Is There an International Life Cycle for Foreign Bank Advertising?

Abstract

Advertisements by foreign banks in the U.S. were examined using standard content analysis procedures to determine services advertised, promotional themes utilized, and the degree of internationalization of the strategy depicted. Results indicate that the overwhelming majority of ads emphasize general institutional characteristics and only occasionally focus on specific services. Further, themes stress size-assets, internationality, experience, and competitiveness. Significant differences in services advertised, themes stressed, and degree of internationalization were noted between the first half and the last half of the period studied. This supports the notion of an international advertising life cycle, whereby foreign banks change their ad strategies as they gain more experience in the U.S.