Case 20

Shark Fin Soup: Hong Kong Disneyland Seeks Cultural

and Environmental Balance

Alandea Waidler

Table of Contents

�  Specific cultural problems presented

�  How Hong Kong Disney catered to Asian culture

�  Hong Kong Disney’s response to activists’ complaints

�  Were they effective strategies?

�  Why or why not, from a PR standpoint?

Cultural Problems

�  Shark Fin Soup

�  Air and Noise Pollution

�  Labor Issues

�  Wild Dogs

�  Overcrowding

Shark Fin Soup

�  Introduced as a menu item in wedding packages

�  Chinese delicacy

�  Environmentalists protested

Air and Noise Pollution

�  Traditional nightly fireworks

�  Hong Kong already suffers from smog pollution

Labor Issues

�  11 to 13 hour days & inadequate breaks

�  Rewriting daily work schedules without notice

�  Labor abuses & underpaying workers

Wild Dogs

�  About 45 were killed

�  Animal rights activists protested

�  Threatened workers and visitors

Overcrowding

�  Visitors complained about small size

�  Lunar New Year holiday: the park was swamped

�  Tourists with children turned away at gate

Catering to Asian Culture

�  Design

�  Opening Ceremonies

�  Asian-Friendly Languages and Food

�  Community Relations

Design

�  Consulted feng shui master

�  Fantasy Gardens

�  Golden Mickeys at Disney’s Storybook Theater

Opening Ceremonies

�  Children singing in English, Cantonese and Mandarin

�  Chinese acrobats & Chinese lion dance

�  Ribbon-cutting ceremony

�  Preview event with celebrities

Asian-Friendly Languages and Food

�  Trilingual rides and shows

�  Diverse menu with Western, Chinese and Asian items

Community Relations

�  Charity Day

�  Charity walks and hospital visits

�  Sponsored annual “Environmentality Challenge”

�  Sponsored Disney’s Imagination Day

Hong Kong Disney’s Response to Activists’ Complaints

�  Shark Fin Soup: �  Informative leaflets �  “Reliable and responsible suppliers” �  Offer non-shark fin soups �  Removed soup from menu after a month of

protests

�  Air & Noise Pollution: �  Refused to use new pyrotechnics technology

Hong Kong Disney’s Response to Activists’ Complaints

�  Wild Dogs: �  “Protecting the safety of workers and visitors.”

�  Overcrowding: �  Bill Ernest apologized. �  Introduced “Special Day” tickets IN 2006

From a PR Standpoint…

�  Bad PR took “magic” out of guests’ experiences.

�  Survey: 70% of local residents had negative view

�  Weak cultural understanding

�  No press releases

From a PR Standpoint…

�  Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Disney Parks & Resorts

�  “Have we made some mistakes? Absolutely. We are in a brand-new market. We have to keep listening and keep learning.”

References

�  Cases in Public Relations Management by Patricia Swann, pg. 296-300

�  http://hkcorporate.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdlcorp/en_US/communityRelations/overview?name=EnvironmentalityInCommunitysPage

�  http://www.hkdlsource.com/park/history

�  http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2005-11-09-hong-kong-disney-usat_x.htm

�  http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1191881,00.html