The influence of culture marketing communications : critical cultural factors influencing South African and German businesses

Abstract

The area of international communication possesses great potential for research. This study is undertaken in order to understand the influence of national culture on marketing communications between South African and German businesses. The study is undertaken as a cross-sectional quantitative survey combined with qualitative in-depth interviews to provide better understanding of the information obtained from the survey. The data was collected with the aid of a research questionnaire, which was emailed to the research sample. Collected data was analyzed using SPSS (Version 17.0) and descriptive analysis was carried out using tables and figures as well as the application of inferential statistics. The research sample was obtained from the Membership Directory 2010/2011 of the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry with contact details of 500 companies located in South Africa and dealing with German businesses. Findings of the study revealed the following as critical cultural factors to marketing communication: language, value systems, religion, level of education, attitude towards time, as well as the marketing communication style and marketing messages. The study has revealed the emergence of new challenges for companies operating internationally. The national culture of each country is highlighted as an area of importance whose variables exert considerable influence on the communication process. In light of the research findings, recommendations for improving international communication between South African and German companies are provided.