LibGuides: Intercultural Communications and Global Business Etiquette: Intercultural Communication Design

Design, too?

Intercultural communication is not just about spoken and written words; design motifs, colors, and other visual elements can communicate different meanings in different religions, countries and geographic regions, and subcultures and other affinity groups.

What factors to consider?

Localized factors to consider for any market

population demographics: age, gender, income, etc
national and regional interests and history
cultural norms and communication patterns
religious culture and ethnic diversity --or not--in market
news events or political unrest

And how they play out

holidays, observances, and events--are they used appropriately for marketing>
packaging, color, scent, and other aesthetic considerations
spending priorities

Aspects of ...

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands - Sales and Marketing: the essential cultural guide--from presentations and promotions to communicating and closing
SPRING 2021 note: This is a physical book (not ebook) so it is not currently available through the FIT Library. You may check a library near you for a version you can borrow or read online.

The FIT library has many books on doing business with other countries or regions of the world; how to conduct business and expected behavior (e.g. greetings) is often discussed. Try some of these phrases in OneSearch:

Business anthropology	Intercultural communication
Business communication [name of country or region]	International business enterprises
Business etiquette [name of country or region]]	Management cross-cultural studies
Corporate culture [name of country]or region]	Marketing cross-cultural studies.
Cross-cultural orientation	Negotiation in business [name of country or region]
Cultural relations

The Business of Holidays
"The commercial culture of holidays extends from the traditional -- decorations, costumes, and cards -- to the immaterial and ephemeral -- phone calls, airline tickets, and department store bills" This book "explores longstanding holiday images, such as Santa Claus and shamrocks, as well as quirkier aspects of visual culture. The rites that surround these special days have been adopted, or even invented by, the pervasive marketing that surrounds them to such an extent that the celebration of holidays and the business of holidays have become inseparable"
(This book covers mostly a U.S perspective)

Here are some guide to holidays around the world. Some are "national" but there are also many other widely observed holidays and observances with historical, religious, cultural, and regional origins. How they are celebrated or commemorated varies widely and this can affect business and personal plans.

For example:

Is Memorial Day the beginning of the summer season and an established marketing opportunity or is it a somber commemoration?
Halloween: Fun for everyone, or a kids-only celebration, or the eve of a solemn religious occasion, or some combination?
Do the symbols of the holiday fit --or not fit--into a advertising or marketing campaign?
What about other occasions like beginning of summer vacation or back-to-school? See National Retail Federation : Holiday and Seasonal Trends for U.S. insights.

Did you know about Qixi Festival?
"Happy Qixi Festival. The traditional Chinese holiday, also known as Double Seven or Chinese Valentine’s Day, commemorates the more than 2,600-year-old tale of two star-crossed lovers. It also marks an occasion for luxury brands like Dior and Bulgari to release limited-edition collections, which they began in 2016. This year, brands began advertising dedicated items as early as 1 July. Some, like Valentino’s $1,455 secret gift box, sold out in minutes." (Vogue Business, email newsletter August 7, 2019)
How Nike commemorated the occasion

Suggested search terms

holidays and consumerism globally
global beauty consumers holidays
[name of holiday or occasion] retail
[name of holiday or occasion] marketing
[name of holiday or occasion] beauty

Some relevant articles and reports:

"Ramadan Is A Marketing Opportunity For Retailers"
Forbes.com 4/24/19
2019 US & World Holidays to Plan Your Marketing Calendar Around
Includes many "'global awareness days'" recognized worldwide. Many of them are created by the United Nations (UN) to emphasis different issues, and are particularly useful for nonprofits"
"Beyond Black Friday: Global shopping 'holidays'"
CNN.com 11/23/12
Christmas Traditions Worldwide
National Holidays Around the World

Books: search OneSearch for
- Color [or name of specific color] Psychological aspects
- Color [or name of specific color] Social aspects
- Symbolism of colors
Forecasting services: for formal analysis as well as visual confirmation of how color is represented globally
Global magazines: note ads as well as editorial features