, image awareness gives brands a new this easier by helping us identify cultural insights our computers are able to learn the signals of a given source of creative content, allowing them to coded into images. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is concept by ‘seeing’ many examples. These examples Marketers can use neural networks populate their social media activity with more experiencing a renaissance where powerful cloud- are called training data. Given enough training relevant and appealing images. Get the images based servers are able to automatically ‘understand’ data, neural networks can learn to recognise almost to create mood boards of images right, and they’ll not only inspire their followers, the content of a photo or video. The industry calls anything that humans can. The advantages that but encourage their followers’ friends to learn this ‘image understanding’. It includes the ability to computers provide, of course, are speed and cost. around certain keywords more or shop for deals too. locate brands, objects, context, and recently more A neural network can be spread across hundreds of subjective qualities of the photo. computers to ‘read’ hundreds of millions of photos We kept 20 % of our training set in reserve to test Since the advent of photography, consumers per day for about the cost of a single (well-paid) the suggestions from our neural network. have learnt how to instinctively interpret images That’s what we do at Ditto Labs. We read the computer programmer in Boston. As an example, When the network was asked to rate a photo every day. This skill can now be mimicked by a torrent of photos shared on social media to to find training data that represents the concept of previously labelled ‘luxury’ by a human, it agreed computer and be conducted at scale. Machine understand how people use brands ‘in the wild’ luxury, our team at Ditto used a two-step process. 98.4 % of the time. learning and neural networks make the global and track these trends. Our Visual Brand Power photo album accessible and understandable and score allows agencies and advertisers to see what First, we automatically searched Twitter data to find Automatically personalising images for enables marketers to ensure their messages remain is trending in social media using image recognition. photos that were labelled explicitly with #luxury. different audiences relevant to their consumers’ needs. We found 18,000 photos with this hashtag over a This level of accuracy creates real opportunities for Recently, we have built a set of deep neural net- few months. Second, we asked hundreds of real brands looking to share culturally relevant images Author’s Note: Ditto Labs is a pioneer of 'visual listening'. works to discover qualities of photos that would people from different cultures to manually select with target audiences all around the world. Its proprietary image recognition software discovers and tags brands, scenes and objects in online photos. previously have been the exclusive providence of a the photos from this set that represented their own Firstly, they can use neural networks to create

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