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Comm 3070: Week 4 Prompt 3

Metropolis presents a dystopic, unequal society in which technology is used to control the masses. Pick a scene from the movie and compare it to a technology you observe in Berlin.

The movie Metropolis was very interesting. It is strange to think that that is how people in the year 1927 thought life would be like in the present day. I also think that it is pretty cool to watch movies such as Metropolis, which is known as being groundbreaking for its time, and compare it to the movies that we see today. Technology has definitely improved drastically within the last century. The scene that I chose to use was the one where Freder is travelling from watching the working class operate the underground of the city to where his father works in order to inform him of the explosion and everything that he had seen below. This scene follows Freder once he enters his car and shows the whole city as he makes his way to his father. Within this scene, methods of public transportation are seen throughout the city, including planes and trains. This relates to technology that I have observed in Berlin because public transportation is such a huge part of life here. There hasn’t been a day during the duration of this trip that I have not used either the bus or the U-Bahn to get somewhere. It is something that is so important to the city of Berlin and was shown as a big part of society in Metropolis as well.

(not my photo, I actually haven’t taken any photos of the trains)

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Comm 3550: Week 4 Prompt 3

At Teufelsberg this week you will see a huge amount of graffiti. It’s a cultural phenomenon here – highly skilled artists have been allowed to paint the walls of this defunct spy station. Some murals have lasted years, while others are painted over from one week to the next. As Ledingham tells us, “Public relations is best defined and practiced as the active attempt to restore and maintain a sense of community.” How is this graffiti a function of community building/maintenance? How might this space be different in the U.S.? Would the owners of this property or the federal government be likely to allow this long-term graffiti haven to continue untouched by anyone who isn’t part of the community? Post a selection of murals to illustrate your post.

Teufelsberg was not what I expected. I knew that there was going to be a lot of graffiti, but I didn’t expect it to be as much as it was. It may be one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Any graffiti that I have been exposed to in the past has mainly been things I have seen on the side of highways or in tunnels, never have I seen so much of it in one place. I really love how Teufelsberg is a place where these artists can come and create endless amounts of artwork on the walls, it really does make the place so unique. One of the most unique aspects of it I think is how you never know how long a piece will be on the walls, it could be there for a year or a week. The lack of rules and complete freedom of the artist is something that I found to be really cool, and it contrasts what Teufelsberg was beforehand (being a spy post) to what it is now. It went from being a place of strict rules and secrecy to one of creative freedom and no regulation.

The graffiti is a function of community building/maintenance through how it brings these artists together. Teufelsberg serves as a safe place for these artists to come and do what it is that they love. While walking around, I saw that some of the artists had left posters that had their Instagram handle written on it, which allows these artists to connect with each other. The community is built by being a place where all of these different artists can come together and express their creativity and is maintained by the artists continuing to come and decorate the walls. It is also maintained by people coming to see the artwork, like we did when we got our tour of Teufelsberg. One thing that I thought was cool was seeing the same picture in many different places throughout all of Teufelsberg. It gives the artist recognition and becomes something that people look for when they are there. This allows the community to continue to build because as artists come back to create their artwork at Teufelsberg, it could also influence other artists to go there as well.

It would be so cool if the U.S. had a place similar to Teufelsberg, and for all I know there could be. However, I feel like a place like this may be much different back home. First of all, it probably wouldn’t be located within the remnants of a World War II spy post that was attempted to be converted into luxury condos. A space like this in the United States would most likely not be left alone like the one in Teufelsberg is, there would be police interference and regulation that would prevent such a vast amount of graffiti to be located in one place together. The odds of a U.S. equivalent to Teufelsberg being advertised and visited by groups is very unlikely. Owners of such properties in the United States (if they were to exist) would probably be open to accepting artists into their community. In my mind, artists are compassionate people who understand the want and the need to create and would be more than willing to allow other artists to join their community to pursue their passions. The federal government would not be so understanding, there would probably have to be licenses and approvals involved for the spaces and the people who engage with the community. Kind of like how when houses get renovated, there is a lot of licensing and approvals that need to go through the town, it would probably be something much like that; the areas would probably have to be approved by the government and there would most likely have to be some sort of list of those who are involved with the community.

It was really cool to see all of the graffiti all around, it is something that is so incredible because it showcases so much talent, I definitely enjoyed travelling here!

#comm3550 #extended

Comm 3070: Week 4 Prompt 2

Find an example at Autostadt that illustrates a quote from the Carrabine and Longhurst reading. How is VW making meaning about automotive consumption? What appeals do they make to youth culture – or not?

The Autostadt was such a cool experience. Aside from the dry tour, the entire VW facility was nothing short of incredible and it was really cool to see how they have tailored the design of their grounds and their exhibits of their different cars to the visitors that they have coming in and out everyday. The Autostadt is a Disneyland for the car enthusiast and even for those who are not. Their use of high tech platforms to bring viewers into their world is what makes it so incredible. By allowing visitors to the Autostadt the chance to interact with the different vehicles (especially the fancy ones), is something that lets visitors have an unforgettable experience where they feel almost unstoppable.

However, something that adds to the fascination of the Autostadt as a whole is the different displays of their luxury car brands such as Porsche and Lamborghini. In the Carrabine and Longhurst reading, in regards to young people and cars, states that “Campbell understands joyriding as an expression of a particularly troubling form of masculinity…Of course, these fantasies are reinforced through car advertising, which celebrates danger, irresponsibility, excitement and the gendered control of space.” (183) These are things that are typically associated with brands such as Porsche or Lamborghini. Through the advertising that is shown for such brands, VW is saying that automotive consumption for these brands is tailored to the reckless and rich driver. Within the Autostadt, it is also shown how they value automotive consumption. They allow prospective buyers to engage with their facilities and learn all that they want about how the cars are put together and what is done to ensure that they will last for years to come. They value the process of automotive consumption and value the time and money of their customer. A brand like VW is highly regarded as reliable, so it is up to the Autostadt to prove that to everyone who comes through the Autostadt wanting to learn more about the brand.

The luxury of the brand is shown through their advertisements, where the product is seen zipping down empty roads at lightning speed with a suavely dressed man behind the wheel. This is a huge appeal to youth culture, since it shows power. Being behind the wheel of a Porsche or Lamborghini going 100 mph down a road is something that makes one feel on top of the world, it was cool even just sitting behind the wheel of the Porsche at eh Autostadt. The Autostadt works to make these appeals to youth culture by allowing everyone to sit behind the wheel of the Porsche and by going in to see the Lamborghini show, where there is fog and flashing lights and a video showing the car going insanely fast against the cracking pavement. When the wall flips and features the car, even I was in a state of awe. The idea of a luxury car is something that people think of from a really young age, how cool it would be to drive around town in that kind of a car.

#comm3070 #extended

Comm 3550: Week 4 Prompt 2

Capture an advertisement that you think would be ineffective in the U.S. Tell me why it would be ineffective, and then describe how you might do it differently for a U.S. market. Post a photo of the advertisement so that your classmates and I can see what you’re referring to.

As I had previously addressed in a past prompt about cultural differences, one of the biggest examples of advertising here in Germany that would be completely ineffective in the United States is the ads for cigarettes. I have been surprised by how many I have seen during the duration of our stay here, and in my opinion they have gotten worse in Berlin. When I saw them in Stuttgart, it looked like the ads were more for advertising a certain brand of cigarettes by displaying the name of the brand very prominently. However, in Berlin I have seen that the ads prompt more the act of smoking and how by smoking you will be happy and undoubtedly have a good time with your friends, and if you don’t smoke then you will not have fun. These ads also feature you, attractive people in order to influence audiences by prompting them to think “Wow, if these people are smoking and having fun, then I should too!” This would be completely ineffective in the United States because from a very young age, children are encouraged not to smoke and are shown (very graphically at times) what the consequences of smoking are on our bodies. By ever having cigarette ads similar to the ones in Germany in The U.S., there would be extreme backlash from parents, teachers, and doctors alike. Come to think of it, the only advertisements that I have ever seen that are associated with smoking are ones that describe the consequences that smoking has on our bodies later on in life. If these types of ads were to be marketed in the U.S., they would not be at all for promoting smoking, but rather showing the repercussions of smoking and encouraging smokers to quit.

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Comm 3070: Week 4 Prompt 1

As we have discussed, there are many sciences and technologies involved in athletics. These sciences and technologies may or may not be communicated for various reasons. Briefly compare what each of the following governmental bodies were trying to communicate about sports science and technology, and to what public(s). – Nazi Reich and Olympia Stadion – Citystate of Berlin and the Füchse handball game, Easy Germany and the Olympics. Use the Olympia movie, stadium tour and Dimeo reading to support your posts.

Sports are a science, it involves the human anatomy and seeing how it can be moved and worked. Medical sciences are even used to treat different outcomes from sports. The Nazi Reich and Olympia Stadion were working to show their superiority and dominance through the building and usage of such a gargantuan stadium. It showed the power of the Nazi Reich (especially by having the extended balcony where Hitler was prominently featured to the crowd) and of the stadium because it was a physical representation of the power that the city had at that point in time. The City state of Berlin along with the Füchse handball game communicates the importance of sports to the city of Berlin. Seeing the crowd at the handball game and their synchronization in cheers and spirit shows just how seriously sports are taken in Berlin (outside of soccer). The handball stadium also serves as a common ground for people in Berlin, people who may not have ever met in normal life or who don’t get along can still find common ground and similarity amongst cheering for the same team. It is something that unites the population of Berlin and gives them a reason to all come together for something uplifting and exciting. East Germany and the Olympics was another demonstration of superiority and power. They wanted to prove that they were the best, especially since they were the host city. They ensured their dominance through doping of their athletes to get them to win their races. Through doing this, East Germany showed the rest of the world that they have the best athletes and were successful at their own Olympic games.

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How can cultural stereotypes hinder cross-cultural or international public relations? How is culture a factor in managing international PR? Find a person not from the U.S. (on the street or at a restaurant…somewhere outside the hotel) and ask them for one stereotype about people from the U.S.; ask their permission to audio or video record them answering the question – post the audio/video here. Open by explaining you’re students and it’s a class project, people are usually ok with it. A script I’ve found effective: “Entshuldigung, sprechen Sie Englisch? I am a student from the U.S. trying to learn about how people view the U.S., may I record you answering a question for me?”

I was worried about finding another interview on the streets of Berlin, I had gotten lucky last time so I was thinking that maybe this time would be more difficult to find a person to ask. Fortunately, I was able to find a very nice man at the Autostadt who was from Denmark and willing to answer my question (and I just did an audio recording, it just seemed easier!) In the video, he talks about how his typical stereotype of America is firstly, big people and burgers. America screams fast food to the rest of the world, as we are the ones who introduced the golden arches that are seen everywhere. I wasn’t too surprised to hear this stereotype, in fact I was expecting it. What was more surprising to me was his second answer of sports cars and Los Angeles. I attributed this to the extreme amount of pop culture media seen throughout the world. Some of the worlds most beloved and followed public figures are usually photographed living lavishly in sunny L.A. driving their sports cars and going to fancy events. We come off as a rich society that loves a good burger.

Cultural stereotypes definitely have an impact on cross-cultural and international PR. Poor cultural stereotypes (in this case, for America), could lead to people not wanting to travel to America or associate themselves with American people, brands, products or ideas. It creates a divide amongst the world. International PR can also be impacted in this way, since poor opinions of American people can also deter other countries from wanting to work with Americans for whatever number of reasons. On the other hand, positive stereotypes could lead to people wanting to experience America and engage with Americans due to America being seen as the land of opportunity. Culture is a factor in managing international PR because it is extremely important to take culture into account when working with other countries. Every country has differences in what they find to be rude, disrespectful, etc. Therefore, it is important to be aware of this when engaging with other cultures in order to prevent there being any sort of problems between nations.

#comm3550

Ask a stranger in Berlin about their favorite type of car or driving activity/experience/memory. Post a short video of this discussion. Find a quote in Featherstone and explain how it relates to the response of your interviewee. The quote can support the interviewee, disagree with them or be a mixture of both. Your job is to articulate a connection between the reading and your interviewee’s response. NOTE: This will be much easier if you read Featherstone BEFORE you conduct your interview.

It was extremely difficult to find someone who was willing to be recorded for this prompt. People were willing to answer the question, but the minute we would mention that we would need to take a video, most people were reluctant to participate. I was fortunate enough to come across a really nice man and his daughter the other night (shout out to Allie for helping me out, you’re the real MVP) who happened to be from North Carolina and had just arrived to Berlin that very day to visit their son/brother. He talked about his favorite driving experience being getting to engage in a driving obstacle course program with his daughter, which related to the quote in Featherstone “This makes the automobile both part of the vast transportation system with all its dangers, but also part of intimate and personal life, as something subjected to a great variety of cultural uses, practices and coding.” (5) This type of experience is not one that many people do (at least not that I have heard!) but has now become a fond memory for the father daughter duo, making it an important part of their personal lives. These driving experiences can also be categorized under cultural uses because it involves getting to use a track in the USA (past ones I have heard about have been done in football stadiums) making it something unique that is offered. They are also part of drivers education programs, which is a practice that is necessary for all drivers to go through. I thought it was cool how he enjoyed getting to be a part of his daughter’s experience with this program by getting to be the parent on the emergency break too! I was very appreciative of their time!

#comm3070

Comm 3550: Week 3 Prompt 3

We visited Sachsenhausen this week. The Holocaust undeniably was a crisis, and created a series of cascading crises for Germany, Europe, and the world over the following months and years. Thinking about the Guth reading, how does Sachsenhausen function as a response to that crisis? How does the organization utilize Sachsenhausen (and museums/memorials like it) to pursue healing, restoration, and a prospective vision for the future with the various publics affected by the Holocaust? Make specific connections to both the Guth reading and the ECC reading – again, quotes are a good way to do this.

The visit to Sachsenhausen is one that I will never forget. There is something incredibly eye opening and emotionally overwhelming about being in that sort of environment. Knowing that we were standing in the same place as people who were cruelly imprisoned, tortured and killed is something that I will always remember, its unbelievable to me how the human race was capable of such cruelty and scary to know that that is what we are capable of.

(entrance into the camp, from the top all parts of the camp can be seen)

While I hate to think of the experience at Sachsenhausen as a crisis (because to me, it seems like it goes far and beyond that), it is one. In the Guth reading, it discussed crisis as being something that is relative to the person. It states “While one person’s trash may be viewed as another person’s treasure, one person’s crisis incident is often viewed as another’s crisis (125). I think that this applies to Sachenhausen (and other concentration camps like it) since in this case, it was a crisis for the people and families whose lives were severely impacted or ruined from being in the camp, but was an incident to perhaps the Nazis and their supporters. The ECC reading defines crises as “dangerous moments or turning points in an organization’s life cycle.” (3). This is definitely applicable to Sachenhausen because all of the actions, not only of the camps but of the war in general, were dangerous and led to major turning points in the lives of prisoners and the population of Germany. However, the ECC reading goes on to say how crises are things that can have positive outcomes due to providing “opportunities with the potential to leave the organization stronger in some ways than it was before the crisis.” (4). Sachenhausen remaining where it is served the purpose of reminding the people of Germany and those visiting of the horrors that went on behind its walls. It serves as a way to show people what the conditions were like and to educate them on what was happening within Sachenhausen. It also serves as a memorial to those who were cruelly and unjustly killed and a “final resting place” of sorts to the families of those lost. We see that the families of those who were killed have turned it into a graveyard of there own by stacking the rocks on the bench near the crematorium. Sachenhausen is a response to the crisis by being a reminder of what happened, it is a real place where real terrors happened. The organization uses Sachenhauses to pursue healing by showing that they are working to keep this event remembered in history, and therefore having the people that lost their lives remembered as well. The preservation of these concentration camps is to show the future generations and keep education of the Holocaust ongoing, I find it interesting to think about how (if in any way) Sachenhausen promotes healing. I would think that going to the physical place where an ancestor was tortured (or for the survivors to go back to the place where such awful things happened) would be extremely difficult. However, I can see how it can be healing because it serves as a reminder that that is the past, and it is our responsibility to prevent this from happening again in the future. It offers prospective vision because it makes it real. All throughout school, I had learned so much about the Holocaust and seen so many pictures, but actually being there was so different. So yes, Sachenhausen is an opportunity to leave the people of Germany and of the world stronger, because we have physical proof of how low and cruel people can be and we are given the opportunity to not ever let that happen to anyone again.

only photos of those killed at Sachenhauses

#comm3550 #extended

Comm 3550: Week 3 Prompt 2

Luke Lalor from AlphaPool Content Marketing is coming to talk with us about his firm and what they do. For this post, you need to take careful notes during Luke’s talk so that you can go out this week and find an example of something he discusses. Specifically, you need to identify a concept he discusses, then find an example of that practice (1) done well, and (2) done poorly.

I really enjoyed getting to listen to Luke Lalor speak in class yesterday. As someone who has gone a lot of work with different brands (and even a few celebrities), it was really cool to hear first hand experience about a field that I am really interested in. Luke made a lot of really interesting points and also said things that surprised me that I never would have guessed would have been something that would have been done in this field (like having to put one event into several languages at the same time). One thing that really stood out to me during his discussion is the whole concept of quality guarantee being part of the relationship that is built. This is something that I saw being employed at the BMW motorcycle factory. BMW is known for being a luxury brand, and they guarantee their quality by building relationships with people. The company can create a relationship with a buyer by showing them that they can tour their facilities and read stats and design their own vehicle. This makes the experience personal for the buyer and will prompt them to buy from BMW again in the future. On the other hand, Samsung experienced a crisis that damaged potential for relationship building with their defective Galaxy S7. This device was at risk of exploding and was banned from all aircrafts. With a brand as well known as Samsung (who had delivered good devices in the past), this poor quality of their latest device is something that impacted negatively their potential building of relationships with customers as those potential buyers will now associate Samsung with their Galaxy S7 issues and perhaps choose a different phone brand.

(slides from Luke Lalor’s presentation)

Comm 3070: Week 3 Prompt 2

Choose a quote from the Habermas encyclopedia article. Explain in your own words what this quote means. Apply this quote to a health science or technology, from any time period, you observe at the museum. Why does this science or technology need a public sphere to debate and discuss? How is it an issue of relevance to the quality functioning of a democratic society? What is a contemporary health technology or science being debated in American public sphere(s)?

I was a little apprehensive about heading to the Museum of Medical History. Being someone who does NOT do well with medical topics (I’ve fainted in health class twice, its fine), but surprisingly I enjoyed our tour of the museum. It was really interesting to hear about how medical technology advanced throughout the years.

In the Haberman reading, public sphere is defined as “a realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed” (49). He later goes on to state that “Citizens behave as a public body when they confer in an unrestricted fashion – that is, with the guarantee of freedom of assembly and association and the freedom to express and publish their opinion – about matters of general interests.” (49). What Habermas means through these different quotations is that different topics and areas of question and curiosity are fair game in terms of the creation of public opinion. The public opinion can be different and changing and therefore, something that many people share ideas on. I included the second quotation since I felt like it really helped to enhance the first. When people have the opportunity to speak in an unbiased and unrestricted setting, that is where the truth comes out and the best ideas flow, since there is less of a chance of backlash. In these spaces, people have the ability to express their thoughts and questions and confer with others about these topics (something that I feel may be fleeting nowadays). These quotes apply to the science of creating new knowledge (for lack of a better term). On our tour of the medical museum, our guide talked to us about how dissection of human bodies and the study of them was something that many people attended to, from military surgeons and professors to the general curious public. These spaces, where dissections occurred and people could view them, is a space where those in attendance could freely ask their questions and pursue their curiosities. This science is in need of a public sphere in order to continue growing. The more study that went into the exploration of the human body (and the more people that were there to view it), more information is learned, more questions are asked and more people are becoming educated. This is an issue of relevance to the quality of functioning of a democratic society because it became a space where everyone who wanted to was able to experience and learn. It is important for our society to be open about allowing others to grow in knowledge and this is exactly what these open assemblies did, they weren’t limited to only medical professionals but rather allowed all who wanted to be present the opportunity.

A contemporary health technology that is being debated in the American public sphere today is one of a so called “robot doctor” I was fortunate enough to have taken two semesters of health communication this past year and one of the new and developing technologies that is being discussed amongst medical professionals and the public is one of having a “robot doctor” that would have a screen where patients could essentially video chat with a doctor who may be in a different state or country. These are being encouraged in order to help patients get seen by a medical professional more quickly, but is also being debated due to a certain unreliability of technology if perhaps there is a wireless malfunction or a connection error that would cause more problems. The general idea is good, as it prompts there to be more doctors available and easier accessibility to specialists who may not be physically in the area of a patient in need of help, but at the same time there may be too much of a worry of if this technology could create more problems that seem to be an issue. This is something that should be more open to discuss in a public sphere because the more people that know about this up and coming technology and the more that discuss it, the more likely it may be that the technology is really worked on and made almost perfect so that it can be implemented in all hospitals.

(Example of the robot doctor)

#comm3070 extended

Accompanying video for Comm 3070 Week 3 Prompt 1

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Comm 3070: Week 3 Prompt 1

-Find an example of communication ABOUT a science or technology from the era of the DDR. This is not the museum communicating about sci/tech, but a communication from the time period of the DDR in which the topic of the public communication is a science or technology. What is the topic? What is the medium? (E.g. Waiting for the telephone to ring as described in an East German pop song).

-How was this example part of daily life in the socialist state of East Germany? How do you think this is similar to and/or different from daily life in West Germany, Germany today, or the USA today?

I love the interactive design of the DDR museum. It really was a great way to get some sort of clearer idea of how life was during the time that the museum reflects. While the museum displayed many different types of sciences and technologies, I found that the communication of the Trabant 601 car was among the most important in the museum. The car was displayed on its own up a short staircase where it was surrounded by supporting information and even had the doors open for people to sit in and see what the interior was like. I, unfortunately, did not get to sit inside the car but I did get a peek inside and saw that the windshield was equipped with a simulation in order to make it feel as if the people sitting in the car are driving down the road. Something that I thought was interesting about the way that this automobile communicated to the public was that it communicated to both an adult and child audience through different pamphlets offering information about the car. Based off of the different cover designs of these small books, it is easy to tell which audience the automobile is targeting and communicating with. Both of these methods offered the same information, but it was explained in different ways. I found this really interesting as it seems like educating children about this car wouldn’t be a direction that the company would take. The topic being communicated is the automobile and its features through the medium of these different pamphlets to their different target audiences.

(targeting adults)

(targeting children)

This example was a crucial part of daily life in East Germany since this car was basically their main form of transportation. Based off of the cookie-cutter like society that those in East Berlin lived in (or at least I came to believe after exploring the DDR museum), this car was something that almost everyone in East Berlin owned and utilized in their everyday life. This is similar to life in West Germany and the USA today since cars were/still are sold with informational booklets. I know that the cars that my family owns at home each came with a manual in the glove box. These are necessary items in order to provide extra information about other features of a car. What is different (at least with today in the USA) is that we don’t see the same model of a car unanimously throughout society, there are different makes and models with different features that are seen out on the streets everyday.

#comm3070

Comm 3550: Week 3 Prompt 1

Capture an image from the portion of the BMW Motorcycle factory where we’re allowed to have photos – anything you like (something cool, obviously). Discuss the concept of communicating/connecting with internal & external stakeholders, and how this tour accomplishes both of those things (refer to the entire tour and to things we learn from the tour guide and the promo videos). Draw specific connections to the Zerfass reading – quotes w/ page numbers are a good way to do this.

I really enjoyed the tour of the BMW motorcycle factory that we went on today. To be quite honest, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it since I know slim to none about motorcycles (they freak me out a little bit) but I was really impressed by both the tour and the openness of our tour guide. Upon stepping into the comm center, we were automatically offered water, coffee, seating, and were encouraged to sit on the motorcycles that were on display. This, while being friendly, was a very strategic way to connect with external stakeholders. We were automatically welcomed into the facility and told personal stories during our tour by our guide in order to make the whole experience more personal. The BMW motorcycle factory is catered to please external stakeholders by offering positive statistics of the plant and encouraging guests to interact with the brand by being able to create their own motorcycle for purchase. The comm center that we watched the initial promotional video in was also very well decorated and aesthetically pleasing, which communicates to external stakeholders of the luxury of the brand. The reading states that “Nearly all CCOs in European corporations experience international communication as a part of their daily business” (Zerfass, 2015, 791) and this is something that was seen and discussed as we toured the assembly lines, all of the motorcycles being put together were going to different countries, which shows how the public relations of the BMW company stretches to many external stakeholders who chose BMW for a reason.

(Catch me riding to class in the fall on my new bike)

In terms of internal connections, the BMW factory really does put their best foot forward in terms of engaging with their employees and really taking care of them. The company created an initiative of “Today for Tomorrow” where the well-being of the staff is really cared for. They also encourage the health of their workers by prompting them to take the stairs by showing how many calories they would be burning, providing passive and active break rooms, and having special mats for the workers on the assembly line to stand on in order to prevent future back or knee injury. I also noticed on the tour that there is music playing in the rooms in order to help liven the atmosphere. While I am sure that they are tired from the seemingly tedious work, not one worker looked annoyed or angered to be there doing what they are doing. The interest and care that BMW invests in their internal stakeholders in something that encourages these workers to remain with the company, which is something that they are doing a great job of.

#comm3550

Comm 3070: Week 2 Prompt 3

Choose a useful or informative quote about advertising or social media from the Jaganathan or Okazaki readings. In Stuttgart, Schwabisch Hall or Tübingen, find an example of advertising for health, sport or automotive sciences or technologies and relate it to your chosen quote. How does it demonstrate – or not – the ideas in your quote? In other words, this could be a successful or unsuccessful example of the quote.

In today’s day and age, we are constantly surrounded by advertisements. We see them watching tv, driving down the highway, listening to the radio and even YouTube had introduced ads before videos. Prior to things being advertised on social media and online, posters were the main form of advertisement. On the tour of the car and toy museum in Tübingen, there was several posters inside advertising different races and car shows. The image that I selected was one that was promoting a 500 mile race in Indianapolis, this poster is what became the main advertisement for the event. This connects to the Jaganahtan reading when stated, “Thus, the creation of a uniform brand image is one of the most important objectives for many MNE’s international advertising strategy” (p. 62) This quote talks about the importance of one image being used to universally promote something, which is exactly what this poster is doing; it provided necessary information about the race while still being a main promotional tool. The use of uniform brand images allows people to constantly be reminded of a product or an event and never question what an ad is trying to promote since it the same as one they had seen before. This is a highly effective branding tool.

promotional poster at the car and toy museum in Tübingen

#comm3070 #clemson #cuabroad

Comm 3550: Week 2 Prompt 3

Pick a concept from the chapter 14 reading on cross-cultural communication and PR that you have seen exemplified during our time here so far. Perhaps at a café you’ve witnessed differences in how space is used (Proxemics). Maybe on a weekend trip you’ve seen ways that people from some countries view time differently than we tend to (Chronemics). Or perhaps you’ve seen a really clever ad that bridges cultural/linguistic boundaries. Post a photo or video and explain how it captures or illustrates the concept you choose.

I would say that throughout my life thus far, I have done a fair bit of international travelling. I have been to Canada, England, the Caribbean Islands, Italy and now Germany, and the more I think about and reflect on my experiences travelling abroad, I notice more how different all of the different cultures are from the one that I have grown up in. While I was reading chapter 14, I noticed that I was really noting differences between American culture and European culture. The reading talks about cultural attributes with time and this is certainly something that I have noticed in our two weeks in Germany so far. Back home, it is normal in restaurants for the waiters to constantly be coming up to you and bring you your check fairly quickly once you finish a mean, if they don’t it is viewed as poor service. In ways, this can be viewed as the wait staff attempting to force you out in order to give your table to another waiting guest (I have never felt rushed before, but it is a viewpoint that I can now understand), whereas here in Germany there is much more of a focus and reverence to sitting down, enjoying a meal and conversation with those around you. I really have enjoyed the ability to relax and not have to leave automatically from a restaurant once I finish my meal. It has been really nice to just be able to sit and appreciate where we are rather than rushing through a conversation or a meal. Therefore, I find it kind of funny how the reading states that Western Europe has one of the fastest life paces, I feel as if the United States is definitely much more fast paced and focused on the concept of time as money than they are here in Germany. The concepts of “siestas” that the reading talks about is also something that I think should be implemented into life in the USA (431). The concept is fantastic and something that I think would lead to an overall happier human population. This shows that the countries that embrace siestas, like Spain, place a value on time and rest rather than a place like the United States where the time a business would be closed during a siesta would be viewed as time spent losing money. I really like how over here they have a leisurely mindset about time spent enjoying meals and conversations with friends, they believe in the concept of taking time and enjoying life in these instances. Its funny that completely opposite of their leisurely eating time, they run such strict public transportation schedules!

(Welcome dinner in Stuttgart where we took our time enjoying a great authentic German dinner)

(When we went to Hofbrauhaus last weekend we stayed for nearly 3 1/2 hours without feeling the need to hurry up or vacate our table!)

Differences in formalities are something else that I have noticed to be different, mostly in the way that people here in Europe greet each other. I have noticed that typically when people greet each other here, they kiss both cheeks of the person that they are greeting. This is not something seen at home, I have seen people hug each other or do a single kiss on the cheek or a handshake. I have noticed this not only during my time in Germany, but also in Italy and England. I found it really interesting in the reading where it talked about all different forms of greeting and formalities in places like Japan and such, it is cool to think how different so many parts of the world are (432)

(Example of a cigarette advertisement in Tübingen)

(Not my photo, but a better example of what is seen promoting cigarettes around Germany)

One of the most interesting cultural differences that I have noticed here in Germany is the constant presence of cigarette smoking. There are far more people who smoke cigarettes here than back in the United States, and that is something that I have found very interesting. I think that this can relate to the concept of encoding which the book defines as “the sender’s selection of words, images, and other communication that create the message” (436). I think it would be considered encoding due to the amount of advertisements that I have seen both in Stuttgart and Berlin (along with some of the smaller towns that we have visited) promoting the purchase of cigarettes and smoking. The message that the ads promoting cigarettes are sending is that it is cool to smoke and that you should buy certain brands of cigarettes (I believe I saw a Camel brand ad about this). One poster for cigarettes that I saw at the train station in Berlin showed a young man and woman laughing, smiling and holding cigarettes. By showing young, attractive people engaging in these acts, it promotes young people to buy the products. It made me think about what would happen if similar advertisements were put up in the United States, to which I concluded that it would not go over well with parents and medical professionals to have something that has been proven could seriously impact your health to be promoted in a positive way. I have been wondering throughout the entire trip why these ads are so common, but I haven’t seem to have found an answer to that yet.

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Walking tour of Berlin

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