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Marketing a Business in Hungary

Starting a business in Hungary is more than just costs and procedures. It's more cultural acclimatisation than calculatory acumen. It's making sure your product or service fits the inclinations and idiosyncrasies of a nation; finding a way to culturalise your business in order to reap the same results your business has achieved domestically. This is accomplished through one simple step: effective marketing.

Marketing your business on indigenous soil is an art-form in itself; attempting to do it in Hungary 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 Hungary

Advertising is a common means of doing business in Hungary. Most of the major Western advertising agencies are present including Bates, Saatchi and Saatchi, Young and Rubicam, McCann-Erikson and Ogilvy & Mather.

When starting up a business in Hungary you may wish to contact an advertising agent who can help with potential advertising routes.

Although an increasing number of business people speak English correspondence should be in Hungarian which usually encourages a better response.

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.

When greeting some always shake their hand, smile and maintain eye contact. A woman should offer their hand first and some of the older generation will bow in a womans company. Hungarians see the family as central role in social structure. Often Hungarians will ask personal questions to get to know you and let to share personal information, including their romantic lives.

Always be polite and well mannered. Sharing your personal life when questioned can show your willingness to build a relationship.

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