Videocast as a reflection of cross-cultural communication. Advertising international brands: case study

Topic: IKEA 365+ range

The next section will be dedicated to the analysis of commercial videos promoting the same product range “IKEA 365+” in different countries. This range features items for cooking and food storage containers. The analysis will be primarily centered around the holistic and analytical features.

The first video of the section was created for Taiwan's audience in April 2018. The setting of the video is of a family cooking together in the kitchen. Woman is using various products of the advertised range, shots are constantly changed to diversify the story. Small girl helps her mother, husband is doing his part in a cooking process. Affective display, smile is often performed while characters both continue the activities and communicate with each other. Final shot portrays the whole family and several more people sitting at the table and having dinner, chatting and using the products of the range.

In the commercial products are never shown solely on their own, all the items from the onset of the video are immediately put in the context, a natural environment they were devised to be in. A story does not revolve around the items, but rather these items help to tell it. Taiwanese have a holistic approach; therefore, products are put in various settings and don't stand out from the frame - they naturally exist in it and represent a part of continuous process. Background and shots are detailed and close to reality in order to create an association in the minds of the audience. As Taiwan is a collectivistic society, the amiable atmosphere of the in-group is shown, relatively low masculinity index is reflected in the frame where a man takes part in the preparation. Gender roles in the family are not extremely defined. The emphasis is put both on the pragmatic and expressive functions of the advertisement. People are shown how IKEA's products unite the whole family and make the cooking process enjoyable, and also items are depicted in various settings, this way the functional range is clearly visible.

Next video was posted to the Austrian IKEA channel in July 2019. The video depicts a woman cooking a dish with the help of products of the range. Face of the woman is never shown, only her hands performing the tasks. Items are shown in different settings: being stacked in the fridge, put in a cupboard, put in a bag to take out.

Even though objects are not separated from the environment, the story cannot be traced as in the Taiwanese advertisement. Items play the main role in the commercial, as Austrian representatives have an analytical approach when dealing with visuals, accent is on the functionality aspect. Austria is a highly masculine country; hence, female gender of the person cooking is more common in the advertisements. There is no visual diversity in frames, despite objects being put in different contexts. Advertisement does not look close to real life, as there is little to no other details in the shots. Austria is an individualistic and monochronic culture, therefore the image of the woman putting food in the container inside her bag to take out is relatable for representatives of such societies. This way she can save time, which is important.

There is no emotional undertone in the commercial, emphasis is on the functional aspect, therefore there is more of pragmatic argumentation, which suits Austrian audience.

The 365+ range advertisement for Malaysian audience started broadcasting in 2016. The first frame depicts a woman taking several bowls out from the cupboard, then she starts throwing them to a man, who after performing some juggling movements throws those to another woman, the chain consists of 4 people, overall. Next, bowls start to appear on the table with other products of the range. In the following shot tableware is full of traditional dishes and the whole family starts the dinner. In the end several more products are shown while woman washes the dishes. The same shot as in the beginning of the video: cupboard, but now closed.

As in the Taiwanese commercial, the story is told through the products. Even though the faces are not shown, the characters have their own style and personality depicted through the movements, elements of nonverbal communication. That is a trait of a high context communication - less verbal information, more emphasis on the nonverbal aspect. There is a unique style to Malaysian commercials, as things do not go “as planned” - items are used in a highly unusual way in the beginning, this catches attention and helps to create a rather interesting context. Holistic way of advertising a product - creating a catchy and recognizable picture, while still putting products in their natural environment. The whole video is a continuation, objects are passed though the sequence of frames and create a cycle in the end - typical for a polychronic type of culture, as any process can be seen as a cycle. Again, collectivism of a society is represented through the image of people communicating between each other and performing same task in order to achieve a common goal - set a table for dinner. The meal consists of traditional dishes, as Malaysia is a normative society. There is appeal to humor and emotions in the advertisement, functions of the products are not the main topic, therefore, expressive function is boosted.

The next commercial was created for the American audience in 2019. It starts with an energetic beat, a young woman is unpacking IKEA's chair from a box, she wants to assemble it, however, a skateboard rolls into the shot. Woman gets jokingly annoyed, as we can see from the affective display, she rolls her eyes in exaggeration and smiles lightly. A man comes into the room, he is smiling as well. The woman puts a box down and takes out food. A couple prepares food to go out and puts it into the containers. They go out to the skating park and have a meal there together.

The advertisement is more holistic than expected from the American marketing specialists. There is a story told through the products, items do not play a significant role there, they just add up to the whole context. As American commercial market is highly diversified, there is a need to create catchy associations and context. People are the main characters of the commercial, as is expected according to the individualistic approach. Products blend into the story smoothly and are not advertised directly. As functions are not clearly seen through the advertisement, the emphasis is on the suggestive and expressive aspects: a positive association with a brand and appeal to emotions through human characters of the story. Even though the visual part of the commercial is more on a holistic side, the concentration on people still remains more analytical.

4.2 Case study. Nissan

The next section of the research will be dedicated to a Japanese brand, Nissan Motor Corporation (hereinafter “Nissan”). Nissan is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1933 under the name of Nissan Group. Nissan Group sells its cars under the Nissan, Infiniti, and Datsun brands, however, in the present paper only the Nissan advertisements will be analyzed. Before examining Nissan's corporate values, it is important to obtain an understanding of Japanese cultural peculiarities.

To start with, Japan's scores in the Hofstede's dimensions paradigm will be mentioned. To a foreigner Japan can appear as a highly hierarchical society, however, in PD Index country scores relatively low, 54 points, if compared to other Asian cultures. Japanese slow decision-making process, when everything needs to be confirmed on all the levels, is directly correlated with the fact, that there is no single leader or boss - all people involved in the process have to achieve mutual agreement. Everybody in Japan is stated to be born equal and have opportunities to choose own path, however, there still exists gender inequality due to Japan's high masculinity level, score of 95 in Masculinity Index. Workaholism can be seen as a cultural trait, representatives of this cultural strive to achieve excellence in everything they do. In Japan there also exists a high desire to compete instilled from the early childhood. Japan's collectivism can be seen as situational, as the score differs from one aspect to another: the Japanese are loyal to their companies and strive for balance and amiability inside the in-group, however, there is no tendency for extended families and children are often encouraged to live more independently. Japan's score of 92 on UA scale makes it one of the most uncertainty avoiding cultures - the Japanese plan and organize their lives in details, their daily life is filled with a great number of significant rituals. Corporations put a lot of time and effort when analyzing risks and preventative strategies. With a high score of 88 in the LTO Index, Japan's representatives see own lives as a short moment if compared with the history of humankind: they do not focus on short-term goals, but rather create a sustainable future for generations to come. Japan is a rather restrained society and therefore is inclined towards a more cynical worldview, they also see more value in hard work rather than emphasizing leisure time.

Japan, as other Asian countries, have a holistic approach - tendency to view situations from broader perspective and focus on the details as well. The Japanese are representatives of a high-context culture, nonverbal communication and vague notions have significant meaning and not everything needs to co be communicated with words.

Nissan is an old brand directly connected with innovation, as their success lies in the technological progress and ability to develop and adapt to new. In corporate mission statement Nissan claims to provide customers with highly innovative and unique products, as the representatives of a high LTO culture, the Japanese are eager to try implementing new technologies, but do it with high precision and well-prepared strategy due to the high UA Index. Nissan created their company vision through the “enriching people's lives” statement, which reflects care towards society and clients. This resembles collectivistic trait of Japan's culture and attention towards in-group. As a global brand, Nissan Group sees both their responsibility to react and adapt to modern issues and also opportunity to enhance lives of many people. Collectivistic approach and holistic worldview merge together in Nissan's strive to create sustainability strategy for the company worldwide. Nissan's environmental philosophy, “Symbiosis of People, Vehicles and Nature”, represents a broader view of the company, as they don't focus on own benefit only and contribute to resolution of global social and environmental challenges. Nissan also builds an inclusive organization, as they welcome diversity of race, gender, academic background and social orientation. There is also a program of Female talent development in the corporation which aims to shorten the gender inequality gap in the company. Despite Japan being a highly masculine society, global tendency for gender equality has a more significant influence on the corporate culture of an international organization. Moreover, Japan's workaholism is not reflected in the corporate statements of the brand: corporation aims to create a work-life balance for the employees. However, even with the flexible hours and days-off, there is still an emphasis on maximization of the work performance. As Japanese workers are used to overtime days and long work hours, company rises awareness of this issue and encourages employees and managers to sustain the balance by publishing articles and newsletters on their intranet and monitoring working hours. Here we can see the separation from Japanese behavioral patterns towards more westernized corporate culture.

As we can see from the comparative analysis of Japanese cultural features and Nissan's corporate values, there is a visible inclination towards a more global take on corporate organization in several spheres; however, a number of cultural peculiarities remain preserved and reflected in the company's strategy and culture.

Nissan's products are distributed all over the world, company has facilities in Japan, the United States, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, China and the Southeast Asian countries, as well as in other regions of the world. Nissan has several official YouTube channels in accordance to the target countries and joint regions, such as, for instance, Nissan Europe.

Topic: COVID-19 Quarantine awareness

Next, video commercials of Nissan will be analyzed. The first category of commercials is dedicated to the topic of COVID-19. Nissan, as an international brand, rises awareness about the lockdown policy and encourages people to stay home and act responsibly. However, if compared to IKEA brand, Nissan's products are directly linked with outside activities of people. Despite global lockdown having a negative impact on the sales rate of the automobile brands, Nissan uses the opportunity to realize own corporate values, care for people and social responsibility, and promote themselves through a highly mainstream topic.

The first video targets Russian audience and started broadcasting in April 2020. Video starts with a view of a parking lot from above, several dark-colored cars staying still and a bright orange car driving from a parking spot, the voiceover: “Nissan creates technologies that impress”. Next, two cars on the road, visual effects are used to depict the driver assist features, such as blind spot warning - “Protect you every day”. Next, the vehicle is depicted parking, and again, visual effects are used to portray the rear automatic breaking, frame zooms out, audience is shown a house lighted up with the same visual effects, as were used in the video before - “But now, the main safety system is your house. Stay safe and take care of those you love. Stay home. The road will wait”. Next, two phrases are shown on the screen: “I park at home. Stay home”. The visual component of the video is simple and has little to no details. Commercial is fully object-oriented, as audience is to concentrate on the single vehicle. Details present in advertisement are complementary to the performance of the main object: other cars serve as an onset to portray functional range of the driver assist system. Visual content-wise, marketing specialists used an analytical approach, moreover, images in the commercial appeal only to the pragmatic aspect of the product. However, the voiceover adds emotional connotation: words create resemblance with a popular Russian saying “man's home is his castle” (ìîé äîì - ìîÿ êðåïîñòü). Russians, being a highly uncertainty avoiding culture, tend to pay more attention to the safety system and risk preventative features, when examining automobile product range. Such connotation and play of words create a positive image for the target audience in Russia. However, a rather poor visual sight does not appeal to a more holistic Russian culture. Despite using a rather emotional audio content, there still is need to complement it with a more related visual component and images in order to achieve a better result.

The next commercial was created for South Africa in April 2020. Video depicts natural landscapes, shots of urban areas and empty roads and streets. There are no moving cars or people in the frames, the image is composed to portray the current state of the world. The voiceover says: “We've always encouraged you to get out there and find adventure. To face your challenges head-on and conquer them. But now there is a new challenge we must take on together. To ride out these difficult times by staying indoors and staying safe.” The final two shots differ from the sequence. Audience is shown the garage gates closing and a car behind them, headlights turning off. Next, a woman is staying on the hill facing a city beneath. While the last two shots appear on the screen the voiceover says: “We hope you'll join us on that journey, and we'll see you on the other side, South Africa.”

The commercial was created for a masculine society, the message states, that Nissan encourages to face difficulties and develop, not to fear challenges, which is a masculine approach to overcoming obstacles. Moreover, South African society has a relatively low score on UA Index, and therefore, people are not threatened of taking on new challenges and risks, the global lockdown is seen as a base point for further development. South Africans are stated to be an Indulgent society and have overall more optimistic approach to life situations, which is reflected in the positive affirmation in the end of the commercial: “we'll see you on the other side”. By portraying global issue as another challenge to take on, Nissan's marketing specialists create an effective commercial, that people from South Africa can relate to.

The next video started broadcasting in April 2020 for the Lebanese audience. The video starts with a sequence of urban shots: cities from above, empty streets in the old parts of towns - “We miss it. We miss the roads and the outings”. Next, the audience is shown several natural landscapes - “we miss life, the mountains and the sea”. Next frames depict Nissan cars in different natural settings - “Its true we miss it, but it can wait”. The shoots depicting empty urban areas - “Don't give up after 3-4 weeks, our fight is longer than this. The good days are coming back, until then, for you and for us, stay home. Stay safe”. The final shot is the same as in the South African commercial: closing gates and the headlights turning off.

The video contains natural shots and a message of missing natural sights, which is a holistic approach. Such vague concepts create a certain association in the minds of Lebanese people, as there is a clear appeal to emotive aspect in the commercial. Even the choice of words represents a highly holistic take: the word “miss” is repeated several times and reflects a deep, but certainly undefined emotion. Notably, Lebanese score high on the Masculinity Index, which is reflected through the word choice and their view on the global challenge: situation is seen as a threat, as people are encouraged to “fight” it and “don't give up”. By portraying this difficult situation through the “obstacle” paradigm, marketing specialists appeal to a “strong-willed” trait of the masculine Lebanese. In this commercial the brand is not afraid to speak of the time period of the lockdown, as they clearly state, that it is expected to last for more than 3 or 4 weeks. Lebanese restrained society is highly cynical and realistic, therefore, there is no need in sugar-coating the situation and giving groundless hopes to people. Marketing specialists create a realistic image, but still make an emphasis on the emotional aspect by encouraging people with strong words and meaningful concepts.

Nissan understands own social responsibility when creating videos on the global topic of lockdown. However, even if the threat is universal, there still exists difference in how people of various countries perceive the situation and react to it. By understanding cultural peculiarities, the brand manages to create relatable and efficient commercials.

Topic: Nissan x-trail range

The next sequence of video materials was created to promote the X-trail range of Nissan automobiles. Before starting the analysis, it is important to mention, that for certain territories Nissan creates international advertisements. For the X-trail range promotion Nissan used the same visual sequence for the majority of European countries, the only difference was in the on-screen text - it was translated into the language of the target audience.

The first advertisement was created for the South African audience in December 2019. The video begins with a shot of a city, but all the cars and people are frozen, there is no motion in the frame apart from the family in the Nissan car. Family inside the car seem surprised, as can be seen from the affective displays: rising eyebrows, eyes wide-open, frowning. The car stops to pick up a woman, notably, she starts moving only as the car pulled up. Audience is shown several more shots of the frozen urban areas, as the car leaves the city. In the next frame the car stops because of the road works ahead, driver displays frustration for a moment, but then makes a turn on a back road to proceed driving. Audience is shown a sequence of shots of the car in the natural landscapes' settings. Visual effects are used to depict the driver assist functions of the car. The voiceover says: “break free. Nissan X-trail. Get inside. Go out there”.

People are perceived as the main characters of the commercial, however, there is still an emphasis on the Nissan product. Car is not a complementary detail that helps to tell a story, but rather a crucial component that directly develops it. Marketing specialists use a variety of visual images, rather than explaining the script in the form of text - emotions of the characters are perceived through their nonverbal communication, affective displays. Despite South Africans being a low-context culture, the commercial uses more abstract and vague images, for instance, the frozen city. Notably, such a creative and unusual script reflects a rather individualistic and indulgent nature of the society. Moreover, the “Break free” statement implies a meaning of choosing new paths and thinking different - the shot of the driver choosing another road to avoid staying in traffic. The whole concept of all people and cars being motionless except for the family in the Nissan car implies power and superiority that can be obtained through the product, such image reflects a highly masculine culture of South Africa.

By creating a story, Nissan appeals to the emotions of the audience and creates positive associations with a product, therefore suggestive and expressive functions are deployed.

The next video was created for the European countries in July 2018. Audience is shown a family: parents and two kids packing for a camping weekend. While family gets into the car, close-ups of the various features of the car and accessories are shown. Next frames depict the car moving in natural settings and people inside smiling and communicating. Next, when the final destination is reached, family is depicted performing activities together. The text on the screen: “New Nissan X-trail. Built to build families”.

The scenario of a family going away for camping is a rather common one for the European audience, therefore, there is no obvious cultural peculiarities attributed to certain country in particular. Taken into consideration, for example, a highly creative commercial market of the UK, the images used in the commercial are rather ordinary for the segment. The majority of European countries are inclined to be more indulgent, hence the diversity of accessories promoted in the advertisement - representatives of the indulgent societies are prone to purchasing complementary products to make their lives more pleasant and comfortable.

Overall, Nissan uses common and universal symbols, such as a happy family, to appeal to the majority of countries. There is an undefined inclination towards a more analytical approach, as the car is advertised directly through the images, no vague concepts are used in order to avoid ambiguity.

The next commercial started broadcasting in November 2019 in Russia. The video portrays a man using various functional features of the car while packing. Next, family gets in the car and audience is shown several shots of extreme driving in natural settings. Notably, there is a text on the screen throughout the commercial with information on the cost profit, warranty statement and purchasing details.

For a high UA Russia it is common to state the cost of a product or purchasing details on the screen or in the audio component of the commercial. When knowing the price, Russians are more prone to get attracted to the product itself and remember the commercial. It is considered to be an efficient strategy to speak of benefits in the commercial targeting a restrained society, as those are more considerate when making serious purchases - the suggestive function is implemented to create a positive connotation with the brand. Moreover, being a masculine country, Russians are shown a man driving a car in extreme settings. The style of driving portrayed can be seen as aggressive, therefore, the concept of a product giving power is used to create an emotional appeal.

After analyzing several commercials, certain tendencies in Nissan's advertising strategy can be traced. When creating a commercial Nissan targets not particular countries, but rather groups of countries. The brand uses common symbols and patterns to create a recognizable and clear image. For instance, Nissan uses the same footage for the majority of European and Scandinavian countries. When advertising Nissan Navara accessories marketing specialists used a setting of an outdoor house party: people having fun and a car blending into the environment. This sight is common for the majority of European countries; however, the image won't be appropriate to use in Arab countries or in Asian cultures. Notably, Asian commercials of Nissan products differ greatly from country to country.

To illustrate the difference two commercials will be used: an advertisement of Nissan Roox in Japan, April 2020 and Chinese advertisement of Nissan Altima, December 2018.

Japanese advertisement starts with two characters moving towards a car, a mother and a small girl. The frames are dynamic and frames move to depict a car from different angles: mother putting shopping bags into the car, helping a girl put her seatbelt on, driving a car. Driver assist system is illustrated through a scene involving two more cars sharply breaking and a woman in the Nissan car being already prepared for the situation and calmly reacting. Emotions are shown through affective displays; overall mood of commercial is dynamic and amiable. Through the Japanese commercial we see the reflection of high UA and Collectivistic nature of society: caring for the in-group - emphasis is on the safety of a child in the car, and preventative technologies utilized to avoid risks on the road. The commercial contains little text on the screen - the names of functions and accessories, name of the product, all the features are illustrated through situations and actions of the characters. In the commercial a holistic approach is traced: visual component is varied with details and complementary objects and secondary characters. Moreover, both emotive and pragmatic functions are emphasized in the video, as functional features are clearly demonstrated and emotional connection is established between audience and human characters.

Chinese advertisement uses a male character in an official style of clothes. Man is depicted in the office building, looking at the city from above, facial expression is determined and serious. The weather outside is dark and cloudy He approaches a car in the next shot and sits in it. Man starts to smile as he drives a car, visual effects illustrate an auto pilot feature. Audience is shown several more shots of the car in the city. As the man proceeds driving, weather changes: sky becomes clear and the sun starts shining. The next several shots depict a car going through a storm on a high speed, man looking determined again. The Nissan logo is shown and in the following frame the car breaks through the storm into the sunny road. In the final shots another car catches up, a woman is sitting there smiling. As can be seen, Chinese commercial differs from the Japanese one greatly. Despite both cultures being masculine, Chinese marketing specialists utilize this aspect more than the Japanese ones: in masculine countries status symbols are more valued and therefore, advertising a car as a product that gives power and superiority is a common strategy. Nissan portrays car more as a symbol of power for the Chinese, while for the Japanese functional features for daily life represent a more valuable argument. Asian holism in Chinese commercial is portrayed through vague concepts such as natural phenomena: weather represents mood of the person and reflects man's emotions.

Both commercials are holistic both visually and in term of the scripts: a story is created with the help of the product, rather than directly concentrating on it. Certain values are reflected through advertisement: value of status symbols for the Chinese and accent on safety features for the representatives of Japan.

Both Asian commercials appeal to audience's emotions, while still being able to place accents on functional features. However, this trait is common for the majority of Nissan's advertisements. When creating a commercial, marketing specialists of Nissan implement both expressive and pragmatic functions equally. For instance, in South African commercial of Nissan Navara of January 2020 the audience is shown a sequence of shots portraying a car in the natural and rural settings, driving rough roads at night accompanied with dynamic music and voiceover - “The new Nissan Navara an Intelligent 4x4 built for your rugged side”. Next, audience is shown a view inside the car: two men smiling at each other amiably, music is calm - “and heated leather seats for your cozy side”. In this commercial we see arguments appealing to the functional aspect, however, the statement contains a humorous connotation. Images and music used are different for the two settings, which creates a catchy and creative plot twist. By using this technique, a positive association with a brand can be achieved.

Japanese are highly holistic in their approach of creating commercial video materials. Being a Japanese brand, Nissan follows a rather holistic way when choosing images and symbols for their product. The majority of commercials broadcasted in different regions contain natural setting in order to create an association with powers of nature. Despite some countries being analytical in their view, commercials of cars containing natural phenomena became pretty common and ordinary. Therefore, the Asian trend steadily became global, as it is successfully used in international commercials in Europe and Scandinavia as well. When speaking of the holistic and analytical aspect through the content paradigm, it is important to state, that not every region uses the substance- and environment-oriented approach.

When speaking of the high and low context cultures, there is a region that differs in their way of commercial creating process. The US market of advertisements is highly diversified and creative due to the individualistic nature of the Americans. In the US commercials Nissan's marketing specialists create stories revolving around human characters which use Nissan cars as a tool to achieve certain goals. As for example, the video promoting Nissan Sentra starts with a dialogue between a female employee and a male boss refusing to give her promotion. Nissan car pulls over, woman in the driver seat takes the employee for a ride. Woman says: “does this Sentra feels like a compromise to you?”, while showing the driver assist system in use: rear automatic breaking and perfect handling. In the following frames there is a dialogue, the driving woman says: “so if this Nissan Sentra is not going to compromise, why should you?”, the employee displays determination by smiling and replies: “You are right”. In this commercial we see an emphasis on the creation of connection between the audience and characters. Female characters in commercial reflect a global tendency for gender equality. Masculine traits of assertiveness and respect for choice create a positive image and appeal to the audience. In this particular commercial a product is advertised with the help of strong characters. However, there are other ways of attracting audience and catching attention: the US is an indulgent society and, therefore, use of humor in commercial is popular on the advertising market. For instance, commercial of Nissan Altima, October 2019 starts with a shot of a man receiving a text message, the following frames depict him driving a car through the urban areas. He pulls up to the house and rings a door bell, another man opens and the door and the driver says: “not much. How about you?”. The man in the house smiles and replies: “Are you answering my text in person?”. The man smiles and nods - “I am, yeah”. Man in the house - “lol, come on in” and welcomes the man in the house. Text on the screen: “This is tech that helps you be there”. In this commercial a rather unrealistic scenario is illustrated; however, the appeal is to humorous aspect, which creates a positive association with a brand. Nissan car is again not the main focus of the commercial, but a tool of achieving goal. These videos reflect a low-context trait of American representatives - there is little to no abstract concepts and meaning, as everything is put directly in words by the characters of advertisements.

Nissan uses recognizable concepts in the majority of commercials for all the target countries: happy families using Nissan cars, power of nature reflected in Nissan cars, Nissan cars giving power to achieve certain goals. There is a small number of cultural peculiarities being directly addressed in Nissan advertisements. Nissan creates more international commercials to cover continents or groups of countries, rather than specific territorial realm: for example, in Scandinavia and Europe the same commercials are broadcasted. However, Nissan still preserves certain cultural values and traditions - creation of highly diverse commercials for China, the US and Japan.

Overall, Nissan strives to use globally accepted images in the video commercials to avoid ambiguity, but still preserves traditions when creating an advertisement for a particular country to suit cultural realms.

4.3 Case study: Apple

The final section of analysis will be dedicated to the American technology company Apple Inc (hereinafter “Apple”). Apple was founded 1976 in California and sells computer software, consumer electronics and online services in more than 100 countries, now Apple is considered one of the Big Four technology companies.

Apple is an international brand; however, the origin country plays a big role in development of corporate culture and marketing strategies. Therefore, the characteristics of the origin country will be examined first.

The US is a highly Individualistic country, and with a fairly low PD score Americans put an accent on equal rights for all. Representatives of this country respect own and other's “I”s and support rights to self-express one's personality. Communication in organizations can be rather informal and superiors can be reached directly. In American society people are expected to display initiative and be self-reliant in matters of business and in formal settings. Masculine nature of the US society is reflected in the saying “strive to be the best you can be”, as Americans can be highly competitive and assertive, especially in matters of business. High individualism allows Americans be less frightened of ambiguity, innovation is welcomed and most US representatives are curious to try and experience new things: opinions, technology and strategies. The UA score of the US is 46, slightly below average, therefore, there is no clearly defined preference on this dimension. The low score of 26 on the LTO dimension means that most Americans are driven by a short-term success and immediate result, rather than a long-term future planning; moreover, the US representatives tend to have strong opinion on what can be considerate “good” and “evil”. Finally, Americans are an indulgent society, a score of 68, hence, are prone to spending money on what makes life enjoyable and are overall more optimistic in their views in everyday life.

The US representatives have a highly analytical approach, they concentrate more on objects and their primary qualities. With also being a low-context society, Americans tend to put everything directly in words without implying vague and abstract meanings. Being straightforward and clear is there way of communicating information to audience. Moreover, nonverbal communication is expected to be comprehensible and explicit.

On their official website Apple defines 5 corporate values of the company. The first one is “Accessibility”, official statement of the brand on this value reflects high individualism and low PD score of Americans: “Technology is most powerful when it empowers everyone”. Americans strive for equal rights and opportunities for all and Apple aims to make their products accessible from the very start. They also include a highly masculine statement regarding this value: “true value of a device isn't measured by how powerful it is, but by how much it empowers you”. As masculine cultures strive for success and development through assertiveness, products are seen as tools to obtain more power and get to the very top. The next value, “Education” is as well connected with the concept of empowerment through tool, as by giving Apple tech to educational institutions the brand states to give opportunities and support. This aspect can be regarded as a more feminine trait, however through giving products to schools Apple gives opportunity to express oneself and become more competitive in future. The next value, “Environment”, regards Apple's care for the planet, as they create a sustainable product chain. This value is adopted by the majority of international company, as being environment friendly became not only a trend, but also a necessity for most corporations in the world. “Inclusion and Diversity” trait is reflected in the hiring discrimination-free policy, however, there is a small important peculiarity: Apple is ready to welcome everyone and include in their community, but there are no statements on exploring cultures when introducing products to new markets, as Apple aims to introduce own corporate values rather than adapt to cultural peculiarities. The value of “Privacy” reflects individualistic strive for freedom, as the very concept of “privacy” in America has a deep meaning and is rooted in the US culture. Overall, Apple's corporate values align perfectly with American culture and directly represent many country's features, as for instance, privacy, freedom of rights and expression.

Apple has 20 official YouTube channels that target different countries. Apple's advertising strategy differs from that of the brands analyzed above: the vast majority of videos do not vary for all the countries, as the content is just translated from English to the target language. The analysis of such videos will be built on the basis of the following examples: commercials dedicated to “iPhone SE Release” and “iPhone 11 Night Mode”. However, all the channels have at least one “culturally charged” video commercial.

First, “iPhone SE Release” and “iPhone 11 Night Mode” commercials will be analyzed. The first video started broadcasting in April 2020. The video starts with several shots of the product on a monochrome background, colors change in accordance with the colors of the phone displayed. Next an “iPhone SE” text appears on the screen. Then follows a sequence of shots displaying several characteristics of the product with minimalistic images and text. Next frame depicts a zoom-in of a man playing a game on the phone, several more shots of the product on a monochrome background are shown to the audience with text in white. Portrait mode is illustrated with several images of a woman displayed on the screen. To demonstrate 4K format of videos a shot of huge 4K figure is shown and a burst of colors from behind the figure. A neon sign of a battery - “Long battery life”. The phrase “Lots to love. Less to spend” appears in the final shots along with several more shots of the item in different colors.

The “iPhone 11 Night Mode” video starts with a shot of a match lightning and then a close-up of an iPhone camera is shown. Then follows a phrase on a black background: “Photos that come out at night”. Next, a sequence of frames comparing two photos, “night mode off” and “night mode on” is shown on a screen. Then several more photos demonstrating night mode feature are displayed. In the commercial images are shown to the rhythm of a song, “We Only Come Out At Night” by Smashing Pumpkins.

These two video commercials represent Apple's corporate style of advertisements: text is concise, no details provided, shots are object-oriented. This style coincides with American analytical approach, as there are little to no frames with additional details. Object is rarely put into the environment, and even when it is, the focus is still on item rather than on a person using it. It is common for Americans to advertise products through relatable or strong characters, however, Apple's commercials show people through the products not vice versa, which represents a whole new level of empowerment provided by a purchased item. Apple's form of visual component makes it easier to adapt commercials to different countries: text is put on a monochrome background; hence, it only needs to be translated into the target language. People are not portrayed speaking in Apple's advertisements, they are only used to demonstrate features of the item: shots of a woman to demonstrate portrait mode, for example. Moreover, main characteristics are commonly illustrated with the help of images rather than people: the neon sign of a battery - long battery life, 4K figure - new 4K format of videos. Despite using environment in advertisements, all the symbols remain literal and straightforward, there is no abstract notions and underlying meaning, which also attests to the analytical approach of the US representatives.

Individualistic nature is reflected in a highly dynamic style and creative shots. Most commercials urge audience to express themselves with the help of Apple products. There is a strong policy of inclusion visible in the videos. Even though Apple's commercials are never adapted to cultural realms, the choice of human characters is always diverse: audience sees people of different genders, nationalities and cultures. In the “night mode” commercial the sequence of shots includes among others images photos of black women and Asian old man. Moreover, the photos also depict diverse settings: mountains of Guilin, Yangshuo, Scandinavian village, night skyline of Shanghai and northern lights. In Apple's commercials we see representations of different cultures and countries, which reflects the inclusion value of the brand and the US in general.

Next section regards several Apple's commercials created for particular countries. Each of these advertisements reflects feature of a particular culture: values, traditions, daily life, personal story of a representative or acute issue in the society.

The first video was created in June 2019 and posted on Mexican YouTube channel. In the video audience is told a story of Fighting Cholitas, a group of female wrestlers in Bolivia. Video depicts shots of women in traditional clothes doing chores, wrestling. The project states to depict them “not only fighting in the ring, but fighting for their children, fighting for their education in the country”. While telling a story of main characters, cholitas, the features of the product are also demonstrated. The cultural setting is depicted in several shots of nature, urban areas, people at their homes.

This video is part of a “shot on iPhone series”, which was created to demonstrate camera features and quality of iPhone XS. Alongside demonstrating product characteristics, the acute issue in the country is examined. Bolivia is a highly masculine country with clearly defined gender roles. The commercial draws attention to the issue of inequality of rights for female representatives. Being a normative society, there exists a sense of respect of traditions in the country, therefore, there aren't many attempts to change the current state of things. Apple expands own strive for absolute equality and freedom of expression and emphasizes the need to transform Bolivian society. Here we can see an overlap of brand's culture over the target country, which is aimed at expansion of western freedom of rights movement.

The next video started broadcasting in January 2020 in Singapore. The video in the series depicts a story of a family of three: main heroine, her mother and a small daughter. Commercial illustrates complex relationship in the family: mother being upset with daughter's life choices and daughter leaving her family with a child for several years. In the commercial main character teaches her small daughter, that she can see the world however she wants. In the end the whole family is reunited. This commercial is made in Asian tradition of holism. Product is advertised through a story, we do not see the product directly, however, the commercial is stated to be shot on iPhone. Asian advertisements in general are focused on creating an emotional connection between the product or brand and the audience, hence, the characters are designed to come across as relatable and memorable. Despite inducement to an Asian style of advertisement, Apple still incorporates more westernized values: question of freedom of choice and gender equality in Asian society is still acute and controversial, as the Singaporeans are highly masculine and gender roles are still defined.

In commercials apple not only tackles cultural problems, but also gives opportunities for people to speak and express themselves. In German “shot on iPhone” commercial posted in November 2019 a photographer from Berlin speaks of his feelings and thoughts on Berlin Wall, he speaks of what it represents and what meaning it has for German people and him in particular. Commercial consists of urban shots and a voiceover of photographer's words. In this advertisement there is no accent on a particular person, all the visual elements come as a complement to the audio component. Here the audience does not see the promoted item directly, the focus is on educating people on the philosophy of another country, on the experience of a specific nation. Apple still sticks to a minimalistic corporate design, a reflection of their analytical approach.

5. Discussion

In the final chapter of the study the results will be discussed in order to answer the question of the research and the aim will be discussed. Following that, the limitations of the study will be mentioned as well as the prospect for further research on the topic. After analyzing 50 videos of 3 international brands, IKEA, Nissan and Apple, several conclusions can be drawn.

5.1 Interpretation of Results

IKEA results

When conducting an analysis of IKEA's commercials, certain cultural features were traced though Nisbett's, Hall's and Hofstede's paradigms. Even in the age of global commercials and general unification of the marketing sphere, IKEA pays close attention to the cultural differences of the target countries.

First, taking in consideration the fact, that functional boost and argumentation appeal differs from one country to another, these aspects of IKEA's commercials will be considered. Regardless of the target country there is greater appeal to the emotions of the audience in IKEA's advertisement videos. Overall, marketing specialists of IKEA tend to create emotional connection between the characters of the commercials and the audience. That fact reflects the IKEA's organizational values, as they strive to create a community driven by a common goal of creating functional and home-like spaces. This as well resonates with Swedish feminine cultural features. But still, there are certain exceptions: for a more pragmatic Switzerland the commercial of storage items had an appeal to the functionality - a woman was able to easily find her items in the room, while for the Japanese, which commercial market is more focused on the expressive function, the advertisement was created with the use of images of a crying child and toys.

Speaking of the Nisbett's concept, all the commercials of the brand are created with the same more holistic approach. Even the analytical vision countries design the advertisements in a corporate style of the brand. Considering this fact, we can say that in terms of managing visual content, IKEA tends to follow the same patterns - detailed frames, telling stories, putting products into the natural context.

The images used in the commercials tend to represent cultural values used in commercials. Notably, despite using the images that are common for every country, such as family, couples and parenting, IKEA still preserves the traditions and values of the target country. For example, in the commercial created for a highly Masculine Saudi Arabia with high PD score, family was portrayed in accordance with the gender roles common for the country - children respecting older generations, extended families and woman doing most part of the housework. On the contrary, in the French commercial audience sees a single father doing a house work and a teenage son behaving indifferently and cold with his parent at some point of the video, which would seem highly inappropriate for Saudi Arabian audience and vice versa.

Overall, we can still trace a tendency of a brand to preserve cultural differences not only when creating products, but also when advertising them to the clients. IKEA strives to be different and at the same time creates a sense of togetherness, which is vividly seen from the commercial materials designed to suit various cultures, but still align with the brand's views.

Nissan results

Nissan uses recognizable concepts in the majority of commercials for all the target countries: happy families using Nissan cars, power of nature reflected in Nissan cars, Nissan cars giving power to achieve certain goals. There is a small number of cultural peculiarities being directly addressed in Nissan advertisements. Nissan creates more international commercials to cover continents or groups of countries, rather than specific territorial realm: for example, in Scandinavia and Europe the same commercials are broadcasted. However, Nissan still preserves certain cultural values and traditions, which is reflected through creation of highly diverse commercials for China, the US and Japan.