Glocalization through Global Brand Transposition

Abstract

Chinese economic growth, especially after the country’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, has opened new markets for global companies in the last decade. With the headline “Globalization Gone Wild” on September 19, 2007, an ABC news report described the opening of a new Beijing branch of Hooters as a “barometer of globalization” in China:

Regardless of its exotic location, walking in to Hooters Beijing feels exactly like walking into any other Hooters location … “While this chain may seem routine here in the United States, the Hooters phenomenon for most Chinese is a new and exciting import from the West. Like with any cross-cultural trend, some things get lost in translation, including the name’s reference to the female anatomy. In Beijing, “Hooters” simply means “owl,” but that doesn’t mean the point goes overlooked. The opening of Hooters Beijing follows a long line of American food chains into the Chinese market, such as McDonald’s and the Hard Rock Cafe. However, the introduction of this chain brings a relatively new cultural idea—the idea that sex sells.