Tips for speaking Australian
Though Americans have long held some film- and TV-driven stereotypes of Australia's "beer and barbies" culture, Harold Sogard, vice chairman and partner of Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, which holds the account for Australia's Commonwealth Bank, warns against boiling down the country's big, diverse culture into a handful of pre-determined segment characteristics.
"As best I can tell, like people in most cultures, Australians like to consume," Sogard said. "And, as in most cultures, their decisions about what to consume are driven by a host of factors, some rational, some emotional, some predictable, some random."
Of course, there are some guidelines for creating messages that resonate with Australian netizens. McDonald says a big issue for brands dealing with Australian culture is "Tall Poppy Syndrome" and that bragging and boasting to deliberately stand out from the crowd would be seen mostly in a negative light.
Given the choice, he said, Australians prefer the underdog, and the stereotype of the "Aussie Battler" holds true for most people: You want something? Then prove yourself!
"This lends itself naturally to pull marketing techniques, and brands that create experiences without the self-indulgent sales pitch will resonate more highly with consumers in Australia," he said.
Joyce advises that brands that follow a few key tips can also increase their changes of resonating with Australian audiences:
- Be bold, honest and forthright and you'll win our hearts. Oh, and laugh at yourself.
- Avoid false and exaggerated claims because we don't forgive easily. And we'll laugh at you, not with you.
- Take a really close look at the people. We buy into ideas and become involved with the emotion of a brand and its values just like you do, but here you just need to remember we value self-deprecating humor coupled with honesty.
Of course, there are some vital considerations other than creative when planning to take your campaign down under:
"More consumers live in Southern Calif., than in all of Australia," Crothers explained. "Yet, two-thirds of Australia's primary consumers live in three major markets on the Eastern Seaboard. Therefore, segmentation has its limitations in such a small and somewhat homogenized consumer landscape. And although the Australian marketplace is culturally diverse (similar to the United States), the different cultural segments are relatively small and provide limited critical mass for powerful segmentation strategies."