Devoted to small businesses and those who run them

I thought I was up with international marketing trends and terminology.

But the cultural divide was brought home to me recently with the terms Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There are implications here for small businesses who deal in the international market, especially in retail.

Black Friday
"Black Friday" is a term I must have missed. I only came across it for the first time a few days ago. It signals the beginning of the holiday shopping and pre Christmas frenzy. This obviously has implications for small business owners.

Thanksgiving
I'm an Aussie whose only experience of Thanksgiving is a Thanksgiving Dinner many years ago in the US and what I see in the movies.

The concept of a marketing frenzy starting on Black Friday is something we don't experience here.

Cyber Monday
I've been reading a lot more lately about "Cyber Monday" lately too. This is the online version of Black Friday. The theory is that after the Black Friday weekend, people will go online as they are in the buying mindset. 

An Australian Christmas
In Australia, Christmas starts in earnest in October in many retail outlets, and of course the preparation starts long before. It starts getting really serious in November, and of course December is just crazy. I guess it's Christmas without Thanksgiving as a lead up.

Importance Of Understanding Differing Cultural Experiences
The differing cultural experiences of consumers in other countries may be of interest to retailers dealing internationally. We often make the assumption that "everyone knows." 

Understanding cultural differences may help you reach your target customers more effectively. I know I am a bit wiser for it, and at least I know what Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now.