Comments on: “World Class” http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/ Korea... in Blog Format Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:30:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Mizar5 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130550 Mizar5 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:10:41 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130550 PS I saw a Korean TV commercial for a Christian University today touting itself as "world leader." Just as I thought - Korea IS the world. PS I saw a Korean TV commercial for a Christian University today touting itself as “world leader.” Just as I thought - Korea IS the world.

]]> By: Mizar5 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130136 Mizar5 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:31:50 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130136 "No, it’s not my opinion. It’s the official English spelling of the company, which you’d know if you actually owned one since Cuckoo rice cookers, like other Korean electronic goods, bear the brand name in English." Thanks for the spelling lesson. Now let's educate you about the Endlish connotation of the word, so you can participate here on an equal footing. “No, it’s not my opinion. It’s the official English spelling of the company, which you’d know if you actually owned one since Cuckoo rice cookers, like other Korean electronic goods, bear the brand name in English.”

Thanks for the spelling lesson. Now let’s educate you about the Endlish connotation of the word, so you can participate here on an equal footing.

]]> By: cmm http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130057 cmm Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:29:31 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130057 One more nice thing about Cuckoo... at the Korean Electronics Fair a few months back at KINTEX, Cuckoo apparently hired the most expensive 도우미s. They pretty much had to do it though, because rice-cookers, world's greatest or not, weren't as cool to look at as the newest AMOLED screens from SONY. My colleagues had never shown so much interest in women's appliances before. One more nice thing about Cuckoo… at the Korean Electronics Fair a few months back at KINTEX, Cuckoo apparently hired the most expensive 도우미s. They pretty much had to do it though, because rice-cookers, world’s greatest or not, weren’t as cool to look at as the newest AMOLED screens from SONY. My colleagues had never shown so much interest in women’s appliances before.

]]> By: Sonagi http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130055 Sonagi Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:12:53 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130055 <blockquote>“It’s Cuckoo, BTW.” That’s your opinion…</blockquote> No, it's not my opinion. It's the official English spelling of the company, which you'd know if you actually owned one since Cuckoo rice cookers, like other Korean electronic goods, bear the brand name in English. http://www.cuckoo.co.kr/Products/ProductList.aspx?mmes=1&scatrefcode=shp001001&scatmenucode=shp001

“It’s Cuckoo, BTW.”

That’s your opinion…

No, it’s not my opinion. It’s the official English spelling of the company, which you’d know if you actually owned one since Cuckoo rice cookers, like other Korean electronic goods, bear the brand name in English.

http://www.cuckoo.co.kr/Produc.....ode=shp001

]]> By: Mizar5 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130054 Mizar5 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:57:58 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130054 "It’s Cuckoo, BTW." That's your opinion... “It’s Cuckoo, BTW.”

That’s your opinion…

]]> By: Sonagi http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130052 Sonagi Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:53:55 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130052 <blockquote>As for rice cookers, I have a Cookoo rice cooker myself</blockquote> Sure you do. It's <b>Cuckoo</b>, BTW.

As for rice cookers, I have a Cookoo rice cooker myself

Sure you do. It’s Cuckoo, BTW.

]]> By: Mizar5 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130050 Mizar5 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:40:25 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130050 "Mizar5, An ill informed answer. Just what exactly are all those LG and Samsung cell phones, washers, dryers, refrigerators, ranges, microwave ovens, plasma TVs and DVD players doing at Best Buys, Lowes and Frys?" Seeking a niche in the downscale demographic? “Mizar5,
An ill informed answer. Just what exactly are all those LG and Samsung cell phones, washers, dryers, refrigerators, ranges, microwave ovens, plasma TVs and DVD players doing at Best Buys, Lowes and Frys?”

Seeking a niche in the downscale demographic?

]]> By: Mizar5 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130049 Mizar5 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:35:48 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130049 “man, another hate filled expat. is there any other variety?” - pawi “Not in the eyes of a racist, there isn’t.” Big of you to admit to your racism, globalvillageidiot. BTW...globalvillageidiot, In case it didn't come off that way, I was attempting to be ironic here. I support your point. Just as Buddhas see everyone as Buddha, racists see racism wherever they look. “man, another hate filled expat. is there any other variety?” - pawi

“Not in the eyes of a racist, there isn’t.”

Big of you to admit to your racism, globalvillageidiot.

BTW…globalvillageidiot, In case it didn’t come off that way, I was attempting to be ironic here.

I support your point. Just as Buddhas see everyone as Buddha, racists see racism wherever they look.

]]> By: WangKon936 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130048 WangKon936 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:29:16 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130048 Mizar5, An ill informed answer. Just what exactly are all those LG and Samsung cell phones, washers, dryers, refrigerators, ranges, microwave ovens, plasma TVs and DVD players doing at Best Buys, Lowes and Frys? Mizar5,

An ill informed answer. Just what exactly are all those LG and Samsung cell phones, washers, dryers, refrigerators, ranges, microwave ovens, plasma TVs and DVD players doing at Best Buys, Lowes and Frys?

]]> By: Mizar5 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130039 Mizar5 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:53:14 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/01/12/the-world-best/#comment-130039 "There is that. But, Korean brands have more or less gotten better recognition lately." Yes, but that has more to do with economic factors than Korean knowhow. Gas prices are up, and with the US entering recession, Americans typically seek lower cost alternatives. The modest success of Hyundai cars in America is due to the warranty - not any reputation for quality. Time and again the pattern emerges that Korea buys business overseas at the expense of its domestic consumers. As for rice cookers, I have a Cookoo rice cooker myself, but only because I shop in Korean stores and it's the brand I know best. Yes, it works fine - probably just as well as any brand. And don't forget that fellow Korean visitors will judge you on the brands in your home, so most of us just shell out extra for the more popular brand to gain the approval of others and boost our fragile self esteem. The "world class" claim - however unsupported - works powerfully in the domestic market where status appeal is king. However, in overseas markets, where status tends to be relatively less important than function, the ad would simply be laughed at - as it should be. A fairly typical problem with Korean marketing lies in the use of loose and unsupported claims like "world class." What does "world class" even mean? Where in the ad is there any proper support for the claims that our rice cooker is better than Spain's rice cookers? Does Spain even make rice cookers? But these are logical questions, and the domestic audience is relatively unconcerned with such details. They simply want the satisfaction of buying a rice cooker that is considered a status symbol in the eyes of others regardless of how well it actually works. “There is that. But, Korean brands have more or less gotten better recognition lately.”

Yes, but that has more to do with economic factors than Korean knowhow. Gas prices are up, and with the US entering recession, Americans typically seek lower cost alternatives. The modest success of Hyundai cars in America is due to the warranty - not any reputation for quality. Time and again the pattern emerges that Korea buys business overseas at the expense of its domestic consumers.

As for rice cookers, I have a Cookoo rice cooker myself, but only because I shop in Korean stores and it’s the brand I know best. Yes, it works fine - probably just as well as any brand. And don’t forget that fellow Korean visitors will judge you on the brands in your home, so most of us just shell out extra for the more popular brand to gain the approval of others and boost our fragile self esteem.

The “world class” claim - however unsupported - works powerfully in the domestic market where status appeal is king. However, in overseas markets, where status tends to be relatively less important than function, the ad would simply be laughed at - as it should be.

A fairly typical problem with Korean marketing lies in the use of loose and unsupported claims like “world class.”

What does “world class” even mean? Where in the ad is there any proper support for the claims that our rice cooker is better than Spain’s rice cookers? Does Spain even make rice cookers?

But these are logical questions, and the domestic audience is relatively unconcerned with such details. They simply want the satisfaction of buying a rice cooker that is considered a status symbol in the eyes of others regardless of how well it actually works.

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