The Sociological Study of Japan-U.S.Differences in Advertizing Communication

日本电视广告与美国电视广告在广告传播上存在差异。典型的日本电视广告是形象导向、暗示性、软性的电视广告，而典型的美国电视广告是逻辑导向、健谈性、硬性的电视广告。这个项目的目的是找出造成这种日美矛盾的原因。电视广告中广告传播的差异。检查差异；1)审查电视广告播出制度，即电视广播和广告业务；2)通过调查观众和他们的社会如何接受电视广告；3)考察电视广告的传播性质和传播模式。1)在日本，四大电视网主导着市场，只有精心制作的高成本的大企业电视广告才能播出，而在美国，有线电视和卫星电视的电视频道和播出时间众多，简单和低成本的电视广告更受广告商的青睐。此外，日本广播公司和广告公司的自律和商业习惯有利于间接的、暗示性的电视广告，而美国广播公司和广告公司的自律和商业习惯则有利于直接的、说服性的电视广告。2)日本人对暗示性的图像和图形信息非常敏感，因为日本人使用汉字和图形符号。另一方面，美国人使用语音交流，其中逻辑和修辞很重要，因为他们使用语音符号，字母。日本社会也与美国不同。日本社会是一个高语境社会，在那里，文化和种族同质的人之间的交流是基于默契的假设。美国社会是低语境社会，不同文化和民族传统的人们可以通过争论和说服达成一致。社会类型的不同导致了交流方式的不同。3)日本观众与日本电视广告之间的交流可以看作是一种“符号交换交流”。在这种交流中，日本观众非常积极地解读符号，寻找潜在的意义。在美国电视广告中，美国观众在与广告商的“信息交换交流”中有些被动。他们所能做的就是接受广告商发送的信息或切换频道。美国观众没有玩口译游戏的空间。我们的调查研究结果显示，活跃于解读电视广告的日本观众倾向于发现电视广告中潜在的社会问题。通过看电视广告，他们提高或改变他们的社会意识，并采取行动。少

There are differences in advertizing communication between Japanese TV commercials and American TV commercials. Typical Japanese TV commercials are image oriented, suggestive, and softsell TV commercials while typical American TV commercials are logic oriented, talkative, and hardsell TV commercials. The aim of this project is to find out what causes such Japan-U.S.differences in advertizing communication in TV commercials.The differences are examined ; 1) by examining system of putting TV commercials on the air, that is, TV broadcasting and advertizing business ; 2) by examining how audience and their society receive TV commercials ; 3) by examining nature and pattern of communication in TV commercials.1) In Japan where 4 major TV networks dominate the market, only well-wrought and high-cost TV commercials for big businesses can be telecast, while in the U.S.where cable and satellite TV multiply TV channels and air time, simple and low-cost TV commercials are preferred by advertizers. … More In addition to this, self regulations and business customs of Japanese broadcasters and advertizing agencies are favorable to indirect, suggestive TV commercials, whereas those of American broadcasters and advertising agencies are favorable to direct and persuasive TV commercials.2) The Japanese are very sensitive to suggestive image and graphic information, because Japanese people use Kanji, graphic symbols. On the other hand, American people resort to speech communication in which logic and rhetoric are important, because they use phonetic symbols, alphabets. Japanese society is also different from that of the U.S.. Japanese society is the high context society where communication is based on tacit assumptions among culturally and racially homogeneous people. American society is low-context society where people form different cultures and ethnic traditions can reach agreement through argument and persuasion. The difference in society types causes difference in communication patterns.3) The communication between Japanese audience and Japanese TV commercials can be considered as "a sign-exchanging communication". In this communication, Japanese audience is very active in interpreting the signs and finding potential meanings. American audience are somewhat passive in their "message-exchanging communication" with advertizers in American TV commercials. All they can do is to accept the message send by advertizers or to flip the channel. There is no room for American audience to play interpreting game. The findings from our survey research show that Japanese audience active in interpreting TV commercials tend to detect potential social problems in TV commercials. By watching TV commercials, they raise or change their social consciousness and take action. Less