Posted by Chia-Yi in News from Orchimedia | 0 Comments

Breakfast Conference talk on economic trends – Exports

The keys to overseas success

Hosted by Jean-Jacques Hardy, Chia-Yi Tung will be one of three panellists at “Breakfast talk on economic trends – the keys to overseas success” organised by CCIRS on February 11. For more details and to register, please visit: http://www.ccirs.qc.ca/activitescalendrier/matin-tendances-economiques-11-fevrier-2010-10011.html

SCHEDULE (in French only)
7 H 15 ARRIVÉE DES PANÉLISTES
7 H 30 MOT DE BIENVENUE ET SERVICE DU DÉJEUNER
7 H 40 MOT DU PARTENAIRE PLATINE
7 H 45 CHIA-YI TUNG, Présidente, Orchimédia Inc.
8 H 15 JEAN-PIERRE FORTÉ, Président, Vision Sympalys
8 H 35 MARIE-FRANCE HOUDE, Directrice de comptes, EDC
8 H 55 FIN DU PANEL
8 H 55 PÉRIODE DE QUESTIONS
8 H 58 CONCLUSION
9 H 00 FIN

Posted by Chia-Yi in Marketing-Communications Taiwan | 0 Comments

Cultural differences and the implication on marketing

The cultural gap that separates the East and the West is profound. As consumer behaviour is strongly influenced by culture, international advertisers face big challenges when developing their communication strategy. Some researchers have studied the difference between American and Taiwanese consumers towards advertising. For example, as elsewhere in Asia, Taiwanese society has been strongly influenced by Confucianism, it is thus always dominated by men on the whole. This variable has an impact on the way that advertisers can promote their product. For instance, Tao (2003) explains in his thesis how an advertisement that promotes a cosmetic product focusing on the importance of having young-looking skin to please one’s spouse has a lot more chances of success in Taiwan than in North America. Another of his findings is that the Taiwanese tend to boycott a product mentioned during a TV show that they don’t like, or because they don’t like the advertisement. This is why it is important to be particularly prudent when engaging in media planning.

Sources : CHU, K-M et CHANG, H-C (2008). “Cross-cultural Consumer Behavior of General Merchandise for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Taiwan”, The Business Review, Cambridge , Vol. 11 , No. 1
TAO, S-P (2003). “Life Style and Consumers in Taiwan and the United States; A cross cultural comparison of Activities, Interests and Opinions (AIOs)”, Thesis, University of Minnesota.

Posted by Chia-Yi in Marketing-Communications Vietnam | 0 Comments

The dos and don’ts in Vietnam

Here are five things to look out for if you are doing business with a Vietnamese partner:

1. Whether on business cards or in a signature, the surname is always placed before the given name. When one addresses a Vietnamese person however, the given name must be used, preceded by Mr or Mrs or their title of preference. For example, Nguyen Van Tuan, the director of a company should be called Director Tuan or Mr. Director but never Director Nguyen (as in many other Asian countries). The same rule applies when speaking of someone.
2. It is advisable to engage in written correspondence prior to meeting a partner. Correspondence should be written in a very formal style. Moreover, the younger the relationship, the bigger the emphasis must be on the format instead of the content. They should always end with an exchange of civilities and formal greetings.
3. Your Vietnamese partners will expect to receive gifts during the first meeting. There should be enough so that each of the participants can have one. They can be small and not very expensive, something with a company logo for example. If the gifts are of different values, then the most expensive should be given to the most senior participant.
4. The society has a collectivist nature and thus a Vietnamese could be embarrassed if he receives public praise because it alienates him from his colleagues. It is thus preferable to do it in private, in a diplomatic way and in the presence of an intermediary.
5. The personal and social distance at which Vietnamese feel comfortable is much larger than in North America. In addition, they don’t appreciate physical contact.

Posted by Chia-Yi in Ethnic Marketing | 0 Comments

Different media to attract different segments

Ethnic communities don’t only differ in their ways and customs, they also have different media-related habits. A study conducted by the Bensimon Byrne agency has revealed that first and second generation (male) immigrants read more newspapers than the rest of the population. In fact, the vast majority of them read newspapers in their mother tongue, a trend that is more pronounced in new arrivals and second generation immigrants.

Internet use is also more intensive among certain large ethnic groups (notably Chinese, South-Asian, westernised Asians and Hispanic communities). A survey conducted by Solutions Research Group revealed that the penetration rate of computers in Chinese and South-Asian households has reached 88% (compared to 83% of Canadian households). The internet is particularly popular among Chinese Canadians who use it for an average 2.4 hours per day (compared to an overall average of 1.7 hours) and 80% of those have access at home (the national average being 68%).

Sources: http://www.consumerology.ca et
http://www.srgnet.com/pdf/New%20Canadians%20Hooked%20on%20Internet%20Press%20Release%20(April%2024,%202008).pdf

Posted by Chia-Yi in Marketing-Communications Korea | 0 Comments

In the Land of the Morning Calm, one moves at high-speed

Koreans are passionate about high technology which makes it one of the most digitised countries in the world: 93% of households have a high-speed Internet connection and there is approximately one computer per two residents. Indeed, Korea has the highest Internet penetration rate in Asia. Cell phones with an Internet connection are also very popular: 85% of Koreans own such a device. It is thus not surprising that printed media is no longer popular in Korea. People keep themselves informed using the web and blogs while online purchases are very popular. Of course, they prefer websites in Korean…

Source: http://www.dgtpe.fr/se/coree/documents_new.asp?V=3_PDF_150736

Posted by Chia-Yi in Marketing-Communications Asia | 0 Comments

The dos and don’ts while in Asia

Asian markets offer an unprecedented potential for Canadian products and services, but one cultural blunder could end any business relationship. The golden rule is to never assume that the norm here applies in Asia. Also differences exist within a continent. As we are entering holiday season, here are a few tips concerning the exchange of gifts:

• The value of the gift shouldn’t be too high as the recipient would feel obliged to give a gift of similar value, or would feel embarrassed for giving you a gift of lower value. If you receive a gift, don’t forget to reciprocate with a gift of similar value.
• Pay particular attention to the packaging, which is just as important as the gift itself and thus must be impeccable. In general, avoid black and white which are colours that signify bereavement. Remember that red packaging, which is highly thought of in China, should not be used in Korea.
• The number “4” has a similar significance to the number “13” in the West. It is thus essential to avoid packets of four.
• Certain objects should definitely be excluded. This is the case for all pointy items (knives, letter-openers). Also, one should abstain from offering gifts that tell the time such as clocks or calendars.
• If the person to whom you are giving the gift refuses to accept, you must insist. It is common practice and is a sign of politeness. In addition, don’t be surprised if the recipient doesn’t open it immediately in front of you.