Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Brand America Saves the Day! ... again.


The website I found that depicts America and China's relationship is named 'Brand America':


http://www.brandamericainc.com/

It essentially advertises how 'Brand America', which is an American corporation invests in Asia, mainly China, to help Asia fulfill its full business potential.
the website talks of 'Brand America' also being able to help other companies that want to invest in America do so because they pride themselves in being able to overcome the fundamental linguistic and cultural gap that there is between the West and the East.

'With its varied languages, cultures and laws, Asia can be a difficult and often times intimidating place for foreigners to do business. However, with GDP growth percentages exceeding twice that of the U.S, significantly lower labor costs and a narrowing technological gap, interest in the Asian markets continues to grow.

BrandAmerica's management team has the experience and personal contacts necessary to successfully expand American brands and companies into the Asian markets.'


Services on how to measure the Asian market, aiding companies' potential desicions regarding when to invest in the Asian market is made avaialble, as well a portfolio of 'Brand America's' success as well as companies that they have helped out.
The website does give the implicit impression however, that America is only interested in Asia strictly for the business and financial benefits that she has to offer. it talks about Asia as simply a financial project and enterprises, ignoring or failing to at least mention the qualitites and attributes that Asia has as a whole continent (and China as a country) besides the business acumen; cultural features are disregarded in this instance.
I found this ironic, and to an extent humerous after Monday's lecture where one of the concerned readings by Gideon Rachman (January/February 2011) commented that much of the USA's expenditure including the war in Afghanistan 'is effectively bein paid for with a Chinese credit card conveying complete, shrouded role reversal to what this websites proposes and publicizes.

'Brand America' seems to personify America as a country that like Francis Fukuyama (October 2008) relates to her as essentially a 'brand'. They advertise themselves positively in order to convey a certain, specific image of themselves and ultimately of the American Dream. This website is just another example of that.

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