France/Belgium Study Abroad
This study abroad trip ended up being one of the best weeks of my life, hands down. After a semester of researching and learning about European culture and luxury marketing, my class of 17 ventured to Paris in hopes of living the lessons we learned in class. We were given the opportunity to visit various prestigious businesses where we experienced firsthand how luxury marketing differs from traditional marketing. And with plenty of free time to explore the cities we visited, we were able to immerse ourselves in the culture and social life of Europe. This experience was full of learning and new experiences, and while it is incredibly difficult to express everything in words, below are a few journals I put together in an attempt to share these amazing days of my life with you!
Journal 1: Services and Products
Experience: One of the biggest service differences I saw in the EU compared to the US was in the food/restaurant industry. I had two experiences that really spoke to me about the difference in culture and lifestyle. For starters, people in the EU spend a lot more time eating and sitting at restaurants. I noticed that not only were people comfortable with sitting at restaurants longer, but the waiters didn’t even bring the bill until we asked for it! And there was no such thing as “wait time,” if there wasn’t any room in the restaurant they simply asked us to go somewhere else so that their existing customers would not feel rushed. I also found that customer service was…different. At one point in Belgium I asked for a side of strawberries and our server said “sorry, its too late,” a response that would not be acceptable in the states. Reflection: European companies seem to be more laid back in terms of turnover rates, whereas in the states, productivity is often measured by how many people a restaurant can successfully serve in a given amount of time. There is also less of a focus on how a restaurant makes a customer feel (as in customer service). The quality of food seems to be more important to restaurants than fulfilling every individualized need that customers have. Going off the same idea, I found that it was a lot more difficult in the EU to make changes in existing dishes (substituting/ adding ingredients). Theory: European restaurants (more specifically the French and Belgians) are more concerned with the quality of their food as compared to how their customers perceive their interactions. Basically, the food is the main focus of the experience – whereas in the states it is all about ambiance, interactions, and how an establishment can make their customers feel. Experimentation: I believe the most effective way to test this theory is to actually visit comparable restaurants in the states and then in the EU. The restaurant in which I got denied my strawberries (not going to lie, I’m still bitter) was comparable to Noodles & Company. At Noodles, if I asked to alter my order a little bit, they would gladly do it, no questions asked because of their “customer comes first” mindset. But the culture is very different in the EU and so customers making changes in existing dishes is almost unheard of. Another good example would be to visit a McDonald’s in the states and the EU to compare the quality of food as well as customer service to how it is here. A few members of our study abroad group went to McDonald’s in Belgium and mentioned that it seemed more “upscale” and that the burgers were “better because they actually tasted like real meat.” Implications: If someone were to open a restaurant in the EU, they have to understand how important quality of food is to the locals. This may require a change in ingredients or something that may increase costs. Also, better customer service is an avenue they may be able to explore; it is not a very big focus in the EU right now and may give companies an advantage and competitive edge. Journal 2: Values Experience: While in France, I noticed that not only do people take longer to eat meals – they tend to go out with the whole family even during lunch on weekdays. In my high school French class, I learned that most schools in France let students take 2 hours for a lunch break every day. And most students take advantage of this to go home and eat lunch with their family, or sit down with their friends and enjoy a long, relaxed meal. Yes everyone always talks about how French food is amazing, but there is probably a deeper reason behind that. Reflection: The French seem to place more of an emphasis on quality and a slow pace of life so that they can enjoy everything, but in the states, there is a deadline for everything and everyone is always in a hurry to get things done and out of the way. I also noticed that with wine as a huge part of French culture, children start drinking with their families at a much younger age. It is a way for them to bond and spend time with each other while enjoying a cultural delicacy. As time progresses, America is becoming more individualistic with an emphasis on dependence and being able to get everything done on your won, whereas in France there is still very much a familial culture and an importance of being able to rely on and spend time with family. Theory: The French are more traditional in the sense that spending quality time with people, especially family is more important than anything else. They use their quality of food as a means to prolong time spent together and make more of an effort to create deeper relationships. Experimentation: I thought the best way to test this theory would be to ask people about their thoughts, and so that’s exactly what I did. The majority of the people I spoke with alluded to the fact that all you have is family to rely on, and eating together is just a way to stay in touch and have a strong bond. One interview that really stood out to me was during lunch with a girl that was very obviously a student. I asked her why she wasn’t in school, and she replied with “J’ai deux heures pour le dejeuner, alors je venu ici tout les jours avec mes amis,” which means “I have two hours for lunch, and so I come here every day with my friends.” Implications: This theory shows that the French are very much family oriented, so if anyone were to start a restaurant or other business in France, it would be important to incorporate the entire family and allow for a prolonged, restful experience. |
Journal 3: Advertisements
Experience: The moment we stepped foot off the train from Paris to Brussels, this (in my eyes inappropriate) advertisement followed us wherever we went. It was this image of a woman wearing nothing but tights, with her legs positioned in a manner that would prevent indecency, plastered on every corner of the city. And yes, it was an advertisement for tights so it makes sense to keep the focus on the product, but walking around and noticing little kids pointing at the advertisement made me uncomfortable to say the least. In the states, this advertisement would for sure not be allowed, at least in this quantity, because of how it is not family friendly. I mean, imagine walking around downtown Cincinnati and just seeing posters of half-naked girls everywhere you go – that just isn’t a part of the culture here. Reflection: Belgian ads seem to have more nudity in them as compared to the United States. It feels as though this has a lot to do with the culture that exists in the country – socially and historically. If you look at the art that has been a part of the EU’s history, you can see that the human body is portrayed in a classy and artistic manner. Artists have made an effort to emphasize how the human, specifically female, body is a work of art and should not be sexualized. And today, just based off of advertisements and souvenirs/trinkets, it is very apparent that Belgian people are very comfortable with a significantly higher amount of nudity than people in the states are. Theory: History plays a large part in the way people of certain cultures perceive and utilize nudity in every day life and in marketing. For the European Union, art plays a large part in history and the way modern society was formed, and so styles such as Romanticism have made a large impact in the way society views nudity. On the other hand, because the states developed at a much different pace, there was a larger focus on street art, such as graffiti, and modern art. Experimentation: A good way to test this theory is merely by researching the history of art styles in the European Union and in the states. I did so and found that if you simply type in “European art” into Google and compare it with “American art” there is a drastic and very obvious difference in the levels of nudity between the two. The second step to this was walking through a few popular streets in both countries and comparing the advertisements I saw. In Belgium (and Paris, actually) the advertisements tended to be a little bit more racy and show more skin, but when I walked around downtown Cincinnati, I noticed that the visuals in advertisements were a lot more conservative and family friendly. Implications: If a company from the states were to try and expand to the EU, they would be given a little bit more freedom in terms of what advertisements could consist of. The opposite goes for European companies expanding into the states – Americans are a little bit less tolerant of nudity and this may call for a change in the visuals for advertisements. Journal 4: Me I personally have been out of the states multiple times in my life- my family likes to travel a lot. But this is the first time I got to have an experience without my parents and got the chance to actually explore the cities I was in rather than just the tourist spots. I always thought that I had a very open view toward other cultures and that I would be able to easily understand why and how people from other countries did things a certain way, but this trip really opened my eyes and showed me that what we read about and see in the news is so much different from what cultures are actually like. My favorite part of this trip was probably being able to spend the day with the Belgian students in Louvain-a-Neuve. I was able to relate to them because they are all college students like me, but I was also able to learn so much about their lives in just a few hours. One thing that really stuck out to me was when one of the girls mentioned that she and most of her friends go home every weekend to spend time with their families. That struck me as odd because in the states most of the students I know make excuses to not have to go home so that they can spend time with their friends. This gave me a bit of a glimpse into their values. Another great experience was being able to go to mass at Notre Dame. Now this was entirely new to me because this was my first time inside a church, but what was really incredible was seeing people from all around the world coming together in one place for a common belief. And that was magical even if it wasn’t the same belief as mine. I walked into this study abroad feeling pretty confident because I knew more French than anyone else on this trip, and honestly the people there are so helpful and open to people who don’t speak the language. In the states, all I hear is “they shouldn’t have come here if they cant speak English,” but the French welcomed anyone who was willing to try with open arms. And the little French I could speak actually did help us through multiple meals and in the few times that we got lost. Finally, I am so glad that we had these classes before we went on this trip. All of the research we conducted and questions we asked gave me a new perspective on what I should look out for during my time there, and I am grateful to have gotten the opportunity to explore and understand another culture. I cannot wait to participate in another study abroad opportunity at UC and gain more knowledge on cultures. |