Veet: facing a cultural challenge in Pakistan

Author Affiliation

Saima Husain is Lecturer at the Department of Marketing, Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi

Faculty / School

Faculty of Business Administration (FBA)

Department

Department of Marketing

Was this content written or created while at IBA?

Yes

Document Type

Article

Source Publication

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies

ISSN

2045-0621

Disciplines

Accounting | Business | Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Econometrics | Economics | Education | Finance | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

This case has been written after extensive field research. It is designed specifically for the International Marketing course. However, it can be used in Brand Management, Consumer Behavior and Marketing Management courses as well. Although introduced in Pakistan in 1999, Veet, a personal hygiene brand, has failed to realize its potential even after a decade. Pakistan is a conservative society and women feel embarrassed buying hair-removing creams. Humayun Farooq, the new brand manager, is at a crossroad; he believes in giving the brand a bold take-off by using fashion as a platform, whereas both top management and his assistant brand manager are skeptical of his proposition, as they see it as risky. His decision is critical, as there is pressure to strike a balance between global standardization and local cultural norms. The students will be able to: understand how global brands need to conceptualize and implement local brand strategies, given the different market challenges; and apply key theoretical concepts in International Marketing such as cultural product adaptation. Instructors must ask the students to study the following before discussing the case in class. For the on-air 2009 advertisement of Veet in Pakistan, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Va9bA-ebqE. Although the case sheds light on the relevant Pakistani cultural and religious norms, students may further research and study the Pakistani culture. Nijssen, E.J. and Douglas, S.P. (2011). “World World-mindedness and attitudes toward product positioning in advertising: an examination of global versus foreign versus local positioning”, Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 113-133. Shivkumar, H. (2006), Managing global brand advertising, World Advertising Research Centre.

Indexing Information

HJRS - Y Category, Scopus

Publication Status

Published

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