John Y, Author at iConnect Corporate Solutions

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Tone-Deaf Is So Last Season

January 2, 2019September 15, 2020
by John Y

When I was growing up, to be ‘tone-deaf’ meant that you couldn’t sing in tune. Embarrassing to be sure, but at the end of the day, no more embarrassing than not being able to catch or kick a ball.

Nowadays to be ‘tone-deaf’ is a much bigger deal, not in the sense of not singing in tune, but in the stigma of being out-of-touch, with which this word is now synonymous. As we read and laugh at the news everyday about another instance of a company, or world leader, or celebrity committing this merciless mistake, we do so knowing it could so easily be us that messes up next within our social network, or neighbourhood/community, or even at work!

To be tone-deaf in business is a scary thought. One wrong decision, one poorly thought out plan could end up alienating an employee, a vendor, a customer or even a whole nation! And as our world becomes smaller and even more connected the risk of being tone-deaf increases exponentially as we interact with cultural diversity on all fronts whether it be race, gender, generation, religion or worldview.

In our modern global world it is therefore more important than ever before to be agile and adept at navigating these cultural sensitivities towards success.

Are you in tune with all your stakeholders?

Being Tone-Deaf is so last season. Make this the year you get in tune.

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D&G: Where did they go wrong?

November 28, 2018September 15, 2020
by John Y

As highlighted in our previous post, fashion powerhouse D&G had a serious ’cultural malfunction’ in China during the week that marquee event, ’The Great Show,’ was supposed to be held in Shanghai. An ill-fated advertising campaign and subsequent inflammatory comments on social media, enraged the Chinese nation as ecommerce giants such as Alibaba and JD removed D&G items from their digital platforms in the wake of a mass boycott of the embattled brand. It also forced a grovelling apology from Messers Dolce and Gabbana as they sought forgiveness for failing to understand Chinese culture and vowing to never forget the lesson they have learned.

I wonder what lesson it is that they learned from this PR nightmare that will end up costing them billions? Many, no doubt!

Hopefully one of the lessons they learned is this: don’t offend a billion-plus people! I can’t imagine the team at D&G deliberately planned to disrespect a nation with over a billion patriotic (爱国) citizens, but that’s what ended up happening. What D&G did not understand was how deep the people’s love for their nation runs and how by caricaturing antiquated stereotypes, albeit an attempt at humor, made China lose face (丢脸) and furthermore failed to recognise the powerful, modern, advanced, and savvy nation they have become. Sure they will voice their own concerns and frustrations about their country, but that is as insiders and especially because they love their country. However, when someone from the outside criticizes or is perceived to look down on (看不起) them, they will unite as one to defend the honor of their nation.

This highlights a few cultural dimensions that are at play here. Firstly, honor vs shame.Generally speaking, China is a society that highly values the building up of honor. Bringing shame upon them or making them lose face is the opposite of the building up of honor and therefore cuts deeply especially if it is played out on the global stage. Associated with this is a high power-distance (hierarchical) mentality, where poking fun at a powerful nation is considered inappropriate and offensive.

However, I think that the most fascinating aspect of this situation is how collectivism plays out. The collective outpouring of outrage is probably expected and if it were another country there would likely be a similar reaction. However that this outrage led to a massive boycott of D&G goods across all physical and virtual shopfronts and the cancellation of the biggest fashion show in China, as model after model, celebrity after celebrity refused to attend, shows how collectivist this society is – how concerned the people are for the well being of the group (in this case, the country) more so than the individual. That they could pull this off virtually overnight just reinforces how powerful a phenomenon this is (and also how savvy and advanced they really are)!

This highly dynamic cultural dimension of collectivism is a particularly sharp double-edged sword of opportunity and threat: if you play it right many will love you, but if you get it wrong it could end up costing you big time, often in an instant.

Just ask D&G.

Are you and your team equipped to navigate our complex global economy? Ask us how we can help you.

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Why does culture matter? Just ask D&G!

November 27, 2018September 15, 2020
by John Y

By now, you probably would have read about the controversy that luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana have been embroiled in this past week. The designer label has experienced fierce backlash over an advertising campaign that depicted a Chinese woman struggling to eat traditional Italian food such as pizza, cannoli and spaghetti bolognese with an oversized pair of chopsticks. To make matters worse, when negativity started to blowback on the fashion icon, one of its founders inflamed the situation by posting derogatory comments about the Chinese nation on social media, though he claimed his account was hacked and denied making the comments.

The Chinese public expressed their outrage by condemning the fashion icon on social media which swiftly led to a mass boycott of the brand as ecommerce sellers quickly removed their items for sale. The fashion powerhouse was also forced to abandon its marquee fashion event in Shanghai as models and celebrities began to boycott the show. In a desperate attempt to salvage some of its market presence in China, co-founders Dolce and Gabbana issued a heart-felt apology, asking for forgiveness over their “misunderstanding of Chinese Culture” and promising it will never happen again.

However resentment still lingers with one social media user responding “We don’t have to accept your apology. Go and make money in other countries. There’s none for you here in China.” With its reputation in tatters, one wonders if D&G will ever recover its market share in China, which already accounts for over 30% of the world’s luxury goods market and set to further grow by up to 22% this year.

Failure to understand cultural differences can sometimes lead to a harmless yet embarrassing cross-cultural situation that ends in a funny story that can be recounted at parties and social gatherings. Other times it can lead to an enraged nation that ends in reputational ruin and financial disaster.

Cultural Intelligence is the key intelligence of our modern global world and an essential competency for leaders, managers and their teams. Being able to not only identify cultural differences but also know how to engage and leverage these differences is crucial for a competitive advantage in our interconnected, global economy.

Are you and your team equipped to engage these types of challenges? We’re here to help.

Author: John Y

Tone-Deaf Is So Last Season

In our modern global world it is therefore more important than ever before to be agile and adept at navigating these cultural sensitivities towards success.

D&G: Where did they go wrong?

This highly dynamic cultural dimension of collectivism is a particularly sharp double-edged sword of opportunity and threat: if you play it right many will love you, but if you get it wrong it could end up costing you big time, often in an instant.

Why does culture matter? Just ask D&G!