Reflections of cultural values in advertising: A cross‐cultural perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the debate on standardized versus specialized approaches to international advertising. This cross‐cultural content analysis compares print advertising from the United States and India and examines how cultural values are manifest in advertising. The results found significant differences in the way these two countries produced advertising messages and that different cultural values were reflected in their advertising expressions. The findings also revealed that the U.S. advertisements used direct rhetorical styles and individualistic visual stances more often than their Indian counterparts. The Indian ads used indirect rhetorical styles and collective visual stances more frequently than the U.S. ads. The evidence of cross‐cultural differences further supports the assumption that truly standardized advertising is rarely feasible.