Marketing your business on indigenous soil is an art-form in itself; attempting to do it overseas, in a country like Canada, is nigh-on miraculous. Countries may be becoming more heterogeneous, but the foundations of a culture rarely budge for anything: their sensitivities, traditions, humour, discourses, protocols are essentially unchanging and stubbornly unaccommodating. Therefore, the identity of your product or service needs to seamlessly fashion itself upon a nation, not the other way around; shoehorned in, hoping for the best.

Advertising and Sales promotions in Canada

In marketing in Canada, remember that the mass media are very decentralised. It is rarely possible to use media with a nation-wide distribution. Moreover there are two distinct markets from the language point of view and a number of regional differences.

Browse the over 450 advertising agencies to find what you are looking for in marketing in Canada. The largest of these are subsidiaries and associated companies of the major US agencies and most of the top 20 are UK owned. To obtain information on the various agencies and the areas in which they specialise, please consult www.bizlink.com.

British exporters are advised to consult their advertising agents before embarking on an advertising campaign. Remember that the market is split in two different language communities.

Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity and understanding of protocol is paramount to effective marketing. The intricacies of a nation its beliefs, even its superstitions can make or break your business. Know the market; immerse yourself in it. Never assume your marketing strategy will be transplantable to a foreign country. There is only a slim chance language will translate well. Anglophonic countries may be susceptible, but if your product or service plays on a quintessentially British characteristic or joke the chances are, it will not be well received.

As for other countries, don't bank on using the same strap-lines or gimmicks. Unless they are perfectly transitional, your product or service could suffer especially if it relies on humour.

Unless you are certain your product or service can sell itself on indigenous merits, it is probably wise to revise its selling-points for a foreign market. As always, however, only your own fastidious research can conclude this.

Canada is culturally diverse, as people from all over the world settled in the country to help it develop and grow. Canadian immigration policy was historically open, welcoming and egalitarian in its philosophy. This has also manifest into the psyche of the nation where people are encouraged and to retain their cultural identities, traditions, languages and customs.

As a result, Canadians are tolerant, polite and extremely community-oriented people. They nevertheless place a great deal of emphasis on the individual's responsibility to the community. This is seen as giving balance and a good quality of life.

There are some differences between regions, which can broadly be summed up as follows: