Would the Confucius brand do?
作者：SUSAN CHYN　时间：2009-04-08   799

NOT long ago, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the appointment of three unlikely representatives–the "ambassadors of cute".

The idea was to give a better understanding of Japanese culture overseas by using young women who represented unique aspects of anime and Japanese-style "kawaii" culture.

In response to this, the culture scholar and blogger Wu Zuolai, in reflecting on China’s image, compared Japan’s search for "soft power" with China’s. He made specific reference to the Confucius Institute brand and wryly asked how "lovable" Confucianism was.

Confucius is hardly a candidate for cuteness. Yet Wu’s question raises some interesting issues. How do cultural icons shape a nation’s image beyond its own borders? And how do the perceptions of "outsiders" affect a nation’s sphere of influence and economic well-being?

Different countries have chosen different PR strategies to promote their cultural heritage. Still, a country’s branding initiative has ultimately to attract, persuade and move the target audience. This "lovability" approach has been a PR strategy used by two very dissimilar countries–Japan and Ireland.

Japan has spotlighted popular culture since 2002, when the media first began talking about "Gross National Cool". But it was in 2008 when, astonishingly, cute culture reached diplomatic stature. That was when two cats–Hello Kitty and Doraemon–were appointed "ambassadors" by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Why did the stodgy Japanese government opt for the "cute" approach? Simple. People overseas had already shown interest in Japanese comics and anime through their pocketbooks. Big time. As if to illustrate this fact, in 2004, the largest single anime market–the US–was equal to $48.4 million (330 million yuan), or several times higher than revenues from steel exports to the US, for the same period!

In contrast, the Republic of Ireland’s lovability factor has drawn not on hip animation, but on the usage of legends that have existed for centuries. Stories of fairies and leprechauns abound. Leprechauns, it is said, are tricky little people who might lead you to their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And on March 17, in many places worldwide, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated. That’s the day when people "wear green" and immerse themselves in the charm of Irish culture.

The Irish have always valued their cultural assets: Their 6th-century kings were not allowed to own land; and poets were exempt from manual labor. PR comes naturally to this country of story-tellers and writers, who today still display a joie de vivre in conveying information and imagery about their culture, inviting tourists to visit the "land of enchantment". The Irish national branding strategy flows from history and lore that is still actively and passionately celebrated.

And China? China’s long history and vast cultural legacy offer so many possibilities for a national branding campaign. So how best to inspire and influence international opinion? No matter which path is chosen, one thing is certain–passion and imagination will be key ingredients.

英语词汇解析
ambassador 大使
anime 动漫
broker 经纪人、中间人
candid 率直的
censorship 审查制度
Confucius 孔子
derision 嘲笑
documentary 记录片
enchantment 魅力
immerse 沉浸
implement 执行
ingredient 成分
initiative 主动性、积极性
kawaii (日语)可爱的
legacy 遗产
leprechaun 妖精
notoriety 恶名
perception 悟性、洞察力、看法
priority 优先权、重点
revenue 收入
showcase 显示
stodgy 无趣的、无生气的

BONUS
big time  非常;很;大大地

You made such a mess around the house while your mom was away, she’s going to complain big time when she gets back.
你在你妈不在的时候把家里弄得一团糟。等她回来大发牢骚吧。

joie de vivre  生活乐趣

I think it was Allen's gentle upbringing by classical musician parents that gave him so much joie de vivre.
我认为艾伦能如此深谙生活乐趣得益于他的音乐家父母给他的良好教育。

来源：http://www.21stcentury.com.cn
URL：http://www.www.21stcentury.com.cn/story/50689.html