Shark Fin Soup: Hong Kong Disneyland Seeks Cultural and Environmental Balance
Facts:
The problems surrounding the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland (HKD) were numerous and varied—from cultural clashes to poor logistic preparedness. The Hong Kong government joined forces with the Disney Corporation, investing $2.9 billion on the project. The development promised approximately 36,000 job opportunities and predicted an economic value of $19 billion over the course of 40 years. The park took seven years to build. According to Cases in Public Relations Management, the venture intended for visitors to “experience Tomorrowland, Adventureland, and Fantasyland, just like the 50-year-old versions half a world away” (p. 297). This Disneyland yielded to Chinese tradition by incorporating numerological values and Feng Shui design. Since Hong Kong is so culturally diverse, several amenities were included to add to the multicultural appeal of HKD. Employees spoke Mandarin, Cantonese and English, and the cuisine included popular Western and Asian foods.
Issue:
The initial controversy began when the park released their banquet menus for their wedding packages months prior to HKD’s opening. The menus featured several foods including shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy. With the global market came a more diverse audience than resort administrators anticipated. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the World Wildlife Fund and other Hong Kong environmentalists protested the soup due to the inhumane harvesting of shark fins. The first reaction to these protests was to distribute pamphlets about the issue of shark “finning” to dissuade shark fin soup orders and to “offer non-shark fin soup options” (Cases, 299). The president announced that the park had removed shark fin soup from their menu.
Other debates that arose with the park’s opening included noise and air pollution, unfair labor concerns, the mistreatment of animals, and overcrowding. Hong Kong Disneyland put on a noisy firework show every night. With the poor air conditions in China, environmentalists suggested that this show incorporate new pyrotechnics technology to spare the air from as much noise and smoke. HKD ignored these suggestions, as “the fireworks’ pollution levels were within regulatory limitations” (Cases, 299). The media accused HKD of sanctioning unfair labor practices, citing long hours, not enough breaks, and underpayment. The case shows that about 45 dogs were killed in surrounding areas of the resort. Government workers attempted to place dogs with families, but the sick ones were killed. Animal rights activists protested the inhumane removal of the animals. The press cited the safety of workers and visitors as the reason for removing the dogs. Finally, many visitors were unsatisfied with the small size of the venue. The first disaster highlighting this planning oversight was on the Lunar New Year holiday, when many visitors with valid tickets were turned away due to overcrowding. Later, the vice president and park manager apologized to the public:
“We regret that anyone may have been inconvenienced… No one is more disappointed than we are. As a father, I understand how frustrating it is to disappoint your children… But our first priority is to protect our children” (Cases, 299).
The South China Morning Post highlighted the failure of the event by pointing out that HKD “needed a better understanding of Chinese culture” (Cases, 299).
Assessment:
“Although Hong Kong Disneyland tried its best to understand the culture of its market, the company failed to culturally adapt the theme park in prelaunch stages” (Global Marketing, 87). From a marketing perspective, it is unwise to launch a new product without testing the market. The multicultural audience of Hong Kong Disneyland was especially complicated and tricky to predict. As Cases points out, “to be successful, practitioners need to be aware of different value systems” (p. 291). This is easier said than done. As it was routine to predict one culture’s reaction to a product, there is not much research to reference to predict the reactions that many cultures might have on other cultures’ norms. It is important to attempt to be as agreeable as possible in international public relations.
“All translated messages, including brand names, should be reviewed by native speakers and tested within the target market before they are implemented” (Cases, 292). It seems as if most of the protests came from outside “normal” Chinese culture, though the South China Morning Post claimed that the theme park lacked Chinese culture.
According to Strategic Marketing, only 61% of the tourists visiting Hong Kong are from mainland China” (Case 6-20). This means that 39% of the remaining visitors are either wildcards—meaning they could be tourists from anywhere else, or they are likely to be from places that speak Chinese or English. Therefore, I would advise more in depth market research prior to opening such an expensive theme park.
My Solution:
My advice to Disneyland officials would be to change its policy at the request of its public. Each offensive decision made by a HKD official reflects badly upon all Disney affiliates as well as the public figures that were involved in promoting the park’s opening. According to Think, “consumer activists who demand changes in corporate policies pose a more serious and complex threat to corporate reputation, and their efforts can ultimately affect sales” (p. 315). Therefore, each of the issues brought to the attention of Hong Kong Disneyland by disgruntled groups should be analyzed and seriously considered for amendment.
Shark Fin Soup:
My resolution for this cultural clash would be to immediately remove shark fin soup as an option on the menu and to allow outside catering options (that serve the dish) for a small fee. Outside caterers can serve shark fin soup, but the theme park itself will not serve it. I would be sure to inform environmentalists that the park is discontinuing the sale of shark fin soup.
Air and Noise Pollution:
Had the public relations consultant done the proper amount of environmental scanning prior to the opening, they would have noticed local patrons’ concerns of the air quality in Hong Kong and the consequences of the nightly firework show. After initial complaints, officials turned down the advice of environmentalists. This would have been an opportunity for the organization to show corporate responsibility. If the park would adopt the new pyrotechnic technology, the public could see them as environmental advocates. Think explains: “Companies supporting worthy causes often elicit positive consumer support” (p. 321).
Unfair labor accusations:
Human resources must investigate these allegations and the public relations director should inform the public of this. It should be taken into account that since this organization is tri-cultural, the most employee-focused cultural values should be represented in HKD’s labor policy.
Mistreatment of stray dogs:
This is a complicated issue. I feel that what needed to be done here was done to ensure the safety of the park, however, it is important to thoroughly assess this threat. If enough people protest under these pretenses and this issue escalates, it would be wise for officials to apologize to the public and do something substantially charitable for an animal shelter, animal rescue or Animal Humane Society. If this is the route that must be taken, I would be sure to write a press release regarding the charity.
Overcrowding:
This oversight can be used as a learning experience. As a first-time event at the new park, this situation might have been unavoidable. The apology for refusing entry to some guests was a good start, but obviously some of the flexible tickets should include a disclaimer excluding holidays. Holidays should require special tickets sold ahead of time, and there should be notification that holiday tickets are sold in advance until they are sold out, and if they do not sell out beforehand, they can be purchased only until capacity, on the day of the holiday. With plenty of advance warning, this disaster may not happen again.
References:
Alon, Ilan & Jaffe, Eugene. Global Marketing, Contemporary Theory, Practice and Cases. University of Trieste, Italy. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. 2013.
Cravens, David W. & Piercy, Nigel F. Strategic Marketing 10th Edition. The University of Warwick. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. 2013.
Fletcher, Richard & Crawford, Heather. International Marketing: an Asian-Pacific Perspective 5th Edition. University of South Australia. Pearson Education Australia (TAFE). 2010.
Swann, Patricia. Cases in Public Relations Management. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. 2010.
Wilcox, Dennis L., Cameron, Glen T., Reber, Bryan H., & Shin, Jae-Hwa. Think Public Relations. Allyn & Bacon. 2011.
Olivia Barton 