Using Hofstede Cultural Dimensions to Establish Durex Cross-Cultural Marketing

1. 1 THE BRAND BACKGROUND

DUREX is an international subsidiary company which was founded by Stephen O' Kennedy and was registered in London in 1915. The DUREX condoms were distributed by the London Rubber Company (LRC) which was founded by L.A Jackson. LRC at that time were importing Germany based condoms among other health care products. LRC developed a consumer-based production portfolio in health and beauty products for the parent British company Seton Scholl London international (SSL) in 1929. It was that same year the brand name "DUREX" was cloned from a triple morpheme of its slogan "Durability, Reliability and Excellence". SSL was recently sold to the anglo-dutch based consumer goods company RECKITT BENCKISER (RB) in July 2010 for £2.54 billion. RB will be paying £11.71p per SSL international shares which ratios 33 percent premium with the final dividends of £0.08p. RB's Chief Executive Bart Becht says: "RB's health and personal care business has been a key driver of its growth and the premium being paid for the condom and foot products maker underscores the value attached to the key health and consumer brands by large groups looking to diversify...Durex, in the sexual wellbeing category, is the global number one condom brand and Scholl is the market leader in the foot care category in many of the markets where it is present". Apart from its American based competitor TROJAN condoms, Durex is recognised as one of the favourable safe sex products in the globe and for the past 81 years, Durex has transformed its services to provide a sexual-proof safety net to its consumers. Durex has also involved in the manufacturing of other sex products like lubes, sensilubes, and vibes. Durex is world leading and global condom brand which is sold in more than 140 countries and it holds 22 percent of the global condom market (cited by Rupinder Kaur, NRI UK brothers, and pharmacy owner to sell cheap fusion condoms, July 6th, 2008). Durex condom company has branches in 82 countries: 2 in Africa (South Africa and Mauritius), 11 in Asia Pacific (including China, India and Japan), 36 in Europe (including United Kingdom, Netherlands and France), 10 in Latin America (including Grand Cayman, Colombia and Venezuela), and 10 in the Middle East (UAE and Israel) and 13 in North America (including USA, Canada and Jamaica).

1.2 DUREX TRADE REGIONS

Alexandre Georjon (2003) in his report stated that by the 80s, Durex began sales in public areas like supermarkets, pubs and clubs because of the accelerated threats of STDs and HIV/AIDS. Ever since their first campaign in 1982, a distinctive development in marketing sales was dominate as well as condom advertising on television in 1987. Durex has maintained its market policies which target the increase of its brand prestige with the aid of installing free-stand outdoor vending machines in 1992, sponsorship