Stereotyping as a Barrier in Intercultural Marketing: An Analysis of Public Online Comments on Dolce & Gabbana’s Incident in China

Abstract

This study investigates online comments on major social platforms following Dolce & Gabbana (D & G)’s promotional video Eating with Chopsticks in 2018 and the apology video released afterwards. By employing self-reference criterion (Browne, 2013), crisis communication and image restoration (Mair, Ritchie & Walters, 2016), it first analyzes D & G’s stereotypes of the Chinese in the promotional video, then it further examines the cultural stereotypes and relative crisis communication strategies adopted by D & G. It is found that D&G's stereotype of the Chinese people can be reflected in the slanted eyes of the Chinese model, the background of the video and the comparison of chopsticks to small sticks. The Chinese people’s stereotype of D&G can be indicated in the reaction to the promotional video as well as cultural misunderstanding in the crisis communication. It is thus argued that in designing promotional materials and managing crisis, international marketers need to be aware of various cultural stereotypes and take the cultural values of local consumers into full consideration, and such principles as empathy, mutual respect and mutual understanding need to be at international marketers’ top priority. The purpose is to shed some light on intercultural marketing design and crisis communication for international corporations. Keywords: