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Cultural differences between UK and China

The marketing research of leisure preferences in UK and China can be very useful for many organizations. Industry which deals with leisure services has reached a very high level of development in the recent years. People enjoy attending cinemas, festivals, all kinds of shows, exhibitions, Zoos, parks, sports stadiums and many other places. This industry can be very profitable for investors if they invest their money into correct objects. In order to make a decision about the field of leisure industry in which the organization will function, it is important to carry out marketing research.


It can be very helpful. First, it can be applied by companies which organize leisure activities in the UK and are looking to expand their market to the East. In order to obtain all of the information about the differences between customers in two countries, it is very helpful for them to apply different methods of marketing research. Second, some investors might be seeking opportunities to open some leisure spots in the international market, and choose the UK and China for that purpose. The analysis of leisure preferences in UK and China requires the correct choice of research methods.

The task of gathering such information is very challenging because the two countries which need to be examined are very different culture vice. UK is a typical European country which has many values and interests common for all of the Europeans. At the same time, there is a difference between the culture of UK and culture of people living in Continental Europe which need to be taken into consideration. For example, there might be more hierarchy in the UK than in other countries; people are more interested in some kinds of sports than in other countries (like cricket and golf for example) and the theatre culture is also very unique in the UK.

The large number of theatres which are available for most of the citizens in the country make theatre an important part of the country’s culture. There is hardly any other country in the world which can boast of the same large number of theatres. It is also important to pay attention to the restaurant tradition in the UK where pubs are a part of the national culture. They are not only places where people can eat- they have their own unique atmosphere which keeps attracting more and more people to them.

Cricket is also a uniquely British game which many people play and want to devote very much time to. Another famous pastime is tennis because the UK is home to the top tennis tournament- Wimbledon. Football is also a popular part of leisure in the UK. “Football is a classic example whereby the notion of rational recreation transformed a traditional rural leisure activity. Football was codified with the ideological objective of engendering the principles of obedience to given rules, discipline, hygienic living, teamwork, masculinity, and a projection of a national identity.

” (The development of leisure in Britain after 1850. [Online]. Available from: http://www. victorianweb. org/history/leisure3. html). Ancient museums, national parks and various picturesque places in the country also give the leisure in the UK some peculiar features which belong uniquely to the British. One can find so many activities for pastime in the UK that it will be impossible for him to make a conclusion which one is his favourite. Most of the leisure activities have a “British stamp” on them because they are a part of national culture.

The cost of life and leisure activities also needs to be taken into consideration. Some pastime activities are particularly costly in the UK. “We are spending a fortune on leisure, yet have less and less time to enjoy ourselves. Which of the following statements is true? 1) "We spend more on leisure than ever- taking more holidays and going out to restaurants, cinemas and the theatre. " 2) "We have less leisure and work longer hours than ever and have no time to enjoy the fruits of our labour. " For Mr or Ms Average in the UK, the answer, strangely, is both. ” (how is the great gatsby representative to modernism, p. 11).

Some authors even argue that people in the UK tend to treat their leisure as work in the recent years because the speed of their life has increased rapidly in the recent years. “While we treat work as a social event, we treat leisure as a series of tasks to be completed: the morning swim, the working lunch, the networking with colleagues after work in the wine bar. ” (Gunnell 2000, p. 11). There are many other characteristic features which need to be taken into consideration by the researchers when providing marketing research of leisure needs in the UK.

It is necessary to ensure that research methods used in the research and the design of questionnaires or any other tools can give a full idea about the interests of exactly this nation. With China, the case is even more difficult because it has values and preferences leisure vice completely different from the European nations. For companies which have experience of dealing only with European or even American customers, the task of spreading their activities into China can be very challenging and requires even more detailed research.

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