Coca-cola Print Advertising In China After1999-an Analysis From The Perspective Of Visual Consumption

Ever since the Reform and Opening-up Policy in1979, China has witnessed anunprecedented growth in economy and a remarkable development of the wholesociety, which has also ushered in tremendous flow of global corporations vying intoChina in their efforts to expand market and seek out new business and a new stage ofthe consumer society as well. In order to carve a niche in the market, these globalcompanies and corporations have resorted to every effort to pursue reliablemarketing and advertising approaches. Among those innumerable advertisings,Coca-Cola advertising may be ranked as No.1in assisting in expanding its marketand promoting its sales all over China.However, its advertisements function far more than boosting its sales andincreasing profitabilities on the economic level. To a certain extent, they areendeavoring to create meanings and needs for consumers to willingly consumewhatever is offered in front of them so as to construct their own identities. Duringthis process, a considerable number of visuals and images are created, which leads tothe gradual shapement of the society of the spectacle, i.e. the consumer society. Fromthe perspective of visual consumption, the current thesis is an attempt to examine themarketing strategies, in particular the advertising strategies Coca-Cola Company hasadopted in China so as to explore how the Coca-Cola Company does its illustratedadvertising to expand its market and create meanings and needs for consumers tocreate their identities in contemporary China and shape our consumer societyaccordingly.