The advertising of Western fashion brands in China: some case studies

Abstract

Nowadays, thanks to the increasing disposable income, the rapid development of the economy and the rapidly growing middle class, China is a very attractive market for foreign companies. In order to effectively reach Chinese consumers, it is fundamental for foreign brands to understand the characteristics of Chinese advertising and Chinese consumer habits. Moreover, they must have an accurate understanding of Chinese culture and language to avoid transmitting offensive messages, which could have negative effects on the products or the brands itself, or even lead to boycotts. Since the differences that we can find between Chinese and Western culture and values are copious and vast, standardizing advertising often is not the best option. Through the analysis of five fashion brands that published advertisement campaigns that were considered offensive in China (Dolce & Gabbana, Nike, Burberry, Bulgari and Dior), we will illustrate the importance of accurate research of the target market culture in the advertising industry. This research aims to find the cultural errors made by those brands and tries to offer a solution to the problems, with a focus on individuating the most frequent causes of advertising failure in China.