A: did you pay any attention to president hu jintao’s visit to the united states in april 2006?
B: of course, I did. His first stop was in seattle. He was invited to bill gates’luxurious home as the guest of honor. He visited boeing and met with a lot of boeing workers. One boeing employee presented president hu with a baseball cap and he put it on his head, right on the stage. He impressed the local media as a very approachable leader.
A: but, do you know who the biggest winner was during his visit to seattle?
B: who?
A: I think starbucks was the winner.
B: that’s an interesting insight. Why?
A: according to media reports, hu jintao said that, if he had time, he’d love to visit a starbucks in Beijing. That was a great compliment made by the president and free publicity for starbucks. I’m sure it will see a significant boost to their brand recognition in china.
B: as a matter of fact, starbucks is, already, doing very well in china. For a lot of young people, coffee drinking is a desirable part of their lifestyle. That’s why starbucks has become a favorite destination. Although, traditionally, Chinese people prefer tea, coffee is becoming very popular as more and more young people adopt a western lifestyle,
A: what about you? Do you like coffee?
B: I used to drink a lot of coffee but, have switched to tea. I do not like the association of coffee with social status and lifestyle. I try to be different… I’m teasing you! It’s a lot of more sophisticated to drink tea. There’s a ritual about how tea is made and how it should be enjoyed. Once you are immersed in the traditions, you can reach a state of tranquility and harmony. That’s why scholars in ancient china liked to drink tea.
A: I’m also a tea drinker. Especially, like the green tea leaves dancing in the glass. It’s very poetic. Sitting in a tea house with a cup of tea in one hand and a bamboo fan in the other. I feel like an ancient, Chinese, wise man.
B: how interesting… Chinese drinking coffee and Americans drinking tea.
A: well. We are all living in a global village. It’s only natural that people are going to influence each other. But, for people at starbucks, they’d certainly like every Chinese, and American, to drink coffee rather than tea.
B: I heard that starbucks, in Taiwan, is also selling Chinese drinks, such as, soy bean milk, in order to attract more customers.
A: this is why localization is important in the age of globalization.
