Upload
others
View
5
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Case 20
Shark Fin Soup: Hong Kong Disneyland Seeks Cultural
and Environmental Balance
Alandea Waidler
Table of Contents
� Specific cultural problems presented
� How Hong Kong Disney catered to Asian culture
� Hong Kong Disney’s response to activists’ complaints
� Were they effective strategies?
� Why or why not, from a PR standpoint?
Cultural Problems
� Shark Fin Soup
� Air and Noise Pollution
� Labor Issues
� Wild Dogs
� Overcrowding
Shark Fin Soup
� Introduced as a menu item in wedding packages
� Chinese delicacy
� Environmentalists protested
Air and Noise Pollution
� Traditional nightly fireworks
� Hong Kong already suffers from smog pollution
Labor Issues
� 11 to 13 hour days & inadequate breaks
� Rewriting daily work schedules without notice
� Labor abuses & underpaying workers
Wild Dogs
� About 45 were killed
� Animal rights activists protested
� Threatened workers and visitors
Overcrowding
� Visitors complained about small size
� Lunar New Year holiday: the park was swamped
� Tourists with children turned away at gate
Catering to Asian Culture
� Design
� Opening Ceremonies
� Asian-Friendly Languages and Food
� Community Relations
Design
� Consulted feng shui master
� Fantasy Gardens
� Golden Mickeys at Disney’s Storybook Theater
Opening Ceremonies
� Children singing in English, Cantonese and Mandarin
� Chinese acrobats & Chinese lion dance
� Ribbon-cutting ceremony
� Preview event with celebrities
Asian-Friendly Languages and Food
� Trilingual rides and shows
� Diverse menu with Western, Chinese and Asian items
Community Relations
� Charity Day
� Charity walks and hospital visits
� Sponsored annual “Environmentality Challenge”
� Sponsored Disney’s Imagination Day
Hong Kong Disney’s Response to Activists’ Complaints
� Shark Fin Soup: � Informative leaflets � “Reliable and responsible suppliers” � Offer non-shark fin soups � Removed soup from menu after a month of
protests
� Air & Noise Pollution: � Refused to use new pyrotechnics technology
Hong Kong Disney’s Response to Activists’ Complaints
� Wild Dogs: � “Protecting the safety of workers and visitors.”
� Overcrowding: � Bill Ernest apologized. � Introduced “Special Day” tickets IN 2006
From a PR Standpoint…
� Bad PR took “magic” out of guests’ experiences.
� Survey: 70% of local residents had negative view
� Weak cultural understanding
� No press releases
From a PR Standpoint…
� Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Disney Parks & Resorts
� “Have we made some mistakes? Absolutely. We are in a brand-new market. We have to keep listening and keep learning.”
References
� Cases in Public Relations Management by Patricia Swann, pg. 296-300
� http://hkcorporate.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdlcorp/en_US/communityRelations/overview?name=EnvironmentalityInCommunitysPage
� http://www.hkdlsource.com/park/history
� http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2005-11-09-hong-kong-disney-usat_x.htm
� http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1191881,00.html