A Study On The Advertisment Of Shanxi Merchants From Ming And Qing Dynasties To Modern Times

Ming and Qing dynasties are the heyday of Shanxi merchants.During the period,the Shanxi merchants by its solid financial strength,advanced management,integrity-based business culture,extensive expansion its business areas and activities.There is a saying that "up to the silk,down to the onion garlic" to describe the business scope of Shanxi merchants,and"where there are sparrows flying there are Shanxi merchants" to its operating area.They operate in salt,iron,cotton,cloth,fur,silk,tea,finance and other businesses etc.Their steps covered all over the country and some areas in Europe,Japan,Southeast Asia and some Arab countries,dominate for about 500 years.And its business activities accompanied by the business of Shanxi advertising is also into the rapid development stage at the end of this feudal society.The business traditions and history of the Shanxi Merchants make them familiar with the use of ancient advertisements.They can use various forms of advertising and are able to innovate in the form and content of advertising according to the needs of different regions or commodities.Although there is no independent advertising agencies,the ads of Shanxi merchants is professional and cannot be beak,especially the seal advertising and print advertising.The main forms of its advertising are seal advertising,print advertising,newspapers and the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce,which has important advertising functions.The store advertising,including signs,underwriting,plaques,couplets and other store decoration ads,full of Chinese ancient business intelligence.Hall is a commercial edifice with advertising function,the activities of the Merchants Association,business associations,guilds and inscriptions,Guan Gong,Shanxi drama,etc.also have the function of advertising.Seal advertising is the main form of Shanxi merchants advertising.Shanxi business banks have several forms,and the bank is the most important one.In the silver industry,the seal is not only a part of a commercial product,but also represents the logo and reputation of each firm,especially the name chapter and security chapter,enough to be known as the Shanxi trademark advertising.In addition,according to the concept of ancient Chinese advertising,the commercial instruments and the products during the commercial process of Shanxi merchants are printed advertising.The printing advertising content of Shanxi merchants is rich,including the business license certificate,financial products and Commercial advertising printing.At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the modern time,with the emergence of newspapers,the newspaper advertising appeared.This article use Tianjin "Ta Kung Pao" and Shanghai " Shun Pao"as the main materials to study the newspaper advertising of Shanxi merchants.Their newspaper ads mostly are social advertising,in addition to their own notice of announcements advertising,there is a specific thanksgiving ads by social environment,mostly in the name of Shanxi merchants,the commercial ads in the newspaper are fewer.In the late Qing Dynasties,Shanxi merchants met various internal and external problems,they defeated in PK with foreign banks and varieties of new banks,then gradually withdraw from the stage of history.According to the Shanxi Merchants advertising in The Ming and Qing Dynasties to the modern times,political advertising broaden the market business,cultural advertising break through the market,chain business superimposed brand benefits.The development of Shanxi merchants and its ads promote each other,go hand in hand,with the expansion of their trade area,the ancient Chinese advertising is also non-stop,appeared in every business where Shanxi merchants have appeared.In the development of the times and the changes of the environment,the ads of Shanxi merchants from the facade,seal,hall,printed materials and other traditional forms,to the newspaper advertising,also reflects their advertising from the traditional to the modern,from the local to the city,by the interpersonal to the mass communication,while showing the Ming and Qing and modern social changes as well.