Abstract:

Meet Zhang Wei, 44 year old Aussie accountant; Li Wei, 64 year old bookbinder from Singapore and Li Qiang, 24 year old graphic designer from Vancouver. More disparate people you couldn't imagine. They have never met, never visited each other's countries. But something binds them together, something they share with over 35mln people worldwide? They all speak Chinese and all have Chinese ancestry. How does this affect the way the three of them think? Are our subjects closer to their nation or to their heritage? And here's the twist. Are they the same speaking Chinese as speaking English? Which then is real? This presentation examines the importance of language in consumer insight, and therefore on advertising. If you think your brand message is the same in translation, then it's time to think again.