The Website Globalization and E-Business paper was researched and written by:

Martin Spethman Managing Partner Globalization Partners International mspethman@globalizationpartners.com Phone: 866-272-5874

Nitish Singh, PhD, Author of “The Culturally Customized Website”, “Localization Strategies for Global E-Business”, and Assistant Professor of International Business, Boeing Institute of International Business, John Cook School of Business, Saint Louis University. singhn2@slu.edu Phone: 314-977-7604

The Website Globalization and E-Business Series includes a series of brief reports on country-specific website globalization and e-business topics. The series includes:

• China• Japan• Germany• US Hispanic Market• Brazil• India

• Russia• Argentina• France• United Kingdom• United Arab Emirates

Globalization Partners International helps companies communicate and conduct business in any language and in any locale by providing an array of globalization services including:

• Translation• Multilingual Desktop Publishing• Software Internationalization & Localization• Website Internationalization & Localization• Software and Website Testing• Interpretation (Telephonic, Consecutive, Simultaneous)• Globalization Consulting• SEO (Global Search Engine Marketing)

To learn more about Globalization Partners International, please visit us at blog.globalizationpartners.com.

Website Globalization and E-Business Argentina

This series of reports is meant to be a primer on e-Business as well as a collection of language, culture and website globalization facts by country. These reports are by no means a complete coverage of these topics. For more comprehensive or customized reports on country-specific Website Globalization and E-Business topics, please email mspethman@globalizationpartners.com.

No material contained in this report may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission of Globalization Partners International. The information contained in this White Paper has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable, but neither its completeness nor accuracy can be guaranteed.

© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved. ® All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All graphics used in this report were provided by Flickr, Google Images and other free internet resources for pictures.

1 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

Globalization Partners International White Paper | 2014

2 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

LArgentina is divided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city, Buenos Aires, which is the capital. L The culture of Argentina has been principally influenced and formed by its European roots. (Wikipedia.com) LDue to the fact that it has both abundant natural resources and a well-educated workforce, Argentina is one of South America’s largest economies. (Country Watch) L Private consumption by consumers was the main driver of Argentine economic growth in recent years, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the GDP. (Euromonitor) L 66.4% of the Argentine population is currently on the Internet (Internet World Stats, 2013) L From 2009 - 2012, the Internet usage and availability in Argentina grew 17.5% (Internet World Stats, 2013) LOnline retail sites continue to grow in Argentina, reaching nearly 74 percent of its total online audience in August 2013. Alibaba.com was the fastest gaining property of the top 10 most-visited retail websites, growing 96 percent in the past year. (Source: ComScore) LMobile phones and tablets continue to account for a growing amount of digital traffic. Argentina now sees 7.9 percent of all web-based page views consumed beyond the personal computer, predominantly on smartphones and tablets. (Source: ComScore)

Fast Facts Numbers

General Stats GDP $470.5 billion (2012: World Bank Development Indicators)

Economy Growth Rate 8.3% (Q2 2013: Bloomberg.com)

Population 42,192 million (Internet World Stats, 2012)

Internet Internet Population 28 million (Newmediatrendwatch, 2012)

Future Estimates 54.3% (Newmediatrendwatch, 2012)

Summary Sheet has been compiled through the use of sources from academia

I. Market Introduction and Stats

24 Provinces of Argentina

Ì Buenos Aires Ì Catamarca Ì Chaco Ì Chubut Ì Córdoba Ì Corrientes Ì Entre Ríos Ì Formosa Ì Jujuy Ì La Pampa Ì La Rioja Ì Mendoza Ì Misiones Ì Nequén Ì Río Negro Ì Salta Ì San Juan Ì San Luis Ì Santa Cruz Ì Santa Fé Ì Santiago del Estero Ì Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and the South Atlantic Islands

Ì Tucumán

3 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

II. Argentina Culture and the Online Consumer

Argentina Culture and Values

Argentina is a traditional society full of symbols, rituals, traditional values and contextual elements. At a macro-level, the culture of Argentina can be described using five cultural values based on the work of Hofstede (1980). Professor Geert Hofstede conducted perhaps the most comprehensive study of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. He is also the author of several books including, Culture’s Consequences (2nd, fully revised edition, 2001), and Cultures and Organizations, Software of the Mind (2nd fully revised edition 2005).

Hofstede demonstrated that there are national and regional cultural groupings that affect the behavior of societies and organizations that are very persistent across time. Hofstede’s research showed that cultural values like Individualism-Collectivism, Power Distance, Masculinity-Femininity, and Uncertainty Avoidance can be used to categorize various national cultures.

Although the Hofstede research showed 5 cultural values, each country uses a different set of these. For example, Argentina rates moderately on four of the five values and is a high-context culture.

Insights into Argentine Consumer Values:

LRelationships: Argentine people value relationships and build networks of friends and contacts, both for professional and personal use. (www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/argentina.html) L Family: Family ties, both nuclear and extended, are extremely important to the consumers of Argentina. It is expected that people will share resources with their family. (Culture Grams) LVanity: Argentines put a high value on appearance, which is an integral aspect of their culture. (Euromonitor.)

Argentina Consumer Decision Making:

Market segmentation is an exercise in carefully identifying profitable and accessible consumer segments based on socio-demographics, geographics, and psychographics. Segmentation is unique to each company and product. Some general insights on the Argentine consumer segments have been divided into demographic and specific consumer segments.

Consumer Segments of Argentina

�Tweenagers: This consumer segment, aged between 10-14 years old, is beginning to decline in numbers and is highly affected by peer pressure. The females of the Tweenage segment follow the trends set at school and on the soap operas or telenovelas that they watch in the evenings. Music idols are also very influencial. The males are more attracted to sports or “football” (soccer) equipment. The best way to reach this consumer segment is with product placement in television programs such as soap operas.

Cultural Values

Individualism: Cultures like Argentina that are high on the individualism value tend to value individual goals over group goals. Independence, individuality, and self expression are preferred values.

Power Distance: This is a belief in authority and hierarchy (high power distance). Cultures like Argentina that are high on power distance accept power and hierarchy in society and are low on egalitarianism. In such cultures, less powerful citizens are accepting of unequal power distribution in society.

Uncertainty Avoidance: This is the importance of predictability, structure, and order (high uncertainty avoidance), versus a willingness for risk-taking and an acceptance of ambiguity and limited structure (low uncertainty avoidance.) People from cultures high on uncertainty avoidance like Argentina tend to have low tolerance for uncertainty and avoid ambiguous situations. They view both conflict and competition as threatening, and value security over adventure and risk.

Masculinity-Femininity: This is a belief in achievement and ambition (masculine), versus a belief in nurturing and caring for others (feminine). Masculine cultures like Argentina value achievement orientation, material possessions and success.

High-Low Context: To communicate effectively across cultures, the correct level of context must be determined. High context societies, like Argentina, have close connections among group members. Everyone has a similar, intrinsic knowledge base. There is little information that is explicit. High context cultures use more symbols and nonverbal clues to communicate, with meaning embedded in the situational context.

(Hofstede, Geert. Culture’s Consequences, Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2001)

4 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

II. Argentina Culture and the Online Consumer

�Teenagers: This consumer segment is between 14-19 years old and is the oldest group to have completely grown up under democratic rule, which has made them extremely outspoken and expressive. They follow many of the trends from the U.S. and the U.K. in terms of dress and often go out with their friends to clubs, staying out later as they get older. Teenagers are not given a regular allowance, but instead are given money on an “as-needed” basis. In addition, mobile phones are popular among teenagers and their parents as a communication tool. Teenagers are extremely internet savvy and use it primarily for communication and gaming, but not as much for online purchases.

�Studying Age: This consumer segment is focused on individuals aged 18-22 years old and will grow slightly in size by 2015. Due to the nature of the education system in Argentina, most students take 6-7 years to get their degree. Therefore, many of the students take on a part-time job to pay for their extra expenses and their parents often cover their basic expenses. This is the age where the purchasing of luxury items, such as used cars becomes available and important to the consumer. In addition, this group is interested in mobile phones, technology and having fun and going out with their friends and spending money on their personal appearance.

�Young Adults: Members of this consumer segments have their first job. They will also become the dominant consumers as they age. Therefore, many brands are attempting to gain loyalty with this consumer segment. This group is more likely to consume services instead of tangible products, which include socializing, holidays, rent and car maintenance. Young adults do not save much of their disposable income, but instead focus on their appearance and having a good time.

�Middle-Aged Adults: This consumer segment is aged between 30-59 years and they participate actively in the country’s economy through their participation in the workforce. This consumer group saves money for housing and focuses on the financial stability of their family. With their disposable income, they save for retirement and focus on how to improve the “luxury” in their life. They are also concerned with maintaining good health and their physical appearance.

�Baby Boomers: In 2005, this consumer segment represented 21% of Argentina’s population. They consume large quantities of personal grooming products; this is most pronounced with females. Some typical gift items for this segment are perfume, cosmetics and shavers. In addition, Baby Boomers prefer to travel to many of Argentina’s beautiful beaches and other vacation spots worldwide. Successful marketing campaigns for this segment will emphasize family.

�Retirees: This consumer segment has an extremely limited disposable income. When they have the money, they prefer to travel primarily to the beaches of Argentina. They also spend a good amount of their disposable income on personal grooming products. These consumers are very social and enjoy going out for coffee with friends or just walking the street and chatting with neighbors. This group also utilizes more over-the-counter medications than other consumer segments.

Demographics Definitions

Socio-demographics: The analysis of different social groups. The criteria used to segment consumers based on age, economics, etc.

Geographics: The geographical distribution of the market being analyzed. The criteria used to segment these consumers can be country, region, town, etc. For example, consumers can be segmented by residence or work. (about.com)

Psychographics: The criteria used to segment consumers based on lifestyle, attitudes, personality, buying motives, and/or extent of product usage. (about.com)

5 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

Spanish is a Romance language that originated in the northern region of Spain. Currently it is the primary language of 21 countries, including Argentina, and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. In addition, Spanish is spoken by over 406 million people worldwide.

Throughout the 21 countries in which Spanish is the primary language there can be a difference in the dialect, vocabulary, accents and even grammar rules that need to be considered when translating materials into Spanish.

The Spanish language is read from left to right, using 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, with the additional characters ñ, ch and ll. The use of accents such as á, é, í, ó and ú are used in some words to change meaning and pronunciation. The correct pronunciation of Spanish words is derived primarily from the spelling of the word.

The main dialect of Spanish spoken in Argentina is Rioplatense Spanish, also known as Silver River Spanish. The vocabulary that is used in the Rioplatense dialect of Spanish has been minimally influenced by the native populations of the area, such as Guarani and Quechua. Where Peninsular Spanish borrows words from UK English and French, Rioplatense Spanish borrows words from American English. This leads to a great difference in the vocabulary between the various Spanish dialects as shown.

Rioplatense Peninsular Mexican Chilean English (US /UK)

Duranzo Melocotón Durazno Durazno Peach

Damasco Albaricoque Chabacano Damasco Apricot

Moño Pajarita Moño Humita Bowtie

Valija Maleta Maleta Maleta Luggage or Suitcase

Baúl (del auto) Maletero Cajuela Maleta (del auto) (Car) trunk / book

Poroto Judía Frijol Poroto Bean

Language Facts/Tips

Ì Dialect: Make sure the dialect that is being used is appropriate for the market in which the materials will be distributed. For example, Argentinean Spanish uses different verb tenses and vocabulary than Castilian Spanish.

Ì Grammar: Verb forms are much more extensive in Spanish than they are in English. In Spanish, various endings are attached to verbs to indicate who is speaking for first-, second-, and third-person forms in singular and plural. For regular verbs, the -ar, -er or -ir at the end is replaced with the appropriate ending. Examples: yo hablo, I talk; tú hablas, you (singular) talk; él habla, he talks; ella habla, she talks; nosotros hablamos, we talk; ellos hablan, they talk. In many cases the verb form gives enough information that it isn’t necessary to indicate with a subject noun or pronoun who is performing the action. Example: canto, I sing. (from About.com Spanish Library)

Ì Text Expansion: When languages, such as English, are translated into Spanish, the text can expand up to 25-35%. This means the text takes up more physical space on the page and the words inside the graphics, tool bars, tables, etc. can all expand.

Ì Alphabet: There are no accented letters in the Spanish alphabet, unlike in other languages. Instead, they have four special characters ch (che), ll (elle), ñ, (eñe), and rr (erre). There is disagreement between authorities on exactly which letters are to be included in the full Spanish alphabet, and whether to continue to include these special characters. Moreover, all of the letters of the alphabet when written individually, are feminine. (about.com)

Ì Gender: Spanish nouns, such as la dentista or el perro, are either masculine or feminine. The gender of the noun determines the form of numerous adjectives that can be used to describe it, as well as the appropriate pronouns used. A general rule is that masculine nouns go with masculine adjectives and feminine nouns go with feminine adjectives. Moreover, a noun ending with “-o” is generally masculine or “-a” is generally feminine. There are exceptions to this rule. For example, el día is masculine wheras el/la cada can be either masculine or feminine. One example of the nouns and adjectives matching is: El carro es caro (the car is expensive). (about.com)

III. The Spanish Language

6 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

IV. Website Globalization

Whether you are trying to launch a multilingual website in order to expand the markets for your products and services, or you are trying to increase your company’s global operational efficiencies by developing multilingual extranets and intranets, Website Globalization is a requirement to make either a reality. In order to enable your web presence to communicate, conduct and complete international e-Business, you need to translate (globalize) your website.

Website translation is also known as “Website Globalization”. In order to truly “translate” a website into other languages you may need both Internationalization (I18n) and Localization (L10n) services.

Internationalization (I18n) involves enabling the backend of a website to handle different languages, character sets, currencies, submit form data, site search capabilities, etc… and involves understanding what database and content management systems you are using to author, store and publish your site’s content.

Localization (L10n) involves translating and localizing the front end of your website into different languages ensuring all content (text and graphics) is translated in an accurate and culturally correct manner.

+

7 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

0

50

100

001050

Unc

erta

inty

Avo

idan

ce In

dex

Masculinity - Femininity Index

Masculinity - Femininity vs. Uncertainty Avoidance

Arab World Argen�na Australia Austria BrazilCanada Chile China Colombia Costa RicaCzech Republic Czech Republic Denmark East Africa EcuadorEl Salvador Finland France Germany GreeceGuatemala Hong Kong Hungary India IndonesiaIran Ireland Israel Italy JamaicaJapan Malaysia Me�ico �eth erlands �e � �ealand�o r�ay �akistan �anama �eru �hilippines�oland �ortugal Russia Singapore South AfricaSouth Korea Spain S� eden S� itzerland �ai� an�hailand �urkey ��S� Hispanic Market �n ited Arab Emirates �n ited Kingdom�n ited States �rugua y �enezuela West Africa

0

50

100

001050

Indi

vidu

alis

m -

Colle

c�vi

sm In

dex

Power Distance Index

Power Distance vs. Individualism - Collec�vism

Arab World Argen�na Australia Austria BelgiumBrazil Canada Chile China ColombiaColombia Costa Rica Czech Republic Denmark East AfricaEl Salvador Finland France Germany GuatemalaHungary Hong Kong India Indonesia IrelandIran Israel Italy Jamaica JapanMalaysia Me�ico �eth erlands �e � �ealand �o r�ay�akistan �anama �eru �hilippines �oland�ortugal Russia Singapore South Africa South KoreaSpain S� eden S� itzerland �ai� an �urkey��S� Hispanic Market �n ited Arab Emirates �n ited Kingdom �n ited States �rugua y�enezuela West Africa

Tables and section based on the book, “The Culturally Customized Website: Customizing Websites for the Global Marketplace” – by Nitish Singh and Arun Pereira. Cultural maps are from Hofstede, Geert. Culture’s Consequences, Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organization Across Nations Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications, 2001)

Cultural Customization: Key Issues

The basis for cultural customization of websites is a theoretically-sound, empirically-validated framework built on five unique cultural values that account for similarities and differences across global cultures. Research studies indicate that attitude towards websites, interactivity and usability of websites, as well as purchase intentions at websites are enhanced when sites are congruent with the target customers’ cultural predispositions. (See The Culturally Customized Website, Elsevier, 2005)

The cultural customization framework is drawn from established research and is based on five unique values: Individualism-Collectivism, Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Masculinity-Femininity, and Low-High Context. (See page 3 of this report)

These five predominant country cultural values can be represented in comparison to other countries using the maps below:

V. Argentina’s Cultural Correctness and Web Customization

Ì Argentina

Ì Argentina

Cultural Maps for Argentina

8 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

The Cultural Customization Scorecard

Once we have identified the country’s predominant cultural values using the cultural maps, the next step in customizing a website is to evaluate it on the relevant cultural values. We do this in the form of the Cultural Customization Scorecard. The score card is produced by analyzing the features on the site that conform to the cultural values of that market.

The cultural values of interest for Argentina are Collectivism, Masculinity, High Context, Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance. These are carefully derived based on the cultural distinctions that are meaningful to the members of a given society (For a detailed cultural analysis of your website please contact mspethman@globalizationpartners.com).

The Cultural Customization Scorecard™ - Argentina

Values Individualism Collectivism Uncertainty Avoidance

Power Distance

Masculinity Low Context

High Context

Cultural Scores

Cultural Customization (Examples)

 Individualism: Argentina is an individualistic culture. Therefore, when designing a website for this market, it is ideal to emphasize individual achievement and elements of personal success. For example: deautos.com has a section called “mi auto” which allows a person to control and structure the various services they are going to utilize for their automobile search.

ÂMasculinity: Argentina is a culture that leans towards masculinity. There are numerous ways that masculinity can be depicted on a website, including highlighting achievement, success, product durability, as well as adventure and fun. For example: Colgate has an interactive presentation on their Argentina site on how to preserve the smile. This is culturally customized due to the interactive nature and highlighting the achievement of the products, as well as ensuring the Argentine need to “look good” is met.

V. Argentina’s Cultural Correctness and Web Customization

Grading Scale:

> 90% Excellent Customization on Cultural Value

70-89% Good Customization on Cultural Value

< 70% Poor Customization on Cultural Value

9 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

 High-Low Context: As Argentina is a high context culture, the values and communication style consistent with the high-context value like harmony and aesthetics can help achieve cultural customization. For example: Pilay.com mixes a concise layout with continually changing, aesthetically pleasing graphics that tell a story.

 Power Distance: Argentina scores high on power distance. Some ways to customize a site for this value is to highlight awards and honors that the company, its employees or brand has received, as well as, having pictures of staff members with biographies. For example: Rosario3.com, an Argentine newspaper, allows its readers to develop a comfortable relationship with its columnists by posting pictures and short biographies in a “meet the columnist” section of the newspaper.

 Uncertainty Avoidance: As Argentina is a very risk-averse society, it is important to reduce risk, anxiety and uncertainty that these consumers might have shopping online. For example, using pictures of support personnel along with images and product specs may help to reduce the anxiety. For Example: CableVisión has a section where consumers can look at their monthly billing.

V. Argentina Cultural Correctness and Web Customization

10 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

Website Customization Considerations

Symbols and Icons

A rich culture like Argentina has a long list of symbols and icons that carry special cultural meaning. It is important to be aware of them to avoid any cultural blunders and inadvertent use of offensive symbols.

Some examples:

LTango: The tango refers to the music, lyrics and dance itself. The tango represents the profound transformation of the urban landscape at the beginning of last century with the influx of diverse European immigrants. The tango was also a moral threat for what it symbolized about women and the fact that it romanticized the male behavior that kept them away from home. (www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Argentina.html)

LMate: The very popular Mate is an herbal infusion of leaves from the Yerba mate plant. The name ‘Mate’ refers to both the drink and the container in which the drink is prepared: Either a ground or metal container with a special metal straw. Drinking Mate is considered a feature of the cultura rioplatense. (www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Argentina.html)

LSoccer (or fútbol): is a potent symbol and image for people from Argentina. Tremendous national pride is associated with this sport. Along with Spain and Brazil, only Argentina has won the FIFA World cup outside of its continental zone. (2011, Wikipedia)

Colors

For Argentina certain colors carry specific meaning and symbolize aspects of their culture.

� Yellow: Represents either hope, hazards or cowardice � Green: Represents new beginnings � Blue: Represents depression, conservativeness and sadness � White: Represents brides, angels, doctors and peace � Black: Represents funerals, death, rebellion and high fashion

V. Argentina’s Cultural Correctness and Web Customization

11 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

V. Argentina’s Cultural Correctness and Web Customization

Spatial Orientation:

Spatial orientation refers to how web content is structured. According to Wendy Barber and Albert Badre, authors of “Culturability: The Merging of Culture and Usability” (1998), spatial orientation has a direct effect on website usability, because it affects visual perception. Manipulating the orientation can change the user’s comfort level. What is user-friendly for one country may be vastly different for another.

Text Length:

When translating a document or website, it is important to take into account how the length of the text will change after translation. There are a variety of reasons why text expansion occurs. Equivalent phrases in a target language may have more characters or words than in English, and some cultures prefer using a more formal style than other cultures, avoiding abbreviations, for example. Additionally, for both documents and websites both line and page breaks may be different in the localized version than in the English version. Finally, the layout of the document or website itself may change depending on the direction of the text. For example, Arabic is a bi-directional language and is read right-to-left, which will not only switch the layout of the text, but also the graphics, the tool bars, the navigation bars, and the binding of the book, etc... Similarly, some languages like Chinese and Japanese can be displayed either in left-to-right character rows or vertical character columns, and the choice influences how document elements such as graphics, figures, tables, call outs, etc. are arranged in the final document or webpage.

There can either be text expansion or compression when a document or website is translated from English into a target language. For example, Spanish can expand up to 35% when translated from English. With document localization, there are several steps that can be taken to help preserve the integrity of the look and feel “layout” of the document. These include:

LUsing a larger font in the original language, if it is expected that the language will expand during translation. This will help to develop a better feel for the final size of the document and how the document elements will be laid out relative to the text. If the text is expected to shrink, use a slightly smaller font for the same reasons. L Tables and graphics may need to be resized or changed. Some, like the vertical Chinese or Japanese layout, will require more finessing than others.

Notice how inmuebles.clarin.com uses a clean and concise layout for their material, organized into easy-to-read columns, and outfitted with an equally straightforward navigation system. Notice also how the details help project an image of the company--an example of how the company uses its website to reinforce its desired brand image. Blue hues signify the company’s conservative stance as a news organization. Carefully chosen, visually appealing pictures hint at an underlying masculine theme that plays well in a culture like Argentina’s.

References available upon request.

Source: statcounter.com.

12 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

The key to promoting a website internationally is to create localized content, localized keywords, register local domain names, and then promote it through local search engines, affiliate marketing, online and offline branding and promotions.

A search engine marketing campaign for Argentina should be multi-dimensional for both short-term and long-term success. Using Pay-Per-Click campaigns on targeted Argentine websites and search engines is one way to produce immediate results. It is also a way to become familiar with the consumer segment being targeted in Argentina.

Long term search engine marketing plans should include the use of keywords in both Spanish and English. This is due to the fact that these are the primary business languages in Argentina. Argentines are also close to their European roots, so it might be advantageous to also have a portion of a SEM and Pay-Per-Click campaign on portals targeting these cultural groups.

The top level domain in Argentina is.ar. Other domains that are popular in Argentina are .com.ar, .org, .net, .info, and.biz. There are currently approximately 11.232 million Internet hosts in Argentina. (www.indexmundi.com 2012)

Top Search Engines in Argentina

� Google (94.54%) � Bing (2.04%) � Yahoo (1.34%) � Babylon (1.07%)

VI. Internet and Search Engine Marketing for Argentina

It is recommended that firms plan on and conduct some form of global search engine marketing (SEM) in order to drive traffic to their new language sites.

This may include global search engine optimization of your localized Web content, submission of pages to key country (locale) search engines, and a pay-per-click marketing campaigns through services like Google Adwords or Overture.

For more information on Global SEM Services, see www.globalizationpartners.com/SEM

Source: statcounter.com.

13 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

With the growth of global communications and marketing you need to adapt your social media communication to different cultural audiences and locales.

Since social media is influencing all online communications, it is no longer enough just to localize your content. In today’s dynamic, social networking charged environment, you need to adapt your communication to match your target audience in Argentina to make sure that your message and intent is successfully communicated.

Key Insights from the Digital Landscape for Argentina:

LArgentina is the third most highly engaged social networking market worldwide, with users spending an average of 9 hours in the category in August 2013. (Source: ComScore)

LMobile phones and tablets continue to account for a growing amount of digital traffic. Argentina now sees 7.9 percent of all web-based page views consumed beyond the personal computer, predominantly on smartphones and tablets. (Source: ComScore)

L Internet users in Argentina are the most likely in Latin America to view online video content, with more than 95 percent of Argentina’s internet population doing so in August 2013. (Source: ComScore)

Top Social Media Networks in Argentina

� Facebook (87.83%) � Twitter (7.33%) � YouTube (3.27) � Pinterest (0.64%) � StumbleUpon (0.42%)

VII. Social Media and Digital Marketing for Argentina

It is recommended that firms plan on and conduct some form of global social media localization in order to drive traffic to their websites and social media profiles.

This may include global social media localization of your content, social media optimization for local networks, and advertising campaigns through services like Facebook Advertising.

For more information on Global Social Media Services, see www.globalizationpartners.com/SocialMedia

14 of 14 Website Globalization and E-Business | Argentina www.globalizationpartners.com© Copyright 2008 - 2014 Globalization Partners International. All rights reserved.

Search Engines

Resources

ßAhijuna www.ahijuna.com.ar ßAike.com.ar www.aike.com.ar ßBeunosAires.com www.buenosaires.com ßBUSCApique www.BUSCApique.com ßGoogle Argentina www.google.com.ar ßGrippo www.grippo.com.ar

ßGuia Fe www.guiafe.com.ar ßHome Argentina www.homeargentina.com.ar ß InterLap www.interlap.com.ar ßWeb Fe www.webfe.com ßYahoo! Argentina www.yahoo.com.ar ßAndinia www.andinia.com

ß Terra www.terra.com.ar ßUbbi www.ubbi.com ßSION www.sion.com ßWepa www.wepa.com/ar ßArnet www.arnet.com.ar ßClarin www.clarin.com

Acrobat may ask you for permission to open the links. Click on the “Allow” button to let Acrobat open the link in your browser

Useful Links

ßAbout.com - Spanish spanish.about.com/cs/historyofspanish/f/vosqow.htm ßWikipedia - Spanish Language en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_dialects_and_varieties ß Lonely Planet - Argentina www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/argentina ßCIA World Factbook - Argentina www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html ßGeographia.com - Argentina www.geographia.com/argentina ß infoplease.com - Argentina www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107288.html ßArgentina Turismo www.turismo.gov.ar/eng/menu.htm ßArgentina Travel Guide wikitravel.org/en/Argentina

ßU.S. Department of State - Argentina www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26516.htm ß Just Argentina www.justargentina.org ß El Sur del Sur www.surdelsur.com/indexingles.html ß Economist.com, Country Briefings - Argentina www.economist.com/countries/Argentina ß EIA - Argentina www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Argentina/Background.html ß Internet Public Library - Argentina www.ipl.org/div/news/browse/AR ß Find Law - Argentina www.findlaw.com/12international/countries/ar.html ß Encyclopedia Britannica - Argentina www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109725/Argentina

ßCountryReports.org - Argentina www.countryreports.org/country.aspx?countryid=11 ß Latin American Studies - Argentina www.latinamericanstudies.org/argentina.htm ßUSIG - Argentina www.usig.org/countryinfo/argentina.asp ß Internet World Stats - Argentina www.internetworldstats.com/sa/ar.htm ß Linked Words - Argentina www.linkedwords.com/local-search/local.php?REQ=Argentina%20seo ß Portals of the World - Argentina www.loc.gov/rr/international/hispanic/argentina/argentina.html ß Internet Law Library: Argentina www.lawmoose.com/internetlawlib/118.htm ß Escape Artist - Argentina www.escapeartist.com/Live_In_Argentina/Art/#Internet