The effectiveness of standardized advertising for Cartier in Chinese market

There had been much Debate on standardized advertising and specialized adverting for a few decades and more and more advertisers are suggesting the use of standardized advertising approach for companies (Ryans and Donnelly, 1969). In the early time, it was called for a standardized advertising by Fatt (1967) to use the advertising with similar campaign or theme in the international market. later, there were Levitt (1983), Harris (1994), Duncan and Ramaprasad (1995), Zou and Cavusgil (2002) proposed the application of standardization of advertising for the positive result of the financial and strategic results. This study has two aims: firstly, examining the effectiveness of standardized advertising for Cartier in Chinese market among the targeted Chinese upper-middle class consumers; secondly, investigating to what extent Cartier’s international advertising, if lunched in Chinese market, should be standardized. To achieve the first goal, it measures the participants’ opinions from three aspects: attitude toward Cartier’s French advertisement (Afa), its persuasiveness (Pfa) and purchase intent (PIfa). Comparing the effect of the French version with the Chinese version further provides evidence of the feasibility of standardized advertising, by evaluating that the impact of the French version same as the Chinese version. The second test focuses on the elements that should be standardized in Chinese market. The assumed elements are examined by analyzing its significance and correlations with the three aspects. Results suggest that Cartier’s advertisement of French version makes participants generate favourable attitudes, positive persuasiveness and purchase intent, indicating the effectiveness of the French ad in Chinese market. Comparing the two version ads concludes that the effectiveness of the two ads are same. In addition, the tested relationship pf the assumed elements that should be standardized and the three aspects: Afa, Pfa and PIfa reported that background, music, celebrity, and theme of the ad have an impact, while language has no significant impact on them. These findings provide insights into the future advertising strategy in Chinese market for Cartier, and offer the implications for markers to reconsider the feasibility of standardized adverting under both low-context and high-context cultures