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Clash of MisPerceptions
China’s “image-building” ad campaign
Backgrounder
• Who: State Council Information Office (SCIO) Shanghai Lintas Advertising Zhu Youguang (朱幼光) • What: 60-sec image-building ad • When: Jan. 17-Feb. 14 (coincide with President Hu’s visit to the States; ran much longer on TV networks) • Where: Times Square (15/hr); CNN, CNBC, BBC, etc. • Why: five-year “charm offensive” campaign to rebuild China’s image in the West • How : China Friendship (“People”) / 59 Chinese celebrities (7 with Green Card; 3 with U.S. passport)
Times Square (NY): 15 times/hour
RQs: [process] & [effects]
• The “ROPE” model:
1. R esearch == (problem & audience)
2. O bjective == (Informational, attitudinal or
behavioral)
3. P rogramming == (planning & execution)
** strategies, tactics, budget, timetable
** visual, audio, textual contents
4. E valuation == (MBO)
Research Methods
• Interviews (Zhu Youguang 朱幼光, Guo Weimin, Yu Yunquan)
• Surveys (2 groups, Americans who have been to China vs. Americans not to China )
• Content analysis – Video, audio, textual content of the ad
– Foreign media’s coverage of the campaign
• Focus groups (two sessions, one with U.S. PR undergraduates, one with U.S. PR managers)
American PR Managers (focus group)
• Caitlin Van Orden （联合国难民救助组织美国协会 基金和企业 事务关系主任） • Zachary Langway （联合国基金会 传播事务干事） • Stephanie Henry （美国贸易紧急处理委员会政府事务助理） • Jenni Jarventaus （瑞典驻美国大使馆 高级文化交流官） • Christine L. Papandrea （霍普金斯大学行政事务处高级顾问） • Karen Graulich （美国国务院公众外交事务局 工作人员） • Nicole Levins （世界自然保护组织 媒体协调官） • Abby Trexler （纽约杰克－莫顿全球集团高级公共关系主管） • Maggie Muraca （美国投资网站Motley Fool 市场经理） • April Siruno （美国移民政策研究院 传播与社交媒体专家） ** (two focus group sessions conducted on June 26, & June 28; each over 1.5 hours)
Decision-making process
• “国新办也很忙，没空管我们
那么多的，最后造成我们空间还蛮大的。（而且）你跟他工作一段时间后，大家彼此有一个工作的默契，知道度在哪里了。一旦他们说行，你这个团队已经基本上知道那个度的上下在哪里了，那你们就去折腾吧，不要什么事都来问我们。那我们就自己做。” (Zhu, Jan. 25)
ROPE: Research
• Guo & Yu: no specific research done for this campaign
• Zhu: – 两年里，我找到了所有能
找到的外国人拍中国的纪录片 (???)。
– 我问过很多外国人，他们都对我说，别再给我们看故宫和四大发明了，奥运会开幕式我们也都看过了.
– 你知道老外心目中最有名的中国俗语是什么吗？“天上飞的除了飞机，地上跑的除了坦克，我们都吃。”
• By 52% to 32%, Americans are more likely to name China than the United States as the leading economic power in the world today (Gallup, Feb. 14, 2011)
• Three words to describe China:
1. Powerful
2. Populated
3. Restrictive
Americans see China as leading economic power
14
CHINA THREAT
Intimidating, militaristic, upcoming superpower
So “diplomatic” not to include China’s 1st aircraft-carrier
Comments from American PR Experts
• The most important, however, issue is the creators’ lack of understanding of the image gap among Westerners toward China. The creator seems to be trying to address the “problem” propagated by the CCP that the West views China as a weak country. The major problem is in fact the opposite; many Westerners believe that China is getting too strong……Taking these collective fears into consideration, it is clear why the messages portrayed in the commercials are likely to elicit the opposite reaction from those intended.
Caitlin Van Orden
ROPE: Research
• Zhu:
– “只要美国观众知道这是中国13亿人中有名望的
人，只要他对此有兴趣就已经达到了效果。”
– “我们必须一砖一瓦地慢
慢来，先从这些外国人最熟悉的中国人开始，尽量选他们熟悉的面孔。否则，让老外在网上挨个查这些人是谁？没有意义。”
• Good news: – 35% of viewers could recognize at
least one face among the 59 Chinese in the video.
• Bad News
– 99% of them could recognize ONLY
one face.
Comments from American PR Experts
• The content of the image-building commercial is problematic because most of the Chinese people are unrecognizable to the United States audience. Twenty-five of the 26 shots feature unknown faces, which makes it difficult to connect their level of importance to China.
• The producers of the image-building commercial also have a misperception about what is important to the United States audience. The first half of the montage dedicates three shots to superficial beauty and two shots to Chinese wealth. There is a misperception on what beauty and power means to the United States audience. From the Chinese perspective, the United States audience’s definition of beauty and power is based on physical appearance and materialism.
----------Christine L. Papandrea
ROPE: Objective
• Zhu: 《人物篇》只要传达——中国在意所有对我们友好
的人，并回报他们以友好；中国人美丽、善良、聪明和品质好，并友好地等待世界的回应。只要将这些信息传达到就行了。 (Jan.30, 2011 interview)
Did Americans get the message?
1. China is full of extraordinary people. – “remarkable people”/ “China has accomplished people”
2. China is united and powerful. – “China is awesome”/ “China is a leading country in the
world” / “showing why China is so great” / “China is not a developing country”
3. China has a lot to be proud of, and should be proud of their country. – “China has it all”/ “all that China can offer the world”
** only 4.6% survey respondents (N=129) mentioned “FRIENDSHIP” as key message.
Comments from American PR Experts
• However, conceptually, the video suffers from two critical flaws. First, there is no clearly defined audience. – Is this video intended for tourists and consumers? Is it intended for
government workers and policymakers? Or is the video intended to persuade corporations and potential trade partners of China’s modern and robust society? Without clearly answering fundamental questions related to audience and purpose, the messages delivered appear unfocused and without clear intention.
• Moreover, in failing to clearly identify an audience, the video fails to identify with an audience. – By simply triumphing China’s many talents, the video threatens to
isolate viewers that cannot relate to its minimalistic messaging. If viewers are unable to relate to this promotional video, little to no progress may be made in narrowing the perception gap and improving China’s public image.
-----------------Zachary Langway
“Captivating Chinese Dialogue”?
“Thought-provoking Chinese Scholarship”?
Comments from American PR Experts
• In fact, instead of identifying the persons and associating them with China’s accomplishments in a positive context, the viewer may be left with an uneasy sense that China is using the videos to boast about its increasing influence in the world.
• Simply put, the videos may function counterproductively: Instead of helping build awareness of China as a peaceful, civilized country with great economic, scientific, and cultural offerings, the campaign may add to Americans’ mistrust of China. ---------- Jenni Jarventaus [Sweden Embassy]
Arrogant & Superficial
• The video expresses a rather arrogant tone, and a strong emphasis is placed on physical beauty and wealth. Even beyond that superficiality, the entire video gives the impression that China finds itself superior to the viewers’ home country, from its citizens’ attractiveness to its advances in space travel. I realize that nationalism is quite prevalent in China, but national pride is also strong in the United States. Frankly, I think the message could be interpreted to some as a threat or a challenge, especially given that a recent PEW report found that one out of five Americans perceive China as the United States’ biggest threat. -----Nicole Levins
ROPE: Programming
• Zhu: 但是没有必要设计太
多动作和镜头，就是要这样一个不卑不亢、雍容大度的中国，我们觉得是最好的。
• 我觉得简单的风格好，这是跟导演讨论的结果，大家都是专业人员，你知道的花招肯定没我知道的多。(Jan. 30, 2011)
Problematic Format & Content 1. Too many shots (26), 2.3 seconds per shot
– No time to read the caption (?)
2. Font color, size, and placement make the text hard to read
3. No live-action segment (zombies?)
Lack of Context
• Without narration, the video lacks context, and the captions are of little help; for a country where context means everything, this is an enormous oversight. – Nicole Levins
• Most striking is that the campaign has no explicit message and the implicit message is difficult to discern. The end of the commercial briefly flashes the word “friendship”, but it is not clear what this is meant to imply; the viewer is left to wonder “Friendship with whom?” – Caitlin Van Orden
It acts as a “teaser” to nothing
• Fail to suggest an action in the end: no URL, or e-mail, or hotline for more information (“PR 101”-type mistake)
“Thrilling Chinese Athletic”??
“Enchanting Chinese Art”?
“Inspiring Chinese Bravery”??
“Captivating Chinese Dialogue”?
ROPE: Programming
• Zhu: 这个片子动议是2009
年11月，直到去年12月份
中旬，我们才正式做完后期，全部通过。那时国新办工作人员说，正好快赶上胡主席访美，不如那时播吧。具体决策者是国新办，我只是比大家早两天知道要在纽约时报广场播放。
• (Jan. 30, 2011 interview)
• New York Times Square
Piggy-back & Snow-balling effect
Tremendous Media Impression, But…
• MI: estimate of people that may be exposed to the commercial (potential) – Large number of people, but viewers mostly overlap.
– No social media campaign (8.5% of N=129)
– No campaign center to gather & promote the message
– Elusive campaign message hurts the effects (4.6% identify the “friendship” theme)
– Largely negative & skeptical media coverage (no spokesperson to answer the media)
Intimidating, militaristic, upcoming superpower
ROPE: Evaluation
• 朱幼光：[跟政府部门怎样合作] 两个时点，A拷贝和B拷贝，这两个是要看的。A拷贝是拍摄的所有内容都定了，后期还没有做好的时候，要看，B拷贝是完成篇，看下有没有什么毛病，错字，这两个点都是要看的。还有之前创意的提报这是一次，核定。这三次比较重要。商业广告也是这样的
ROPE: Evaluation
• 能确定外国人正确收到了我们（来交朋友的）信息吗？
• 朱幼光：我觉得还好，他们是说了好多（广告片中的）人不认识，这是肯定的。但是他们都知道这是中国的广告，这些人应该是中国很了不起的人，（这样）就行了。
• 通过什么渠道了解（国外的反馈）？
• 朱幼光：去看看CNN的
报道，或者有些什么《华尔街日报》《纽约时报》外媒的报道，能找到的尽量找，因为有些我们也得借助国内媒体的朋友，他们找到了翻过来给我们看。
In other words--
• Outdoor ad rate: 350,000 $/month
• Average 30-sec spot rate on major TV networks: 250,000-350,000 $/per (CNN, FOX, CNBC, BBC, MSNBC, multiple times over three months)
Given the issues facing China…
• Political system
• Freedom of speech
• Human rights
• Corruptions
• Income gap
• Environmental issues
• Social inequalities
• ……….
“PR-101” Blunders
• No research?
• No living abroad experience (director)?
• No identified audience?
• No brainstorming?
• No “pilot test”?
• No “action”?
• No context?
• No “copy-editing”?
• No web link or hotline?
• No IMC?
• No follow-up?
• No social media presence?
• No measurement?
• No accountability.
• No professionalism.
• No problem.
Perception Gaps • Perception Gap (1)
– Americans’ Perception of China & Real China
• Perception Gap (2)
– Americans’ Perception of China & Chinese People’s self-identification of themselves
• Perception Gap (3)
– Chinese’s Perception of U.S. & Real U.S.
• Perception Gap (4)
– Chinese’s perception of U.S. & Americans’ self-identification of themselves
Chinese people’s perception of American people’s perception of China
• Looking-Glass Self Effect
• I am not what I think I am.
• I am what I think you think I am.
Ending remark: A quote
• Closing the gap between American’s perception of China and “real China” is a difficult but doable task. Unfortunately, with cold, boastful, and unrelatable tone, the promotional video fails to resonate with the American public. A disjointed format and less-than-modern scene selection compound the difficulty Americans will have in understanding and appreciating the video’s message. Western audiences might not know much about China, but China’s advertising campaign shows that China doesn’t know much about Western audiences.
