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Introduction

HSBC's use of Intercultural Communications F242 308 COM 203: Intercultural Communications April 3rd 2009 Contents Page Introduction .................................................................................... Page 3 Culture & Identity ........................................................................... Page 3 HSBC "Point of View" ...................................................................... Page 4 Example 1 ........................................................................................ Page 4 Example 2 ....................................................................................... Page 5 Example 3 ....................................................................................... Page 6 First Evolution of "Point of View" ................................................. Page 6 Second Evolution of "Point of View" & Language ........................ Page 7 TV Advertisements ......................................................................... Page 8 Conclusion ....................................................................................... Page 9 Works Cited .................................................................................... Page 10 Topic HSBC's "Your Point of View" campaign. Introduction This essay will focus on analyzing the different tools that the international bank HSBC used in their new line of advertizing. Their intelligent, thought-provoking ads can often be seen in airports, and some recent ads have surfaced to mainstream television. These ads focus on showing the different points of view that derive from different cultures and identities - and this is therefore a good example of intercultural communication. Culture & Identity Culture is formed when a group of people share the characteristics of accumulated patterns of views, beliefs and behaviors; and it is often affected by one's religion and history, as well as a verbal and non-verbal symbol system. One's culture is ingrained at birth and throughout one's journey into adulthood, and is what helps form one's identity. ...read more.

Middle

To an artistic, sophisticated woman, ballet is a beautiful, graceful art and is therefore riveting in its own way, whilst cricket is a rough, uninteresting game. This ad shows how certain aspects of one's identity (e.g. gender, age...) affects what one enjoys and appreciates. (Fig. 2) Example 3: "Useful" The third ad to be discusses is called "useful" (see fig. 3) and shows the difference in perceptive between people who have difference beliefs in medicine. It contrasts a packet of pills and a sack of herbs, and labels them as "useful" and "useless". Depending on how one was raised and what one believes, either of the two types of remedies may be considered effective. To those with scientific backgrounds, the pills will seem useful whilst the herbs are nothing but a placebo - but to those who have always been treated by homeopathic medicine and believe in its effectiveness, the herbs will be seen as useful, and the pills unnecessary. This advertisement puts into question what we believe in, and why we choose to believe this. (Fig. 3) First Evolution of "Point of View" In 2007, HSBC evolved their ads and changed the format slightly. This movement was called "Different Values", and consisted of a single image repeated three times, with a different one-word interpretation imposed over each photo. ...read more.

Conclusion

A passer-by attempts to hide her view of his feet by gesturing with her hand - and this, in turn, is a rude gesture in parts of Greece. This is non-verbal communication varies greatly in different cultures, and this often leads to misinterpretations. A second video advertisement deals with the issue of personal space, and how this varies from culture to culture. In this example - which can be seen on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLLTQgQHClI - a European tourist goes to Mexico and is shocked at how close and intimate people get to him. He is apparently accustomed to his personal space being roughly the space of an arm length and is uncomfortable with the proximity of the Mexican people. This humorous ad shows how culture effects one's non-verbal communication, such as body language and interactive synchrony. Conclusion HSBC believes that difference is what makes us who we are. For their new line of advertisement, they clearly did some in-depth analysis of cultural differences and explored many aspects of communication in their new line of advertisements. The overall message of these ads is that it is always better to be open to other people's point of view, and that it is important in understanding cultural differences. The purpose of HSBC releasing these ads is to prove to potential costumers that HSBC is an international bank that knows how to deal with intercultural situations, and it therefore targets companies who deal with international transactions. ...read more.

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