Intercultural Communication and International Marketing: Corporate Advertising on the Internet

Diploma Thesis from the year 2005 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 2,0, University of Heidelberg, language: English, abstract: This research examines the relevance of intercultural communication for international marketing, focusing on corporate advertising via the Internet. The first chapter outlines the importance of cultural competence in the field of translation by analyzing the role of modern translators as language, culture and information mediators. Reference is also made to a relatively new field of translation, namely localization. Chapter 2 deals with different definitions and concepts of culture, and various approaches concerning which elements comprise it. Furthermore, it analyzes important culture-related terms also influencing intercultural communication, such as language, cultural differences, culture shock, ethnocentrism and stereotypes. The third chapter is devoted to communication, its components, forms and media. Chapter 4 illustrates the significance of intercultural communication by examining different intercultural aspects and concepts, and providing information on a definition and history of the term and on important intercultural communication theorists. Chapter 5 focuses on the phenomenon of globalization, both in cultural and economic terms. The next chapter refers to the significance of communication and culture skills for international managers and to key competences of international management that can be trained. Chapter 7 explores the broad field of marketing, emphasizing corporate identity and the elements comprising it, essential marketing strategies implemented by multinational companies and the international marketing principle 'Think global, act local', indicating how intercultural communication can determine the success of marketing activities. The last part of this chapter approaches the debate 'standardization versus differentiation'. Chapter 8 is dedicated to advertising as a form of communication, common advertising strategies illustrated through concrete examples, cultural elements that advertisers should take into consideration and the two variants of international advertising campaigns: standardized versus culture-adapted advertising. The last chapter, after giving an insight into the history of the Internet and its multiple functions, explores its use as an instrument of international marketing communication and public relations, and as an advertising medium, focusing on corporate websites of multinational companies.