Marketing Across Cultures: Classic Fashion Case Study Report

This report examines the international marketing strategies of Classic Fashion, a Jordan-based apparel manufacturer, focusing on its expansion into the US market. It analyzes the company's marketing mix, including product, pricing, place, and promotion strategies, and how these are adapted to different cultural contexts. The report applies Hofstede's cultural dimensions to understand the differences between Jordanian and US cultures, particularly in relation to power distance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence versus restraint. The analysis considers the impact of these cultural differences on consumer behavior and the challenges posed by fast fashion consumption. The report also explores the concept of low/high context cultures and how Classic Fashion can address issues related to sustainability and environmental concerns within the framework of the triple bottom line (TBL). The report highlights the importance of understanding consumer behavior and adapting marketing strategies to succeed in international markets.

Marketing across cultures

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Contents
Marketing mix............................................................................................................................3
Hofstede approach......................................................................................................................4
Low/high context culture...........................................................................................................6
Multiculturalism.........................................................................................................................7
Ecocultural model......................................................................................................................7
Institutional theory.....................................................................................................................8
References..................................................................................................................................9

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Classic Fashion is a Jordan based apparel manufacture. It is an international enterprise with
global sourcing of inputs and worldwide marketing of the products. Classic Fashion produces
almost 450,000-500,000 garments daily with almost 200 styles every month. The company is
contributing almost 30% to the garment exports of Jordan. On an average, Classic Fashion
manufactures almost 100 million garments yearly as per the figures of 2019. It is the vision of
Classic Fashion to be an internationally identified and trusted source of perfectly produced
premium garments. The company is having core values in the form of trustworthiness,
inclusiveness, sustainability, innovation, team spirit, top quality, consistency, and
compassion. The fashion industry has suggestively evolved in the last years.
Classic Fashion is aligning with better environmental practices by managing sustainability.
The company decided to go green by making its production eco-efficient. It assists in
reducing carbon emissions and minimizing waste. Classic Fashion has to offer rapidly
fashion trends as exposed by fashion shows and runways. The company is credited with the
implementation of ‘fast fashion’ which is the outcome of the unplanned procedure on the
minimized time gap between designing and consumption on a seasonal basis. The fast-
fashion provides customers with the prospect to buy more clothes for less. The fast fashion
states the clothing collections based on the recent fashion trends. It emerges in the framework
that fashion cycle is moving faster than before. The updated rate of fashion is becoming rapid
and turning to create new market. The increased consumption pattern has led to tonnes of
textile waste in the landfills and unregulated systems. The fast fashion comprises quick
response production competences with improved product design competencies to capture the
latest customer trends (Zamani, Sandin, and Peters, 2017). The consumer behaviour aligned
with the fast fashion consumption includes three psychological procedures making significant
category of consumer decision making. These procedures are information processing,
learning and attitude and behaviour change.
Classic Fashion is a quite popular clothing store in Jordan. The company concentrates on the
social and environmental concerns as a part of the triple bottom line (TBL) framework. TBL
believes that instead of one bottom line there should be profit, people and planet. Classic
Fashion will measure social responsibility through its operations. The company will make use
of sustainable practices to overcome the issue of ‘fast fashion consumption’. TBL framework
will advance the goal of sustainability in the business practices of Classic Fashion in the US.
This way the company will look beyond profits and comprise social and environmental issues
to measure the overall cost of conducting business (Hussain, Rigoni and Orij, 2018). Classic

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Fashion can overcome the issue too fast fashion consumption by maximizing profits and
hiring cheap labor along with arranging manufacturing waste in the best possible manner.
Marketing mix
Classic Fashion makes use of marketing strategy to attain its business goals. Subsequently,
Classic Fashion has become the best-known fashion brand of Jordan.
Product: Classic Fashion is having full control of the products produced. The company does
not outsource its manufacturing procedure. It is the unique proposition of the company to
create the latest trends. The company offers new styles regularly to overcome the issue of
‘fast fashion consumption’. If a product is not selling in the store then, it is instantly pulled
from the stores. Classic Fashion need to identify that consumer behaviour decision process
concerning fast fashion consumption varies and takes place in three patterns. These patterns
can be helpful to the company in offering products.
 Purchase in accordance with specific anticipation.
 Purchasing some unanticipated item during the shopping with specific anticipation.
 Going to shop without any anticipation.
Pricing: Classic Fashion offers the latest styles at a reasonable price to the customers. The
customers can grab products at quite affordable prices. The customers have perception behind
fast fashion consumption products which is affordable fashion but trendy. Mostly, Classic
Fashion opts for a premium pricing strategy and the pricing is made possible by enhancing
development and training costs (Yaseen, 2018). Although the company does not compromise
when it comes to quality. It provides quality products that can assist customers in preferring
fast fashion consumption.
Place: The company is a vertically integrated retailer. Classic Fashion designs manufacture
and distribute the products by itself. This approach has helped the company in leading in the
market of Jordan. Classic Fashion is making expansion regularly in different parts of the
world. The fast-fashion consumption is enabled by the company through moving designs
quickly from the catwalk to stores. As soon as the customers know the trend, like to explore it
online, so company should maintain great stock for the online sales. Moreover, company can
introduce new trends online first as takes time stock to reach in stores. The customers also
now a days prefer to shop online.

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Promotion: Classic Fashion does not believe in investing in marketing. Classic Fashion has
been successful in finding the differences which matter to the customers and used to
differentiate from the rest of the competition. Moreover, the marketing strategy has relied on
experience, exclusiveness, and affordability (Chiu, et al. 2018).
Hofstede approach
The Hofstede approach represents the case of Classic Fashion influence society’s culture on
the values of the individuals and the way such values concern the behavior. US is having
culture where customers are more environmentally conscious which puts pressure on Classic
Fashion. The company will face problem in producing environmentally sustainable products
in the scenario of fast fashion consumption. Hofstede approach can be successfully used by
Classic Fashion in comprehending the culture across Jordan and differentiate the ways
between national cultures of the US, dimensions of culture and their influence on the business
framework. Classic Fashion belongs to the retail industry and combines both product and
service features. The opportunities in the US market reflects internationalization as an
appealing option for the company. This way Classic Fashion will be transferring its brand
image from Jordan to the US (Dutta and Islam, 2016). The company has made use of
standardized store formats to minimize the risk while making an expansion in the US. Classic
Fashion can initially face problems while entering the US although it is quite successful in
Jordan. It is because the previous market (Jordan) is much more different from the US on
Hofstede’s cultural indexes. Jordan is versatile in producing clothes and ethnic apparel. The
market in Jordan represents its adaptability to the demand. Therefore, the company in the US
will differentiate itself based on products, store concepts, and customer services. Hofstede is
having cultural dimensions that make it easy to compare the cultural differences between
both nations, the US and Jordan. There is a great difference between Jordan and the US and
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory reflects this. There is one dimension that has not been
covered, long term orientation due to the similarity between the US and Jordan.
Power distance: The power distance dimension deals with how societies tackle inequalities
between people. Such dimension deals with the facets of societies like hierarchies and
allocation of power among people (Favaretto, Musse and Costa, 2019). Power distance varies
from Jordan to the US. People in the US are advance and like to interact whereas people in
Jordan are crucial in intercultural communication. The customers in US do not think about
the quality but focus more on the trend. On the other side, Jordan deliberates the fact that all
individuals in society are not equal.

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Individualism/Collectivism: This dimension manages the notions of tightly or loosely knit
frameworks and the way individuals are anticipated to take care of themselves and their
immediate families. Individualism in the US comprises freedom, personal time and challenge.
The personal time in the nation-states to have a job which leaves adequate time for personal
or family life. Freedom is substantial freedom for approving own approach to the job.
Although challenges can be faced in the US in the form of a personal sense of
accomplishment. On the other hand, collectivism comprises training, physical conditions, and
usage of the skills (Anderson and Lehman, 2019). The US is likely to be more collectivist
when compared to Jordan. When the US is compared with other areas of the globe, it is likely
to be more individualist. The training can be offered in the US atmosphere to attain
opportunities. It will assist in improving and learning new skills. Although the teamwork
among the workers tends to be natural and there is no requirement of strong motivation from
the authority for the workers to commence (Szymura-Tyc and Kucia, 2016). Good physical
conditions can be offered in the US environment in the form of good ventilation, lighting, and
proper workspace. The skills can be fully used along with the capabilities in the new working
environment.
Masculinity index: The masculinity index manages the competitive individuals in the
societies and the way they cooperate with the company. Masculinity is likely to lean towards
competitiveness whereas cooperativeness is generally linked with more feminine societies.
The masculine includes earnings, recognition, advancement, and challenge. The earnings
have a good opportunity for high earnings. Jordan is more masculine whereas the US tends to
be more feminine and represents more tenderness. Direct and confrontation style is avoided
in the US atmosphere and conflicts are resolute through compromise and cooperation. It has
been observed that society with more feminism leads to fast fashion consumption. Culture
Fashion will get to see more fast fashion consumption. The managers in the nation are not
anticipated to be so aggressive or competitive but should pay attention to the human aspect
(Jung and Jin, 2016).
Uncertainty avoidance index (UAI): Such a dimension has to do with the way US society
deals with the tolerance for uncertainty. The society with the higher UAI is likely to
structured with rigid rules for social behavior and act straightforwardly. The US is likely to
be the low context in which it is likely to accept risks and is having actions incline more
towards innovativeness and entrepreneurial spirit. The company in the US can easily deal
with fast fashion consumption. This dimension includes how often Classic Fashion feel

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tensed at work and how long local society will work for the company (Beugelsdijk, Kostova
and Roth, 2017).
Indulgence versus restraining: The US society is more indulgent as people are more
socialized here. So, people here likely to move with the fast fashion trends. The people are
having comparatively robust control over their impulses. More indulgence of the people in
the US leads to fast fashion consumption. They tend to go with the updated fashion which
puts an impact on retail. Therefore, Classic Fashion can face an issue concerning fast fashion
consumption by using reasonable price materials and labor to churn out clothing collections.
More environmental methods will be used to manufacture products to overcome the issue of
fast fashion consumption by Classic Fashion.
Low/high context culture
The fast fashion consumption is unplanned purchase. The impact of situational influence
means a lot to the impulsive customers as per the general behaviour theory. Low and high
context culture is a measure representing the way explicit messages are exchanged. The
information is shared across different cultures and social groups. Various established brands
in the US are dealing effectively with fast fashion consumption. So, Classic Fashion will set
ambitious sustainability targets and advance new cycling technologies. The US is having a
high context culture which depends on implicit communication and nonverbal cues. People
here are likely to run behind fast fashion consumption. The message in the US economy
cannot be comprehended without a great deal of background information. The company need
to focus on the purchase situation, majorly the retail environment, which is stated to store
atmospherics. The company need to undertake some elements which constitute the fast
fashion store’s environment like layout, crowd, in-store location and more. Classic Fashion is
already operating in the high context culture of Jordan. Therefore, the company does not need
to make different practices. As a high cultural context, Classic Fashion has to display specific
tendencies in the US. The company needs to build a relationship slowly. Productivity in the
US is going to rely on associations and group procedures (Kwon, 2017). The social structure
and authority are centralized in the US. The non-verbal elements are used like gestures, voice
tone, eye contact, and facial expression to engage customers in the US. The people also in the
community are close to each other and share the common space. According to Hall,
confrontation should be avoidable at the time of arising problems. Different sources of
information should be used (Schewe and Thalheim, 2019).

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Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism states how society deals with cultural diversity. The culture symbols like
fashion and act of appearance management can operate to express self-esteem of the
customers. Classic Culture need to undertake culture difference and ethnic stimuluses on the
fast fashion consumption. The multiculturalism in the US comprises large, young and
growing segment. Moreover, multicultural customers are a rapidly growing segment of the
US population. The customers in the US are influenced by the variety of product categories
which results in fast fashion consumption. The multicultural customers of the US are driving
fashion trends. The expansion of the fashion industry has given birth to the number of trends
(Lee, Shrum and Yi, 2017). Classic Fashion will design the supply chain in the US to churn
out the latest looks as fashion rapidly becomes obsolete.
Classic Fashion needs to offer a wide range of fashion trends in the US and the taste which
appeals to the perilous customers. The diverse multicultural taste profiles have inspired the
US population to try updated fashion and create a growing demand for sustainable fashion,
resulting in tremendous prospects in fashion retail (Peters, 2019).
Ecocultural model
The ecocultural model comprises three kinds of variables such as ecological and socio-
political variables, process variables and psychological consequences. It has been found that
the customers do not care about the environment of fashion store but it is the brand image
which has role in communicating with the customers. This model is an association of cultural
and comparative aspects of the field enabling for cultural and ecological explorations of
human behavior. It evolves adaptations to the ecological and socio-political impacts. The
ecocultural model comprises environmental thought and philosophy. Classic Fashion is
required to focus more on sustainability in the US. The company will concentrate on using
100% cotton with less wastage and carbon emission practices (Mahfouz, et al. 2017).
According to the ecocultural model, two cultural contexts shape human behaviors are
development and display of human behavior, enculturation, and acculturation. The ecological
model comprehends phenomena to assess to recognize links between phenomena and
contexts (Sadeghianasl, et al. 2019). Such contexts' advancement and presentation of
individual human behavior are adaptive to the cultural contexts.

Marketing across cultures 8
Institutional theory
The institutional theory in the case of Classic Fashion enables or constrains action and makes
social life foreseeable through human devised rules, norms and beliefs. The institutional
theory can have a significant role for the company in the US and people tend to have a
restricted cognitive capability. The theory makes a possible increased number of operations
that can be performed without a thought. It can devise and set the rules, beliefs, and norms for
Classic Fashion in the US. The theory focuses on making behaviors socially constructed
(Cardinale, 2018).
The company can make use of social media to overcome the issue of fast fashion
consumption as it can change cultural attitudes, values, and behavior. This way customers in
the US will be able to see another world. Classic Fashion can research to monitor customer
attitude and behavior are affected. It will enable the company to overcome distance (Payne
and Bulley, 2018). The institutional theory refers to organizations comprised of mediating
links with the external constituencies and for securing favorable insights into the organization
by ensuring flows of required resources in the host nation. The company can infuse with
value as it can represent the community’s aspirations. It can embody key societal values.
The fast fashion consumption is an unplanned purchase and situational influence has great
role to the impulsive customers as per the general behaviour theory. It has been deliberated
that situational influence can be regarded as influence arising from the influences which are
specific to the certain time and place which are autonomous of customer and object
characteristics. The customers repute price a significant criterion which is a greatest
deliberation for Classic Fashion. The preferences of brand is weak in the mind of the
customers preferring fast fashion.

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institutional theory. Academy of Management Review, 43(1), pp.132-155.
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