Cultural%20values%20manifest%20in

1

• Cultural values manifest in
• HK and Korea TV commercials

• Kara Chan
• Hong Kong Baptist University
• Young Sook Moon
• Hanyang University

2
Cultural values in advertising

• Advertising is a carrier of cultural values
• Culture is the collective mental programming
  that distinguishes one society from another
  (Hofstede, 1983)
• A study to compare the cultural values of TVC in
  Hong Kong and Korea

3
Hofstedes typology of cultural dimensions

• ?uncertainty avoidance tolerance for ambiguity
• ?masculinity/femininity preference for
  achievement, success to relationships and caring
• ?individualism/collectivism relative
  importance of the individual or the group
• ?power distance acceptance of hierarchy in
  the society

4
Hofstedes score
Dimension HK Korea
Uncertainty avoidance 29 85
Masculinity 57 39
individualism 68 60
Power distance 25 18
5
Research questions

• How does the manifestation of cultural values
  differ in Hong Kong and Korean commercials?
• How are the differences, if any, attributed to
  the cultural dimensions of the two societies?

6
Matching cultural values with cultural dimensions

• References to Albers-Miller and Gelb (1996), de
  Mooij (1998), and Ji and McNeal (2001)
• Framework of cultural values Hong and Schweitzer
  (1996)s framework of 32 values such as
  adventure, youth

7
Uncertainly avoidance occur more frequently in
Korea commercials

• technology
• safety
• tradition
• - adventure
• - magic
• - youth

8
Masculinity occur more frequently in HK
commercials

• competition
• effectiveness
• wealth
• work
• - courtesy
• - family
• - nurturance

9
individualism no difference in HK and Korean
commercials

• individualism
• uniqueness
• beauty
• health
• - collectivism
• - popularity
• - patriotism

10
Power distance no difference in HK and Korean
commercials

• social status
• respect for elderly

11

• Sample
• N829, unduplicated taped in Nov/Dec 2001
• ?Korea 36 hours of prime time commercials
  from KBS2, MBC and SBS
• ?Hong Kong 40 hours of prime time from
  TVB-Jade and ATV-home
• Include Public services announcements, exclude
  promotional messages for TV stations/programs
• 1 dominant value for each TVC, inter-coder
  reliability 0.94 (HK), 0.98(Korea) 26 Korean
  TVC with no dominant values are dropped

12
Sample profile

• Main product categories household goods, food
  and beverages, services, finances
• HK sample more PSAs, more leisure and retail ads
• Korean sample more automotives, computers, and
  clothing ads

13
Results of hypothesis testing
Reject H1
Reject H2
Fail to reject H3
Fail to reject H4
14
Uncertainty avoidance

• Contrary to what is expected, HK ads contains
  more uncertainty avoidance values
• HK sample contained 10 PSAs that frequently used
  safety value
• safety values often used in finance ads in HK
• Finance ads in Korea often used family and
  courtesy

15
masculinity

• Contrary to what we expect, HK and Korea TVC have
  no significant difference in this dimension
• Korea as a feminine society always used masculine
  values of effectiveness
• The value paradox of desirable vs desired

16
individualism

• Individualistic values occurred more frequently
  than collectivistic values in both societies
• Put more focus on the needs of the individuals
• Hypothesis supported

17
Power distance

• respect for elderly was not found at all in
  both societies
• A booming youth market that elderly consumers are
  neglected
• Hypothesis supported

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conclusion

• Hofstedes framework is valid in predicting
  similarities and differences in two out of four
  cultural dimensions
• Future research compare audience response to ads
  using values in congruent to the societys
  cultural dimensions vs opposite to the societys
  cultural dimensions