When is a gift not a gift?
When it’s unwelcome of course!
And that’s the warning that western marketers should take heed of.

In the western commercial world, marketers often use pleasant surprises to influence consumers’ brand evaluations and purchasing decisions, but surprises are not always held to be pleaurable in some cultures. Marketing across cultures is a minefield and anyone in this line of business should be wary of different cultural responses to promotional gifts, especially the unexpected ones.

 However nice the gift may be, the surprise element can make some recipients feel uneasy – and its nothing to do with thoughts of bribery and corruption. East Asians genuinely feel their emotional balance has been disrupted because an unexpected gift indicates imbalance and prophesises bad fortune. People in the Nordic countries tend to feel suspicious. Americans, on the other hand, are delighted.

A new cross-cultural study of consumer response has recently been published which suggests that East Asians’ enjoyment of  ‘surprise’ gifts is much increased  when the gift is attiributable to luck.  So, for example, it is far more acceptable to have consumers enter a “Lucky Game” to win the gift. Undoubtedly, marketing activities across borders must accomodate cross-cultural differences.

 About the study: Ana Valenzuela, Barbara Mellers, and Judi Strebel. “Pleasurable Surprises: A Cross-Cultural Study of Consumer Responses to Unexpected Incentives.” Journal of Consumer Research: February 2010 (published online July 15, 2009).The authors conducted four studies in which participants received a gift as a token of appreciation for participating in a survey. Some of the participants knew about the gifts before participating, while others were surprised.

Being an interculturalist is one of the most fascinating professions –
you learn something new everday. Interestingly, I was speaking to an anthropologist friend of mine recently and learned that in her professions anthroplogists aren’t considered true anthropologists until they spend five years in the community that they study. As an interculturalist I can quite understand why that is…

A photographic competition promoting the cultural diversity and universal values of childhood is taking place to increase awareness of the health and living conditions of children around the world. The competiton which is being run by the International Vaccine Institute is open until August 12th.

Confronting one of the most hotly debated social issues in France, President Sarkozy gave a withering critique of burquas as a symbol of  women’s “enslavement” – and he wants to stamp them out. Apparently there is no room in France for the garment that some Muslim women wear to cloak their bodies and faces. Addressing the French Parliament, Mr Sarkozy said: “The issue of the burqa is not a religious issue. It is a question of freedom and of women’s dignity.” He emphasised, “The burqa is not a religious sign. It is a sign of the subjugation, of the submission, of women.”  To enthusiastic applause, he said, “I want to say solemnly that it will not be welcome on our territory.”

But why such “intolerance” on the part of the French?

The separation of Church and State is jealously guarded in France, embodying that cherished French principle of secularism. Born out of the French Revolution it has long been a tenant of the French way of life. Voltaire, one of the leaders of eighteenth century progressive thought, argued that religion was divisive, primitive and intolerant. While the Republic believes you have the right to worship as you want in private, it believes that as a French citizen you owe your allegiance first to the French nation rather than to God.

Five years ago,the wearing of ouvert signs of faith was banned in State institutions – being incompatible with French values. Last year, a Moroccan women was refused French citizenship inspite of speaking fluent French and having a French husband. Why? Because of her ‘radical practice’ of Islam. She insisted on wearing a burqua which is incompatible with French values.

However, in his recent speech, Sarkozy was at pains to stress that Islam must be respected like all other faiths. Interestingly, an extensive survey of Muslims in Europe recently found that France is the country most at ease with its Muslim population. Whilst 81% of Muslims in the UK felt themselves to be Muslim first and British second, over 50% of French Muslims viewed themselves as French first and Muslim second.

As I always emphasis – there’s no right or wrong – just difference. Cultural difference. C’est la vie!