Роль языка в деловой коммуникации и маркетинге

IMPORTANCE OF THE RESEARCH: In today’s hectic globalized market, com- munication is an ever challenging activity, to which experts should put much more attention than in the past. The main goal of multinational companies is to appeal to a continuously wider audience and to convey a meaning that is not only clear and un- derstandable, but that also has deep-rooted, emotional and culturally-driven features. The success of business communication depends on the company’s ability to relate to various cultures and languages, and to apply the right strategies to do so. The study is not only useful for business people who need to apply these methods on a daily basis on the workplace, but also for people who are sensitive to this topic and wish to further their understanding of it. It is also suitable for students who wish to work for multinational companies in the future.
RESEARCH GOAL: The aim of this paper is to evaluate the importance of a cultur- ally and linguistically driven approach to business and to the marketing communica- tion strategy a company should implement. It is stated that a business that lacks so- cial sensitivity and whose marketing operations are mostly centralized will eventual- ly risk failing in the long term.
To achieve this aim the following research objectives are set:
 to perform a theoretical analysis of intercultural communication in business
and in marketing, and to analyze the marketing language;
 to explore the topic of the globalization of the market as well as the features
that characterize it;
 to analyze the strategies of entering a foreign market with reference to culture;
 To analyze the three main features of brand identity – brand names, logos and
slogans;
 To analyze the adaptation and standardization marketing strategies of IKEA;
 To study the linguistic features that characterize Unilever.
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METHODOLOGY: When analyzing the impact of language and culture in business communication, several articles have been used in support of the research objective. Different classifications are applied both in the theoretical and practical part of this thesis, including the four P classification, used to compare the marketing strategies of IKEA in Sweden, the UK and China. The papers analysed build on both primary and secondary data, such as interviews with senior managers at IKEA and studies on business and retailing in the three countries. A six-dimension (graphemic/phonemic, morphological/syntactical, semantic, lexical) linguistic analysis is performed for the company Unilever. Examples of slogans, brand names, logos etc., are taken from various articles, websites and newspapers.
WORKING STRUCTURE: The thesis is divided into two parts. The first part dis- cusses the role and impact of culture and language on business and marketing com- munication. The considerations made and the strategies outlined are followed by numerous examples of real companies and their chosen approach. The second part analyzes two case studies, that is to say IKEA and Unilever. More specifically, the first one is analysed with reference to its standardization and adaptation approach to foreign countries, whereas for the last one mostly linguistic considerations are made. The linguistic features of both companies’ brand identity (brand names, logos and slogans) are also analysed.