Is the prominence of global brands an evidence of cultural imperialism ?

Global Brands and Cultural Imperialism
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Abstract
As the world opens up to become a global market moving businesses and investments beyond national boundaries, so are the products and services. Globalization has led to increased competition due to cheaper and better quality goods availability in the market. To ensure they stay in business, organizations are developing refined products that are tailor made offering a range of tastes and preferences to meet the varying needs of the consumers. Technology advancements such as in the media industry have been the driving factors behind the effective emergence of global markets. Global brands and cultural imperialism have both positive and negative effects. Among the positive effects include the creation of a shared culture, meeting consumer evolving needs, access to value global products, and the creation of global consumer cultures. The limitations of cultural imperialism and global brands include culture extension, culture decay, killing domestic markets, and interference with a nation’s politics. Government states need to come up with policies and regulations to minimize the negative effects of global branding cultural imperialism.

Global Brands and Cultural Imperialism
As the world opens up to become a global market moving businesses and investments beyond national boundaries, so are the products and services. Globalization has led to increased competition due to cheaper and better quality goods availability in the market.

Organizations are developing refined products that are tailor made offering a range of tastes and preferences to meet the needs of the consumers and ensure they stay in business. Technology advancements such as in the media industry have been the driving factors behind the effective emergence of global markets. With the differentiation in technology application and resource availability in the various regions, there has been the development of products and services that are more superior regarding quality, price, availability, and usability across the world. Although globalization has several benefits such as economic development and improved standards of living, the benefits have however been felt by developed economies than the developing ones.
The spread of the western culture has influenced the trading markets with their products being perceived as of better quality than the rest. With better communication channels owing to the development of the information technology, successful marketing, and presentation of given products and services has led to them being recognized worldwide hence making them global brands. Global brands are lines of products that are well known all over the world. Companies create brand awareness for the following reasons, to establish a branding scorecard, know the category of brand indices, conduct attitude test to understand brand identity that may not work, and usage studies for target markets. Through the establishment of brands in the market, consumers can identify the producers and differentiate their products from those of others in the same industry (Kim, 2004 p 2). Branding stems from ingredients, processes, and skills used in the production of a product or service that will make it stand out from that of competitors.
Consumers identify brands through logos, packaging, presentation, and availability in the market. International brand products such as coca cola and KFC are recognized universally due to the packaging and tastes. Branding has become a major marketing issue to gain a competitive edge with most companies targeting to attain product brand awareness in the market. According to Kim (2004 p 8), brand awareness takes the time to be achieved, and organizations spend huge sums of money on it. Consumers prefer brands they already know as it saves them search time and money in finding new product and they perceive them as having less risk (Kim, 2004 p 6). Brand recognition is an important determinant of firm’s success, and it is not alarming that market giant coca cola brand costs $83.8 billion, 59% of its market capitalization (Kim, 2004 p 8).
Global branding has the negative effect of creating cultural imperialism with the weaker developing countries being the victims. Universal brands have been found to have a direct connection with national identity (Rahim & Osman, 2005 p 33). The spread of the western culture can be seen through the international acceptance and identification of their products and services. According to Tomlinson (2003 p 269), a certain culture dominance has led to the birth of ‘national identity’ which in the real sense is not considerate of all the different cultures under it. Western countries who have better technologies have been able to come up with superior ways of doing things and through influence had others to follow suit. Tomlinson (2003 p 270) considers national identity achieved through global brand as a tool to attaining cultural power and dominance. Globalization compromises the ability of a state to retain entire identity attachment in the case of weaker nations economically (Tomlinson, 2003 p 270).
Positive effects of global brands and cultural imperialism
Having established that the emergence of global brands is a sign of cultural imperialism, it is important to look at some of the benefits of global branding in relation to culture which include creation of sharing culture, availability of products that meet evolving needs of consumer, access to value global products, and creation of a global consumer culture.
Creation of a shared culture
Global brands have led to the birth of a global village where people can exchange ideas and cultural practices. In less developed regions such as Africa for instance which has beliefs that are considered primitive, this has been an eye opener in allowing it experience the different ways of life of the modernized world and hence improving the standards of living. According to Cayla and Arnould (2008 p 100), a combination of a source encompassing the transport and communication technologies has contributed to the world connectivity. Through the exchange of culture, greater appreciation and understanding has been developed among diverse people which have in turn led to respect and peaceful coexistence of human beings across the globe. Culture evolution has led to the manufacturing of products that can be universally accepted by all and of superior quality.
As much as global brands have given rise to national identity, manufacturers of goods and services have been trying to come up with commodities that cater to the needs of a good section of the world population. With extensive communication networks and accessibility to a wider pool of information, attributes of a foreign culture are adopted by various people from different cultures across the globe. Consumer interactions with brands is a multifaceted process that varies with the brands in question and type of consumers (Cayla & Arnould, 2008 p 93). Global brands thus offer cultural diversity to consumers who may be interested in getting to experience something more than what they are used to. Whether for entertainment or educational purposes, sharing cultures help to preserve a community’s heritage.
Meeting consumer evolving needs
Internationally recognized products have the ability to respond to changing needs and want of the customers. Most universal products are made with the use of the best technological system and methodology available. The goods have a flexibility that caters to the emerging demands of the market. A universal brand leader coca cola has been undergoing revolutions now and then about the prevailing customer requirements. An example of this change includes the recent introduction of the 150ml bottle in African markets to make the commodity accessible even to the low-income earners who are the majority in the region. Despite the fact that local brands have advantageous features such as awareness, uniqueness, originality, and a source of pride, a good number of parts of the developing economies may still opt for global goods as they perceive them to be of better quality and cheaper than those available locally (Ozsomer, 2012 p 71).
The inferiority mentality is a result of cultural imperialism especially from the west that has greatly influenced consumption behaviors of third world nations. Global brands have been found to be more reliable regarding modernity as people crave to be associated with the trends that are prevailing in the West especially in the fashion and technology industry. Consumers from developing countries exhibit more faith in designer outfits from abroad. Brand myths markets play an important role in the consumer choice to purchase the product. International companies have come up with a sales strategy of incorporating part of the outside market needs in its production processes to meet their customers’ needs. The issue of global brands thus does affect not only customers in overseas nations but also manufacturers who have to conduct extensive research to ensure their products are acceptable worldwide.
Access to value global products
Availability of global brands ensures consumers overseas have access to value products that are lacking within their domestic markets. The presence of foreign quality goods in a country challenge the local businesses to come up with better ones hence acting as a quality measure and control. Those in weaker economies have the opportunity to get value without having to go outside the borders. It is, however, important to note that the major reason why locals opt for foreign goods is the affordability of those commodities. Most of the nations with struggling economies face high production costs that are eventually passed on to the final consumer. Global brands have fewer challenges of counterfeits that are largely affecting the local industries in developing states. Counterfeits compromise on quality thus decreases the popularity of a given product. Customers in these regions have overtime lacked faith in the quality assurances of domestic goods. Despite the efforts of the government to curb this menace, little is yet to be achieved with the problem far from being resolved.
The West has also made it appear that the products of such regions are inferior and of poor quality due to lack of better technology application. For instance, in the case of coffee farming in Kenya, all the quality coffee is exported abroad where there is up to date machinery to undergo the refining process then imported back as a foreign good. This is just one of the many cases of cultural dominance that greatly de-popularized local goods while popularizing global brands. The western culture seems to have dominated industrialization setting standards for industrial production, science, and art that relates to any human activity giving rise to the ideology of supranational.
Creation of global consumer culture
The presence of global brands has led to the development of a group of customers that have similarities in their tastes and preferences. The creation of a common universal culture has had the benefits of international cohesion, increased trading activities among various regions, exchange of ideas in the form of knowledge and skills across borders, and engineered efforts to fight inequality in the world. Through universal mass production, maximum efficiency is attained. A similar Industrial culture is focused on enhanced productivity for the good of the entire world. Globalized culture has been greatly attached to the mass media effects thanks to communication advancements (Kraidy, 2002 p 359). The culture has a high inclination to the American culture which is a market pacesetter when it comes to product branding. The modernized liberating culture is admired by many of those who are still in the shadows of an oppressive and domineering backward one such as Africa. It is thus not surprising as to how fast and easily adoptive people have become to the ‘superior ‘way of life.
American brands such as KFC and McDonalds have in the past experienced a tremendous rise in market recognition and acceptance within most parts of Africa pushing the commodities’ sales margins higher. The popular habit of the Americans eating junk is slowly being adopted by other nations who were strict organic foods consumers several years ago. Although some of the cultural ideologies from the western world have negative consequences, they have been overlooked and any doubts in people’s minds whether to adopt or resist the foreign lifestyle eliminated by the benefits that come with embracing it as a global culture.
Limitations of global brands and cultural imperialism
Global brands and cultural imperialism have had certain disadvantages such as culture extinction, culture decay, killing domestic markets, and interference with nation’s politics.
Culture extinction
The influence and spread of the western culture especially that of America is slowly killing the cultural values and beliefs of the less powerful nations. Although culture exchange is in itself a harmless activity, there is the cause for alarm for how fast the effect of U.S lifestyle is catching up with the rest of the world. Indigenous cultural practices are being replaced with what the Americans refer to as modernity. The nation’s dominance on majorly all aspects of life from entertainment, production, and media has raised eyebrows on whether the world is undergoing a new form of colonization. According to Tomlinson (2003 p 276), the western culture especially the fashion industry appears more appealing than the dull Chinese culture. As nations yearn to access the global brands that come from foreigners due to their popularity and prestige, it is feared that we may end up having the world that has an identity but no culture. The use of the English as a language of communication to foster trade across borders is an example of imperialism effect as native languages of so many people in the world are in time being eradicated.
People are losing their originality to America’s advantage as they can gain more control over the rest of the world. Currently, Availability of commercial media and products water down the influences of local cultures. America seems to control the information and production technology. Through the revolution of information industry, U.S has taken advantage of the opportunity to mass export its culture to other parts of the world despite being met with disapproval from both state and non-state parties. Being the forerunner of the global information infrastructure, America is setting the rules pertaining the sector which in turn gains them control over the global politics.
Cultural decay
There has been a general rise in immorality owing to the freedom oriented western culture. Developing economies such as Africa which is a traditionally reserved continent, for instance, have been forced to deal with the negative effects media has had in perverting its culture. The modern lifestyle from the west is evidenced through clothes and reading materials available all over the continent that do not agree with traditional African beliefs. The West has seen to it that their culture is present even if not embraced all over the world by showing people how advanced and civilized is their way of doing things. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Africa consumer market has experienced an increase in products and services coming from abroad. Although the reception had been low at first during the introduction, more people seem to be warming up to the idea of modernity and even considering it a superior culture to their own. The education sector has not been left behind with the society moving from the traditional ways of learning from the old people to attending schools that have borrowed western syllabus.
Other communities such as the Asians have also been affected with China experiencing a change in cultural norms pioneered by teenagers who are the majority users of media to be specific social media. Global brands rapid spread is because the products are associated with technology, sophistication, status, and modernity while local goods are a symbol of local cultural norms. Unless affected nations put up effective control measures towards western/American lifestyle, they will soon find themselves with no culture of their own besides the borrowed one.
Killing domestic markets
Global brands destroy or cripple the local market when controls are not put in place. The developing economies are the most affected as they lack the technical know-how and expertise to compete with stronger economies. Use of relatively lesser technology leads to lower quality and costly production processes. Consumers are more concerned with cost-effective and quality goods than they are for locally produced goods. As long as a product is meeting their needs and offers them better quality, even if it comes from abroad that is what they would go for. Global manufacturers especially those in developed countries are well aware of this fact and have taken it upon themselves to ensure they try as much as possible to meet most if not all of the clients’ demands to stay ahead of the competition. Global brands offer a sense of prestige to overseas consumers a feature the local market would mostly miss in the case of weaker economies. Cultural imperialism has also been a contributor to the preference of foreign goods over domestic ones owing to the general perception created by the western world that their goods and services are superior. Global brand companies are well established in the market with a huge capital base as compared to local firms. International firms thus put up attractive and extensive marketing and brand awareness that popularizes their products from the rest. A company such as Coca-Cola always has up to date advertisements that instantly catch the attention of target market. According to Harouni (2010 p 37), the dominance of the international trade market has been achieved through the indirect use of technology and information. It is no wonder countries such as Iran and Canada have come up with laws regulating the amount of satellite dissemination of American content into their states.
Interference of nations’ politics
With the ability to control sectors such as the information infrastructure, the western political culture has gained fame in other regions. The American democracy for instance which is admired by a good section of the world has been adopted worldwide. The U. S. influences the political ideologies held by a nation and based on its interests, it either chooses to support or interfere with it. This could explain the reason why America seem to have control on most undeveloped nations’ politics. Being the sole military superpower, America is without a doubt at the center stage of the world’s politics and governance. U.S interference in other states’ business has however been explained as to the need to ensure peaceful coexistence in the universe. Being the world’s richest nation, it stands to lose to a great extent if the case situation was to change. Given the information age, setting technological and software standards and policies that would enable innovation of popular quality goods and services that apply current development techniques is essential for not only the American country but the entire universe. State governments need to establish ways that would help minimize the adverse effects of cultural imperialism on its politics.
Conclusion
Globalization has led to the development of global brands by organizations that seek to achieve competitive advantage. The emergence of these brand products has given rise to cultural imperialism where stronger economies such as America have gained control and influence over the activities of the rest of the world. Cultural dominance is superiority acquired by a stronger nation against a weaker one. Managing the information and technology infrastructure by America has had both positive and adverse effects on other cultures. Among the positive effects include the creation of a shared culture, meeting consumer evolving needs, access to value global products, and the creation of global consumer cultures. The limitations of cultural imperialism and global brands include lifestyle extension, culture decay, killing domestic markets, and interference with nation’s politics. To eliminate the negative effects of cultural imperialism, the government states need to formulate policies and establish regulations that would protect their domestic markets and encourage consumption of locally made products.
References
Cayla, J. and Arnould, E.J., 2008. A cultural approach to branding in the global marketplace. Journal of International Marketing, 16(4), pp.86-112.
Harouni, P.B., 2010. American Cultural Imperialism: Propaganda and Impact in Contemporary China.
Kim, E.S., 2004. The meanings of the global brand: a perspective from the Korean consumers (Doctoral dissertation).
Kraidy, M.M., 2002. Globalization of culture through the media. Encyclopedia of communication and information, p.359.
Özsomer, A., 2012. The interplay between global and local brands: A closer look at perceived brand globalness and local iconness. Journal of International Marketing, 20(2), pp.72-95.
Rahim, M.H.A. and Osman, M.N., 2005. Advertising, globalisation and national identity: a content study of advertisements in Malaysia. Jurnal Komunikasi, 21, pp.29-41.
Tomlinson, J., 2003. Globalization and cultural identity. The global transformations reader, 2, pp.269-277.