General Management
14
Bachelorarbeit
Advertisement in India. Tradition and Western Influences
Graduate Sherin Eralil Supervisor Prof. René Rüttimann, PhD
Because of weak to moderate growth rates, India, one of
other aspects such as history and religion was also taken
the BRIC economies, has not been able to live up to the
into account.
world’s expectations in recent years. However, it is hoped that the newly elected Indian government will breathe new
The findings of the analysis, which are not generally valid
life into the struggling economy and maybe even bring In-
as only a small sample of advertisements was examined,
dia back on the growth path. This development is also re-
indicate that the advertisements of multi-national compa-
flected in advertising expenditures, which declined in the
nies do not include typical culture-specific aspects and
recent challenging years but are expected to increase
traditional values as intensively as the advertisements of
again as steadily as they did when India liberalized its
local Indian companies. At the same time, a change to-
economy in 1991. Additionally, India’s promising middle
wards more modern advertising styles could be observed
class is estimated to expand further, and many multina-
in local Indian advertisements. Western or modern traits
tional companies have already tapped into the Indian mar-
were especially noticeable in the luxury/premium goods in-
ket in order to get a slice of the pie.
dustry, which is in line with findings from previous, similar research.
Companies wishing to attract the attention of potential consumers in India should consider adapting their adver-
The thesis suggests that the change in advertising styles in
tising strategies to the local market. The degree of localiza-
India might be explained by a change in the mindset of In-
tion of advertisements, however, differs from company to
dia’s emerging middle class, which consists of urban men
company and can also differ among industries. The aim of
and women favoring a Western lifestyle. While this may re-
this Bachelor’s thesis was therefore to examine if and to
flect a clash of traditional and modern values, it is pointed
what extent multinational companies operating in India in-
out that the vast majority of the Indian population still has
clude culture-specific aspects in their advertising. A num-
rather modest means and lives in rural areas where a mod-
ber of advertisements of local Indian and multinational
ern or Western lifestyle is not yet appealing.
companies were examined to establish if they incorporated the previously acquired information and characteristics of the Indian culture. The methodology used for this Bachelor’s thesis was a literature review. Hofstede’s five dimensions model and findings from his analysis of Indian culture served as the main basis for comprehending Indian values and tradition, as well as Marieke de Mooij’s adaptation of his cultural dimensions on global advertising and marketing. The impact of