Strictly Business

May 19, 2008 - Written By Kimberly May

Everyone loves getting up at 5 am, right? Okay, waking up early may not be everyone's cup of tea but Clint (Hill), Jeff (Williams) and I decided to run the ~1.5 miles to Tiananment Square to try to catch the sunrise flag raising service. The flag raising ceremony isn't normally a big deal but how many times are we going to be in Beijing? There were two things we were not aware of when planning this run: (1) The sun apparently rises in Beijing earlier than anywhere else in the world (leaving the hotel at 5:15 am was about 30 minutes too late for catching the flag raising), and (2) this day marks exactly one week since the early quake in the Sichuan region and begins three days of mourning, making the flag raising a really big deal...and we missed it.

Despite missing the flag raising it was still a great experience. We arrived at about 5:30 am to see the flag at half mast and TV station vans in the Square. We were curious but didn't know who or how to ask what was going on.

While walking around Tiananmen Square we were approached by a group of young Chinese men who wanted a picture with us. We happily obliged knowing we'd get a good laugh out of it later. Well, so did another Chinese man who saw the whole ordeal happen. He introduced himself as Li Chen and had a good laugh with us. He was visiting home but had been living in the US for several years. He also informed us about the three days of mourning that started that day and of the three minutes of remembrance that would occur that afternoon.

The three minutes began at 2:28 pm, which was the time that the earthquake began exactly one week prior. The three minutes were in reference to the duration of the earthquake. The entire country "shut down"; shops stopped selling, all stop lights turned red and people honked their horns. We were standing on the corner outside our hotel during these three minutes among many other motionless pedestrians. Witnessing this moment in time sent a chill down my spine. I am constantly amazed with the things that this country has the want and ability to do. I feel, as I am sure the rest of the group does, privileged to be a part of this moment in history in China.

All Pictures by Kimberly May

The entrance to the Forbidden City at sunrise

The flag of China flying at half mast at sunrise

A walkway just outside the walls of the Forbidden City at sunrise

The "Traffic Controller" sent to the intersection by our hotel to turn the lights red.

Posted by Kim May at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Visa’s “Go World” campaign is one of my favorites of the year. Not only do the spots capture the emotion and determination of individual Olympic heroes, the commercials also speak to a certain drive to excel that can be found in, or at least admired by, all of us. The Olympics sponsorship/this campaign is a great fit for the brand that claims to be “everywhere.” You can visit Visa’s Go World site to read athlete stories and even share your own.

On a side note, the phrase “Go World” also makes me think about competition in another realm, i.e. the implications of international business. Today, globalization means people are competing internationally for jobs and resources, which makes professional development and an international understanding that much more important. If you are interested in learning more about Belmont’s International Business program, click here, and be sure to read to the entries from Massey’s graduate students from their recent trip to China.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 02:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 18, 2008 - Written by Ryan Arthur

Day 2 in China, and not only can I not speak the language, but I can't walk normally from my legs being a little sore from our climb on the Great Wall. But now I can consider myself a hero, but even better jet lag never really
truly set in. So here goes day two.

Our day began with a tour of a Chinese jade factory. Here, raw jade is sculpted into everything from bracelets and necklaces to life size monuments of tigers. Jade is a beautiful and rare stone and it was very interesting
to learn that although Americans associate jade with a green color, the highest quality of jade is actually white with a faint hint of green. I personally prefer the green over the white, and I think some of the bracelet buying people in the group did as well. Another fascinating tidbit was the sound high quality jade makes. After learning this fact, I proceeded to clink every item I wanted in the store to test its quality. Sadly, the bracelets were the only items to make that melodic ring, that or I have bad taste in jade.

After spending some of our hard transferred Yuan, we proceeded to a Chinese Cloisonné factory. I know what you're saying. Cloisonné sounds French, not Chinese. Well it is. The French brought it over, but the ever industrious Chinese assimilated into their culture and put their own spin on it. While still made of a copper mold and frame, the pictures on the Cloisonné are distinctly Chinese. Each design is hand pieced with tweezers, glue, and patience. Slowly but surely the formations of dragons, birds, flowers, and other Chinese art begin to take shape. After the glue has dried, it's off to the coloring room. And talk about colors. In the coloring room there were more colors than a Crayola Crayon factory. Each pigment is placed in its corresponding copper chamber with an eye dropper. We got a chance at the end of the tour to try our hand at this process. Rick and Ellie were named master Cloisonné dyers for our group. We managed to find out that 2000 people are employed as Cloisonné makers in its various stages. Maybe Rick and Ellie could become the next two. Perhaps they can replace the slackers that were playing basketball with Clint and Phillip S.

After Jade, Cloisonné, and a dominating basketball for Clint and Phillip, we were off to Tiananmen Square. I equate Tiananmen Square to something like the Washington Mall of Beijing. This wide expanse is home to the Front Gate, the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao, the Great Hall of the People, and the National Museum of China. This area decked in absolute marvel and beauty has a shadowed and dark past. While there remains much pride in this square, there is an air of secrecy that looms behind the architecture. While we didn't get to go into any of these monuments, there sheer site was awesome enough.

We did, however, get to go inside the Forbidden City, home to the emperors of China. Upon entering you are greeted by the world's largest photograph of Chairman Mao Zedong (As decreed by me). Behind this first wall lies a mega fortress containing 9,999 and-a-half rooms for the emperor, his eunuchs, and 2,000 concubines. The half room was so that the emperor would have the most rooms on earth, but not more rooms than heaven, although I never quite understood what would constitute half a room. And speaking of rooms, the Forbidden City has a four star bathroom. No joke. The Beijing Tourism Association apparently hands out star rankings for its bathrooms. Bathrooms aside, an interesting tidbit about the Forbidden City is a lack of any trees in the major sections of the compound. The emperor believed these to be good hiding spots for assassins, so there are no trees. If you want trees you have to go to the north side of the city to a special and beautiful garden area. So how big is the Forbidden City you ask? Well I did some Googling and found that the White House spans 18 acres, Buckingham Palace is roughly 40 acres, and the Forbidden City covers 250 acres.

After our strolls through Chinese culture, one could work up a hearty appetite. Luckily we were off to a Beijing noodle house (For those of you that were not a fan, read the previous sentence with extreme sarcasm). Again
food was put out on the Chinese people's favorite collectivist restaurant contraption, the lazy Susan, but this time we all got our own bowl of noodles, veggies, and red bean sauce with oil. I was a big fan of the noodles. It was reminiscent of Genghis Grill in Cool Springs. Although I was a fan, one bowl was plenty. Although I heard Chairman Hao (Dr. Howard Cochran) had two, and one was with extra chili peppers that were too much for him to handle. But from the grin on his face upon leaving, I am willing to bet money he wasn't fazed and this Beijing noodle house will be on every future Belmont China trip.

With full bellies we departed to hone in our negotiating skills at the Liu Li Chang Antique Street and the Pearl Market. The Antique Street was quite a step back in time. Stores were stacked with roll upon roll of Chinese calligraphy and art. The streets were littered with sidewalk vendors selling brushes and stone stamps. It is amazing that so much of the ancient Chinese culture is still thriving. Although pushed back deep into the city, the Chinese people still greatly value their heritage. Lucky for us though, this value is often negotiable at a price for foreigners.

After negotiating with the hardly fluent English speaking vendors of Liu Li Chang, we headed to the United Airlines certified Sharon's Store to purchase pearls for our wives, girlfriends, or ourselves. Sharon's Store sits at the top floor of a retail market and has been visited by foreign dignitaries and celebrities. Barbara Bush purchased some of her famous pearls from Sharon. After purchasing some pearls I decided to continue practicing my negotiating
on the floors below. Nothing could prepare for what I was about to experience. Medieval Gauntlets weren't this noisy. Retail clerks from all corners begin to yell "Hey Man, Buy Shoes, Buy Belt, Give you Best Price" as you walk by their booth. And they are incredibly persistent. At one point somebody even rubbed my stomach to get my attention. But I persisted and managed to negotiate a $7 pair of black Converse high tops. Retail in America is about $60.

After our first full day being immersed into Beijing culture, we were allowed freedom to explore Beijing on our own. Some in the group were fed up with Chinese food and already feeling a little homesick so a trip to the local Chinese Outback was their destination. Some merely wandered through the streets around our hotel with hopes of finding something edible. What did Dr. Cochran say about eating things on a stick? I was part of a group that took the advice of our noble guide, John. John suggested a dim sum restaurant that was ranked as one of the top ten places to eat in the world by Time magazine. I have to agree with Time. It was quite delicious. Although, if you go, make sure you speak some Chinese. And trust me on these two things, order a lot and try the mango dessert.

After completing dinner, it was back to the hotel, although one part of our group was sadly dropped off back at Tiananmen Square due to their cab driver not knowing where the Prime Hotel was. I guess even the cab drivers have to save face. They all eventually made it back safe and sound, and with more stories and memories to share. And tomorrow is another day for us all to make more memories as we continue our trip through China.

Polishing Jade at the Jade Factory by Freddy Altomari

Gluing the Outline to a Vase at the Cloisonné Factory by Kristen Comstock

Four Star Toilet Sign in the Forbidden City by Crystal Buie

Inside the Forbidden City by Rick Stubblefield

Posted by Kim May at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new Michael has captured the hearts of millions and inspired a new generation of athletes. Michael Phelps, the “greatest swimmer of all time,” continues to win gold, setting new world records along the way. As a former competitive swimmer, the swimming events have always been my favorite part of the Olympics, but this year, these events have been even more exciting.

According to the Herald Tribune, the “Phelps Phenomenon” has gone global, drawing “banner headlines across the world, including in regions and countries where swimming normally gets scant attention.” Even Chinese media have named Phelps the “flying fish.” Rightfully so. He’s well on his way to becoming the most decorated Olympian in history, trying for eight gold medals in a single Olympics. Six down, two to go.

It’s interesting to consider how this attention has and will affect Michael Phelps as a brand spokesperson/endorser. Apparently the “flying fish” is becoming the “Billion Dollar Man.”

His sponsors must be thrilled. Advertising Age reports "Adidas, Nike, Speedo and Visa logos have combined for six minutes of on-screen time exclusively from apparel worn by Phelps during NBC's coverage, beginning Saturday night and running through Tuesday night's double-gold triumph…The Speedo logos on Mr. Phelps' warm-up jacket, swim cap and bodysuit have garnered the brand nearly two-and-a-half minutes of airtime, or $3.6 million worth of exposure.”

Visa’s “Congratulations Phelps” commercial, celebrating his all-time record for most career Olympic gold medals, is one of my personal favorites of the Games. Michael Lynch, head of global sponsorship management at Visa said, “His performance here will benefit us as it will add to the visibility we will get through this affiliation ... and his earning ability will increase, there's no question of that."

Speedo’s Team Speedo USA Collection, which includes the LZR Racers the competitors are wearing, is worth checking out. I doubt I’ll see many of the $500 LZR suits at the local YMCA, but we may start seeing the “Phelps” name across t-shirts. I want one.

Keep swimming hard, Michael. It certainly is paying off.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 09:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ad Creep. No, I'm not talking about one of the Fruit of the Loom guys, Tom Shane, or even one of those characters off of a Capital One credit card commercial. "Ad Creep" is a concept described in Lucas Conley's book titled, Obsessive Brand Disorder. , which has been described by Publisher's Weekly as "an incisive investigation that illustrates how defenseless consumers are against advertising."

Now, some of us from within the marketing discipline might not agree with 100% of his conclusions, but he does offer some compelling evidence to support his theories. For example, he states that U.S. advertisers have spent more over the last decade than in the four previous decades combined and that the average American is exposed to about 5,000 advertisements per day (according to David Shenk's "Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut). Any of us with a pulse would have to admit that if we stopped for just a moment to review our daily routines, we are bombarded with a lot of branded information. This comes from traditional media channels, such as television, radio, and billboards certainly, but we are increasingly seeing nontraditional media channels emerge that did not even exist a few years ago. For example, many grocery shopping carts now carry branded advertising messages, as do the backs of seats in some public venues, and most men have by now noticed that even public restrooms are not off limits for an eye-level commercial message to a temporarily captive audience.

No complaints? Well, certainly there are occasional protests to such ad proliferation. But Lucas would argue that part of the reason for no widespread and sustained consumerism movement against this explosion of advertisements is because it has happened at what consumer behaviorists refer to as "below difference threshold." You see, if we had awakened from where we were, say, 20 years ago at a much lower adveritising level, to where we are currently, most of us would be shocked by how much things have changed. But since the change has occurred so gradually (see "Boiled Frog Syndrome"), we gradually adjust to the changes and are less likely to react to what may overall be a very significant change in our environment.

My biggest questions (and keep in mind I'm generally pro-marketing) are how far will this progress before we reach the "upper limit" on all of this? Is it psychologically healthy to reach a point where we have no "safe zone" void of advertising content? Do we reach a point where additional messages have little or no impact on consumers because we have learned to simply tune out most or all such messages? What, if any, is the role of government in altering public policy?

While you contemplate some of these questions, here's an entertaining interchange between Conley and Stephen Colbert earlier this week that illustrates some of this debate.

Posted by Joe Alexander at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While you might not be twittering, blogging or using social networking for your brand, there may be a chance that someone else is doing it for you. Consider “Janet,” who has been posing as an Exxon employee to answer questions about the company and respond to consumer feedback via Twitter. While some readers commended Exxon on their efforts to connect with consumers, the company has made it clear that it had no part in the conversation. Check out the story from Jeremiah Owyang, Sr. Analyst at Forrester Research, and see the alleged ExxonMobilCorp Twitter account.

Our lesson: consider the value in brand-consumer dialog and monitor your online brand presence to know who is saying what about your brand. The Internet has provided a more convenient channel for conducting market research and developing brand relationships. Search for your brand and visit consumer opinion sites to review comments. Start an online community where customers can congregate, be informed and give feedback. And, ALWAYS be transparent.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)