Understanding your market is very important as the American coffee giant Starbucks found out to its cost a couple of years ago in Australia. When Starbucks made its Australian debut in 2000, a thriving urban cafe culture was already in place. In an Australian newspaper article, Chris Berg wrote of the pitfalls of globalization, saying: “The secret of the company’s success in the American market wasn’t that it sold coffee. It sold coffee culture… The other aspect of Starbucks’ appeal in the U.S. has been its establishment of the cafe as a social hub…But when Starbucks came to Australia to bring coffee and the cafe culture to the masses, it found that we already had it. Particularly in Melbourne, we have better coffee and more relaxing cafes than anything that Starbucks brought with it.”
Starbucks failed to grasp the simple concept that McDonald’s understood: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. While the coffee chain offers the same espressos, frappucinos and lattes worldwide, the McDonald’s menu varies according to the dictates of local culture and tastes. In Japan, a consumer can buy an Ebi Filet-O (a shrimp burger), while McDonald’s customers in Turkey can purchase kebabs, and the McCurry Pan is available in India.
While the Australian culture appears to be Western in many ways, this doesn’t always mean that things will be exactly the way you expect.
To help you fit in here is my lighthearted guide to minimising the faux pas’s and understandin the ‘locals.’
The Local Jargon
Almost anything can be “no worries” to Australians. This laid back attitude induces a generally relaxed lifestyle, so if you’re used to living life in the fast lane, you will need to take a step back and go with the flow. The best way to adapt to local life in Australia is by setting your clock to the local pace.
Give it a Fair Go
The belief in giving everything a “fair go” is important to Australians and this balanced viewpoint is echoed in a society which aims to offer everyone an equal chance. Equality forms a big part of the culture in Australia. Any kind of discrimination or a judgemental attitude cause ripples down under. This is important to consider with your marketing efforts.
A different way of saying Hello
Australians are renowned for their friendliness and you’ll often be greeted with an informal “G’day” or “G’day mate”. It might seem strange but it’s the Aussie way of saying a casual “hello”! You will find most Australians prefer to use first names, even at an initial meeting. Also bear in mind that if you are not a very modest person try and be sensitive to the fact that modesty is very important to Australians, so being boastful about yourself or you’re new business won’t get you far.
Be a Good Sport
Australians are fond of their sports and are very proud of their home teams. Familiarising yourself with ‘footy’ (Australian Football League or AFL) and the local rugby teams is an excellent way to blend into most conversations as nearly all Australians follow one of the big three. The last being Cricket which is Australia’s national sport.
Pride or a Fall
It is a big “no no” for Australian residents to believe that another country is superior in any shape or form. Anyone who thinks this is considered to devalue the country’s pride and will be frowned upon so no matter how much you love country of origine, try not to crow too loudly about it!
