Global marketing disasters and recoveries

Using a plethora of examples, Elliot Polak, founder of advertising adaptation network Text Appeal, and Frank Cuttita, CEO of the Center for Global Branding, discuss cross-cultural advertising mistakes and disasters.

Global Marketing disasters and recoveries

Elliot Polak

Frank Cuttita

Toyota aired a commercial in Malaysia with Brad Pitt as the pitchman. The country's prime minister promptly banned it and declared it was time for Asian advertising to use Asian figureheads, who, he pointed out, can be just as handsome as westerners.

This may or may not be an overreaction, but the warning is clear. Globalisation has led to the converse: raised sensitivity regarding all that is local. Respect – or perceived lack of respect – of people's roots, local values, beliefs, cultures, iconography and language, is ignored at one's peril....

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