THE INFLUENCE OF FOREIGN MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS ON MYANMARESE CONSUMERS BEHAVIOR.

Abstract

In the era of globalization whereby the barriers of time and distance have been lifted through technological advancements, businesses have now the opportunity to expand effortlessly, rapidly and efficiently across borders, hence, the birth of numerous multi-national corporations across the globe. Utilizing standardization as a key means to communication, local host countries to foreign brands have become increasingly vulnerable to cultural imperialism, westernization and culture deterioration.

As of November 8th 2012, Myanmar’s president Thein sein has established new foreign investment laws which formally announced Myanmar as a country freely open for trade. With astounding statistics that demonstrate how the Burmese market have flourished in foreign direct investments, an average growth by 542 percent per year between 1989 and 2012, the author took interest in exploring the explanation behind the successes in communicational tactics of these foreign brands in Myanmar. The sample group explored was male and female ages between 18-64 living in Yangon.

Findings to reveal how high advertising expenditures made by foreign brands have viciously bombarded Burmese populates with standardized brand messages and have resulted in (1) Higher awareness, recognition and recall of multi-national brands over local brands (2) Higher product usage of foreign brands over local brands and finally (3) Higher product preference of foreign brand over local brands.