Cross Cultural Advertising

How does culture impact advertising campaigns in foreign countries?

Culture is a like dropping an Alka-seltzer into a glass you dont
see it, but somehow it does something.
Hans Magnus Enzensberger

Culture affects everything we do. This applies to all areas of

human life from personal relationships to conducting business
abroad. When interacting within our native cultures, culture acts
as a framework of understanding. However, when interacting with
different cultures this framework no longer applies due to cross
cultural differences.

Cross cultural communication aims to help minimise the negative

impact of cross cultural differences through building common
frameworks for people of different cultures to interact within. In
business, cross cultural solutions are applied in areas such as
HR, team building, foreign trade, negotiations and website design.

Cross cultural communication solutions are also critical to

effective cross cultural advertising. Services and products are
usually designed and marketed at a domestic audience. When a
product is then marketed at an international audience the same
domestic advertising campaign abroad will in most cases be
ineffective.

The essence of advertising is convincing people that a product is

meant for them. By purchasing it, they will receive some benefit,
whether it be lifestyle, status, convenience or financial. However,
when an advertising campaign is taken abroad different values
and perceptions as to what enhances status or gives convenience
exist. These differences make the original advertising campaign
defunct.
It is therefore critical to any cross cultural advertising campaign
that an understanding of a particular culture is acquired. By way
of highlighting areas of cross cultural differences in advertising a
few examples shall be examined.

Language in Cross Cultural Advertising

It may seem somewhat obvious to state that language is key to

effective cross cultural advertising. However, the fact that
companies persistently fail to check linguistic implications of
company or product names and slogans demonstrates that such
issues are not being properly addressed.

The advertising world is littered with examples of linguistic cross

cultural blunders. Of the more comical was Fords introduction of
the Pinto in Brazil. After seeing sales fail, they soon realised that
this was due to the fact that Brazilians did not want to be seen
driving a car meaning tiny male genitals.

Language must also be analysed for its cultural suitability. For

example, the slogan employed by the computer games
manufacturer, EA Sports, "Challenge Everything" raises grumbles
of disapproval in religious or hierarchical societies where
harmonious relationships are maintained through the values of
respect and non-confrontation.

It is imperative therefore that language be examined carefully in

any cross cultural advertising campaign

Communication Style in Cross Cultural Advertising

Understanding the way in which other cultures communicate

allows the advertising campaign to speak to the potential
customer in a way they understand and appreciate. For example,
communication styles can be explicit or implicit. An explicit
communicator (e.g. USA) assumes the listener is unaware of
background information or related issues to the topic of
discussion and therefore provides it themselves. Implicit
communicators (e.g. Japan) assume the listener is well informed
on the subject and minimises information relayed on the premise
that the listener will understand from implication. An explicit
communicator would find an implicit communication style vague,
whereas an implicit communicator would find an explicit
communication style exaggerated.

Colours, Numbers and Images in Cross Cultural Advertising

Even the simplest and most taken for granted aspects of

advertising need to be inspected under a cross cultural
microscope. Colours, numbers, symbols and images do not all
translate well across cultures.

In some cultures there are lucky colours, such as red in China

and unlucky colours, such as black in Japan. Some colours have
certain significance; green is considered a special colour in Islam
and some colours have tribal associations in parts of Africa.

Many hotels in the USA or UK do not have a room 13 or a 13th

floor. Similarly, Nippon Airways in Japan do not have the seat
numbers 4 or 9. If there are numbers with negative connotations
abroad, presenting or packaging products in those numbers when
advertising should be avoided.

Images are also culturally sensitive. Whereas it is common to see

pictures of women in bikinis on advertising posters on the streets
of London, such images would cause outrage in the Middle East.

Cultural Values in Cross Cultural Advertising

When advertising abroad, the cultural values underpinning the
society must be analysed carefully. Is there a religion that is
practised by the majority of the people? Is the society collectivist
or individualist? Is it family orientated? Is it hierarchical? Is there a
dominant political or economic ideology? All of these will impact
an advertising campaign if left unexamined.

For example, advertising that focuses on individual success,

independence and stressing the word "I" would be received
negatively in countries where teamwork is considered a positive
quality. Rebelliousness or lack of respect for authority should
always be avoided in family orientated or hierarchical societies.

By way of conclusion, we can see that the principles of

advertising run through to cross cultural advertising too. That is
know your market, what is attractive to them and what their
aspirations are. Cross cultural advertising is simply about using
common sense and analysing how the different elements of an
advertising campaign are impacted by culture and modifying them
to best speak to the target audience.

Many of us may have heard of these infamous errors

made by multinational corporations when translating
brands or slogans abroad. Language, of course, is only
one of many cultural barriers you may have to bridge with
your partner organization. We hope this list will entertain
you while giving important insight on the potential pitfalls
of cross culture communication and serving as a reminder
of the importance of a good sense of humor! American
and Canadian groups may need to explain to their
international partners some of the finer meanings of
certain words used below.
When Kentucky Fried Chicken entered the Chinese
market, to their horror they discovered that their slogan
"finger lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off"
Chinese translation also proved difficult for Coke,
which took two tries to get it right. They first tried Ke-
kou-ke-la because when pronounced it sounded roughly
like Coca-Cola. It wasn't until after thousands of signs had
been printed that they discovered that the phrase means
"bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with
wax", depending on the dialect. Second time around
things worked out much better. After researching 40,000
Chinese characters, Coke came up with "ko-kou-ko-le"
which translates roughly to the much more appropriate
"happiness in the mouth".
Things weren't much easier for Coke's arch-rival Pepsi.
When they entered the Chinese market a few years ago,
the translation of their slogan "Pepsi Brings you Back to
Life" was a little more literal than they intended. In
Chinese, the slogan meant, "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors
Back from the Grave".
But it's not just in Asian markets that soft drinks
makers have problems. In Italy, a campaign for
"Schweppes Tonic Water" translated the name into the
much less thirst quenching "Schweppes Toilet Water".
The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem
Feeling Free," got translated in the Japanese market into
"When smoking Salem, you feel so refreshed that your
mind seems to be free and empty."
General Motors had a perplexing problem when they
introduced the Chevy Nova in South America. Despite
their best efforts, they weren't selling many cars. They
finally realized that in Spanish, "nova" means "it won't
go". Sales improved dramatically after the car was
renamed the "Caribe."
Things weren't any better for Ford when they
introduced the Pinto in Brazil. After watching sales go
nowhere, the company learned that "Pinto" is Brazilian
slang for "tiny male genitals." Ford pried the nameplates
off all of the cars and substituted them with "Corcel,"
which means horse.
Sometimes it's one word of a slogan that changes the
whole meaning. When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint
pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak
in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the
company mistakenly thought the Spanish word
"embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ads said "It
won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."
 Foreign companies have similar problems when they
enter English speaking markets. Japan's second-largest
tourist agency was mystified when it expanded to
English-speaking countries and began receiving requests
for unusual sex tours. Upon finding out why, the owners
of the Kinki Nippon Tourist Company changed its name.
The company didn't change the name of all its divisions
though. Visitors to Japan still have the opportunity to take
a ride on the Kinki Nippon Railway.
When Braniff translated a slogan touting its upholstery,
"Fly in Leather," it came out in Spanish as "Fly Naked."
Coors put its slogan, "Turn It Loose," into Spanish,
where it was read as "Suffer From Diarrhea."
The Dairy Association's huge success with the
campaign "Got Milk?" prompted them to expand
advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to their
attention the Spanish translation read "Are you lactating?"
Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used
the following in an American campaign: "Nothing sucks
like an Electrolux"
Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into
Germany only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure.
 An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for
the Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit
Instead of "I Saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I
Saw the Potato" (la papa)

And some more differences in cross-cultural

communication styles to consider
"Consider the story of an American executive who was
designated to deliver a formal presentation at a Japanese
conference. During her presentation, the woman became
acutely aware of a man in the audience who proceeded to
make strange faces at her. Following the conclusion of her
presentation, the woman voiced her disapproval to the
Japanese hosts. And while an apology was immediately
provided, it was discovered that the man in the audience
had not intended to offend the American speaker. He
simply became so fixated on her facial gestures that he
inadvertently began imitating her. Should this story be
considered an isolated incident of a simple
misunderstanding or is this a prime example of everyday
miscommunication between cultures? Many experts
would support the second conclusion.
"Most of the problems caused by cross-cultural clashes
are usually the result of the failure by some or all parties
involved to recognize and account for differences in
culturally-based communication styles. They assume that
all peoples communicate using the same set of modes and
rules (many of which, like body language styles, are
unconsciously held). For example, numerous
professionals from the US make the mistake of assuming
that all people want to be spoken to informally, just as
they assume that simple body gestures strike the same
chord in any
culture, or the notion that an openly frank style of
negotiating is most appreciated.
"We should first realize that there is no such thing as a
universal form of communication. Take the simple
gesture of a smile. It is not unusual for Americans to
exchange smiles with complete strangers. We smile at
people on the street, at the airport, in restaurants,
shopping malls and so on. We consider it a friendly
gesture. However, in other cultures a smile can take on a
completely different meaning. A smile can be considered
insulting or it can signal embarrassment. Many Americans
fail to realize that common gestures such as shrugging
one's shoulders or scratching one's forehead can be
completely misinterpreted by someone from another
country.
"Each culture has its own rules of communication. A
French executive would probably be offended if a new
acquaintance were to address him by his first name.
Giving the "thumbs up" signal in Australia is impolite.
And a display of frankness so common to Americans
perpetuates the Japanese impression that the American
people exhibit a lack of discipline. Even though such
cultural collisions often elicit negative feedback, they
rarely provoke extreme hostility. Instead, committing a
cultural taboo is usually regarded as improper,
discourteous, or disrespectful. The individual who has the
misfortune of committing the taboo is "rewarded" with
expressions of anger or flat-out silence, which in turn can
be misinterpreted. Such mishaps in communication
almost always serve to diminish one's credibility.
"Usually, cross-cultural gaffes stem from misjudging
situations that involve mingling and communicating with
others. These include: the dress code for appointments,
the manner in which we introduce ourselves and greet
others, expressing thanks to the hosts as well as proper
etiquette for the presentation of gifts. While the majority
of Americans consider such events to be very routine, the
fact remains that the interpretation of these social
commitments varies from country to country. If we fail to
educate ourselves in advance as to what is and what isn't
acceptable, then we prime ourselves for unintentional
embarrassment, possibly at the worst given moment.
"Miscalculating the pertinence of cross-cultural
communications can be counter-productive at best, or
abysmal at worst. Cultural differences with regard to eye
contact, when it is acceptable to smile, and name protocol
for addressing foreign counterparts are all qualities that
dramatically impact all angles of negotiation and
interpersonal communication. For example, the word "no"
is a response that the Japanese tend to avoid altogether.
As strange as it may seem, if they are not optimistic about
a given proposal, rather than tell you in so many words,
they may choose to make a counter inquiry, they may
avoid eye contact with you, or they may simply choose to
walk away. Their answer is for all practical purposes
spelled out in their behavior. Obviously, this can be very
frustrating to American negotiators who are used to a
straight forward "yes" or "no." Understanding and
accepting cultural differences is critical if one expects to
be successful in an overseas assignment."

Creating Cross Cultural Advertising

Cross cultural advertising means more than translation. The
language, style, colors, numbers and symbols of advertising are all
important factors to be considered. To outsource cross cultural
marketing to a professional located in the intended target market is an
effective way to broaden your global business.

As international trade grows, getting your business to cross over

and translate to global markets means significant future growth for
your company. Marketing your business and focusing your efforts
beyond traditional trade boundaries is a reality for most
companies. In fact, thanks to the advancement of digital
technology its easier to conduct business abroad

Therefore, marketing strategies have evolved to take account of

cross cultural differences so that they may appeal to distinctly
different target markets. The key is to remember that the core of
any marketing strategy, be it full color print media or TV
commercials, is to encourage, motivate and convince them to
believe the benefits they can receive and therefore buy your
product

Nevertheless; trying to communicate your idea to those living

abroad is not as easy as it sounds. Some concepts may be
acceptable, while others may be annoying if not appalling or
distasteful for most.

Cross cultural marketing therefore, means successfully

incorporating characteristics to complement the values, traditions,
and perceptions of your target market, whether locally or abroad.
But how does someone achieve this? For some, they employ the
services of an experienced international marketing company but
for others that simply do not have the budget; they may consider
online outsourcing to a professional located in the intended target
market. By employing a professional who already understands
what works and what doesnt you may be able to avoid and easily
negotiate some of the following pitfalls of unsuccessful marketing
campaigns.

Language
Different language, different words, and different accents all
contribute to the success or failure of your marketing campaigns.
How can your target market appreciate your business and
products and services if they cannot understand what youre
trying to say in the first place?
Most people fail to realize how language can affect a marketing
campaign. This is apparent in various tag lines and slogans in
marketing material and other print ads. Therefore, one must be
conscious that otherwise regular and harmless words can easily
be misinterpreted from one culture to the next.

Style
Generally communication should be straight forward and to the
point. But when attempting to relate to different cultural markets
each respond to a different style and understanding the style that
is appropriate is vital in creating an effective marketing campaign
for any business.

This difference can be seen when comparing US search engine

homepages like msn.com to those of China such as sohu.com.
While one has a simplistic straightforward layout, the other utilizes
every inch of the webpage.

Colors, Numbers and Symbols

These elements play significant roles for marketing. In several
cultures for example, even the most ordinary shade of red can
translate a different message, red may mean luck in China, but
can mean death in another country. Likewise the numbers 13 and
4, for example mean different things in the US and Japan. The
number 13 is a very unlucky while the number 4 means death.
Symbols just like images can also convey a variety of meanings
and it is advisable to do thorough research before using them.

The bottom line is that to create ads that appeal to different

cultures, remember to be aware of the principles and traditions
observed in each culture. The best way to accomplish this is
identify your target markets needs, wants and desires. Once you
are able to do that, cross cultural advertising will become a
breeze.
The Hazards of Cross-Cultural Advertising

It was reported that in the early 1950s, an American ink

manufacturer attempted to sell bottled ink in Mexico while its
metal outdoor signs told customers that they could "avoid
embarrassment' (from leaks and stains) by using its brand of ink.
The embarrassment, it seems was all the ink company's. The
Spanish word used to convey the meaning of "embarrassed' was
"embarazar,' which means "to become pregnant.' Many people
thought the company was selling contraceptive device.

A laundry detergent company found sales in Quebec slumping

after introducing a new point-of-purchase campaign announcing
that the detergent worked particularly well on the dirtiest parts of
the wash--"les parties de sale.' The advertiser later learned that
this phrase was similar to another Quebecois expression for
"private parts.'

An American airline in Brazil advertised the "rendez-vous lounges'

in its jets, until they found that in the Brazilian brand of
Portuguese this meant a place to make love.

No advertising agency would hire someone to write an ad in the

United States simply because he spoke English fluently. Neither is
an American's fluency in a foreign language enough for him to re-
create a foreign advertisement. A perfectly literal translation may
urge users of a product to apply their food, ignite their clothes, or
weld false eyelashes to their eyes. Millions of dollars have been
wasted on promoting cigarettes with low "asphalt.'

Advertising copy, in any language, usually is designed to catch

the public eye and ear with appealing printed or spoken
messages, sometimes together with attractive imagery. But
American advertisers sometimes lose sight of the fact that sales
of a product will suffer if advertising copy intended for use abroad
is improperly translated. The sort of advertising disasters just
cited should make advertisers aware that the most effective
translation for advertising purposes will often not be the most
literal one.

But many advertisers find this caveat a difficult one to heed,

particularly those who prefer to adapt material already prepared
for domestic media in the preparation of American advertising for
foreign use. This practice may be acceptable provided that the
adaptation is not simply a straight translation-- especially a
translation of verbal contents which are highly idiomatic or
narrowly American in meaning. Translation of advertising
communications often involves words with multiple meanings and
definitions that lack direct equivalences in a foreign language. An
advertising heading which depends on a play on words peculiar to
the English language will not be rendered sensibly in other
tongues; the entire message may be destroyed.

Thus, it would appear that effective translation of advertisements

should be a simple matter of careful lexical research within and
beyond the dictionary. This conclusion, although quite
incomplete, is derived from the belief that grammatical,
syntactical, and idiomatic equivalences are the overriding concern
in translation. Of course, no linguistic counterparts may exist for
certain vocabulary items in another language. Additionally,
dictionaries are of limited usefulness because the language of the
dictionary generally is not the language of the people. For
example, animals, household objects, terrain features, biological
terms, etc. are categories in which vocabularies may differ so
radically between languages as to prohibit attaining equivalence.

Translating cannot, except in the most mundane of technical

texts, be reduced to a task of mere word, phrase, or sentence
replacement between languages. Frequently, conceptual, not
lexical, obstacles frustrate the search for equivalence between
languages. Concepts may not be equivalent in two languages
because the languages are welded intimately to the culture in
which they are spoken. Moreover, a particular concept within one
culture may not exist at all in another culture--thus rendering the
construction of translated materials much more complex matter
than initially imagined.

This means an inexperienced advertiser will have to rethink his

entire idea of translation and to discard preconceived notions
about the technique of translating. To be effective, the technique
used to re-create advertising for foreign cultures must avoid the
all-too-common tendency toward translating verbal and pictorial
message content without regard to the form it takes. This
suggests that advertisers need to explore in greater detail the
symbolic forms and the concepts embedded in their
advertisements before re-creating-- because translations of
concepts, alone, without attention to their form, is risky.

There was an anecdote in the press several years ago which

illustrates this point. It seems a baby food company
unsuccessfully tried to peddle its product (with a label showing a
cuddly infant) in an African nation whose people were unfamiliar
with Western pictorial conventions. It turned out many of the
prospective customers there thought the jars contained ground-
up babies. In a similar occurrence, a firm tried selling
refrigerators to the Islamic Middle East with an advertisement
picturing their appliance filled with food-- including a giant ham.

While these examples represent extremes of conceptual

mistranslation, such impropriety is made possible because many
of the underlying processes of advertising go unapprehended by
the advertisers themselves. The reason for this lack of vision is
that in attempts to communicate or to persuade or simply to
interest audiences, advertisers are being motivated by, and using
cultural models among whose differences they may choose, but
from whose totality they cannot escape. These cultural models
carry messages about the advertiser's perception of the world.
One seldom marks the innumerable messages received or sent
out in one's lifetime, and seldom is person able to decipher the
greater patterns into which the messages fall. But even if
decoding were possible, a member of a particular society would
still be compelled to rely on these same models of value implicit
within his culture in order to obtain fundamental psychological,
social, and ideological support and direction.

Thus, in a way, advertisements provide an indication of what

constitutes acceptable or desired features and behaviors within a
society. For this reason, the single most important element to be
exploited in advertising is perhaps the association of ideas. Aster
all, advertising depends on the act of association in order to
relate a product or service, either directly or indirectly, to a
symbolic situation; i.e., something that already has associated
with it certain feelings, attitudes, and values.

For example, a man who was reared in New York City wears a
cowboy hat, which is deeply rooted with the cowboy image in
American culture. The cowboy is perceived as powerful, self-
reliant, and master of his environment. The New Yorker's
behavior intimates that he is responding to what may be called
the myth of the cowboy.
Throughout history, myths have helped form cultures'
communications behavior. On a superficial level of analysis they
may remain unapprehended or, in the case of cross-cultural
communication, be misunderstood. The possibilities for such
misinterpretation multiply for advertising via media such as
television, radio, or print, since they continually draw upon and
perpetuate cultural values and meanings. An advertiser should
not assume that members of different cultural groups will
respond to a particular advertisement in the same way.
Consequently, when two cultures differ widely in basic values,
socialization, and ways of life, achieving equivalence in a
translation may be difficult --perhaps impossible--even if care has
been taken from the standpoint of language.

For instance, a print advertisement for a men's cologne, picturing

a man and his dog in an American rural setting, failed to attract
the male market in North Africa. The advertiser was unaware that
dogs, the American "man's best friend,' were alleged to have
eaten one of Mohammed's regiments centuries ago and therefore
are considered either signs of bad luck or uncleanliness in parts of
Moslem North Africa and elsewhere

Similarly, a U.S. manufacturer introduced its mouthwash in

Thailand with an advertising campaign portraying a boy and a
girl, overtly found of each other, one telling the other to use the
mouthwash to fight bad breath. Such an open display of boy-girl
relationships was considered improper by the Thai people. Sales
increased only when two girls were selected to appear in the
same scene.

In each of these examples, one can see that the advertisers in

question were relying on their own sets of cultural myths to make
clear to their domestic audiences abstract ideas in cases where
long, drawn-out oral or written explanations might attenuate their
effects. However, the foreign target cultures did not attribute to
these myths quite the same significance as did the advertisers.
One might conclude from those advertisers' experiences that the
reason successful advertising is successful is because it can elicit
a culturally positive concept by means of a printed or pictorial
message which is significant to the target culture.

However, the concepts expressed in an advertisement do not

always have to be visual. A few years ago, a famous American
designer began to advertise her new women's fragrance to the
Latin American market. The advertising campaign emphasized the
perfume's fresh camellia scent. The fragrance did not move from
the shelves of stores in Latin America because camellias are the
flowers used for funerals in most of Latin America.

Such cross-cultural advertising horrors are the result of a failure

to perceive that a specific product, together with its advertising,
can be viewed differently in different cultural settings. The
creative expert for the campaign was inattentive to the fact that
when the same product is presented to a foreign market, the
product may be associated with certain different values in the
different culture.

Cross-cultural advertisers also have to evaluate the products they

introduce into a culture in the context of that culture's preexisting
habits and practices in order to determine their compatibility with
cultural norms. For example, a toothpaste claiming to give users
white teeth was especially inappropriate in many areas of
Southeast Asia where betel-nut chewing is a habit among the
well-to-do, and black teeth are viewed as a sign of higher social
status.

Nevertheless, certain concepts are fairly universal in their

application across cultures. One can see that the avoidance of
physical pain and the sanctity of the family seem to be concepts
that are equally acceptable in many cultures. However, like the
connotations of white teeth, concepts of civilized eating or
drinking may take certain forms in one culture and be totally
unthinkable in others.

In the United Kingdom, for instance, hot milk-based beverages

often are drunk just before going to bed. These drinks are viewed
as having sleep-inducing properties.

In Thailand, however, these same hot drinks are consumed

outside the home and mostly on the way to work and are viewed
as possessing invigorating properties.

Yet, despite the importance of culture in explaining consumer

behavior, this factor appears to be misunderstood and
undervalued by many advertisers as they enter the international
market. While market research is often desirable in home-market
advertising, it is likely that an advertiser will use only his own
personal experience to guide him. This method is not a valid tool
for entry into cross-cultural markets. For instance, whether a
bicycle is viewed as a mode of transportation or as a leisure
equipment item should have a tremendous effect on how one
would attempt to market and advertise bicycles. Indeed, in
different countries bicycles are used in completely different ways,
and an advertiser must be fully aware of those differences.

It is perhaps advisable that future cross-cultural advertising

should take a different direction from what has been tried so far.
Appropriate cultural research prior to introducing a new product
abroad or launching an advertising campaign in a foreign
language can help advertisers avoid transmitting ambiguous or
twisted messages to foreign cultures. An advertiser must be
mindful of the fact that each culture represents a different way of
coming to terms with life, thought, and of taking as given a
multitude of assumptions about social conventions and
institutions, economics, politics, and the universe. These
assumptions form the basis of a culture's beliefs, norms and
involvement with the symbolic word, which in turn shape the
behavior patterns of a people.

2) Licensing and franchising - A manufacturer

of trader can adopt the licensing mechanism to
enter the global market. Thus, the local exporter
can take the role of the licensor and his foreign
counterpart can take the role of a licensee. The
licenser will transfer the right to use his patent
/tehcnology to the licensee for a given fee. Such
a license will have to be renewed periodically.
The licensor faces the risk of facing future
competition from the licensee. Hence, the
licensor continuously upgrades and updates his
technology.

The franchising model of global entry will

involve a franchisor and a franchisee. The
franchisee receives the benefit of the entire
operating system and the associated benefits
from the franchisor. In return, he is expected to
invest for franchising purposes. The franchisee
also gets a share in the overall profits of the
franchiser.

3) Joint Venture - An Indian businessman can

enter into a joint venture agreement as a co-
venturer with a foreign company. Such a joint
venture may be for a specific period of time or a
specific activity (project). The agreement will
indicate the mutual rights and responsibilities of
the co-venturers. Most of the advertising
agencies have such agreements with Indian
agencies. A joint venture agreement can give
benefit of globalisation to the participants.

4) Direct Investment - An Indian national can

enter the global market by undertaking
corporate investments in foreign countries
through the direct investment channel. Eg. Tata
Corus, Arcelor Mittal.
Thus, a trader or manufacturer can use
alternative strategies to enter the global markets.