A Comparative Study Of Manifested Cultural Values In Advertisements From The English And Chinese Editions Of Harvard Business Review

The controversy of globalized versus localized international advertising has fueled an increasing demand for more cross-cultural research on advertising content. To comply with this demand, this study investigates the similarities and differences of the manifestation of culture values in Chinese and U.S. magazine advertisements. This study also examined whether advertising appeals and expressions accord with the cultural values orientations of each country. The research method of content analysis was utilized to analyze research data. Sample advertisements were chosen from the Chinese and U.S. editions of Harvard Business Review. The advertising content of 206 Chinese and 224 U.S. magazine advertisements was analyzed in this study. Research results showed that some values related to product merits were frequently utilized in both countries. These values were quality, effectiveness, and convenience. However, this study found Chinese magazine advertisements significantly utilized more cultural values of family integrity, harmony with others, interdependence, nature, popularity, and tradition, whereas U.S. advertisements more significantly emphasized cultural values of adventure, enjoyment, independence, quality, safety, sex, technology, uniqueness, and wealth. This study also found that advertising appeals and expressions were highly consistent with the cultural value orientations of each country. The advertising appeals and expressions in Chinese advertisements tended to be more collectivistic, in harmony with nature, and high-context, whereas U.S. advertisements utilized more individualistic, emphasizing mastery over nature, and low-context advertising appeals and expressions. However, inconsistent with the time orientation of each country, the advertising appeals and expressions in both countries were observed to be predominately present-time-oriented. Therefore, on the basis of these research results, this study concluded that Chinese and U.S. magazine advertisements basically tended to reflect cultural differences in the advertising contents.