Between global and glocal: content analysis of the Chinese Web Sites of the 100 top global brands

Abstract

This study examined the Chinese web sites of the 100 top global brands. It revealed that 58 of the 100 top global brands sponsored a Chinese web site. Refuting the argument that globalization is a homogeneous process, this study found that a glocal strategy, as opposed to a standardized global strategy, was being practiced in cyberspace by many of the companies with top brands. These companies glocalized their Chinese web pages by integrating local cultural characteristics into their brands’ strategies, thus presenting themselves as being socially accommodating to the local market. This study confirmed that glocalization is an outcome of the interaction between globalization and localization.