A Study on Culture Adaptation Difference between Chinese and American Advertising Discourses

Abstract

Advertising discourse is a kind of strategic communicative language, and adaptation is often used as an effective strategy by advertisers to publicize the products and lure the customers to buy the advertised products. The study is conducted to compare the differences of culture adaptation in Chinese and American advertising discourse, finding different orientations where Chinese advertising discourses and American ones respectively adapt to the potential customers: 1. Collectivism vs. Individualism in Standard of Value; 2. Monism vs. Pluralism in Thinking Mode; 3. Authority vs. Equality in Concept; 4. Past Orientation vs. Future Orientation in Culture Tradition; 5. Implicity vs. Superiority in Culture Characteristics. The results will provide valuable implication and reference for the companies, advertisers and researchers, helping the advertisers design advertisements in line with the target culture and overcome the culture barrier to international advertising communication.