Decoding Cambodia's Cultural Symbols used in ...

Decoding Cambodia’s Cultural Symbols used in Advertising: Its implications and impact towards consumers By Lorena Banares, MDC

As people live in a visually-intense society, the power of visual elements in Advertising has been proven by numerous researches regarding its effectiveness. It is one among the marketing communication strategies a company uses to sell its brand to the market. Today, the world is surrounded with mediated images in such a way that has never been witnessed in the history of mass communication (Parsa, 2010). The complex presence of target consumers to whom advertisements are directed to calls to explore critical and new ways in reaching this new breed of customers, sociologists call as—millennial. This holds true for most Cambodians. The gap between consumers is getting more complicated to decipher as more consumers are changing preferences over time. Although still picking up from the rubbles of the civil war, Cambodia’s development kicks in a faster pace more than anywhere else. Its economy continuous to show a dramatic growth where the presence of multinationals is gaining ground coupled with a significant rise of local companies. This has prompted the advertising industry to hasten their processes. Due to its rapid development, more Cambodians are now getting acculturated with the western means. In a research published by Indochina Index, it noted the diverse changes in consumer lifestyle which includes access to information, and more choices and demand for new brands, products, and services. Thus, advertising agencies and communication specialists are faced with a dilemma in addressing the preferences of these “emerging consumers”. Cambodia and its Cultural Symbols Like other Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia has a rich historical background. Cambodians, locally known as Khmers has a deep affinity to their past - its history, culture and traditions. Its cultural traditions can be traced back to its Angkorian period. To date, these traditions are still actively practiced by most of the locals. David Chandler who wrote a full account of Cambodia’s history noted that “village wisdom always penetrated the court, and princely values enshrined in Hindu epics and Buddhist legends, or jakata tales, penetrated village life. Nowadays, urban and rural cultural traditions interact in Cambodia in a similar fashion.” The most important cultural symbol is the ancient Khmer temple Angkor Wat, along with the ancient Khmer Empire and its monumental antiquities. Pictures and bas-relief carvings of the four-faced tower of the Bayon at Angkor Thom and of âpsâras(celestial dancing girls) are ubiquitous in homes and public buildings. Dawn Rooney explicitly describes the life of Khmers during this ancient period and how it is interconnected with current practices in Cambodia today. He describes these practices as “reliefs carved in stone on the walls of the temples provide a glimpse of daily life at Angkor. From the scenes depicted we know something about what the people ate, what clothes they wore, their domesticated animals, flora and fauna; their means of transport, the games they played, the vessels they used for cooking and the houses they lived in”. There are striking similarities

between the activities revealed on the bas-reliefs and those seen in rural Cambodia today. The suffering and devastation of the modern people notwithstanding, life in the countryside is probably quite similar to the past with little change in the basic methods and means of agrarian life. Cambodians are known to be very religious. Theravada Buddhism is the prevailing official religion in Cambodia and approximately ninety percent of the population is Buddhist. Scholars would agree that religion represents unified systems of beliefs and practices relative to the sacred things, and religiosity is viewed as the degree to which beliefs in specific religious values and ideals are held and practiced by an individual (Delener, 1993). Weaver and Agle (2002) reported that religiosity is known to have an influence both on human behavior and on attitudes. They argue that behavior is influenced by religious self -identity which is formed by the internalization of role expectations offered by religion (Weaver & Agle, 2002). These cultural symbols are evident in many ways Khmers expressed their ideas including its use as visual image in advertising campaigns. Khmers regarded these symbols as sacred emblems. Researchers further attests to the connection between culture and advertising. A consumer from a particular country responds in a style consistent with that particular culture’s norms and values (Banarjee 2008). How will this affect the perception of Cambodians towards the brand? How does this shape the consumer’s perception and behaviors? Advertising and Culture In advertising communication, the process starts with a source, the encoder of the message. This message is put into the most appealing words and pictures created by the creative team. These pictures or images serves as cue that consumers can easily relate with for effective comprehension of messages. The appropriateness of the symbol used is essential to stimulate the audience perceptual system into action (Moriarty, 1994). Messages are then distributed through appropriate media vehicles and are decoded by the target consumers. It is in decoding process that target audience gets a sense of the information received. Analysts view advertising within a communication or semiological model argues that through the use of rhetoric symbols, advertisements help mediate and construct social identities. Ads are linked intimately to cultural identities (Cronin, 2000). Decades ago, Mary Douglas (1982) asserts in a study that “mass goods represent culture...an integral part of the process of objectification by which we create ourselves as an industrialized society: our identity, our source affiliations, and our everyday practice”. Ads endow products with a certain social significance as they can function in a real social world as indexal signs connoting the buyer’s good taste, trendiness, or some other ideologically valued quality (Bignell, 1997). Given the ubiquity of Advertising, it is instructive to explore the nature and meaning of these advertisements and how they shape and reflect the public consciousness about the past and the brand(Fig. 1). Although there is no single independent advertising regulating body in Cambodia, Khmers believe that prudence should be exercised in using these cultural symbols in advertising which they considered sacred and part of their religion. Archeological heritage in Angkor complex are originally built as temples and Khmers believe that religious icons like temples should not be used in advertising a brand. In his book Visual Persuasion,

Paul Messaris highlight the importance of visual as a tool of persuasion. According to him, visuals can “elicit emotions by stimulating the appearance of a real person or object; can serve a s photographic proof that something really did happen; and they can establish an implicit link between the thing that is being sold and some other images”.

Figure 1: From top left - Angkor Air TVC (The Royal Palace); Kulen Water (Apsara); Cambodia Beer (Preah Vihear Temple); and Chevrolet (Angkor Thom Gate)

Not surprisingly, businesses, media, corporate identities have been patterned after their traditions, heritage sites, mythical Gods and religion. These symbols can be seen as visual image in advertising products to communicate its brand among local consumers especially in TV Commercials. These symbolic images achieve an iconic status; an easy shorthand for advertisers to associate their brands to the Cambodian consumers. Consequently, because of the popularity of these cultural Cambodian symbols revered around the world, foreign companies followed suit. International brands started using these images marketed in different country with a different set of target consumers’ mindset (Fig. 2)

Figure 2: From left - Louis Vuitton TVC(Angkor Wat); and Missha Cream (Angkor Wat bas reliefs)

Talalay however posits that some advertisers are hesitant to “demean” archeological monuments that have powerful religious associations for the host countries. He argues that Advertisements has two different types of relationships: the contemporary and the historical. He noted that “the past and present are accomplished by cleverly contrasting the time

differentials. While these cultural elements are recognized as durable relics that have emerged intact from long-term history, their juxtaposition with daily activities shrinks the time depth. The enormous chasms in space and time are eroded by visual and conceptual connections that bond the ancient artefact or monument with modern product”. Some archeological purists also condemn the lack of projections and accuracy in most current advertisements and those ads that broadcast detrimental meta-messages (Talalay). This can be due to the fact that because advertisers strive to create realistic scenes to as close as possible to reality, manipulations using advanced imaging software are inevitable. These have resulted to overemphasis and exaggeration of visual elements---including the cultural images. The importance of these cultural symbols was more pronounced in Asian Countries where religion and cultural beliefs remain revered. Researchers like Klein and Henderson argues that in order for advertising to be effective, it must convey the intended message, giving consideration to underlying cultural codes. Companies like Nike, Polo and Tommy Hilfinger do not create a brand by adding value to a product. They “thirstily soak up cultural ideas and iconography that their brands could reflect by projecting these ideas and images back on the culture as extensions of their brands. Culture in other words, adds value to their brands” (Klein 2000). Furthermore, when people within the same culture assign the same meaning to a stimulus, clear meanings are deemed to exist and clear meanings are preferred and recognized (Henderson et al. 2003). How can marketers enhance communication by using the target audience language, symbols, and cultural heritage as symbols without being too manipulative? This has prompted communication creatives to be more prudent and organized in responding to how these new breed of consumers process information and how they neglect it. In an article published in B2B magazine, AD Communication Director Ritchie Munro emphasized the importance of Cambodian context in advertising: “We know that Cambodians are rightly proud people so, images and messages built around the Cambodian flag, or the country’s cultural heritage are often very popular” he emphasized. However, some communication experts warned on such media campaign that uses cultural images to guard against trivialization of these images due to overexposure and distortion in the media (Ardren, 2004). Cambodia’s industry experts also made important observation. Nationalism is a strong force in Cambodia, and Asia generally. When Khmers see a brand that’s made and produced in Cambodia, and the brand creates a sense of pride about being Cambodian, consumers really respond strongly. They further conclude that it can be a good idea to fuse a bit of Cambodian culture into an event. It needs to still have a local flavor. Nevertheless, nationality remains the most viable proxy for culture because the members of a nation share an understanding of its institutional systems, a bond of identity and an experiential understanding of the world (Hofstead 2001; Brannen et al. 2004). A lot of international clients who enter the market are soon recognizing that one can’t just use the same strategy that has been applied effectively to another country and adopt the same in Cambodia. Localizing the approach is needed. This is because the messages, events and experiences that consumers find the most meaningful are those which are the most connected to their values (Dilts and DeLozier 2000).

Will the use of cultural images in advertising will still be more effective today like they used to before? If sound successful, how do these consumers respond to these ads despite the urbanization of its tastes? Retaining a nationalistic flavor amidst globalization is among the topics researches are debating. While there is a vast amount of documents in advertising and consumer research, little or no research has investigated on how symbols are used in advertising and how local consumers or the public identifies the brand through these symbols. This paper will investigate the cultural symbols used in Cambodian advertisements through a semiotic analysis. It will further probe the effects of these cultural symbols among consumers using differential scales. This hopes to achieve a communication framework in using cultural symbols like religious artefacts in advertising. Research Questions The paper intends to answer the following questions: 1. What are the cultural symbols used in Cambodian advertisements? 2. What are the communicative meanings of the symbols to Cambodian culture and tradition? 3. Does the use cultural symbol effective in advertising to Cambodian market? 4. To what extent does the cultural symbol contribute towards developing positive brand attitude? Answers to these queries will provide useful framework as guideline for companies in positioning their product in Cambodian market. This will outline the variables connected to consumers’ perception in brands using cultural image and how it contributes to their interpretation of the brand and ultimately, purchasing pattern. This research therefore further hypothesizes that: H1: The brand advertised will likely to be perceived effective and acceptable among Cambodian consumers if cultural artefacts are included as visual image. H2: Brand connection is easily established if cultural images are used in advertising Theoretical Framework The study will be based on the Elaboration Likelihood model(ELM) developed by Petty and Cacioppo(1979,1981). The theory has been widely used in advertising to understand the underlying reasons on the buying behavior of consumers. The ELM provides a framework for accounting for the diverse results observed in attitude change research. The model suggests that there are two routes to persuasion the cent al route and the peripheral route -- and that these two categories can account for all of the various theories of attitude change. In the central route, attitudes are formed and changed by careful consideration and integration of information relevant to the attitude object or issue. In the peripheral route, on the other hand, attitudes are formed and changed without active thinking about the object and its attributes, but rather by associating the object with positive or negative cues or by using cognitive "short cuts."(Bitner & Obermiller, 1985) Similarly, the Semiotics Theory developed by Ferdinand De Saussure (1967-1913) and Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914) is incorporated in this study. Semiotics/Semiology is

the study of Signs. It seeks to understand how language is made meaningful and how meaning can be communicated in society. Semiotics is not to be found in the text itself, but rather it should be understood as a methodology. Methodology The study will both employ qualitative and quantitative approach in research design; the former through a semiotic analysis and the latter through surveys. Semiotic analysis: Three TV commercials containing cultural images aired in Cambodia will be analyzed using semiotics to determine the communicative value of the cultural images and how it relates to the brand advertised. Eighty percent of these Cambodians who live in rural areas have a strong reliance in television while expansions of digital media are concentrated in Phnom Penh, the country’s capital. These samples use the cultural images as the dominant visual image in the TV Commercial. As an initial step in semiotic analysis, the researcher will need to identify the sign(cultural images used). This will serve as the units of analysis. Analysis will be anchored on what it signifies to establish its denotative and connotative meaning. These units are as follows(adopted from Correa, 2011): 1. 2. 3. 4.

Parts of the image (object, image, color) – denotative Relevance to Social (how these objects relate to culture) – connotative Underlying principles and attitudes – ideological Non-verbal communication (appearance, manner and activity)

Survey The second part of the research is survey method using semantic differential scales to find out what are the perceptions of Cambodians about the advertisements as well as to validate the results generated from the first methodology which is qualitative. Respondents selected through stratified sampling will be exposed to the advertisements containing the cultural symbol. Respondents will be asked to rate the ads based on how it affects them using the semantic differential scale. This will determine their attitude towards the advertisement. Respondents chosen had to be familiar with the brands and ideally, have personal experience with them to be sure that their evaluations were accurate and reliable.

REFERENCES PARSA, A. F. (2005). Visual Semiotics: How Still Images Mean? Interpreting Still Images by Using Semiotic Approaches. Ege University, Turkey. BERNAJEE, S. (2008). Dimensions of Indian Culture, Core Cultural Values and Marketing Implications: An Analysis. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal. CHANDLER, D. (2008). History of Cambodia. 4th Edition. Silworm Books CORREA, D. (2009). The Construction of Gender Identity: A Semiotic Analaysis. Springer ROONEY, D. (2011). Angkor: Cambodia’s Wondrous Khmer Temples. Odyssey Books and Guides. DELENER, N. (1993). The Effects of Religious Factors on Perceived Risk in Durable Goods Puchase Decisions, in Journal of Consumer Marketing. Vol. 7, No. 3, 1993 p.27-38. WEAVER, G.; AGLE, B. (2002). Religiosity and Ethical behavior in Organizations: A Suymbolic Interactionist Perspective, in Academy of Management Review, Vol. 27, No. 1, p 77-79. CRONIN, A (2000). Advertising and Consumer Citizenship: Gender, Images and Rights. Routledge, London. BIGNELL, J. (1997). Media Semiotics: An Introduction. Manchester University Press. TALALAY, L. (2004). The Past as Commodity: Archeological Images in Advertising in Public Archelogy, Vol. 3, p. 205-216. KLEIN, N. (2000). No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs. London: Flamingo HENDERSON, P.; JOSEPH, C.; MENG LEONG, S.; & SCHMITT, B. (2003). Building Strong Brands in Asia: Selecting the Visual Components of Image to Maximize Brand Strength, in International Journal of Research n Marketing, 20(4), 297-313 HOFSTEDE, G.J. (2002). Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories and Synthetic Cultures. Yarmouth: International Press. BRANNEN, Y.; GOMEZ, C.; PETERSON, M.; SAGIV, L.; & WU, P-C. (2004). People in Global Organizations: Culture, Personality, and Social Dynamics, in the Blackwell Handbook of Global Management, Blackwell Publishing, p26-54 Mastering Marketing in a Cambodian Context. B2B Cambodia. Retrieved from http://b2bcambodia.com/articles/mastering-marketing/, May 10, 2016. DILTZ, R. & DELOZIER J. (2000). Encyclopedia of Systemic NLP and NLP New Coding. Scotts Valley: NLP University Press MESSARIS, P. (1997). Visual Persuausion: The Role of Images in Advertising. London, Sage Publications

MORIARTY, S. (1994). Visemics: A Proposl for a Marriage between Semiotics and Visual Communication. Visual Communication 1994 Conference, Feather River Inn, Blairsden California. Retrieved from http://spot.colorado.edu/:~moriarts/visemics.html. May 2, 2016 BITNER, J.; & OBERMILLER, C. (1997). The Elaboration Likelihood Model: Limitations & Extensions in Marketing, in Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 12, p420425 ARDREN, T. (2004). Advertising and Appropriation of Culture. Springer Refrence. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2012