The Wu Way » Workplace

Five ways to tarnish your company’s image in China

Jocelyn — Sat, 12 May 2007 19:20:02 +0000

1. Open a store at the Great Wall.

We could learn a lot from Starbucks on this front. Their store in the Forbidden City has generated enough negative PR to warrant high-level government discussions on closing it for good. Why? Because the move was perceived as an imperialistic invasion into one of China’s most sacred and beloved cultural icons. With China’s recent history of foreign marauders coming in and setting up shop there — without the blessing of average Chinese — the reaction is not surprising.

So if a Chinese official gives you the green light to open up at the Great Wall — or any other iconic cultural location in China — think twice.

2. Fudge your Chinese translations.

Chinese translation is sadly undervalued in the business world. Companies pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for branding, marketing, design and PR — but some expect to get their marketing materials and corporate identity translated on the cheap by a Chinese student. What’s the harm? A lot. Let’s say you do get a Chinese student to do your translations. If that person has little experience in the business world of your country, they may end up using the wrong terminology. Jean Jameson, a professional translator in the UK, underlines the potential risk in her article “Prevention is cheaper than cure“. Here’s an example:

A textile design company went to Shanghai for a major exhibition several months ago, and engaged a Chinese student to translate its marketing brochure. At the exhibition confused visitors pointed out that the brochure did not make sense – the Chinese student had translated ‘rug’ for ‘cushion’!

It could get even more embarrassing if it’s your tagline, company name or your actual name — these are the core of your company’s image.

Remember, your marketing materials and corporate identity are communicating for you when you’re not around, like a Chinese sales rep in print. Will yours be wearing sleek Armani or plaid polyester? The choice is yours.

3. Confuse Japan and China.

China has a love-hate relationship with Japan. They love the economic benefit of Japan’s investments and export purchases from the Mainland. But most average Chinese still hate the island nation. Some of the sweetest, most gentle Chinese people have surprised me with their poisonous diatribes on Japan. It’s not shocking when you consider that the Japanese occupation from the late 1920s to the 1940s was akin to the Holocaust for Chinese.

Yet Westerners continue to conveniently lump together all East Asian cultures. As far as some are concerned, if they look the same, the culture is the same.

This is complicated by popular culture, where Asians even take on roles outside of their respective cultures — sometimes, with volatile results. For example, the recent movie version of Memoirs of a Geisha intermingled Chinese and Japanese screen stars, and had cast mainly Chinese actresses as the leading geisha in the film. Anyone following the news also knows the film was banned in China. The primary backlash stemmed from — what else? — its portrayal of Chinese women as high-class prostitutes, a bitter reminder of the Chinese “comfort women” enslaved during the Japanese occupation.
So, take note: samurai, geisha, teppanyaki, sake, kimonos, manga. None of these are Chinese. And they may be to your conversation what the A-bomb was to Hiroshima.
4. All work and no play.

Remember the Shining and what happened to Jack? All work and no play also makes you a very dull, very undesirable partner to the Chinese.

Here in the US, we’re used to separating business from pleasure. We like to “get down to business,” so to speak. And when the meeting’s done, we shake hands and leave the office.

In China, the meeting is just the beginning. Chinese business partners invite you to elaborate teas, banquets, karaoke parties and even weekend trips to Hong Kong. You get chauffered around in the utmost luxury. All on your Chinese partners’ tabs.

After a few rounds of this, you’re just about ready to put on the breaks the next time you hear an invitation to chifan (eat dinner).

I’ve got news for you. When it comes to doing business in China, all of the above is just par for the course. Some of the most important headway between you and your prospective partner will probably happen while you’re crooning “Edelweiss” (a perennial favorite) together in a karaoke bar.

There’s another reason you shouldn’t miss the socializing. It just might suggest you’re not interested.
In China, people put a premium on the relationship. They want to know you and build trust. That kind of connection only happens beyond the office. I’ve heard from many execs that, by spending more leisure time with their Chinese partners, they experienced major breakthroughs in their business relationships.

5. Ignore superstition.

Superstition in China runs stronger than the Yangzi River. Even Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution, his almost deranged assault on traditional Chinese culture and history, couldn’t stamp out superstition…though it tried.

Examples of it abound in modern Chinese culture.

Consider the upcoming Beijing Olympics in 2008. Now, the number eight is one of the most treasured numbers in China because it sounds similar to the character for making money. China already got lucky hosting the event in ’08. So guess when the Olympics will begin? August — the eighth month of the year — on the eighth day of the month at exactly 8pm.

After the seven-day Labor Day and National Day holidays, work always resumes on the eighth of the month.

The Chinese national flag is in red and gold, the two most traditionally auspicious colors in Chinese culture.

But the question remains — how could superstition derail your business?
Picture this: your prospective Chinese partner invites you to his daughter’s wedding. It’s a great opportunity to get to know him better through social interaction following the advice above. You’ve heard that giving money is pretty standard, so you take out the nicest white envelope from your suitcase and put in the equivalent of $50 — 400 RMB.

Congratulations, you’ve just communicated your death wish for the new couple. White envelopes are only reserved for funerals, and the number four sounds a lot like the character for “death”.

Of course, this is an extreme example. Not all superstition snafus will hurt your reputation. For example, it’s unlikely that Chinese will turn the other way just because you didn’t use auspicious colors or characters in your corporate identity. But just imagine if you did. Chances are your counterparts in China will be impressed that you knew enough to go the extra mile.

Why fight superstition? Go with the flow — and watch your business reap the benefits.

The Wu Way

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Interview with Gary Wells of Dix & Eaton about international communications

Jocelyn — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:16:15 +0000

Jocelyn: Good morning, this is Jocelyn, weâ€™re at the Wu Way, this is January 29, and Iâ€™m here at the BP Building and I have the pleasure of meeting with Gary Wells, who is the Senior Managing Director for Media Relations and Global Communications for Dix & Eaton. I might add that Gary is a very well-traveled man. He continues to help broaden Dix and Eatonâ€™s capabilities and has helped establish media affiliations in 65 markets, right?

Wells: A little more than 65, around 75.

Jocelyn: Okay. And including in the China market, such as Beijing and Shanghai. Iâ€™d like to talk to him today about international communications. Gary and I were just discussing Starbucks and an interesting point aboutâ€¦that you have to be careful about the kind of message to a country when youâ€™re trying to move your brand into that market. Right?

Wells: Good morning, Jocelyn. I think itâ€™s critical for any company moving into a global market, an emerging market, is to keep in mind cultural sensitivities. Okay? Of all US companies, Starbucks is generally the most alert and sensitive to such cultural issuesâ€¦but lost sight of that with their decision to accept an opportunity to put the franchise inside of the Forbidden City. Itâ€™s one thing to install a Starbucks or any other American fast food restaurant in a shopping plaza, in a business center where thereâ€™s high traffic. Itâ€™s another to install what could be considered a foreign invasion in one of the most hallowed sites in all of China, the Forbidden City.

Jocelyn: Right.

Wells: The larger point here is for the global company building into an emerging market. Itâ€™s not enough to have a proprietary service that is in demand, you have to understand the cultural sensitivities. For China, for India, for other countries as well, these are countries that have for decades, for centuries were ruled and subjugated by foreign powers. They have long institutional memories. While they may not go looking for slights, perceived or real, they are very aware of slights as they see them. So the decision to install a Starbucks inside of Forbidden City couldnâ€™t be taken any other way than something as an insult and somewhat as a slap in the face. I think Starbucks has handled the situation quite well, to their business savvy, some companies perhaps would not. I doubt they would make that mistake again either in China or in someplace else.

Jocelyn: Yeah, itâ€™s interesting. I think itâ€™s a great example of what can go wrong when you donâ€™t think about how the media or how the public can perceive the message, maybe covert or overt, that your move in an international market may imply. And maybe, I was wondering if you could tell me some other examples of the challenges that a company might face when theyâ€™re trying to establish themselves in another country, some examples that youâ€™ve seen from your own work.

Wells: I think if youâ€™re a global company and youâ€™re looking to establish operations, if you see a market for your product or service in central market countries Brazil, Russia, India, Chinaâ€¦you have to understand the market forces, but also the culture sensitivities. Also political issues as well. Most companies will look at China and India as probably the two most important markets or two of the most important markets. Very different, very differently organized in terms of their politics. One of course is the Peopleâ€™s Republic of China is a Communist government. More of a market economy than ever beforeâ€¦but still run by the Communist party.

Jocelyn: Right. They call it â€“ what is it — Capitalism withâ€¦no itâ€™sâ€¦Socialism with Chinese characteristics, I believe.

Wells: And I think that China, to its credit, learned a lot by watching the mistakes that Russia made. Look at India, India is normally the worldâ€™s largest democracy. Itâ€™s a very messy democracy. Even though thatâ€™s a dichotomy when you talk about democracy as messy, it shouldnâ€™t be. However, in India, there was such difficulty pulling the country together some sixty years ago when the British left, that I think a lot of the princedoms, fiefdoms, empires if you will throughout India were given considerable autonomy but the states inside India have considerable autonomy instilled. If youâ€™re Microsoft, and this is a real example, if youâ€™re Microsoft and you look to expand operations throughout India, at the same time you do understand the importance of helping the country and its people in a land where poverty is ripeâ€¦.For example, the Gates Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sends money for helping a variety of schools there. But in one state, the governorâ€¦thought that Microsoft was too much of a monopoly, and instructed the schools not to use Microsoft Office. Despite the fact that the company had products that were much in demand, had through its foundation, contributed a considerable amount of money to easing poverty and improving the schools, [that still was the governorâ€™s decision]. Microsoft, to its credit, also reacted specially by making sure there was even more in the way of free software and free education to this particular state as well, and the governor relented. But thatâ€™s the sort of issue that a local company faces there and Iâ€™m afraid that not many â€“ outside of a Starbucks or Microsoft â€“ are as alert to these issues as they should.

Jocelyn: Sure. You know, that makes me think about how, you know, you talk about autonomous regions in India, you know, of course China has quite a few of its own. Like Xinjiang is an example of an autonomous region. Of course, countries such as India and China, they have thousands of years of history of these regions operating as just separate states. And each has its own culture, its distinctive identity. A lot of times, we come into a market, we assume that that market is just, you know, itâ€™s all one homogenous being, you know, itâ€™s all what we see in Shanghai or Beijing or in the case of India, New Delhi.

Wells: Particularly in a market as gargantuous as China — so many regions, so many cultures, languages or dialects â€“ it is absolutely incumbent on any companyâ€¦consumer products, business products â€“ to understand the cultures where they establish operations.

Jocelyn: Right.

Wells: If youâ€™re in the north, youâ€™re in the south, itâ€™s a much different operation. Youâ€™ve got to be aware of which dynasty ruled going back centuries, youâ€™ve got to be very alert to not just the current issues but the past issues as well. It has an impact on how youâ€™re perceived in the community, it has an impact on your ability to recruit employees for a region in China as well. Itâ€™s a huge issue for companies moving into China or India. The war for talent is acute. If you want to attract the best and the brightest, to borrow a phrase, then those people have to look at you as a tremendous opportunity. And not just to join your organization, but to stay with your organization. They have to see that thereâ€™s opportunity for them to grow. You also have to be well-regarded, well-respected in the community because they have to save face in the community as well.

Jocelyn: Sure.

Wells: If you donâ€™t have a good reputation in the community, if youâ€™re not seen as contributing to the community, you may have a difficult time even further attracting, much less retaining, employees.

Jocelyn: That reminds me of last year when you spoke at the [Going Global] panel and that was something that you had emphasized, was the internal communications in a company, correct? And thatâ€™s something that a lot of companies who go global, they often overlook this small piece of the puzzle that can be so important in perhaps, as you said, retaining employees and reminding people of the value they get from the company.

Wells: Itâ€™s actually reminiscent of the story over centuries about workmen in France. One of whom is asked what heâ€™s doing, says heâ€™s cutting stone. Another is asked what heâ€™s doing, says heâ€™s mixing concrete. Another is asked what heâ€™s doing and he says â€œIâ€™m building a cathedral.â€ Heâ€™s got a much larger vision and heâ€™s part of a larger team. And if youâ€™re establishing operations in China, or in India or elsewhere around the world, itâ€™s not an isolated facility. Those arenâ€™t people who work in isolation. Those are people who are part of a larger team. They will feel much more engaged if they understand they are part of a team which means introducing them â€“ perhaps electronically, perhaps personally â€“ to others on the same team, either in the same country or elsewhere around the world as well. Itâ€™s hugely important and I think too many companies miss out on that too.

(To hear more about Gary Wells’ views on international communications and China, listen to our full podcast. Total time: 18:32….WARNING – this is not NPR quality on the recording side, but it’s a great conversation.)

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Why Avon sells whitening cleansers in China: culture matters

Jocelyn — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 03:29:47 +0000

You’ll find live frogs and turtles at Wal-Mart. “refreshing tea” toothpaste from Crest, and a whole line of whitening products from Avon…in China.

Frogs and turtles may not be on your menu; heck, tea might not be the first thing that comes to mind as “refreshing”. But it’s another story for the Chinese — and an important lesson for anyone marketing products in China. Your marketing should reflect local tastes, preferences and values.

Let’s look at Avon, for example — one of the most recognizable international cosmetics brands in China. Avon knows that the Chinese consider snow-white skin in women as a standard of beauty (well, it’s no secret if you spend a little time in China. After all, this is a country that advertises umbrellas with SPFs for the summertime.). In fact, the word for facial cleanser literally translates to “wash face milk”, the milk suggesting the — you guessed it — whitening power. Now I’m not here to debate the validity of any claims on whitening properties of a cosmetics product…I’ll let Paula Begoun take care of that. The point is, Avon took the time to get cozy with their market — on a cultural level — and they developed a nice line of products that speak to the beauty desires of Chinese women and the culture as a whole.

What about what’s in a name? Culture dictates what flies – and what dies. For example, Konka, a Chinese electronics company whose Chinese name roughly translates into “healthy and beautiful”, had a lot of trouble going into Western markets. Why? Their name sounded like “conk”, a violent blow to the head. Same rules apply to companies entering China. This article here talks about how a marketer for Unilever tailored many of their product names to fit Chinese values:

LUX soap is called “lishi” (strong man) in China.

Omo is associated with hard work and ruggedness among Western consumers, but their Chinese counterparts see their washing powder as “Ao Miao” (magic or mysterious).

The different meanings of brand names is one aspect marketing director Mike Shepherd has to be aware of when marketing Unilever’s products in China.

“You have to learn again, you cannot bring Western perspectives to China, you can bring only values, don’t bring assumptions,” he says.

Think it’s just for products headed to consumers? Think again. Global Sources did an about-face for its brand when it realized the company was losing ground with Chinese manufacturers, who seemed to prefer Alibaba despite repeated and demonstrated claims that Global Sources’ services yielded better results. This even after Global Sources had a Chinese name in Chinese characters. Global Sources decided to redo their brand, incorporating traditional Chinese characters used in calligraphy (in the culturally auspicious color red) and their “35 years” to remind customers of their longstanding (as in before Alibaba) presence in China. While I have no offical stats on the change, I imagine the manufacturers will feel more of a connection with a company that acts more traditionally Chinese in its corporate identity…traditional Chinese values go a long way in a culture that has some over 5,000 years of history.

Like brother, like coworker: why you should encourage the hiring of friends and relatives in China

Jocelyn — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:27:09 +0000

Here in my home country the US, nepotism is unanimously scorned upon. A workplace romance has almost as much notoreity among coworkers — if not more — than the local celeb gossip. Employers caught hiring their relatives risk expulsion from their jobs — or worse. Instead, we bow to the American ideal of workers garnering new jobs based on their qualifications.

(Never mind, of course, the fact that networking — or rather WHO you know — is often what gets you in the door. But I digress…)

The point here is, we can’t imagine a workplace that encourages the hiring of friends and relatives of employees.

But if you’re setting up an office in China, you should imagine this kind of workplace — and cultivate it. Why? Because it could mean the difference between retaining and losing good employees.

My former employer, Global Sources, proudly employed a number of prominent couples. My production manager and our IT manager. The client service center manager and a big sales manager in Hong Kong. Two HR managers. As for friends, while I can’t speak for the entire company, just about every single artist in our department could be traced back to one fellow. Meanwhile, our HR department provided hefty monetary incentives for recommending people to work at the company — a sort of employee-referral affiliate program, if you will. This policy was drilled into our brains through e-mails and department meetings, lest we ever forget the potential rewards.

Companies such as Global Sources are banking on one immutable aspect of Chinese culture — loyalties lie more with your friends and relatives, not necessarily an organization or company.

Of course, that can work against you. One of Global Sources’ largest competitors, Global Market, was started by an Global Sources account executive who walked off with a healthy rolodex and a few coworkers.
So what does that mean for you? Three words: relationships, relationships, relationships.

Hire people based on employee referrals — and provide incentives to encourage these referrals.

Promote friendships and relationships within the workplace. Provide ample social outings, long/short-term trips, exercise clubs, and anything else you can do to make it a family atmosphere. Global Sources created a tennis competition that encouraged employee exercise and camaraderie.
Go a step further by offering value-added training opportunities. At Global Sources, we offered after-work English classes.
Remember, ties to family and friends will always trump your company, no matter how good you are; if family and friends are with the company, chances are your best employees will stay.

Watch relationships. Personal dynamics, if you don’t pay close attention, could mean disaster for your company — especially if too much power gets in the hands of one manager. Make sure you’re continuously reaching out to your employees in a personal way. What you don’t know or notice might hurt you.