Conceptualizing Multicultural Advertising Effects in the “New” South Africa

Multicultural marketing is a strategic priority area for most companies in emerging consumer markets (ECMs). We develop a new conceptual framework that demonstrates how two processes influence the effectiveness of multicultural advertising, namely similarity and corporate social responsibility processes. We draw on attribution, social influence, and intercultural accommodation theories to argue that there are strong economic imperatives—expressed in terms of customer-based brand equity—for adopting a multicultural advertising approach in ECM settings. We also offer propositions regarding key framework constructs and moderating variables. This research contributes to the growing research focus on marketing communication strategies in ECMs. Further, the present research enriches our understanding of consumer behavior through the focus on the highly multicultural and unequal South African society which mirrors changing populations in other emerging and western countries.