The influence of culture. Communicating across past, present and future

Some insights for advertisers and marketeers.

• For some cultures, the past is everything because is where their roots are. French people like to place initiatives in the context of the past.

• The Brits look at whether a proposal fits into the existing plan and established patterns.

• Some languages and cultures are very present oriented. Philippine society will enjoy today, spend the available money today and can not conceive of planning tomorrow.

• Americans believe good planning will enable them to forecast and be in control of the future.

• The Arabic language has only tenuous linguistic structures for talking about the future. In their view, the future is in the hands of God.