Cultural adoption to succeed

 

Licensing a property abroad? Don’t forget to investigate the cultural differences.
 
When looking to license a property into overseas markets, it is vitally important to take time to understand the local cultural differences in each territory. Something that works in one country is not guaranteed to work in another and this is a fact that is sometimes overlooked.
 
FEW INSTANCES
There are many examples of properties in different territories that have come up against cultural issues. Bob the Builder, the animated property that is well-known for being popular in many countries around the world, received a frosty reception in South Korea. Why? Because pre-school properties need parental support in order to succeed and Korean parents are ambitious for their children. They don’t want them aspiring to be a builder like Bob. Maybe Bob the Barrister would have had more appeal!
 
In Australia, Zhu Zhu Pets have not seen a similar level of success as they have in other parts of the world. This is because Australia has no hamsters. Two hundred years ago, when they were introduced into the country, they were treated as pests that would destroy crops. Clearly, children weren’t going to feel the affinity to the pets if they didn’t know them.
Also, a visit to the country’s toy fair quickly gives an indication of how different the marketplace is in the country. Australia is an outdoor living country and children’s products reflect this. Anybody looking for licensed products would do well to remember this.
 
Now, moving to the Middle East and, more specifically, Barbie – Barbie has been around for decades and has enjoyed phenomenal popularity, but is certainly not popular in the Middle Eastern Muslim cultures. Her dress sense is viewed as obscene and she is very much perceived as a Western female.
 
But, despite there being a Fatwah on the plastic doll in a number of different Islamic countries, young girls, no matter where they are, like to play with fashion dolls.
 
To fill this need, Fulla, a fashion doll and more restrained Barbie alternative, was introduced by a UAE manufacturer from Dubai. Fulla’s costumes are far more conservative, and while Barbie has a range of careers, Fulla’s activities revolve more around shopping, cooking, reading and spending time with her friends. Fulla comes complete with a hijab and underclothes that are permanently moulded onto the doll. However, in an effort to modernise, Fulla has two careers planned in the future – that of a doctor and a teacher. 
 
Fulla is sold mainly in Islamic and Middle-Eastern countries as well as China, Brazil, North Africa, Egypt and Indonesia. A few are sold in the United States. 
 
Staying in the Middle East, Peppa Pig, created in the UK, is seeing a global roll out, but has hit a snag while entering certain Middle Eastern and Eastern European countries. Some religions deem pigs (even in cartoon form) to be either unclean or impure.
 
Winnie the Pooh, world-renowned throughout licensing from the Disney cartoon versions of AA Milne’s books, has a counterpart in Russia – which, according to recent research, the locals prefer. In the Soviet Union, Winnie the Pooh – translated as Vinni Pukh – was made into a trilogy of short films by former Soviet film-maker, Soyuzmultfilm. The short films were based on a Russian translation of the book. The animators used very different illustrations to those in the original books and cartoons, and, obviously very different again from the Disney adaptation. They also used different aspects of the characters’ personalities created by A A Milne that, interestingly, were not used in the Disney adoptions.
 
TRANSFORMING PROPERTIES TO FIT IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
Two properties that have changed to translate into different cultures are “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the original name of the comic book and then successful TV series that hit the world in the early 1990s. However, in the UK, the name was changed to the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles due to controversy surrounding weaponry and violence at the time of the animated series’ release. 
Similarly, J K Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel travelled across the pond in the other direction with a different name, changing the Philospher’s Stone to the Sorcerer’s Stone in the US. However, the language in the series of Harry Potter books remains steadfastly English, with the word ‘mum’ and so on, changing only in the first book, instead of being replaced by ‘mom’. 
 
To date, there have been over 60 translations of Harry Potter books, and it is interesting to note the use of wordings and things such as spells, that are literally lost in translation, and have to be substituted. 
 
On a lighter note, in China, an unauthorised Chinese-language Harry Potter book was released, which, when translated back into English language, was entitled Harry Potter and Leopard Walk Up to Dragon.
 
Harry Potter itself has seen numerous controversies and bans in countries where it is deemed to be variously promoting black magic, witchcraft, anti-religious speech and practice. 
 
In Iran in particular, anything that is magic-related is deemed to be against teachings and religion, and is, as a result, banned. For similar reasons, Batman and the Da Vinci Code are also banned in Iran.
 
Interestingly, Iran actually produces some tremendous games and animation content – much of it fairly violent but still falling within the strict religious boundaries that have been set.  
 
Famous feline Hello Kitty is less popular in countries that do not have a national love of cats – similarly, some countries do not feel the same affection for dogs as pets as many Western countries.
 
In many territories – particularly Scandinavian countries – cartoons expressing violence are heavily discouraged, particularly if they are cartoons aimed at pre-school children. For older kids, South Park, for example, is not allowed to be broadcast in several countries, as of course it has in the past satirised many dictators and regimes, as well as being containing adult humour. 
 
BUSINESS PLAN BASED ON DEMOGRAPHIC
Of course, beyond the types of properties that work in a territory, it’s important to look at how the demographic in the territory works. In the Middle East, for example, it is pointless targeting fourth quarter sales around Christmas. Ramadan and Eid are the key retail high points as well as the beginning of the school year. This is the reason why back to school and stationery products have become opening entry points to countries. To build a brand in a country, there needs to be communication about the brand – communication that appeals to the country’s consumers. 
 
Cuba makes for an interesting brand study, containing brands that much of the rest of the world has never seen. With the United States embargo, meaning that many brands from the rest of the world are unknown, brands from other countries, such as Mexico, Venezuela or even Canada, flourished. An example is Tukola, Cuba’s alternative home-grown version of Coca Cola. The drink comes with a tagline – Revolutionalise your thirst – which bears a slight political message. 
The Republic of China is notorious for its censorship, and paradoxically its ever-growing licensing activities. Many game consoles are banned from being sold in China, and yet the purchasing of video games is not. In addition, for example, several 2D versions of the film Avatar were banned from cinemas and home video systems, with fears that people would feel threatened by the hints of removal and violence. 
 
THE INDIA CONNECT
In India, which has a growing economy and growing consumer spending, it is reported that sales are increasing in the area of luxury goods. However, whilst this is all very well, India is a country that is widely diversified – the regions in the country can differ as much as different continents. With a multitude of cultures, languages and religions, making up the vast population, those looking to promote luxury brands in India need to look at localising their marketing strategies region by region. A multitude of cultures, languages, religions, festivals, colours and tastes make up this land of 1.1 billion people.So, it’s about understanding the difference between the flamboyant nature of a Punjabi customer and the more reserved nature of a Gujarati one, and speaking to each of them in the specific cultural register that they respond to. Brands such as Louis Vuitton and Rolls Royce have been successful in their approach to the country as they have done just that – localised the methods, not only country by country but region to region.
 
When looking to work in another territory, it is very important to understand how different people from different nations do business. 
 
In these days of Skype, email, and conference calls, it is tempting to go about business as one would in one’s own country. However, while most of us are aware, for example, of the Japanese custom of presenting a gift to a potential business partner and the conundrum faced by if it will be enough, or too much, there are numerous cultural differences in the way people go about business. 
 
Face value, in many parts of the world, is more than just a curious politeness – it is essential to doing business. It is highly important to gain at least some knowledge of the etiquette and protocol that is deemed acceptable in different parts of the world. For example, many countries put a strong emphasis on respect and the family, and strong moral values – it will be hard to enter into a relationship with a company without being able to demonstrate some of these factors. Using a local agent, and not just one that covers a whole territory, can often be the solution to these problems. 
 

 

The author is Editor, Total Licensing 
 
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