Cultural competency is critical to creative success in Asia
JANUARY 2023
RICH AKERS, MASH CREATIVE LEAD, ASIA
Whatever Hollywood may think, Asia is not a monolith. Rather, it’s an incredibly complex region—home to 51 countries and over 2,300 languages. Mash’s Rich Akers shares why what works for one Asian country may not work for another, and how brands can avoid partaking in ‘creative colonialism’.
The movie Memoirs of a Geisha starred not one, but three famous Chinese actresses as titular Japanese geisha.
Local adaptation
Successful international brands adapt to local markets. When expanding into Bangkok, IKEA worked closely with their local team in Thailand to scrutinise product names, as some of the original Swedish words had less than savoury connotations in Thai (yes, that is a meatball reference).
It’s not just about avoiding faux pas but also about understanding why a local culture might value a brand and leveraging that insight to create authentic connections and opportunities.
Pitfalls and opportunities
You shouldn’t use the number four in China, show dogs in Malaysia, or be too careless with bare feet in Thailand. Getting a little deeper, where Western cultures tend to wear black for mourning, white is the traditional funeral colour in Japan, and choosing between red and yellow in Thailand can be a whole thing on the wrong days.
But of course, these rules are made to be broken—if you can identify an authentic cultural brand perspective to speak from.
Coca-Cola leaned into an honest and authentic claim to “China Red”—as well as some savvy wordplay around its well-known Chinese name—to own Chinese New Year in Malaysia in an iconic campaign to rebrand their packaging, resulting in a 43 per net increase in total sales over the Spring Festival.
It’s not just about avoiding faux pas but also about understanding why a local culture might value a brand and leveraging that insight to create authentic connections and opportunities.
Where are you from, from?
When making purchasing decisions, consumers from Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia said representation was the most important consideration—more critical than cost or quality, with consumers from Vietnam considering it second most important.
This means Singaporean representation to Singaporeans, Thai representation to Thais—not simply Asian faces in Asia. This goes beyond merely wanting to see people who look like us in marketing, getting down to the core of cultural and national pride and identity in countries and communities where foundational historical events were only a few generations away.
The importance of local voices
Engaging with local influencers, media, and cultural trends is essential for brands to resonate with consumers in various APAC markets.
When we talk about culture, we don’t simply mean regional culture and tradition. It’s not merely Thai culture vs. Japanese culture—it’s Thai graffiti culture vs. Japanese skateboarding culture: Chinese lay-flat culture vs. Singaporean Expat culture; HK Crypto-bros to K-Pop to Canto Cosplay—and everything in between. It’s speaking to people in the places and spaces they feel most authentic, helping you build solid and long-term relationships with your target audiences in Asia.
Head to Campaign Asia to read the full article.
