Date of Award:

5-2013

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

English

Committee Chair(s)

David Hailey

Committee

David Hailey

Committee

Lisa Gabbert

Committee

Ronald Shook

Committee

John Mclaughlin

Committee

John Seiter

Abstract

Globalization makes the physical boundary between countries almost disappear, while on the other hand, it exacerbates cultural and philosophical differences. The overall aim of this dissertation is to dig into the philosophical values of Western and Chinese cultures to provide some theoretically sound and pragmatically useful guidance for future communication and marketing in China.

While some American corporations have been embraced by the Chinese, many more have not. This research concerns itself with searching what the leading causes are for the above phenomenon, and more specifically, this study explores answers to the following questions:

  • What strategies are used for product and brand promotion in the Chinese and American markets? What are the functions of written texts and images? How are they organized? Are these strategies related with the philosophical thoughts?
  • How do strategies differ between Chinese and American markets? Why would the differences exist? Do they differ in a superficial level or deep rooted habits? How to understand these differences?
  • Why do some commercials succeed and others fail in the Chinese market? What philosophical principles underlie the strategies in the Chinese market? What guidelines should an American company know when deciding its marketing strategies to appeal to the Chinese audience?

Applying a cultural philosophical lens of rhetorical analysis, I begin the discussion with the analysis of nutrition brochures, the traditional paper documents, and then develop the research into multilayer media, i.e., video commercials.

During this study it became apparent that people from different cultures have different expectations concerning what is good or appropriate, choice of color, the use of image, and the organization of the text or the methods of persuasion.

This study concludes by recommending taking the following issues into consideration when marketing in China: Interchangeability and change; Persuade through analogy and story-telling; Warmth and support from the family; Being suggestive in expression; Strong feeling of loyalty and group identity; Relation with the nature: holism; Relations among people: harmony; Cultivation of the inner virtues; Hierarchical system; Intuitive thinking mode.

This research speaks to the importance of exploring the relevance between the philosophical values and marketing strategies, and it suggests that a good understanding of the Chinese attitudes toward family, philosophy, and their rich and varied past will lead to a better communication and success in business. This research is the starting point for future, more in-depth research in philosophical thoughts, communication, and marketing strategies.

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