Cultural adaptation of brands

Abstract

With an emphasis on McDonald's Japan, this dissertation investigates how the fast food chain modifies its branding approach to fit various cultural contexts. Examining McDonald's approaches to cultural adaptation in the Japanese market, assessing the influence of cultural awareness on brand success, and highlighting the challenges that the company encountered in adapting are the main goals.

A secondary data strategy was used to conduct the research, and business reports, research papers, and academic journals were used. The study utilised a qualitative approach to investigate the cultural and marketing tactics that McDonald's adopted to conform to local preferences in Japan.

The results show that localising the menu, forming strategic alliances with regional symbols, and putting a focus on Japanese customer service principles like omotenashi were key factors in McDonald's Japan's success. Market success and brand loyalty were significantly boosted by cultural adaptation. However, by strategic innovation, problems like preserving global identity while catering to local tastes were recognised and solved. As a result, this study concludes that cultural adaptation is critical for global brands and provides insightful information to other businesses looking to enter culturally varied countries.