Evaluation of the Mercedes Benz International Website - Global Audience

Debanoshee Das
EDTEC 700 Seminar – Designing and Managing Learning for the Global Audience

 Evaluation of the Mercedes Benz International Website – Global Audience

       The Mercedes Benz international website (http://www.mercedes-
benz.com/content/mbcom/international/international_website/en/com.html) is
sleek and elegant – in tune with the image of the car. There has been effective
use of white spaces and the website has a non-cluttered look.

       The typical audience is a customer who may be located in any part of the
world and is interested in checking out the features of new or existing models –
with the ultimate goal being the sale of a car. Contact information for dealers
across the globe is listed in the individual websites for different countries.
       I have made an attempt here to analyze the Mercedes Benz website using
Geert Hofstede's research on cultural differences. Hofstede’s study on cultural
differences in various places of the world offer an excellent framework for
interacting with people from different cultures. A better understanding of the
factors that influence cultural differences will result in improved interaction among
people. In the world of educational technology, comprehending cultural

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differences and being sensitive to those differences while designing and
developing courses would make courses more effective for a global audience.

       Going back to the Mercedes Benz website analysis, l have analyzed the
websites for two countries – India and the U.S.A based on Hofstede’s five
cultural dimensions:

          •   Power Distance Index (PDI)
          •   Individualism (IDV)
          •   Masculinity (MAS)
          •   Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)
          •   Long-Term Orientation (LTO)

       Power Distance Index measures the acceptance level of a society to
symbols or institutions of power. For example, India is a high-power distance
country as social institutions and individuals accept the inequality of power much
more than in a country like the U.S. or Germany. Figures of authority influence
business decisions and social norms. The Mercedes Benz website for India has
information on the Daimler Chrysler corporate group in a conspicuous place on
the home page. Press releases about the group, company milestones, and other
corporate information are available for the reader in the pop-up that comes up on
clicking the Daimler Chrysler link.

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On the other hand, the U.S. website focuses more on pictures of
the cars and information on dealers so that users can make a quick buying
decision and then find the tools to locate a dealer. U.S. is a low power
distance country where equality among all individuals finds more
acceptance. The websites for both U.S. and India have been designed
keeping the PDI index of Hofstede’s model on cultural dimensions. I would
rank the Mercedes Benz high on the PDI index.

       Individualism refers to a low level of closeness in ties among
members of a family or society, whereas collectivism refers to increased
closeness among family members, extended family, and the society at
large where a feeling of a cohesive group is far more prevalent than in a
society where individualism is high. Let us look at the Mercedes Benz
websites for the U.S. and India and see how they fare on individualism vs.
collectivism. The “Build Your Own” feature on the home page of the U.S.

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Mercedes Benz site is an excellent example of individualism. A car is a
very personal thing in the U.S. Preferences can differ widely from one
member of a family to the other. The “Build Your Own” feature allows
users to customize a Mercedes Benz according to his/her preferences and
budget.

       On the other hand, buying a car in India is very much a social
event. Friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, distant relatives – everyone
may and usually, do have a say in the decision to buy a car. An event of
buying a new car is often celebrated among family and friends. In India,
the car is a symbol of status and power. This stems from the fact that
collectivism is very high in India. Interestingly, the “Build Your Own”
feature which is very typical in any car website in a western country is
missing in the Mercedes Benz website for India. Here again, we see that
the website has been designed keeping in mind the high collectivism
cultural dimension in India. However, I would rate the website medium on
the Individualism index of Hofstede’s model as pictures/images of a family
or a group of people interacting with the car – having fun or projecting an
upscale lifestyle in a social setting would have been more appropriate for
the Indian website.

       The Masculinity index of the Hofstede’s model discusses the roles
gender play in the society and the influence it has on the social fabric. In a
society where Masculinity is high, men exercise greater influence on

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decisions and the society in general and display more “masculine”
characteristics like dominance and assertiveness in public. On the other
hand, in a society where Masculinity is low, the gap between men and
women is also low. Both genders enjoy greater equality and assume
similar roles.
       I would rank the Mercedes Benz websites for both U.S. and India
rather low on the Masculinity index of Hofstede’s cultural dimension
model, as both the websites do not directly target any specific gender. The
websites are gender neutral with emphasis on the products rather than
pictures of men or women. The clean, non-busy look of the website keeps
the attention of the user clearly on the information about the models of
Mercedes Benz and the contact details if the user is interested in probing
further.
       The international website of Mercedes Benz, interestingly, has
pictures of women on the top right corner – quite small in size. The
purpose behind including the pictures of the women is not clear.

The next cultural dimension that Hofstede discusses is the Uncertainty
Avoidance Index (UAI). This measures the level of tolerance a society
displays toward uncertainty or the unknown. A society with a low

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acceptance of uncertainty is usually uncomfortable in unknown situations.
For site design, a society with a high UAI prefers a site with clean
navigation and a non-cluttered look. On the other hand, a society with a
low UAI prefers complex navigation with a variety of choices and links on
the home page – a somewhat busy look where all features and bells and
whistles are clearly displayed – not leaving much to imagination.
       In the Mercedes Benz websites for India and the U.S, there are few
links and images resulting in a nice, clean look. I would rate both the
websites high on the UAI index of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model.

       In Long-term orientation countries, the outlook is usually practical,
play-it-safe, determined, and measured. In contrast, short-term orientation
countries strongly believe in family traditions and social mores. People in
short-term orientation countries are conscious of their social compulsions
and their public images.
       Translated to web design, long-term orientation countries prefer
websites that are practical than glossy. They like to locate relevant
information fast and easily. On the other hand, short-term orientation
countries prefer websites with many features and a busy look. They may
or may not use all the features – but prefer to have them on the website.
Brighter colors and a variety of images with fancy fonts and visual glamour
appeal to them more.
       Going back to the Mercedes Benz websites for the U.S. and India, I
would rate the one designed for the American audience high on long-term
orientation. The website is non-fussy and practical. There are no items
that on the site solely for the gloss factor.
       I would rate the Mercedes Benz website for India lower than the
one for the U.S. in terms of long-term orientation. It has more links and
information on the home page than the U.S. website. Another feature that
stands out as a gimmick and is in sharp contrast to the sleek and elegant

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look to the rest of the site is the “Enter Cedy’d World” link at the bottom left
corner.

       The link opens up a game that is totally different in look and feel
from the rest of the website. It conveys a different mood and is meant for
children, who would have minimal influence on the decision to buy a
Mercedes Benz in India, where only a very small proportion of the total
population would be able to afford a Mercedes. The colors and the font
used in the link
(http://www.cedysworld.com/sprachauswahl.php?Insref=ext/mb_in/) are
more appropriate for a children’s website. Giving a choice of language to
users on the home page also does not make sense as almost nobody in
India speaks Dutch, French, or Spanish.
       The “Enter Cedy’d World” link is absent in the Mercedes Benz
website for the U.S.

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Reference:

Hofstede, G. (2003). Geert Hofstede™ Cultural Dimensions. Retrieved June 12,
2007 from: http://www.geert-hofstede.com/

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