Recent years have viewed the globalization of business enterprises
Recent years have viewed the globalization of business enterprises, with most business groups targeting a multicultural market. This coupled with the advent of technological know-how and the adoption of information communication applied sciences in businesses has made it easier for them to attain their now widely fragmented market. This has made it necessary for the groups and business enterprises to put higher thought into their marketing and verbal exchange language to avoid isolating or even antagonizing a section of their market. Many organizations, however, fail in this aspect and find that they have made messages that are no longer accommodative to all cultures on their platforms.
Multicultural communication
Multicultural communication is today an necessary part of business communication, even for these businesses that are not globalized since immigration has made most societies multicultural. It is defined as a type of communication that involves people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Lombardo, 2016). To ensure inclusivity in their communications, business enterprises must desist from using slang and other cues which may be unique to specific groups. It is also important for businesses to take into account the different age groups that they target with their communication to ensure that they do not appeal to specific generations at the expense of others. A company that engages in such biased communication may not only cause cultural tension but is also bound to limit the company’s market reach (Sinden, 2014).
An example of a company that made such cultural communication error
An example of a company that made such cultural communication error is Cream of Wheat Company, which released a promotional web document. In the document, the company used a certain slang that was only understandable to specific social demographic. In the article failed to acknowledge that it is a company that should appeal to people in all the social, cultural and age demographics, being a hotel that provides cheap and healthy meals, and seemed to single out only one group of people at the expense of the others. From the marketing document, it seemed to only target the black people in the community by using slang that is specific to them and showcasing in the poster a black chef holding up a board. Further, even with the chef indicating that the company targeted the black community, the slang used is specific to a group of black people in a specific geographic area and not all the black people in the entire community. It is therefore very limiting, indicating that the company still subscribes to an old manner of thinking that believed that a certain region can only be inhabited by a specific demographic group and exclude others. This is not quite the case since most places are inhabited by people of different social, cultural and age groups.
The webpage relies mostly on the non-verbal cues of communication
The webpage relies mostly on the non-verbal cues of communication. Non-verbal communication is one where the communicator relies on written and visual modes of passing a message. The page relies on text and a picture to purvey its message to the audience. However, by using the picture of a black chef holding up a board and using slang that is unique to a specific demographic of the population are all limiting factors. This kind of marketing can be considered self-sabotage as it could turn the members of the other demographics in the population against the company and make them shun their products. It also narrows down their market base by not acknowledging the transformation that the modern society has undergone in recent years. Modern society is no longer homogenous, incorporating different types of people with different backgrounds (Sinden, 2014). The company must therefore seek ways to do away with such self-sabotage if it is to realize its goals and attain success through high sales and revenue generation.
To achieve this, Cream of Wheat Inc. must first of all do away with the slang used in their message and use formal language
To achieve this, Cream of Wheat Inc. must first of all do away with the slang used in their message and use formal language that is understandable to all social groups. Formal language is the ideal language to use since it can be understood by all people and is easy to read and even explain to those who cannot read (Lombardo, 2016). It does not isolate any group of people and does not make any group feel more entitled to the company and the products that are being marketed on account of understanding and relating to it better than the other groups (Lombardo, 2016). Further, the company would do well to pull down the image of the black chef and replace it with another one which cannot be associated with any race or community, such as a graphic or a drawing. In this era of the internet and technological advancement, it is possible to develop an image that cannot be claimed by any race or community and still keep it interesting and attractive to the target audience. Preferring a specific race in any capacity in the marketing campaign can be interpreted in many different ways, most of which will be unfavorable to both the portrayed community and to the ones that feel that they have been left out (Lombardo, 2016).
Multicultural communication has taken an increasingly important position in the success of a business
Multicultural communication has taken an increasingly important position in the success of a business. The many factors and conditions created by increased immigration, multicultural interaction and information communication technology advancements have wrestled the business from the homogenous target market of the past and placed it in a heterogeneous environment. It is upon the businesses to adapt to the new market conditions if they are to attain success and avoid backlash from insensitive marketing language.
References
- Lombardo, J. (2016). Cross-Cultural Communication: Definition, Strategies & Examples. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- Sinden, J. (2014). The importance of intercultural communication training to the global workforce. Association for talent development. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
