TARGETING CUSTOMER IN GERMAN AND JAPANESE ADVERTISING: TWO DIFFERENT CONCEPTS FROM THE LINGUISTIC POINT OF VIEW

Advertising plays an important part in today’s global society, even if one is not necessarily a fan of ads. It provides information about goods and services to enable customer to make the best personal choice.
However the way some products are being presented varies according to target country and last but not least the language of the customer. A method which works well in one country does not have to be very effective in the other using only a literal translation of the copy. Length of a TV-ad, usage of celebrities, male and female role portrayal and society values are significant in making good advertising strategies.

The goal of this paper is to present the different approach in Europe and Asia focusing on Germany and Japan as the main representatives of the research. This approach addresses the importance of identifying culture-specific advertising strategies when targeting global market segments.