Creation of a Pan-European Advertising
Myth or Reality?
Law on advertisingAdvertisingCodes of ethicsContent analysisCultural differencesLatviaSpainManagement of enterprisesFöretagsledningManagementBusiness and Economics
In order to answer the question in the title, a cross-cultural analysis of two countries was done. Countries chosen were the Republic of Latvia and the Kingdom of Spain. The need for this research was suggested by increased cross-border business activities inside the European Union, and the lack of previous studies involving new Member States. The aim of the research was to see what environmental factors influence advertising adaptation in the European Union, as well as to evaluate the applicability of a standardisation approach. According to the theory, there are three external factors that influence the creation of a global advertising. These are legislation, language and culture. The analysis consisted of two parts; first included a comparison of the legal environment in both countries. It focused on the differences in regulations governing advertising and TV broadcasting. As a second step, a content analysis of TV commercials recorded from Spanish and Latvian television was done. This analysis helped to identify cultural and language differences that exist in two cultures.Overview of the legal environment included the analysis of the Community level legislation (directive on misleading and comparative advertising, and directive on broadcasting activities); as well as national legal acts (laws covering advertising on the television). Special attention was paid to activities of self-regulatory institutions and related organisations. The analysis showed that there were only small differences in both legal systems. Laws on advertising were almost identical. Differences appeared in the importance of self-regulatory institutions and industry associations. However, the analysis showed that these differences are not capable to create strong barriers for standardisation.In the second part of the paper cultural factors were examined. The content analysis of TV spots showed that there are different advertising approaches used in two countries. In order to explain these differences, Hofstede?s dimensions of cultures were used. Research was delimited to two dimensions (individualism and masculinity), as they were of a special interest through out the whole investigation (also being part of the research questions). Latvia and Spain were different in individualistic dimension, with Spain being more collectivistic. Because of the differences in this dimension, cultures also used different communication styles. Latvian consumers needed more information and precise data on the product, before they could make a buying decision. Spaniards, on the other hand, used more symbolic and indirect communication style (being a high-content society). In the masculinity dimension, both cultures showed rather similar results by being more feminine but still with some masculine values. However, as dimensions are interrelated, femininity in these cultures was expressed in different ways. Spanish were concerned of the quality of life, whereas Latvians were paying more attention to the softness and caring. The research showed that in the majority of cases when cross-border activities are involved, companies have to adjust their marketing strategies to different cultural environments. And there is nothing a single company can do in order to create a homogeneous cultural environment on the territory of the EU. Cultural diversity is what makes the European Union so special and companies have to be aware of it.