CAREERS MEDIA: Are expats in Asia a good idea, or just a big waste of space?

<p>Ferocious debates still flare up every now and again about the </p><p>usefulness of Western marketing and advertising professionals working in </p><p>Asia-Pacific. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Some say Western expats would ultimately fail because they lack local </p><p>cultural knowledge. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Others argue that they bring with them the experience of working in some </p><p>of the most complex markets in the world. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Speakers at the recent MarCom Asia 2000 Conference in Hong Kong, stated </p><p>that as the Internet was breaking down borders and barriers, making the </p><p>world an even smaller place than ever before, it made sense to work </p><p>together rather than adopt an 'us versus them' attitude. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ms Margaret Tsui, 2 Way St creative director, said, "Asians are more </p><p>creative, although sometimes the creative idea is not understood by our </p><p>Western counterparts. We are also more sensitive to local needs - but we </p><p>are less disciplined. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"On the other hand, Western marketers are more disciplined and they take </p><p>fewer risks. On these points alone, it is obvious that both sides bring </p><p>important things to the table." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>D'Arcy group creative director Francis Cleetus went further, saying </p><p>there is no such thing as the Asian marketer. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Malaysian marketer was different from the marketer from China, and </p><p>they in turn were different from the Taiwanese and Indian marketer, he </p><p>said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He also said that marketers from North America and Europe brought to </p><p>Asia "exposure and experience in some of the most developed markets on </p><p>earth, hawking products and services to some of the most sophisticated </p><p>consumers known to man and fighting it out with some of the keenest </p><p>competitors ever". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"A broader international perspective is invaluable in advertising," Mr </p><p>Cleetus added. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"After all, it's fresh ideas that shape the fortune of brands. But they </p><p>may prove worthless or even disastrous without the power of local </p><p>insight." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Examples which he cited included Scandinavian vacuum cleaner </p><p>manufacturer Electrolux using the tagline, "Nothing sucks like an </p><p>Electrolux", in a US campaign and Clairol's launching its new curling </p><p>iron in Germany with the name "Mist Stick" where "mist" is slang for </p><p>manure in German. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>