Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China

Wang Weichao; Wu Xiaoya

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16

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Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China

Wang Weichao, Wu Xiaoya

Published in International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 8, Issue 2)

Received: 27 February 2020 Accepted: 16 March 2020 Published: 31 March 2020

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Abstract

This study investigates online comments on major social platforms following Dolce & Gabbana (D & G)’s promotional video Eating with Chopsticks in 2018 and the apology video released afterwards. By employing self-reference criterion (Browne, 2013), crisis communication and image restoration (Mair, Ritchie & Walters, 2016), it first analyzes D & G’s stereotypes of the Chinese in the promotional video, then it further examines the cultural stereotypes and relative crisis communication strategies adopted by D & G. It is found that D&G's stereotype of the Chinese people can be reflected in the slanted eyes of the Chinese model, the background of the video and the comparison of chopsticks to small sticks. The Chinese people’s stereotype of D&G can be indicated in the reaction to the promotional video as well as cultural misunderstanding in the crisis communication. It is thus argued that in designing promotional materials and managing crisis, international marketers need to be aware of various cultural stereotypes and take the cultural values of local consumers into full consideration, and such principles as empathy, mutual respect and mutual understanding need to be at international marketers’ top priority. The purpose is to shed some light on intercultural marketing design and crisis communication for international corporations.

Published in	International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 8, Issue 2) This article belongs to the Special Issue Humanity and Science: China’s Intercultural Communication with the Outside World in the New Era
DOI	10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16
Page(s)	70-80
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Self-reference Criterion, Stereotype, Intercultural Marketing, Crisis Communication, Empathy

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APA Style

Wang Weichao, Wu Xiaoya. (2020). Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 8(2), 70-80. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16

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ACS Style

Wang Weichao; Wu Xiaoya. Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2020, 8(2), 70-80. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16

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AMA Style

Wang Weichao, Wu Xiaoya. Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China. Int J Lit Arts. 2020;8(2):70-80. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16

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@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16,
  author = {Wang Weichao and Wu Xiaoya},
  title = {Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {8},
  number = {2},
  pages = {70-80},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20200802.16},
  abstract = {This study investigates online comments on major social platforms following Dolce & Gabbana (D & G)’s promotional video Eating with Chopsticks in 2018 and the apology video released afterwards. By employing self-reference criterion (Browne, 2013), crisis communication and image restoration (Mair, Ritchie & Walters, 2016), it first analyzes D & G’s stereotypes of the Chinese in the promotional video, then it further examines the cultural stereotypes and relative crisis communication strategies adopted by D & G. It is found that D&G's stereotype of the Chinese people can be reflected in the slanted eyes of the Chinese model, the background of the video and the comparison of chopsticks to small sticks. The Chinese people’s stereotype of D&G can be indicated in the reaction to the promotional video as well as cultural misunderstanding in the crisis communication. It is thus argued that in designing promotional materials and managing crisis, international marketers need to be aware of various cultural stereotypes and take the cultural values of local consumers into full consideration, and such principles as empathy, mutual respect and mutual understanding need to be at international marketers’ top priority. The purpose is to shed some light on intercultural marketing design and crisis communication for international corporations.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China
AU  - Wang Weichao
AU  - Wu Xiaoya
Y1  - 2020/03/31
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 70
EP  - 80
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16
AB  - This study investigates online comments on major social platforms following Dolce & Gabbana (D & G)’s promotional video Eating with Chopsticks in 2018 and the apology video released afterwards. By employing self-reference criterion (Browne, 2013), crisis communication and image restoration (Mair, Ritchie & Walters, 2016), it first analyzes D & G’s stereotypes of the Chinese in the promotional video, then it further examines the cultural stereotypes and relative crisis communication strategies adopted by D & G. It is found that D&G's stereotype of the Chinese people can be reflected in the slanted eyes of the Chinese model, the background of the video and the comparison of chopsticks to small sticks. The Chinese people’s stereotype of D&G can be indicated in the reaction to the promotional video as well as cultural misunderstanding in the crisis communication. It is thus argued that in designing promotional materials and managing crisis, international marketers need to be aware of various cultural stereotypes and take the cultural values of local consumers into full consideration, and such principles as empathy, mutual respect and mutual understanding need to be at international marketers’ top priority. The purpose is to shed some light on intercultural marketing design and crisis communication for international corporations.
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Wang Weichao

School of English for International Business, Center of Business Culture and Philosophy of Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
Wu Xiaoya

School of English for International Business, Center of Business Culture and Philosophy of Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China

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APA Style

Wang Weichao, Wu Xiaoya. (2020). Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 8(2), 70-80. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16

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ACS Style

Wang Weichao; Wu Xiaoya. Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2020, 8(2), 70-80. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16

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AMA Style

Wang Weichao, Wu Xiaoya. Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China. Int J Lit Arts. 2020;8(2):70-80. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16

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@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16,
  author = {Wang Weichao and Wu Xiaoya},
  title = {Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {8},
  number = {2},
  pages = {70-80},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20200802.16},
  abstract = {This study investigates online comments on major social platforms following Dolce & Gabbana (D & G)’s promotional video Eating with Chopsticks in 2018 and the apology video released afterwards. By employing self-reference criterion (Browne, 2013), crisis communication and image restoration (Mair, Ritchie & Walters, 2016), it first analyzes D & G’s stereotypes of the Chinese in the promotional video, then it further examines the cultural stereotypes and relative crisis communication strategies adopted by D & G. It is found that D&G's stereotype of the Chinese people can be reflected in the slanted eyes of the Chinese model, the background of the video and the comparison of chopsticks to small sticks. The Chinese people’s stereotype of D&G can be indicated in the reaction to the promotional video as well as cultural misunderstanding in the crisis communication. It is thus argued that in designing promotional materials and managing crisis, international marketers need to be aware of various cultural stereotypes and take the cultural values of local consumers into full consideration, and such principles as empathy, mutual respect and mutual understanding need to be at international marketers’ top priority. The purpose is to shed some light on intercultural marketing design and crisis communication for international corporations.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China
AU  - Wang Weichao
AU  - Wu Xiaoya
Y1  - 2020/03/31
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 70
EP  - 80
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200802.16
AB  - This study investigates online comments on major social platforms following Dolce & Gabbana (D & G)’s promotional video Eating with Chopsticks in 2018 and the apology video released afterwards. By employing self-reference criterion (Browne, 2013), crisis communication and image restoration (Mair, Ritchie & Walters, 2016), it first analyzes D & G’s stereotypes of the Chinese in the promotional video, then it further examines the cultural stereotypes and relative crisis communication strategies adopted by D & G. It is found that D&G's stereotype of the Chinese people can be reflected in the slanted eyes of the Chinese model, the background of the video and the comparison of chopsticks to small sticks. The Chinese people’s stereotype of D&G can be indicated in the reaction to the promotional video as well as cultural misunderstanding in the crisis communication. It is thus argued that in designing promotional materials and managing crisis, international marketers need to be aware of various cultural stereotypes and take the cultural values of local consumers into full consideration, and such principles as empathy, mutual respect and mutual understanding need to be at international marketers’ top priority. The purpose is to shed some light on intercultural marketing design and crisis communication for international corporations.
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
ER  -

Copy | Download