Why is Cultural Awareness Important for Branding?

Cultural awareness is an important and powerful tool that helps a brand in building connections with its partners, funders, and consumers.

There is a myth that most business owners, branding experts, and marketers believe. It is that cultural awareness is only important for global businesses. What most people overlook is the fact that the world today is a global village. Even as a local business owner, you will meet and interact with consumers, suppliers, and contractors from various cultures.

Cultural awareness helps individuals and businesses embrace diversity and celebrate inclusion. Becoming aware of the cultural differences will help a brand avoid conflicts and create empathetic connections with its target audience.

However, unlike local businesses, international brands need a culturally sensitive branding that speaks to everyone in their target audience.Here are some of the reasons why cultural awareness is important for branding.

#1 Changed Perspectives & New Marketing Guidelines

As the world is adopting a more progressive perspective, authorities and policymakers are revisiting the old guidelines. For instance, ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) made new ad regulations that restrict any content that stereotypes women. They intend to modify the image of women and protect our new generation from limiting gender norms.

This calls for brands to revisit their marketing for any intentional and unintentional instances of objectification, sexualization, body shaming, body image, and conformist content. The brands should now re-evaluate their branding and clarify their position by adopting a gender-neutral approach.

#2Communication, Language& Limitations

Whether it’s a Zoom meeting or a live encounter, people of different cultures sit together at the office table. In such instances, the choice of your words and your general cultural sensitivity for people of diverse backgrounds become very important.

When you translate this idea to branding, your brand’s language then becomes a very important factor in determining how inclusive your brand is. For example, the brands that use localized terminology in their brand’s taglines and slogans limit their chances to connect with diverse audience groups.

#3 Humanizing, Supporting & Setbacks

As a culturally aware brand, you should be able to understand your audience on a human level. This helps you identify their pain points and allows you to serve them with better products and better services. This also helps you humanize your brand, so people see you not as a website or shop, but as a thriving brand that connects and communicates with its audience.

Moreover, cultural awareness helps the brand stand up for social causes. An extensive study by Magna Global shows that people believe in brands that have a clear social standing. The report also shares that consumers base their purchasing decisions on a brand’s political and social position. You can view the complete report here.

Key Takeaways

Being culturally aware gives your brand the cultural sensitivity to build meaningful connections with its audience. When done right, cultural awareness gives a brand more chances to address a more diverse and widespread audience and position itself as a strong international or global brand.

Learn more www.thinkzillaconsulting.com or request a consultation! 888-509-1145