Fashioning your business online The culture of (online) relationship building David Regeczi

Make cultural connections Introductions, whether online or F2F, are about making a connection I’m blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah Culture a convenient shortcut I meet a Canadian in the Netherlands, and we have an instant connection So who am I? Connections abound CAN (Vancouver) – United States, China, India NL – Germany, Belgium, Scandinavian countries HU/SRB – Eastern Europe, Russia Can this work online?

CUBE IN Expanding to foreign markets means leaving a comfort zone The more “foreign” the market, the greater the challenge Key challenges are not always technical or legal Female entrepreneurs expanding business to the Middle East Innovative companies building trust relationships in China worried about IPR Products and services received differently

Culture defines products Most industries talk about localisation of their products Furniture industry in China Many assume that high-end furniture would be the biggest market for European companies But aspiring middle class looking for European value brands

Dutch preferences?

Act globally, think locally When doing business abroad, we think about cultural differences But social media can encourage people to forget borders But different countries use social media differently And different platforms have a “culture” all their own

Cultural differences in social media usage Lots of statistics about the number of people online But less about the kinds of people online in each country Social media usage differs by country Chinese consumers emphasize social bonding, relationships, and trust Humanizing a brand in Chinese context, stressing social ties Americans, on the other hand, tend to follow but not interact as much with an online brand

Country-specific presence

Country-specific platforms

Cultural biases of social media platforms Many speak about the types of content that appear on various platforms But do particular platforms attract particular people? Fashion industry naturally calls for a visual approach and platforms Instagram, Snapchat Younger users skew towards visual platforms However, your target groups may not be primarily on these platforms

Engage with us at CUBE IN David Regeczi Director of Public Policy david.regeczi@icunet.ag +49 170 5224379 cubein.eu icunet.ag LinkedIn / @regeczi