My family likes to go out to eat on weekends - which is about the only times we are all in the same place at the same time. One of our favorite places to go is MK (the suki restaurant chain). From an intercultural perspective MK is very interesting. They have blended a range of cultural attributes into a highly effective business model that, in my opinion works for people from anywhere.
There is an obvious Japanese influence to the place - in the way the staff greet you, the type of uniforms they where, to the 'MK Show' that they do at 18:00 hrs (a favorite of my son). MK's advertising also incorporates Japanese elements in terms of the theme music and why the staff present themselves. But this has been localized to replace the bow with the wai.
The super-efficient manner in which the restaurants are run, with the use of handheld devices to send orders back to the kitchen instantly and the use of centralized preparation centers, is almost Germanic. I have never been to a more organized restaurant anywhere.
But, we are in Thailand and in addition to localizing the menu, I find that the MK staff have not lost the friendliness and sincere hospitality that are hallmarks of the Thai service industries.
All in all I believe that MK has taken the best of several cultures and blended them into a single model is clearly communicated to its target audience.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Dressing Down On Holiday
The other night I had to wait around in the lobby of the Oriental Hotel for about an hour. During this time I had the opportunity to observe the various people who would come and go through the room on their way to their rooms, the restaurants, a wedding that was being held or out to the taxis up front.
In my opinion the Oriental is a fine hotel and I respected the fact that they have tried to maintain their standards of decorum in the face of the global trend toward more casual attire. For many years they enforced a dress code in their lobby that forbade short pants and flip-flops. While I think that this is not longer strictly enforced it is still an elegant place to sit and people watch.
What struck me is that for the most part the Thai people who were in the lobby - but were not staff - were dressed rather nicely (granted some were obviously going to a hi-so wedding party) in either formal or semi-formal outfits. On the other hand many of the westerners and non-Thai Asians who looked like guests of the hotel were mostly dressed in very casual attire - some looked like they would be more at home on Khao San Road. The thing is many of these people were middle age or older and I doubt they dress like this at home.
Thus, the question is - do we behave very differently when we are visiting a different country then we do at home. And if so, do we behave better or worse when we are on the road. In my opinion many people seem to feel that when they visit Thailand, they can at in ways that they would never act at home. This seems to be true even when they are staying at one of the most expensive hotels in Thailand (if not the region).
In my opinion the Oriental is a fine hotel and I respected the fact that they have tried to maintain their standards of decorum in the face of the global trend toward more casual attire. For many years they enforced a dress code in their lobby that forbade short pants and flip-flops. While I think that this is not longer strictly enforced it is still an elegant place to sit and people watch.
What struck me is that for the most part the Thai people who were in the lobby - but were not staff - were dressed rather nicely (granted some were obviously going to a hi-so wedding party) in either formal or semi-formal outfits. On the other hand many of the westerners and non-Thai Asians who looked like guests of the hotel were mostly dressed in very casual attire - some looked like they would be more at home on Khao San Road. The thing is many of these people were middle age or older and I doubt they dress like this at home.
Thus, the question is - do we behave very differently when we are visiting a different country then we do at home. And if so, do we behave better or worse when we are on the road. In my opinion many people seem to feel that when they visit Thailand, they can at in ways that they would never act at home. This seems to be true even when they are staying at one of the most expensive hotels in Thailand (if not the region).
Friday, October 23, 2009
Class 592 Assignement
For those students that missed class on Oct. 21. The following is your class assignment:
- Find examples of Thai advertising that include elements of a foreign culture - you must find at least three examples (each from a difference campaign/product)
- Prepare to present your findings and their foreign cultural aspects
- Either e-mail me .jpg or .avi files of your ads by COB Tuesday or bring them into class on a CD-Rom
Monday, October 19, 2009
Why the fuss about a billboard
Recently there was considerable fuss about a billboard on the road to Pattaya. The billboard was advertising a wax museum that specialized in historical figures - not the most controversial establishment. But in this case the owners chose to use a picture of Adolf Hitler in its advertising which led to strong complaints from both the German and Israeli embassies, as well as from individuals who saw the sign. The question is why did this particular image stir up controversy.
The power of an image (especially the image of a person from history) is tied to a person's historical perspective and experience. In this case most Asian people have not had direct or historical experience with Hitler or the Nazi regime in Europe, and thus the image is not particularly powerful. In fact, in Asia it seems that many people consider Hitler to be merely interesting or even comical. This is quite different from the perspective of Jewish people, 6 million of whom were killed during the war, or German people who blame Hitler and his regime for the near destruction of their nation.
As an example from the other side of the world - there was a trendy little restuarant in Philadelphia PA, USA that used an altered image of HM the King in an advertisement. In this case the Thai Consul in New York complained to the US State Department, the City of Philadelphia and the resturant itself. The news was reported in the US, but public reaction was almost nonexistant becuase the people there just do not understand the importance of HM the King to the Thai people. It's an issue of perspective and sensitivity.
[BTW - the image above was taken from a newspaper in Miami, Florida USA]
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Advertising - did you every notice
One thing that continually strikes me about TV advertising on the BTS trains has to do with how uniform and perfect the imagery is. Clearly most advertising around the work depict idealized versions of reality in order to sell us products we may or may not need, this is certainly true in the US where the vast majority of advertising depicts 'Americans' as middle class suburbanites with small nuclear families. But the advertising on the BTS (and perhaps on Thai TV in general goes beyond that) because it depicts virtually everyone as comparatively affluent, they live in nice detached homes or spacious high rise apartments/condos. Also, they are almost all 30 years old or younger and have very pale/white skin tones. Having lived in Thailand for over ten years, I have not found this type of person to be the norm in society. The question is why.
Why do the advertisers so consistently use this type of imagery to market their products? They are not stupid people, and thus they must have determined that these type of ads are effective. What does this tell us about marketing communications in Thailand and more importantly about the type of communications that are effective with local consumers? To me it shows that we as consumers are much more interested in how we would like things to be and how we would like to be perceived than perhaps how things really are. This is also show in our television entertainment where most soap operas involve people who live very elite lifestyles. This is different from US and European TV shows that often depict a wide range of socio-economic groups. My question is: why are we so fixated on hi-so lifestyles?
Why do the advertisers so consistently use this type of imagery to market their products? They are not stupid people, and thus they must have determined that these type of ads are effective. What does this tell us about marketing communications in Thailand and more importantly about the type of communications that are effective with local consumers? To me it shows that we as consumers are much more interested in how we would like things to be and how we would like to be perceived than perhaps how things really are. This is also show in our television entertainment where most soap operas involve people who live very elite lifestyles. This is different from US and European TV shows that often depict a wide range of socio-economic groups. My question is: why are we so fixated on hi-so lifestyles?
Monday, September 28, 2009
Bowling - A "Pool Hall'" By Another Name?
My son recently celebrated his birthday with a party at a Major Bowl venue here in Bangkok. A kids birthday party at a bowling ally would not be considered at all strange in the US - where bowling is considered sort of a family activity (if somewhat old fashioned now). The typical bowling alley caters to families during the day and on weekends and to leagues of armature (but still competitive) bowlers during some weeknights.
Most bowling alley's do serve beer and an assortment of typical American junk food - but they are never confused with a bar (or pub).
The first time we had my son's birthday party at Major Bowl here - I was surprised to learn that some parents where hesitant to let their kids join because they had always associated bowling allies with dark somewhat dangerous places that are not appropriate for children. [This would be how an American would view a pool hall]. When we convinced them to come with their child they were pleasantly surprised by how clean and light the place was. It is is interesting how different the perceptions of the same place can be - and how easy it was for me to project my view on the venue to everyone else. Fortunately, this year everyone was already familiar with the venue and new that I would not have my son's birthday in a dark and dangerous bar.
Most bowling alley's do serve beer and an assortment of typical American junk food - but they are never confused with a bar (or pub).
The first time we had my son's birthday party at Major Bowl here - I was surprised to learn that some parents where hesitant to let their kids join because they had always associated bowling allies with dark somewhat dangerous places that are not appropriate for children. [This would be how an American would view a pool hall]. When we convinced them to come with their child they were pleasantly surprised by how clean and light the place was. It is is interesting how different the perceptions of the same place can be - and how easy it was for me to project my view on the venue to everyone else. Fortunately, this year everyone was already familiar with the venue and new that I would not have my son's birthday in a dark and dangerous bar.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Food and Communications - a common denominator?
This last weekend I had the opportunity to go to an excellent buffet that was organized to celebrate the 23rd birthday of a restaurant that specializes in New Orleans style cuisine. I've been going to this restaurant on and off since 1996 and have always enjoyed the food and friendliness of the place.
This weekend I went with my wife and son at around lunch time. What I noticed was that as the place began to fill-up the amount and volume of the conversations increased as well. Further, people and groups of people who did not arrive together started conversations about the food and then about other topics. (The majority of the people at the event were long-term US expatriates and their families.)
Now this is not necessarily unique or even particularly interesting - but what struck me was that all cultures that I am familiar with, indicate that people enjoy talking and socializing over a meal. Thus, regardless of whether the operative culture is high or low context, individualistic or collective, high contact or low contact - people seem to like to get together to share food and drink. While there are differences in the mechanics of the serving/eating process and clearly important differences in the food itself - the core process of socializing and eating seem to be common to all.
This weekend I went with my wife and son at around lunch time. What I noticed was that as the place began to fill-up the amount and volume of the conversations increased as well. Further, people and groups of people who did not arrive together started conversations about the food and then about other topics. (The majority of the people at the event were long-term US expatriates and their families.)
Now this is not necessarily unique or even particularly interesting - but what struck me was that all cultures that I am familiar with, indicate that people enjoy talking and socializing over a meal. Thus, regardless of whether the operative culture is high or low context, individualistic or collective, high contact or low contact - people seem to like to get together to share food and drink. While there are differences in the mechanics of the serving/eating process and clearly important differences in the food itself - the core process of socializing and eating seem to be common to all.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Donut Positioning
It's funny how in different countries, the same basic product can be positioned and communicated so differently. Anyone who rides the skytrain in Bangkok will be familiar with the Mr Donut video where a group of hip teens sing and dance around pictures of tasty looking donuts. Interestingly the song is in Japanese.
From an American perspective this is curious because 1. we do not tend to associate donuts with the 'hip teen set' and 2. we do not associate donuts with Japan (or J culture). From our perspective donuts are for middle aged people who are not terribly interested in physical fitness and who like something sweet with their coffee. Of course we also have the cliche about the policemen on the beat enjoying the occasional donut break. There are no stereotypes of Asian people being fans of the donut.
Apparently the positioning in Thailand is radically different where the humble donut shop has become a teen hangout and the product itself has been remade into a Japanese delicacy. Perhaps the repositioning of the donut is easier in Thailand than in the US due to its relatively recent entry into the market (I believe the first franchised donut shop in Thailand - in Siam Square - is less than a generation old). Thus, its place in the mentality of the Thai consumer is not bound to a certain geography or lifestyle.
From an American perspective this is curious because 1. we do not tend to associate donuts with the 'hip teen set' and 2. we do not associate donuts with Japan (or J culture). From our perspective donuts are for middle aged people who are not terribly interested in physical fitness and who like something sweet with their coffee. Of course we also have the cliche about the policemen on the beat enjoying the occasional donut break. There are no stereotypes of Asian people being fans of the donut.
Apparently the positioning in Thailand is radically different where the humble donut shop has become a teen hangout and the product itself has been remade into a Japanese delicacy. Perhaps the repositioning of the donut is easier in Thailand than in the US due to its relatively recent entry into the market (I believe the first franchised donut shop in Thailand - in Siam Square - is less than a generation old). Thus, its place in the mentality of the Thai consumer is not bound to a certain geography or lifestyle.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Interesting Commentary On Thai Culture
In the Sunday September 6, 2009 edition of the Bangkok Post there was an interesting commentary by Voranai Vanijaka entitled "That Which Nourishes Thailand May Destroy Thailand" in which he offered a critical evaluation of an aspect of Thai culture. Specifically, he wrote about how the 'greng jai' aspect of Thai culture seems to have led to a situation where young people hesitate to raise questions to their elders (teachers and other people in authority) while those same people in authority are not comfortable being questioned.
From this analysis he goes on to infer that Thai youth lack skills in critical thinking and problem solving. As a result of this element of the culture, Thailand is suffering from a range of problems, from social inequality and increased poverty domestically to falling economic competitiveness in the global market.
This is not the first time that this argument has been made, but it is one of the most approachable and persuasive discussions of the issue that I have seen recently. That said, it is interesting that a Thai columnist would make the case - and in some ways weaken his own argument - because by his logic the article itself is rather counter-cultural. Another thought that I had when reading the article was that the opposite might also be true in some Western cultures - where even when people have nothing to say they feel obligated to ask questions and/or critique the position of the speaker.
From this analysis he goes on to infer that Thai youth lack skills in critical thinking and problem solving. As a result of this element of the culture, Thailand is suffering from a range of problems, from social inequality and increased poverty domestically to falling economic competitiveness in the global market.
This is not the first time that this argument has been made, but it is one of the most approachable and persuasive discussions of the issue that I have seen recently. That said, it is interesting that a Thai columnist would make the case - and in some ways weaken his own argument - because by his logic the article itself is rather counter-cultural. Another thought that I had when reading the article was that the opposite might also be true in some Western cultures - where even when people have nothing to say they feel obligated to ask questions and/or critique the position of the speaker.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Multiple Cultures - One Country
Yesterday I went to the final day of the OTOP Mid-Year Sale. It is not the first time I've been to one of these major OTOP sales. I like to go because you can buy a gift items from across Thailand at one time and then save them for when people come to visit from overseas. This event was much like previous ones I've been to - but I think that the volume of shoppers was greater than the last time I was there.
What struck me about the event was the extensive cultural diversity evident in the displays from the various regions of Thailand. The types of products, sources of inspiration and materials used are really quite different between the southern region with its Islamic/Malay influence and Issan with its Lao traditions and the north which represents the traditional Lanna culture. Further, the people manning the booths also represented a relatively broad spectrum of ethnic types and one could assume cultural backgrounds.
Thus, under one roof we could see the rich cultural diversity that is a hallmark of contemporary Thailand. With this diversity contained within one nation-state we can see that intercultural communications does not have to be reserved for relations between Caucasians, Arabs, Japanese or Africans and Thais. Rather intercultural communications in Thailand can take place everyday among Thai the citizens themselves. This fact should serve to empower Thai people to be more effective intercultural communicators than people from a more homogeneous cultural background.
What struck me about the event was the extensive cultural diversity evident in the displays from the various regions of Thailand. The types of products, sources of inspiration and materials used are really quite different between the southern region with its Islamic/Malay influence and Issan with its Lao traditions and the north which represents the traditional Lanna culture. Further, the people manning the booths also represented a relatively broad spectrum of ethnic types and one could assume cultural backgrounds.
Thus, under one roof we could see the rich cultural diversity that is a hallmark of contemporary Thailand. With this diversity contained within one nation-state we can see that intercultural communications does not have to be reserved for relations between Caucasians, Arabs, Japanese or Africans and Thais. Rather intercultural communications in Thailand can take place everyday among Thai the citizens themselves. This fact should serve to empower Thai people to be more effective intercultural communicators than people from a more homogeneous cultural background.
Monday, August 24, 2009
A Rather Odd Sub-Culture
On Friday evening I attended the Board of Director's meeting of the Rotary Club of Bangkok. This event was followed by dinner party for the membership of the club. The entire evening seemed to be one big exercise in intercultural communications because the membership of the club is made up of some 20 nationalities and the Board includes about 10 nationalities. Further, the event was held at the home of a past president of the club - an Indian gentleman who has lived in Thailand most of his life. So the dinner was Indian cuisine.
The Board meeting went on and on as different issues were discussed and re-discussed meanwhile various club members arrived as did guests and they were talking in the background. Eventually the evening just morphed into a dinner party.
What I found interesting was that while there were clearly different nationalities, ethnic groups, ages and genders represented - the event was marked more by the similarities within the group than the differences. It seemed that regardless of the nationality or ethnic group the members of the Board share the same style of communications in the formal board meeting setting as well as the same concerns. Thus, one could say that the meeting was not really an exercise in intercultural communications, but rather an example of communications within a particular sub-culture.
The Board meeting went on and on as different issues were discussed and re-discussed meanwhile various club members arrived as did guests and they were talking in the background. Eventually the evening just morphed into a dinner party.
What I found interesting was that while there were clearly different nationalities, ethnic groups, ages and genders represented - the event was marked more by the similarities within the group than the differences. It seemed that regardless of the nationality or ethnic group the members of the Board share the same style of communications in the formal board meeting setting as well as the same concerns. Thus, one could say that the meeting was not really an exercise in intercultural communications, but rather an example of communications within a particular sub-culture.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Cultural difference or something else
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend an event organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand. It was a lunch function with Senator Jim Webb as the speaker. Jim Webb is a relatively well known and powerful member of the US Congress and was most recently in the news due to his visit to Myanmar last weekend where he met with the Burmese leadership and secured the release of John Yettaw (the guy who swam to Aung San Suu Kyi's house). Senator Webb also had a meeting wtih Mrs. Suu Kyi while he was in Yangoon.
The point of my post is not about what Sen. Webb had to say - though that was interesting too - it is about who attended the lunch. First a bit about AMCHAM, the fact is that the majority of members are Thai, not Americans, which is something many people don't realize. As such most AMCHAM functions attract a mixed audience - mixed in terms of race, gender and age. But this event was quite different. The audience was overwhelmingly comprised of white, middle-aged men. In fact, out of the whole group - probably over 60 people - I could count the number of Thai people on one hand and the number of women on the other hand, with a bunch of fingers left over.
So why is this? Why was there such a lack of interest among several key demographics within AMCHAM in hearing this relatively senior official speak. Remember, most of the AMCHAM members either work for US companies or for companies that trade with the US. Alternatively, why was there such strong interest among older white men? Does this reflect a cultural difference or something more related to economics or politics?
The point of my post is not about what Sen. Webb had to say - though that was interesting too - it is about who attended the lunch. First a bit about AMCHAM, the fact is that the majority of members are Thai, not Americans, which is something many people don't realize. As such most AMCHAM functions attract a mixed audience - mixed in terms of race, gender and age. But this event was quite different. The audience was overwhelmingly comprised of white, middle-aged men. In fact, out of the whole group - probably over 60 people - I could count the number of Thai people on one hand and the number of women on the other hand, with a bunch of fingers left over.
So why is this? Why was there such a lack of interest among several key demographics within AMCHAM in hearing this relatively senior official speak. Remember, most of the AMCHAM members either work for US companies or for companies that trade with the US. Alternatively, why was there such strong interest among older white men? Does this reflect a cultural difference or something more related to economics or politics?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Questions in a cab
The other day I had to go to the immigration office on Soi Suan Plu. This place could be the source of dozens of PhD dissertations on intercultural communications - but as my task there was simple and I know the system pretty well, I don't have a specific observation based on my visit to the office. That said, I do have an observation based on my taxi ride from immigration back to my office on Soi Chidlom.
I caught a taxi outside of immigration and told the driver where I wanted to go. I would say he was late middle age with short greying hair, clean shaven wearing an ironed blue short-sleeved shirt. I find that there are basically two types of taxi drivers (this is an international observation) - those that are quiet during the drive and those that like to talk. My driver on this ride was a talker. He started with the standard questions such are how long I've been in Thailand, do I work here, am I married, how many children do I have. This is all pretty standard - in Thailand and in the US.
He then moved on to questions that are relatively standard here - but would be considered odd or inappropriate in the US. Questions like: how old are you, how much money do you make, where do you live (in terms of do you live in a house or a condo). I've been here long enough to not be surprised or put off by the questions - but deep down they still put me on guard.
My assumption, which may be wrong, is that these types of questions are used among Thai people to determine relative positions in a complex hierarchical pii - nong relationship. But to an American they require information that we are very hesitant to share with strangers. In fact, even close friends may never discuss their incomes or net worth. I'll save my thoughts on why this is for another post.
I caught a taxi outside of immigration and told the driver where I wanted to go. I would say he was late middle age with short greying hair, clean shaven wearing an ironed blue short-sleeved shirt. I find that there are basically two types of taxi drivers (this is an international observation) - those that are quiet during the drive and those that like to talk. My driver on this ride was a talker. He started with the standard questions such are how long I've been in Thailand, do I work here, am I married, how many children do I have. This is all pretty standard - in Thailand and in the US.
He then moved on to questions that are relatively standard here - but would be considered odd or inappropriate in the US. Questions like: how old are you, how much money do you make, where do you live (in terms of do you live in a house or a condo). I've been here long enough to not be surprised or put off by the questions - but deep down they still put me on guard.
My assumption, which may be wrong, is that these types of questions are used among Thai people to determine relative positions in a complex hierarchical pii - nong relationship. But to an American they require information that we are very hesitant to share with strangers. In fact, even close friends may never discuss their incomes or net worth. I'll save my thoughts on why this is for another post.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Purpose of this blog
Hello.
This blog will serve as the venue for my intercultural communications e-journal. As the instructor of Intercultural Communications 592 at Bangkok University, which requires all students in the class to keep a weekly intercultural communications e-journal or blog - I felt it is only fair that I do the same thing. Starting this week I will use this blog to record my thoughts, observations, opinions and analysis regarding intercultural communications.
JP
This blog will serve as the venue for my intercultural communications e-journal. As the instructor of Intercultural Communications 592 at Bangkok University, which requires all students in the class to keep a weekly intercultural communications e-journal or blog - I felt it is only fair that I do the same thing. Starting this week I will use this blog to record my thoughts, observations, opinions and analysis regarding intercultural communications.
JP
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