Respect to Culture Essay

This paper will highlight the key issues that Kellogg’s should consider when deciding to expand to the country of Jordan. Will the people living in Jordan able to afford this product? What are the values connected to the people that will force them to purchase it? What is needed to fill this heterogeneous culture? All these questions will be answered in this paper with respect to the product Special K by Kellogg’s. Homogenous vs. Heterogeneous with Respect to Culture The population of Jordan is divided into different ethnic groups which include the Bedouins, the people from Circassia and the Palestenians. The majority of the Jordanians is from the Arab descent and form a population of around 4. 4 million (The Royal Hashemite Court). These Arabs have migrated into Jordan from numerous origins. These people mainly travelled in tribes and whole tribes used to migrate into Jordan before the 19th Century. The population also includes some proportions of Muslim refugees from Caucasus who migrated to Jordan when Russia invaded. Jordan also houses some Americans and small groups of Chechens. Therefore the culture in Jordan is expected to be pretty heterogeneous as the population includes people from diverse backgrounds and descents. There is heterogeneity of languages being taught and learnt in Jordan. People in Jordan are given complete freedom to preach their religion, teach their language and promote their culture. This makes Jordan so culturally diverse and rich. The different ethnic groups have their own clubs, places of worships, schools and associations which has allowed the heterogeneity of culture to remain in Jordan. There has been a tradition of appreciation and tolerance for the diverse cultural background. Around 6% of the population comprises of Christian population but the majority 92% consists of Sunni Muslim population (The Royal Hashemite Court). Hence, some similarities in culture can also be expected as almost 9 out of every 10 people in Jordan are Sunni Muslims. These Sunni Muslims belong to same sect of the same religion which makes their religious activities the same. Hence we can conclude that Kellogg’s will have to consider the diverse cultural background as the population are from different countries and descents, however, the same religion of most of the people is going to make it easier for Kellogg’s to penetrate the market as the religious views and values will be the same for most of the people in Jordan. Needs that Kellogg’s Special K can Fill in this Culture Kellogg’s Special K mostly attracts the people who are aware and conscious about their health. Boosting the physical activity for attaining better fitness is the goal of most of the people in the developed nations now. Increased physical activity can not only improve the mood but also improve the health of a person. The people of Jordan require a little addition to their lives which can be added to their daily routine and can have a good affect on their health. The ethnically diverse population of Jordan has different practices for maintaining their health. Some people go for a brisk walk, while others regularly go to the gym. The median population in Jordan is around 22 years old which means the population is pretty young. Most of these people are health conscious and engage in regular physical activity to stay fit. The target market of Kellogg’s Special K will be the urban population which consists of 78% of the total population. The urban population is the wealthy lot which has concerns about their health and body weight. This population can be targeted by telling them the health benefits of consuming Kellogg’s Special K. Kellogg’s Special K website includes expert advice of how to get slimmer, Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator and free personal planner (Kellogg’s). It also includes the nutritional plan for the whole day and informs about the nutrition that Special k provides. The population of Jordan is yet not informed about the importance of breakfast and hence this is the perfect time to introduce the Special K with variety of nutrient intake. Can Enough People Afford the Product? Around 15% of the population in Jordan lives below the poverty line which means that they do not have enough money to afford the basic necessities of life. The economy of Jordan is amongst the smallest in the Arab world. There are insufficient supplies of food, water and other health care items. In other words, the economy was suffering from poverty until ten years back King Abdullah implemented changes in foreign policies and economic reforms that took Jordan to a higher level. In the current situation, Jordan’s economy has not been so hard hit like the other economies because of the isolation from the international market (CIA). However, the top ten percent population has the highest percentage share of total income. Around 30% of the total income is being earned and spent by the top ten percent of the population and this population can certainly afford Kellogg’s Special K. The GDP per capita has risen to US$ 5,300 which is a lot higher than many developing countries. Around 13% of the population is unemployed in Jordan but still the imports of the country amounted to US$ 12 billion in 2009 which indicates that many people in the country can afford to have foreign goods imported. The most imported items include oil, machinery, equipment, iron and cereal and the major import partners are USA, Saudi Arabia, China and Germany (CIA). Hence it can be expected that enough people will purchase the Kellogg’s Special K who are in the top income group and have concerns for their health. Values Relevant to the Purchase and Use of Special K The Bedouins find it hard to search for food as most of them are still nomadic in nature. What they need is some form of dried food which can be consumed at any time of the day or night without water and other staple food. Kellogg’s Special K can be consumed with milk and milk is available abundantly to these nomadic tribes as they have many animals such as camels, sheep and goats which give milk. The Palestinians who left their homeland in the wars of 1967 and 1948 and came to Jordan stilled have not settled down and many do not have living spaces. These people can be provided with Kellogg’s Special K as it is a dry food and it does not require special handling like other local foods. The value of Special K is pretty high because of the nutrient contents of the cereal. Most of the population is now getting educated and moving into urban cities and adopting the foreign lifestyle. As the penetration of television is also increasing in the population, they are starting to follow the Western lifestyle which includes a healthy breakfast. Therefore the value of Kellogg’s Special k will be pretty high for the purchase as it provides an easy way to make the breakfast with a lot of health benefits and nutrients. Works Cited CIA. Fact Book. 2009. 21 July 2010 . Kellogg’s. The Importance of Breakfast. 2010. 21 July 2010 . The Royal Hashemite Court. The people of Jordan. 2001. 21 July 2010 .