Technology advancements have allowed the world to become more interconnected than ever, enabling businesses to expand and communicate globally. However, conducting business internationally is just part of the puzzle—business owners must also understand cultural nuances and how these influence sales and consumers.
Kogod professor of marketing Sarah Mady focuses her research on intercultural factors in domestic and international markets. Professor Mady contributes to a greater cultural understanding in business and life by exploring global responses to advertising techniques.
Mady has been a professor at Kogod since 2011, teaching a myriad of undergraduate and advanced international business and marketing classes. She also heads immersion programs for the online MBA program, accompanying graduate students to South America and soon Asia so that Kogod students can practice and experience global business in the real world.
Having grown up in Egypt and Kuwait, Professor Mady's interest in the impact of culture dates back to her childhood. “I came to appreciate cross-cultural differences and developed an interest in the accommodation efforts that marketers make to meet the varied needs of customers in different places I visited—what’s more fascinating than seeing a McDonald’s menu in another country?” she joked.
“But even beyond product adaptations, I’ve always observed differences in service encounters across cultures, which fascinated me. It still does,” explained Mady.
Now, Mady is focused on how marketing interacts with marginalized groups—a vital topic in domestic and international markets. Her most recently published work highlights women's perceptions of skin-whitening products in Egypt, Ghana, and India.
Mady is also currently researching the impact of consumption adequacy—the sense of access to basic life necessities—on children in poverty.