Needs Across the World, One Product at a Time

What I want to look at with this blog post is if the needs that are seen in one product advertisement in on e country, are the same throughout others. For this case I am going to choose McDonald's, a worldwide brand. So to begin, below are a few links from different countries.

USA > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf_f1FWaJug

Ireland > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMP-QFpfJ7M

Japan > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UKLncvGxQ8

Germany > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3yAHwd5Ucc

France > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d28qj2h_uVk

Each of these ads have commonalities in their needs. The one main focus I found in each of these, except Japan, is that people were surrounded by others, mostly family members or a significant other. This shows that most of the ads showed that McDonald's provides a means for the need of inclusion and togetherness. Japan, who doesn't do this, is mainly because the ad that I chose is made for a different purpose, I could not find one online for what I was looking for, but I'm sure they're out there.

Another need that a lot of them showed, specifically the US, Ireland, and Japan was pricing. Affordable prices being shown in advertisements is a very big thing in some countries. Those with different UAI levels may or may not need the extra information to drag them in, others just use it as a selling point.

Another thing I notice was in humor. Each of these ads, though at different levels, all used different forms of humor to get the advertising across. The US, Ireland, and France with it irony, Germany with its humor in continuing a joke that was common throughout the commercial, and Japan with the way the original Ronald McDonald was being changed into a more modern figure (though it may not truly be focusing on humor, it is there). Though at different levels, humor is used in advertising throughout the world. Needs for happiness and enjoyment are expected.

As you can see in the advertisements, there are certain needs that can be common among different countries and their advertisements. However, there is never going to be a complete commonality throughout the entire world because we all have different needs due to our different cultures. Take the Hofsteded Dimensions for example. It specifically shows us that we all have different levels of cultural dimensions, therefore what we need is going to vary depending on where we come from. Also, different countries have different needs mainly because of where they are in the world. Someone in a masculine culture such as the US will have preference for beer whereas someone from a feminine society like Sweden would prefer something like whiskey or wine. While some ads may show commonalities, there will always be certain differences among products and advertising.