My word of the day is Eurocentricity which we all know means looking at things from a European or western point of view.

I guess we could also have Asiancentricty,…………. ‘cept I can find it in any dictionary.

I guess I could rest my case here.

But then I wouldn’t have an article!

Years back, more than I care to recall now, when studying marketing I remember being lectured on the classic mistakes “famous” companies had made trying to expand into a “foreign “ market.One case was a washing machine, a simple series of “cartoons” left to right, showing dirty clothes going in, a few clips later, clean white clothes coming out. Perfect!

That’s what we want a washing machine to do, right?

The ad campaign worked well in the States, Canada, UK Europe, so they did the same in the Middle East. 

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Oh, by the way, they read from right to left in the Middle East.

See the problem?

So, that was really poor market research, away from my topic a bit.

Lets look at another aspect.

Language learning, something NZ used to be famous for.

Here is a middle aged Russian woman, leaning English, and as she does she sounds more like a child than an adult.

Yet a few years ago in her own country, she was using laser technology to operate on the human eye.

Language teachers learn pretty early in their career that because someone is reading at a 10 year level it isn’t a reflection of their intelligence.I used to cringe when I would see my fellow Aucklander’s “talking down” to immigrants.

Perhaps we were conditioned by the “Benny Hill Show?”Now of course, years later, I face the same thing, in reverse……..when I fail to grasp something the fist time I am sure some of my Asian interlocutors think; “Stupid bloody foreigner.” And it seems an international phenomenon, in my experience at least, that when someone doesn’t understand our language, we repeat it substantially louder.

I have often said “Hey. I’m not deaf, I just don’t understand your langaage.”

And a third point, linking back to my first, again as any language teacher worth her salt will know, research has shown that people who speak a different language actually think differently too.

So where am I going with this?

Well, recently our company applied to join a data base of a North European country.

There were the usual forms to be filled out, one for domestic nationals and one for international applicants. So far so good.

Ok, there were the usual application details, name, address, email etc, you know the drill;

“all boxes marked with red * are mandatory.”

Well, most of the form had a red *

But some of those red *’s included questions such as ;social security number, PO Box number, and we were asked to submit copies of our company registration certified by a JP or notary public.

My company is based and registered in China, no social security number, no post office boxes and no JP, our registration details and our official authorisation is by way of personal and company seals, red stamps which we affix to our documents.

There were a few other requirements we couldn’t meet, but you get my point I’m sure.

Eurocentricity. 

This got me thinking, and we know my position on that. 

I did a search of their data base, looking for Chinese companies.

None.

By sheer coincidence, the same day I found a NZ site inviting applicants from overseas to become customers of a financial organisation.

Just as the previous company, their site offered a drop down box for “country” and China was shown.

Again the usual questions, but required details included; a certified copy of a recent rate demand, or, if not a property holder, a certified copy of rent book or receipts.

Hello?

Rate demands? Rent book, receipts……. China?

This just isn’t practical.

But wait, there was more.

Also please include a recent water or electricity bill for verification of domicility.

Good grief!

Sure, I can’t speak for all of China on this point, but I live in a comparatively well to do area, my home here is up to and possibly above some of the standards in NZ.

Water, just like gas and electricity is metered, and every so often I use a “smart card’ to recharge it, just as I would a pre paid cell phone. But unlike my cell phone it can run into “credit” and isn’t cut off when I reach the end of my cash, I do have a period of grace. But as for a monthly bill?? 

Ok, now I am prepared to bet that when this thing was drawn up, that form was designed for a NZ market, added at some later date as an afterthought to the international market.

But no one had bothered to even THINK about what was going to be practical or possible in another country, let alone even reviewed the “form” before it was advertised.

News flash, not every county in the world thinks or does the same thing as little ol’ NZ.

And that doesn’t make them backward, simple barbaric or stupid either… just different.

And hey, here in China we don’t need a govt to pass legislation to make sure public transport runs to time, is clean and safe……… market forces ensure that.

Tourist busses have seat belts, sheep skin seat covers, reclining seats, tinted glass, sun screens in –house DVD, the latest model, top of the fleet not some pre used import. 

Not because the government decrees it but because of this thing Asians call “face” or put simply, being a good host.

Lets go back to the beginning of my article. 

Sure, most companies these day have marketing managers who heard the same stories I did about washing machines etc, so there is now more time taken in market research, local customs etc.

But still many foreign companies are getting it wrong, simple things like packaging.

Let’s look at Carrefours again, [yeah I DO have shares!]

There success is due to their ability to adapt to local customs, I have already mentioned, Chinese are not as keen on the fancy cut, pre wrapped meat etc as we are, so Carrefours have huge, “open markets” in their meat and vegie section.

Their structure also means local, as in China, management has freedom to implement policy, unlike some USA firms whose moves are dictated by a central board back home.

I think I can state fairly safely without fear of too much contradiction that many people in most European countries are at least bi, if not multi lingual, compared with those of us from Anglo Saxon stock.

The aggressive, arrogant, in your face direct approach often fails here

Maybe that helps explain why countries such as France and Germany have done especially well here compared with the US etc.

Perhaps less Eurocentric in their thinking?

So, if you are contemplating the move to the China market, take a good look at ALL your marketing, the small stuff as well as the obvious,…. revise, rewrite if necessary to suit local conditions, don’t just blindly rehash what works in NZ, coz chances are damn good it won’t work here.

Yep, China is the land of huge opportunity and rewards successful players grandly, but she also punished careless ones as companies like; Nestle, Coke and Pepsi, KFC, Haagendas, Bausch & Lomb to name a few have found to their cost.

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a ship load of PR spin doctoring later.

And if you need help-; Wordperfect Marketing Studio
or BTi Business Solutions

Today is Children's Day in China. 
A day of celebration.

For many kids and parents in the Sichuan region of China there is not much to celebrate.
Despite the mischief making of some domestic and foreign press in trying to sensationalise, distort and exploit the tragedy for their own petty material gains, one overall has to admire the efforts of government in their response to the disaster..
The international community, has, by and large also come together to provide aid and assistance.
Differences have, for the time being, been forgotten, maybe this dark cloud too does have a silver lining if we can go forward from this with a greater understanding and tolerance of each other.

However one disturbing factor is, if they are true, the reports of around 9,000 children who died needlessly because of corruption and cheating which sadly is still a hallmark of Chinese society.
If bribery and corruption of city officials costs the life of one child, then it is a far too high a price, the slaughter of 9000 young lives and teachers, lives that were once full of hope and expectation, is an unacceptable criminal act.
As a father I can only sympathise with the parents of the dead or missing children and I know that should anything have happened to my daughter under those circumstances my grief would be beyond imagination and my rage uncontrollable

Thus far the country and the world have been impressed with the actions of the government, but this is just the beginning.
If Hu Jin Tao is to maintain his credibility and keep his promise of developing a harmonious society with a transparent government, then the charges of corrupt and shoddy workmanship in the schools has to be investigated thoroughly and those found negligent or guilty of corruption should receive the death penalty.
This is not a time for sweeping under the carpet, certainly, nothing can restore those families or return lost lives, but the government needs to know that this is unacceptable to Chinese society today and we, the people,  need to know our leaders will be held accountable and that this is not going to happen again.
Anywhere
Ever.

China is watching Hu, the world is watching.