A cross-cultural comparison of response to service promotion

The productivity of advertising and promotion in the international arena is a topic of great interest to firms operating globally, yet it is one which has been insufficiently explored while effectiveness of promotional activities may differ between countries, it is important to recognise that because of culturally artificial boundaries and within-country differences among consumers, nationality itself may not provide an adequate basis for segmentation in the development of international marketing strategies. To this end, culturally-specific variables (e.g. ethnicity, religion, and urban or rural residence) are evaluated among 11,532 users of a consumer health service in six dissimilar countries for their ability to define market segments which account for differences in the effectiveness of various promotional methods. Results suggest that urban dwellers, non-minority ethnic group members, and those affiliated with Christian or majority religious groups show greater response to print and electronic media, while more personal promotions such as educational meetings are more effective among rural residents and members of minority ethnic and religious groups. Compared across countries, our results ave generally consistent with those obtained in cultural values research.