France is one of the most heterogeneous countries in the European continent. However, French culture still plays a critical role in marketing within this country. Anyone who is trying to sell a product or service in France must adhere to the traditions, protocols, and sensitivities of French culture. A product needs to mirror the identity of the French people. One should not attempt to do the opposite; that is, to acclimatize the people to one’s products. Differentiated products work relatively well in the country. Effective marketers are those who domesticate their business to suit this need.
A key campaign trait in French advertising is the people’s use of the French language. The latter is a key component of their culture, so it must be incorporated into an advertising campaign. Even products that have English names should be translated into French. Irrespective of this component, one must be aware of the French people’s distrust for advertisements. Many of them recognize that advertising is a critical aspect of the business, but their propensity to believe it is much lower than other western nations.
French men and women despise deceptiveness and vulgarity in advertising. Therefore, foreigners who start new businesses in the country must stay away from explicit advertisements. Even manipulative tactics would not work well in the country. Other western nations are aware of the deceptive nature of advertising, but they do not say or do anything to oppose it. Conversely, the French are aware of it and even choose to reject it (Martin, 2012).
Given all this negativity around the subject, a foreigner does not need to write off his or her marketing function in the country. As an alternative, one should think about other avenues of reach. Word of mouth marketing works very well in France. Therefore, marketers or entrepreneurs should strive to build relationships with their clientele. Instead of focusing on mass-market campaigns, one should dwell on smaller channels like brochures, flyers, newspapers and several others. It is essential to think about the ways in which one can reach people personally.
Promotions usually work well if they attract the attention of local newspapers. Therefore, an international businessperson should endeavor to establish his or her campaign as something worthwhile. Once again, the French people, tend to rely on third parties to assess the credibility of marketing claims. It is unlikely that the promotion will yield substantial returns if no other entity exists to back its claim.
Perhaps one of the most effective ways of selling one’s services or products is to have a clearly defined market segment. In France, the mass market does not do as well as it does in other western nations. Therefore, to surpass this hurdle, relatively unknown brands often define their niche market and work on delivering their message to them. However, if a brand has been in place for several years and its promotions have done well, then the organization can think of expanding its market. This may leave room for the use of mass-market advertising (Montero & Andres, 2010).
Some products or services have done well in home countries because they rely on humor or witty phrases. Marketers from foreign countries ought not to transplant such marketing strategies into the French market. It is likely that the charm of the promotion will disappear when translated into French. Furthermore, the French mistrust gimmicky marketing styles, so these should be revised once one gets into the country. The most appropriate thing to do would be to analyze the product in light of French preferences and then incorporate those attributes in the marketing campaign.
Customer relationship management has a special place in the French market. Companies need to build relationships with clientele in order to differentiate themselves from the competition. Literature states that the French have a diffuse culture in which people want to see the human side of interactions (Hofstede, 2001).
Active communication between customers and sellers is a critical component of customer relationship management. Another way of achieving this goal in the retail sector is through bonus points. The latter approach works surprisingly well in the French market. Individuals will stick to a brand if they know that some payoff will emanate from it. Additionally, organizations must attempt to know their clients and inform them about upcoming issues, offers and the like. Perhaps more importantly, customer relationship management entails studying consumer wants and needs, with regard to the business and offering them those needs. This will result in a winning strategy at all times.
Gifting may be a clever way of differentiating oneself in the French market. Companies can offer lucky packages or additional products when their buyers demonstrate loyalty to the business. Additionally, free samples, as well as joint promotions between synergized brands, can be an effective way of promoting one’s business in France. Many companies in the French market use sales promotions as a way of tapping into new markets or simply strengthening their sales brands (Gentina et. al., 2013). In this regard, it is essential for one to look for creative ways of making sales promotions in the country. The trick is not to spend as much money as possible; the focus should be on creative content. In situations where everyone else is using the same strategy, then those who use it imaginatively will win the attention of the consumer.
The issue of personal service is an essential selling point in the country. Many French people want high-quality services. They are quite demanding and will not compromise on this element. When assessing personal service, customers will consider friendliness and honesty as key traits in establishing trust between themselves and a business. These preferences stem from the polychromic view of time in their culture.
The French people are not dedicated to punctuality in business. Many of them do not pay attention to deadlines and will also take a lot of time to internalize issues. Honesty and friendliness are a vital part of their culture because of the polychromic view of life. These qualities stress the slow evolution of trust between people who matter in business interactions. Therefore, foreign marketers must keep this in mind when selling products or services in the country. It pays to have a long-term focus in France as this will determine how one behaves and interacts with buyers in the short term (Kontinen, 2011).
Internet selling is fast becoming a lucrative way of reaching new clients. However, the French’s insistence on seeing who is selling to them restricts them from completely relying on the internet for products. Therefore, foreigners ought to think of internet selling as a platform for opening up the market to their offerings. Alternatively, it may simply be an avenue for placing product information. Most international marketers have found that it is best to send a salesperson in the field. Large companies have several salespeople who go out and sell. The feeling of connectedness is central to such an approach. This propensity towards direct selling also stems from the diffuse culture of the French people. They care about relationships and people (CIA, 2012).
The French market has a relatively high degree of sophistication. People expect their products to possess qualities that make them classy. Therefore, business people must do a lot of research about what customers consider stylish. When they find those attributes, then they must offer them in a differentiated way. It is not enough to sell sophisticated items in a mass market; clients must feel that they are privy to something special in the business (Szymanski, 2000).
If a product becomes deficient, or a customer gets confrontational about something, customer service respondents, sales personnel or other company representatives must ensure that they react to the complaint in a calm and thoughtful way. This stems from the strong collectivist culture of the French. They are quite sociable but believe in calmly dealing with situations.
In conclusion, foreigners can succeed in selling within the French market if they foster and nurture relationships with their clientele; they must demonstrate a human side and nourish trust among them. Additionally, businesses need to make advertising or promotional campaigns that mirror French culture. Creativity is a key component in making sales promotion. However, the French’s distrust for advertisements causes many of them to rely on word of mouth. Credibility is a crucial element in strengthening this marketing strategy. Finally, direct-selling works well in France, because of the people’s diffuse culture. This means that internet platforms should complement personal contacts.
References
CIA (2012). The world fact book. Washington DC: CIA. Web.
Gentina, E., Raphaelle, B., Rose, G. & Bakir, A. (2013). How national culture impacts teenage shopping behavior: Comparing French and American consumers. Journal of Business Research, 13(9), 1-30. Web.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations. Sage: London. Web.
Kontinen, T. (2011). Succeeding in the French market: Recommendations for small businesses. Journal of Business Strategy, 32(1), 15-25. Web.
Martin, E. (2012). Using advertising to explore French language and culture in the classroom. Global Business Languages, 17(13), 5-20. Web.
Montero, B. & Andres, J. (2010). Hard discount retail opportunities in Colombia. An approximation to French and European hard discount retailing and consumer behavior: The role of French culture, a retail strategy. Web.
Szymanski, D. (2000). Impact of national cultures on Finnish-French teamwork. Vaasa: Vaasa University Press. Web.