Abstract:

This paper describes how cultural understanding can be effectively utilised in the development of strategic marketing communication.It describes the values of young people in the MENA region, how these impact on their aspirations and expectations from brands, and how brands could utilise this information in communication. The paper ends with a case study on the localization of Coca-Cola's 'Real' campaign. It is based on various studies done across the MENA region, including large-scale cultural understanding studies.