Between adaptation and glocalization: facing the challenge of a globalized consumer. A case study on PlayStation and Nintendo’s marketing strategies

Abstract

Globalization has brought relevant changes in markets and has made consumers more sophisticated. Accordingly, the concept of consumer culture has become a pivotal matter and has drawn the attention of much research. The aim of this thesis is to give a precise framework of global marketing strategies adopted by Nintendo and PlayStation and their strategy of positioning. The first part of the research addresses the problem of globalization in relation to consumer culture. The second part is an empirical research based on two models of advertisement’s analysis. The latest marketing campaigns by Nintendo and PlayStation have been inspected. Whether Nintendo marketing strategies resulted glocal with a moderate level of adaptation between cultures, PlayStation proposed itself as a company that tend to mainly standardize its advertisements. However, some aspects resulted to be more prone to adaptation for both firms. Conversely, the research discovered other elements are susceptible to standardization as one of the core elements used to make the brand recognizable. To conclude, the research brought to the light the importance of culture and its consideration in marketing management. Not only the videogame market but also other industries can make a step forward, considering the relevance of cultural adaptation to enter new market niches.