Utilizarea relatrilor pentru nelegerea relaiei emigranilor cu mrcile i publicitatea?

Eliane KARSAKLIAN Advancia-Negocia, Frana

Rezumat Deoarece este necesar s se exploreze dincolo de stratul superficial al gndurilor i al motivaiilor adnc nrdcinate ale consumatorilor, tehnicile proiective permit cercettorilor s abordeze valorile nemrturisite ale consumatorilor. n calitate de consumatori care locuiesc n strintate, emigranii par s aib tendina de a rmne fideli valorilor proprii, cumprnd mrci care transmit aceleai valori. Mrcile par s cuprind o mare importan i s joace un rol specific n comportarea de consum a emigranilor, aa cum publicitatea este utilizat ca indicator al comportamentului acceptat n ara gazd. n acest sens, cercetarea de fa aplic tehnici proiective bazate pe relatri. Cuvinte cheie: emigrani, mrci globale, publicitate, relatri

Marketerii se strduiesc s neleag atitudinile, motivaiile i comportrile care determin selecia i loialitatea fa de mrci i produse. n afara unor aspecte tangibile, precum preul, disponibilitatea i caracteristicile produselor, selecia mrcii i loialitatea se bazeaz, de asemenea, pe valori intangibile, care trec dincolo de atributele i motivele raionale. Astfel, consumatorii vor selecta mrci care se ncadreaz n propriul sistem de valori, datorit beneficiilor emoionale pe care proprietarii mrcii le pot oferi. ntr-o ncercare de a nelege valorile fundamentale care determin aceste relaii emoionale cu mrcile i produsele, companiile vor efectua deseori cercetri pe baza unor date calitative. Deoarece este necesar s se exploreze dincolo de stratul superficial al gndurilor i al motivaiilor adnc nrdcinate ale consumatorilor, tehnicile proiective permit cercettorilor s abordeze valorile nemrturisite ale consumatorilor. Prin intermediul relatrilor, experiena poate deveni o parte a contiinei. Modul narativ abordeaz dinamica inteniilor umane, deoarece oamenii caut s explice evenimentele examinnd modul n care actorii umani se strduiesc s efectueze diferite aciuni n timp. n calitate de consumatori care locuiesc n strintate, emigranii par s aib tendina de a rmne fideli valorilor proprii, cumprnd mrci care transmit aceleai

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Using narratives to understand expatriates relationship with brand and advertising?

Eliane KARSAKLIAN Advancia-Negocia, France

Abstract Because it is necessary to explore beneath the surface of consumers thoughts and deep-rooted motivations, projective techniques allow researchers to tap into consumers unspoken values. As consumers living abroad, expatriates seem likely to stick to their values by buying brands that convey those same values. Brands seem to encompass great importance and play specific role in expatriates consumption behaviour, as well as advertising is used as an indicator of accepted behavior in the host country. To this end, the present research apply projective techniques based on narratives. Key words: expatriates, global brands, advertising, narratives

Marketers strive to understand attitudes, motivations and behaviours that drive brand and product selection and loyalty. In addition to tangible aspects as price, availability and product feature, brand selection and loyalty are also based on intangible values that go beyond rational attributes and reasons. Thus, consumers will select brands that fit their own value system because of the emotional benefits that brand ownership can provide them. In an attempt to understand the core values that facet these emotional relationships with brands and products, companies will often conduct research based on qualitative data. Because it is necessary to explore beneath the surface of consumers thoughts and deep-rooted motivations, projective techniques allow researchers to tap into consumers unspoken values. Experience can, through stories, become part of consciousness. The narrative mode deals with the dynamics of human intentions, because people seek to explain events by looking at how human actors strive to do things over time. As consumers living abroad, expatriates seem likely to stick to their values by buying brands that convey those same values. Brands seem to encompass great importance and play specific role in expatriates consumption behaviour, as well as

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valori. Mrcile par s cuprind o mare importan i s joace un rol specific n comportarea de consum a emigranilor, aa cum publicitatea este utilizat ca indicator al comportamentului acceptat n ara gazd. Totui, o parte din relaia dintre emigrani i mrci este incontient i emoional, fiind astfel dificil de investigat prin chestionare direct. Cercettorii care caut informaii mai precise despre aceste relaii trebuie s aplice metode calitative pentru a obine profunzimea i transparena necesare din rspunsurile participanilor. Rolul aceste lucrri este de a investiga modul n care marca poate influena adaptarea consumatorilor emigrani ntr-un mediu cultural nou. Deoarece att mrcile, ct i oamenii sunt diseminai n peisajul global, cutnd moduri de relaionare i de filiaie, aceast cercetare poate arunca o lumin asupra modului n care consumatorii globali utilizeaz mrcile, precum i asupra modului n care mrcile trebuie s-i construiasc identitatea i o comunicare pe piaa global.

Relatri
Cnd povestesc despre experiena lor, participanii respect ordinea cronologic a ntmplrilor i creeaz o situaie logic, deoarece relatrile transmit experiena prin reconstituirea acesteia (Squire, 2008). Semnificaia narativ este creat stabilind c un anumit element face parte dintr-un ntreg. Relatarea nseamn comunicarea unei poveti n forma unui set de evenimente, ntmplri i situaii legate cauzal, care afecteaz fiinele umane. Relatrile prezint semnificaia pe care evenimentele o au unul fa de altul (Denning, 2000). Oamenii sunt povestitori deoarece fac relatri despre experienele lor i despre semnificaiile pe care aceste experiene le au pentru vieile lor. Toate povestirile sau relatrile au un cadru n care sunt evocate asocieri intense ale anumitor momente i locaii. Un alt element important l reprezint personajele, adic actorii din cadrul aciunii care vor tri situaia cu consecinele i reaciile la aceste consecine, reacii ale personajelor i pentru personaje. O povestire poate conine un episod sau o succesiune de episoade care sunt mai mult sau mai puin intercorelate. Lucrarea Semantica structural a lui Greimas (1983) ncearc o formalizare ampl a coninutului narativ prin introducerea noiunii de actant (ageni), element central al abordrii greimasiene a relatrilor. Acest autor a studiat rolul tuturor agenilor dintr-o relatare, n raport cu contribuia lor la intrig. Dup cercetarea unui eantion vast de relatri, a venit cu o topologie care, de atunci, a fost aplicat pe scar larg. Acest model prezint ase categorii diferite de ageni n fiecare intrig, care sunt aranjai n trei seturi de categorii binare, n funcie de trei axe: axa bunvoinei subiect sau obiect, axa cunotinelor expeditor versus receptor, axa puterii sprijinitor versus adversar. n forma sa cea mai simpl, modelul actanial prezint o relaie dintre un subiect i un obiect, unde obiectul de valoare este dorit de ctre subiect, precum i unde obiectul este comunicat de ctre expeditor receptorului, iar dorina subiectului este parial modulat de ctre activitatea sprijinitorului i de cea a adversarului. Marketerii au neles

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advertising is used as an indicator of accepted behavior in the host country. However, part of the relationship between expatriates and brands is unconscious and emotional, and thus tough to investigate with direct questioning. Researchers searching for more accurate information about these relationships should apply qualitative methods to obtain needed deep and transparency in participants responses. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the way the brand might influence expatriate consumers adjustment in a new cultural environment. As both brands and people spread in the global landscape, seeking ways of relating and belonging, this research could enlighten the way global consumers use brands as well as the way brands should build identity and communication in the global market.

Narratives
When telling about their experience, participants respect the chronological order of happenings and create a sense-making situation as narratives convey experience through reconstituting it (Squire, 2008). Narrative meaning is created by establishing that something is a part of a whole. Narrating is telling a story in the form of a causally-linked set of events, happening and situations that affect human beings. Narratives display the significance that events have for one another (Denning, 2000). People are storytellers as they tell narratives about their experiences and the meanings that these experiences have for their lives. All stories or narratives have a setting in which are evoked vivid associations of particular times and places. Another important element is characters, that is, the players in the action that will experience the situation with the consequences and reactions to these consequences by and for the characters. A story may contain one episode or a sequence of episodes that are more or less interrelated. Greimas (1983) Structural Semantics attempts a grand formalization of the narrative content by introducing the notion of actant (agents) that are central to the Greimasian approach to narrative. This author studied the role of all agents in a narrative, in relation to their contribution to the plot. After researching a large sample of narratives, he came up with a typology that, since then, has been widely applied. This model features six different kinds of agents in every plot, which are arranged into three sets of binary categories, according to three axes: the axis of willingness: subject versus object, the axis of knowledge: sender versus receiver, the axis of power: helper versus opponent. In its simplest form, the actantial model shows a relationship between a subject and an object, where the object of value is desired by the subject, and where the object is communicated by the sender to the receiver, and the desire of the subject is partly modulated by the activity of the helper and the opponent. Marketers have long

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de mult timp c factorii emoionali joac un rol important n selecia mrcilor sau a produselor i n nelegerea faptului c o experien de consum reprezint un obiectiv principal al marketerilor contemporani. ntr-o perspectiv experienial, consumatorii sunt mai puin interesai de maximizarea beneficiilor, fiind orientai mai mult spre satisfacia ntr-un context social dat (Car i Cova, 2008). n aceste cazuri, consumul provoac senzaii i emoii care nu se limiteaz la a rspunde pur i simplu la propriile necesiti ale individului, acestea avnd o influen i asupra cutrii unei identiti a consumatorului. Aceti autori arat c experiena este asociat cu un sentiment de mare intensitate i c ncadrarea operaiilor care servesc la convertirea activitilor curente n povestiri care pot fi relatate cu titlu de cercetare asupra experienei de consum a transcens, n linii mari, experienelor de cumprturi.

Mrcile globale i publicitatea

O dat cu globalizarea pieelor, exist tot mai multe oportuniti de creare a unui potenial de pia prin stimularea cererii de produse cu atractivitate universal (Hassan et al., 2003). Obiectivul const din a identifica consumatorii cu aceleai ateptri i cerine vizavi de produse, n ciuda diferenelor culturale i naionale. Segmentul de consumatori globali, uneori mic ca dimensiune n unele ri, este tot mai mare la nivel global. Thompson (2004) vorbete despre un flux emergent de cercetare a consumatorilor, care sugereaz o intercorelare mult mai cuprinztoare i mai semnificativ ntre procesele i structurile culturale i semnificaiile mrcii dect simpla imagine a mrcii. Mrcile creeaz identitile unice ale produselor unei firme n ochii consumatorilor si (Keller, 2003). Dup Strizhakova et al. (2008), consumatori co-creeaz semnificaiile mrcilor i mrcile devin puternice datorit unor semnificaii multiple, reprezentate prin calitate, identitate personal, identitate de grup, stare, valori personale, tradiii de familie i tradiii naionale. Ca unul dintre procesele sociale fundamentale ale fiecrei culturi, comunicarea de marketing a fost utilizat pentru a exercita un impact puternic asupra atitudinilor i comportrilor consumatorului (Watson et al., 2002). Vocaia universal a unei mrci este legat ndeaproape de universalitatea beneficiului propus segmentului global specific. Marca global a fost definit de Steenkamp et al (2003) ca una pe care consumatorii o pot gsi sub acelai nume n mai multe ri, n timp ce Holt et al. (2004) privete brandingul global ca fiind acela care este corelat cu o standardizare a produselor, a ambalajului i a comunicaiilor. Atitudinile i sentimentele negative ale unei ineluctabile pierderi a diferenelor dintre ri create prin vizionarea acelorai mrci i a acelorai reclame peste tot (Kapferer, 2005) la turiti i la ali cltori temporari sunt evidente la emigrani, care caut stabilitate i familiaritate odat ajuni n ara gazd.

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understood that emotional factors play an important role in brand or product selection and understanding a consumption experience is a prime goal of todays marketers. In an experiential perspective, consumers are less interested in maximising their benefits and more focused on gratification within a given social context (Car and Cova, 2008). In those cases, consumption provokes sensations and emotions that do much more than merely respond to individuals own needs, since they also touch upon the consumers search for an identity. Those authors state that experience is associated with feeling of great intensity and framing the operations that serve to translate ongoing activities to reportable stories as research on consumption experience has broadly transcended shopping experiences.

Global brands and advertising

With the globalization of markets, there are more opportunities to create market potential through stimulating demand for products with universal appeal (Hassan et al., 2003). The objective is to identify consumers having the same expectations and requirements vis--vis products, despite cultural and national differences. The segment of global consumers being sometimes small in size in some countries is increasingly big across countries. Thompson (2004) talks about an emerging stream of consumer research that suggests a far more encompassing and significant interrelationship between cultural processes and structures and brand meanings than just the brand image. Brands create unique identities for a firms products in the eyes of its consumers (Keller, 2003). According to Strizhakova et al. (2008), consumers co-create brand meanings and brands become powerful because of its multiple meanings that are represented by quality, self-identity, group-identity, status, personal values, family traditions and national traditions. As one of the fundamental social processes in every culture, marketing communication has been used to exert a strong impact on consumer attitudes and behaviours (Watson et al., 2002). The universal vocation of a brand is closely linked to the universality of the benefit proposed to the specific global segment. Global brand was defined by Steenkamp et al (2003) as the one that the consumers can find under the same name in multiple countries, while Holt et al (2004) see global branding as the one that relates to a standardisation of products, packaging and communications. The negative attitudes and feelings of an inescapable loss of country differences created by the vision of same brands and same advertising everywhere (Kapferer, 2005) in tourists and other ephemeral travellers is positive to expatriates that look for stability and familiarity when freshly arrived in the host country.

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Emigrani
Indiferent de proveniena i de momentul apariiei termenului de emigrant, noiunea a existat timp de mii de ani, fiind definit ca o persoan care triete i muncete n strintate (McCall i Hollenbeck, 2002). Cnd o persoan se mut ntr-o alt cultur, problema nu este dificultatea inerent culturii gazd, ci dificultatea legat de diferena dintre ara de batin i ara gazd. Pentru consumator, diferena const din familiarizarea i ncrederea n produse i mrci necunoscute. La primele examinri ale adaptrii printre emigrani, cercettorii s-au concentrat asupra aspectelor evidente, precum alimentele, vremea i obiceiurile zilnice, dar, mai recent, autorii au adugat i alte dimensiuni conexe, care sunt adaptarea la serviciu, interaciunea cu persoanele din ara gazd i cu mediul de non-lucru general (Stroh et al, 2005).

Structura cercetrii
Tehnica utilizat n aceast cercetare a presupus c intervievaii se muleaz pe agenii lui Greimas dup cum urmeaz: expeditorul este cultura de batin, iar receptorul este cultura gazd n care subiectul (erou, emigrant) ntmpin o rezisten din partea adversarului (mediu cultural nou) n mersul su nainte, rezisten depit datorit sprijinitorului (mrcile i/sau publicitatea), a crui for sau putere are ca rezultat obinerea obiectului dorit (adaptare). ntrebarea noastr de cercetare a fost formulat astfel: expatriaii percep mrcile i publicitatea ca pe o legtur cu cultura de acas? Eantionul a fost compus din 34 de francezi care au petrecut un an ca emigrani n diferite ri din Europa, America i Asia. Experimentul a avut loc ntr-o locaie central, la o lun dup revenire.

Obiective i metod
n conformitate cu ntrebarea noastr de cercetare, credem c nume i mrci globale mai mult dect binecunoscute, precum i situaii n care este implicat publicitatea cu care emigranii se pot identifica, reprezint o legtur cu ara de batin i i ajut pe emigrani s depeasc ocul cultural. Pe baza discuiei anterioare, am formulat o ntrebare de cercetare ca pas exploratoriu pentru a examina puterea evocatoare a transparenei n descoperirea sentimentelor ascunse ale acestui target specific. Scopul nostru a fost de a nelege n ce msur mrcile globale, ca referine binecunoscute, pot juca un rol n facilitarea adaptrii emigranilor. Citirea noastr s-a bazat pe datele textuale provenite din transcrierile interviurilor detaliate (Thompson i Tambyah, 1999). Participanilor li s-a cerut s spun (scrie) o poveste care conine ageni ai lui Greimas.

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Expatriates
Wherever and whenever the term expatriate was originated, the notion has been existing for thousands of years, as it was defined as someone who lived and worked overseas (McCall and Hollenbeck, 2002). When a person moves to another culture, the problem is not the difficulty inherent to the host culture, but the difficulty linked to the difference between home and host countries. As a consumer, the difficulty is getting familiar and trusting unknown products and brands. When first examining adjustment among expatriates, researchers focused on obvious aspects such as food, weather and daily customs, but more recently, authors added other related dimensions that are adjustment to the job, interacting with host-country individuals and to the general nonworking environment (Stroh et al, 2005).

Research design
The technique used in this research expected interviewees to feature Greimas agents as follows: the sender would be the home culture and the receiver would be the host culture in which the subject (hero, expatriate) encounters a resistance from the opponent (new cultural environment) to his forward movement, which is overcome thanks to the helper (brands and/or advertising), whose force or power results in his obtaining the desired object (adjustment). Our research question, was stated as follows: do expatriates perceive brands and advertising as a link with home culture? The sample was composed of 34 French individuals that had spent one year as expatriates in different countries from Europe, America and Asia. The experiment took place in central location one month after their re-entry.

Objectives and Method

According to our research question, we believe that more than well-known names, global brands, as well as advertising featuring situations expatriates can identify with, are a link with the home country and help expatriates to bypass the cultural shock. Based on the previous discussion we stated a research question as an exploratory step to examine the storytelling power of transparency in uncovering hidden feelings of this specific target. Our aim was to understand in which measure global brands, as well known references could play a role in helping expatriates to adjust. Our reading was based on the textual data from verbatim transcripts of depth interviews (Thompson and Tambyah, 1999). Participants were asked to tell (write) a story containing Greimas agents.

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Rezultate
Metoda aleas pentru analiza rspunsurilor a fost analiza coninutului, care este o metod acceptat de investigaie textual (Silverman, 2006). Aa cum arat Marvasti (2004), metoda este comod deoarece simplific i reduce cantiti mari de date n segmente organizate. Inspirat din tehnicile proiective de finalizare, precum i din modelul lui Greimas, aceast metod a cerut participanilor s continue relatarea prezentat mai jos, urmnd instruciunile asociate, dup cum urmeaz:

Erau obosii, dar fericii. Totul era nou i diferit. Dei incitai de experiena expatrierii, erau ngrijorai. Se simeau ca eroii unui roman, al cror scop era s supravieuiasc ntr-un mediu nou, prin adaptarea la acesta. i, tot ca ntr-un roman, tiau c vor fi probleme, tiau c vor avea n fa adversari i c, pentru a trece de toate barierele, vor avea nevoie de ssuintori. Continuai relatarea utiliznd mrci i publicitate.

Probele obinute din aceast cercetare demonstreaz c mrcile globale pot fi utilizate de emigrani, din diferite motive. Relatrile strnse aici ne permit s le clasificm n dou categorii: ca o modalitate de a lupta mpotriva dorului de cas i ca o modalitate de a asigura pe emigrani cu privire la calitatea produselor. Dei agentul subiect a fost ntotdeauna emigrantul, ceilali ageni au variat. Dorul de cas. n aceste cazuri, obiectul depea criza, iar susintorii erau mrcile din rile de batin. Emigranii le cumprau pentru a crea situaii similare cu cele de acas, ca prnzurile lungi de duminic pregtite cu produse de acas, n care mrcile erau rudele noastre. Adversarul era format din culturile locale care i-au fcut s se simt singuri i, la vederea mainilor de acas pe strzi, inima mi se umplea de bucurie i ziua devenea nsorit. Calitate. Mrcile globale au reprezentat susintorii n toate situaiile descrise. Dei unii dintre emigrani sunt obinuii s cumpere mrci locale pentru a se adapta la cultura gazd, ei prefer mrcile familiare pentru utilizri specifice, pentru corp i mbrcminte. Totui, susintori erau i adversarii, cnd emigranii au ncercat mrci binecunoscute i au remarcat c produsul nu era acelai cu cel pe care obinuiau s-l cumpere n ara de batin. Unii din ei au crezut c era o Coca-Cola contrafcut, fiindc era mai dulce sau un Pepsi ciudat, fiindc era mai ciudat i picant. Unii participani cutau autenticitate i, astfel, cumprau produse locale, dar, n cutarea mrcilor globale autentice, au descoperit c acestea nu existau i c tot ceea ce se gsea erau adaptri locale precum Kit Kat cu gust de banan sau Fanta cu pepene n loc de draga mea Fanta cu portocale. Un participant a avut parte de condiii meteo foarte nefavorabile n timpul ederii sale peste hotare i a crezut c se poate simi cel mai bine cu o ciocolat cald de la Nestl: Mulumesc Nestl pentru a c a creat praful de ciocolat, la care

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Results
The method chosen to analyze responses was content analysis, which is an accepted method of textual investigation (Silverman, 2006). As Marvasti (2004) points out, the method offers convenience in simplifying and reducing large amounts of data into organized segments. Inspired of the completion projective techniques as well as on Greimas model, this method asked participants to continue the story presented below by following the associated directions as follows:

They were tired, but happy. Everything was new and different. While excited about experiencing expatriation, they were worried. They felt as being heroes in a novel, which goal was to survive in a new environment by adjusting to it. And, as in a novel, they knew there would be problems, that they would be facing adversaries and that to bypass all barriers they would need supporters. Please continue the story by using brands and advertising.

Evidence from this research demonstrates that global brands can be used by expatriates for different reasons. The narratives collected here allow us to classify them into two categories: as a way of fighting against homesickness and as a way of reassuring expatriates about the quality of the products. Although the subject agent was always the expatriate, the other agents varied. Homesickness. In these cases, the object was overcoming the crisis and the helpers were home countries brands. Expatriates used to buy them to create situations similar to those they had at home, like long Sundays lunches prepared with products from the homeland in which the brands were our relatives. The opponent were the local cultures that made them feel alone and when seeing home countries cars on the streets my heart is fulfilled with joy and my day become sunny. Quality. Global brands were the helpers in all the described situations. Although some of the expatriates are used to buy local brands to better adjust to the host culture, they prefer familiar brands for specific uses as their body and clothes. However, the helpers were also opponents, when expatriates tried well-known brands and noticed that the product was not the same one they were used to buy in the home country. Some of them thought that it was a counterfeit Coca-Cola, because it was sweeter or a strange Pepsi, as it was sweeter and spicy. Some participants were looking for authenticity and thus buying local products, but when looking for the authentic global brands they noticed that there werent any, and all that was available were local adaptations like banana flavored Kit Kat and melon Fanta instead of my beloved orange Fanta. One participant experienced very bad weather conditions during the sojourn abroad and thought that the best way of feeling better with a nice hot chocolate from

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doar adaugi ap fierbinte i, n timp ce o bei, i poi imagina c eti foarte departe. n final, au existat situaii n care emigranii au fost deranjai de numele adaptat al produsului pe care l cunoteau: mi cutam amponul Elsve de la LOral i am gsit Elvital. Am ezitat s-l cumpr, deoarece, pentru mine, nu era acelai produs. Cnd l-am folosit, am observat c rezultatul, ntr-adevr, nu era acelai. La analiza coninutului interviurilor, am putut identifica agenii conform descrierilor lui Greimas. n toate situaiile, subiectul era emigrantul obiectul era ncercarea de adaptare la noul mediu cultural, iar susintorii erau mrcile familiare, att cele globale ct i cele din ara lor de origine, n timp ce adversarii erau culturile gazd, reprezentate de adaptrile produselor i mrcile i mediul nefamiliar.

Discuie
Concluziile arat c mrcile sunt susintori preioi, oferind o siguran practic i emoional sau regsirea amintirilor de acas. Iat de ce acestea pot deveni chiar un obiect al dorinei. Potenialul unei relaii loiale ntre mrcile globale i cetenii expatriai pare s fie mai ridicat, datorit ambiguitii legate de diferenele contextuale. Aa cum s-a artat n ntrebrile noastre de cercetare, mrcile familiare sunt percepute ca susintori de ctre emigrani, dar acetia percep situaii ambigue legate de noul mediu cultural. Putem argumenta c cutarea mrcilor familiare intervine la nceputul curbei de adaptare, dar rezultatele cercetrii de fa au artat c acestea sunt utilizate i pe durata altor perioade, precum cea de criz, cnd nostalgia este mai puternic dect dorina de adaptare. n aceste cazuri, mrcile din ara de origine i nu mrcile globale sunt tipurile preferate de mrci familiare. Se prea c redactarea unei povestiri cu personaje fr via era o treab dificil pentru participani. Au avut nevoie de 10-30 de minute pentru a scrie povestea i prea oarecum afectai de acest exerciiu. Totui, unele transcrieri sunt foarte explicite: Cnd ajungi ntr-o ar nou, te simi pierdut i confuz. Primul lucru pe care-l vezi la aeroport sunt panourile publicitare, iar cnd acolo apar mrci pe care le cunoti, te simi puin acas. Dup un timp, mrcile locale vor deveni o parte din viaa ta. Te simi mai n siguran i mai puin pierdut. Cnd am ajuns la aeroport, m simeam de parc eram singurul pete dintr-un ocean, nu cunoteam pe nimeni. Apoi, am vzut o reclam la o bere Heineken i am fost la un bar s beau o bere, cu nite chipsuri Lays, urmrind reclame la maini i ceasuri la televizorul barului, ntrebndu-m la care McDonalds aveam s iau cina n seara aceea.

Implicaii manageriale
Probele colectate n acest studiu contribuie la cercetrile existente cu privire la utilizarea metodelor calitative n cercetarea de marketing. ntr-adevr, managerii ar trebui s utilizeze tehnicile proiective pentru a nelege mai bine marca, prin ochii

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Nestl: Thanks Nestl for having created powder chocolate to which we only add hot water and while drinking it we can imagine ourselves very far away. Finally, there are situations in which the expatriates are disturbed by the adapted name of the product they know: I was looking for my shampoo Elsve from LOral and I found Elvital. I hesitated to buy it because to me it was not the same product. And when I used it, I noticed that the result was indeed not the same. When analyzing the contents of the interviews, we were able to identify the agents as described by Greimas. In all the cases the subject was the expatriate, the object was trying to adjust to the new cultural environment and the helpers were the familiar brands, both global and from their country of origin and the opponents were the host cultures represented by the product adaptations and unfamiliar brands and environment.

Discussion
The findings indicate that brands are precious helpers, providing practical and emotional safety or reviving memories of the homeland. This is why they can even become objects of desire. The potential of a loyal relationship between global brands and expatriate citizens appears to be greater because of the ambiguity linked to the contextual differences. As stated in our research questions, familiar brands are perceived as helpers by the expatriates, when they experience ambiguous situations linked to the new cultural environment. We could argue that the search for familiar brands intervenes at the beginning of the adjustment curve, but results from this research demonstrated that they are used during other periods like the crisis as well, when nostalgia is stronger than their willingness to adapt. In those cases, home countries brands more than the global ones are the preferred types of familiar brands. It seemed that writing a story with inhuman characters was tough task to the participants. They spent between 10 and 30 minutes to write down the story and seemed to be somehow disturbed by the exercise. However, some verbatims were very explicit: When you first arrive in a new country, you feel lost and confuse. The first things that you see at the airport are billboards, and when they are about brands that you already know you feel a bit at home. After a while, local brands will become part of your life. You will feel more secure and less lost. When I arrived in the airport, I felt as the only fish in the ocean, because I didnt know anyone. Then, there was an ad for Heineken beer and I went to a bar to drink it with some Lays chips while seeing ads for cars and watches at the bars TV, and was wondering in which McDonalds I would have dinner that evening.

Managerial implications
Evidence from this study contributes to the existing research on the use of qualitative methods in marketing research. Indeed, managers should use projective techniques to

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Utilizarea relatrilor pentru nelegerea relaiei emigranilor cu mrcile i publicitatea?

consumatorilor emigrani. Mai mult, semnificaiile mrcii se modific dintr-un loc n altul i de la o persoan la alta, ca urmare a modului de via practicat. Evident, emigranii i schimb comportamentul atunci cnd se afl n strintate, deoarece mesajele mrcii se refer mai puin la produs i mai mult la valorile i aspiraiile consumatorilor. Dei numeroase mrci sunt direcionate spre audiene globale, cercettorii i practicienii au neglijat aceast int tot mai mare, care este compus din persoane care nu sunt niciodat localnici, dar care ncearc s supravieuiasc n numeroase medii culturale diferite. ntr-adevr, durata medie a ederii emigranilor este de patru ani, iar dup reintrare ei ncep s se pregteasc pentru a merge spre o nou destinaie. Este de interes att pentru marketeri, ct i pentru cercettori, ca, utiliznd metode corespunztoare, s neleag relaia emigranilor cu mrcile, deoarece poate fi foarte diferit de relaia localnicilor cu aceleai mrci. Utilizarea unor metode care permit ptrunderea mai adnc a sentimentelor consumatorilor furnizeaz cercettorilor i practicienilor informaii mai precise, care vor constitui o baz mai potrivit pentru decizii mai adecvate n materie de management al mrcilor. Principalele limitri ale prezentei cercetri sunt reprezentate de eantionul limitat i de naionalitatea unic. Dei metoda aleas a fost una calitativ i abordarea de cercetare a fost exploratorie, un eantion mai amplu ar putea oferi o mai bun nelegere a eficienei relatrilor n descrierea relaiei emigranilor cu mrcile. Analizarea unei singure culturi nu este nedreapt, dac presupunem c emigranii reprezint un target universal i c au tendina de a se comporta n acelai mod, indiferent de cultura de origine. Cu toate acestea, o cercetare intercultural ar clarifica n mod sigur aceast afirmaie, artnd dac se observ diferene de comportament i dac acestea pot fi explicate de diferenele culturale.

Concluzie
Concluziile raportate aici cu privire la eficiena tehnicii relatrilor aplicat emigranilor au implicaii de ordin general. Mai nti, reiese c merit studiai emigranii ca target de pia, deoarece acetia dezvolt o anumit relaie cu mrcile. n al doilea rnd, tehnica relatrilor pare adecvat pentru explicarea sentimentelor emigranilor i a atitudinilor acestora fa de mrci, ca o complementare a abordrii descriptive a tehnicilor cantitative. n consecin, practicienii trebuie s examineze din noi perspective prezena global a mrcilor, consecvena i sinergia prnd s ridice cerine globale nu numai din punctul de vedere al comunicaiei, dar i sub aspectul caracteristicilor produsului, precum ambalajul, preul i alte atribute. Pe de alt parte, specialitii trebuie s investigheze n continuare contexturile n care se formeaz relaiile dintre consumator i marc, precum i prile comune ale identitilor omului i ale mrcii realizate la mare distan de ara de origine. Adevratele provocri ale erei globale apar departe de cas.

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deeper understand the brand through the eyes of the expatriates as consumers. Furthermore, brands meanings change from place to place and from person to person following the type of life they experience. Expatriates change clearly their behaviour when they are abroad, because, brands messages refer less to the product and more to the consumers values and aspirations. Although many brands target global audiences, researchers and practitioners neglected this growing target that is composed of people that are never locals, but that try to survive in several different cultural environments. Indeed, the average length of expatriates assignments is four years and after re-entry they start preparing to go to a new destination. It is of interest to both marketers and researchers using appropriate methods to understand expatriates relationship with brands as it can be quite different from the relationship locals can have with the same brands. Using methods that allow going deeper in consumers feelings provide researchers and practitioners with more accurate information which will be better basis for adequate decision making in brand management. The main limitations of the present research are its restricted sample and its unique nationality. Although the chosen method was qualitative and that the research approach was exploratory, a larger sample would give better understanding of the storytelling efficiency in describing expatriates relationship with brands. Analyzing only one culture is not unfair if we assume that expatriates are a universal target and that they tend to act the same way independently on their culture of origin. Nevertheless, a cross-cultural research would certainly clarify this statement by showing if differences in behaviour are observed and if they can be explained by cultural differences.

Conclusion
The findings reported here on the efficiency of the storytelling technique applied to expatriates have general implications. First, it comes out that it is worth to study expatriates as a market target, which develop a specific relationship with brands. Second, the storytelling technique seems to be appropriate to explain the feelings of the expatriates and their attitudes towards brands, in complementing the descriptive approach of quantitative techniques. Therefore, practitioners should examine under new prisms the global presence of brands, as consistency and synergy appear to raise global demands not only in terms of communication but also in terms of product characteristics such as packaging, pricing and other attributes. Academics on the other hand should further investigate the contexts in which consumer-brand relationships form, as well as the commonalities of human and brand identities forged far from the country of origin. The real challenges of the global era rise away from home.

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Referine
Car, A. and Cova, B., (2008), Small versus big stories in framing consumption experience, Qualitative Market Research: An international Journal, 11(2), 166-176 Denning, S. (2000), the Springboard: How storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations, Butterworth Heinemann Greimas, A-J. (1983), Structural Semantics, University of Nebraska Press Hassan, S., Craft, S., Kortam, W. (2003), Understanding the new bases of global market segmentation, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 20(5), 446-462 Holt, D.B., Quelch, J.A. and Taylor, E.L. (2004), How Global Brands Compete?, Harvard Business Review, 82, 68-75 Kapferer, J-N. (2005), The post-global brand, Journal of Brand Management, 12(5), 319-324 Keller, K.L. (2003), Strategic Brand Management, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall Marvasti, A. (2004), Qualitative Research in Sociology, Sage McCall, M. W. and Hollenbeck, G. P. (2002), Developing Global Executives, Harvard Business School Morrison, M. A., Haley, E., Sheehan, K.B. and Taylor, R. E. (2005), Using qualitative research in advertising, Sage Silverman, D. (2006), Interpreting Qualitative Data, Sage Squire, C. (2008), Experience-centred and culturally-oriented approaches to narratives. In Andrews et al. (ed.) Doing Narrative Research, Sage Steenkamp, J-B., E.M., Batra, R. and Alden, D.L. (2003), How perceived brand globalness creates brand value, Journal of International Business Studies, 34(1), 53-65 Strizhakova, Y., Coulter, R. A. Price, L. L. (2008), The meanings of branded products: A cross-national scale development and meaning assessment, International Journal of Research in Marketing, 25(2), 82-93 Stroh, L. K., Black, J. S., Mendenhall, M. E. and Gregersen, H. B. (2005), International Assignments: An integration of strategy, research, & practice, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers Thompson, C. J. (2004), Beyond Brand Image: Analyzing the Culture of Brands, Advances in Consumer Research, 31, 98-100. Thompson, C. J. and Tambyah, S. K. (1999), Trying to be cosmopolitan, Journal of Consumer Research, 26, 214-241 Watson et al. (2002), Cultural values and important possessions: a cross-cultural analysis, Journal of Business Research, 55, 923-31

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References
Car, A. and Cova, B., (2008), Small versus big stories in framing consumption experience, Qualitative Market Research: An international Journal, 11(2), 166-176 Denning, S. (2000), the Springboard: How storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations, Butterworth Heinemann Greimas, A-J. (1983), Structural Semantics, University of Nebraska Press Hassan, S., Craft, S., Kortam, W. (2003), Understanding the new bases of global market segmentation, Journal of Consumer Marketing, 20(5), 446-462 Holt, D.B., Quelch, J.A. ad Taylor, E.L. (2004), How Global Brands Compete?, Harvard Business Review, 82, 68-75 Kapferer, J-N. (2005), The post-global brand, Journal of Brand Management, 12(5), 319-324 Keller, K.L. (2003), Strategic Brand Management, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall Marvasti,A. (2004), Qualitative Research in Sociology, Sage McCall, M. W. and Hollenbeck, G. P. (2002), Developing Global Executives, Harvard Business School Morrison, M. A., Haley, E., Sheehan, K.B. and Taylor, R. E. (2005), Using qualitative research in advertising, Sage Silverman, D. (2006), Interpreting Qualitative Data, Sage Squire, C. (2008), Experience-centred and culturally-oriented approaches to narratives. In Andrews et al. (ed.) Doing Narrative Research, Sage Steenkamp, J-B.E.M., Batra, R. and Alden, D.L. (2003), How perceived brand globalness creates brand value, Journal of International Business Studies, 34(1), 53-65 Strizhakova, Y., Coulter, R. A. Price, L. L. (2008), The meanings of branded products: A cross-national scale development and meaning assessment, International Journal of Research in Marketing, 25(2), 82-93 Stroh, L. K., Black, J. S., Mendenhall, M. E. and Gregersen, H. B. (2005), International Assignments: An integration of strategy, research, & practice, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers Thompson, C. J. (2004), Beyond Brand Image: Analyzing the Culture of Brands, Advances in Consumer Research, 31, 98-100 Thompson, C. J. and Tambyah, S. K. (1999), Trying to be cosmopolitan, Journal of Consumer Research, 26, 214-241 Watson et al. (2002), Cultural values and important possessions: a cross-cultural analysis, Journal of Business Research, 55, 923-31

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