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Marketing in Bahrain

The international transition of a business when preparing to expand to Bahrain is more than just costs and procedures. It's more cultural acclimatisation than calculatory acumen. It's making sure your product or service fits the inclinations and idiosyncrasies of a nation; finding a way to culturalise your business in order to reap the same results your business has achieved domestically. This is accomplished through one simple step: effective marketing in Bahrain.

Marketing your business on indigenous soil is an art-form in itself; attempting to do it in Bahrain is nigh-on miraculous. Countries may be becoming more heterogeneous, but the foundations of a culture rarely budge for anything: their sensitivities, traditions, humour, discourses, protocols are essentially unchanging and stubbornly unaccommodating. Therefore, the identity of your product or service needs to seamlessly fashion itself upon a nation, not the other way around, shoehorned in, hoping for the best.

Advertising and Sales promotions in Bahrain

When expanding a business to Bahrain, reputation through word of mouth is still a very important factor but advertising in media is becoming increasingly popular. Foreign firms setting up a business in Bahrain should be careful to be reliable and provide strong after-sales service as the reputation of a product is seen as vital. There are various printed medias in Bahrain, both in Arabic and English, and advertising rates vary greatly. Trade Fairs are another favoured route to market for expanding a business in Bahrain. The country has a modern exhibition centre and dozens of trade fairs occur each year.

Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity and understanding of protocol is paramount to effective marketing. The intricacies of a nation its beliefs, even its superstitions can make or break your business. Know the market; immerse yourself in it. Never assume your marketing strategy will be transplantable to a foreign country. There is only a slim chance language will translate well. Anglophonic countries may be susceptible, but if your product or service plays on a quintessentially British characteristic or joke the chances are, it will not be well received.

As for other countries, don't bank on using the same strap-lines or gimmicks. Unless they are perfectly transitional, your product or service could suffer especially if it relies on humour.

Unless you are certain your product or service can sell itself on indigenous merits, it is probably wise to revise its selling-points for a foreign market. As always, however, only your own fastidious research can conclude this.

In Bahrain, the roles of men and women are more defined than in Western culture. However, women are more publically active in Bahrain than in many Arab countries and are allowed to vote and many hold jobs. Family is a very important part of Bahraini culture and many people live with their extended families, in contrast to the west.

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