Can "Guochao" Become a Global Trend:Cultural Identity Dilemmas in the International Communication of Shanghai Time-Honored Brands
Abstract
In recent years, "Guochao" has become an important representation of China's cultural confidence. A growing number of Shanghai time-honored brands have entered the international market, yet "going global" does not equate to gaining cultural identity. Taking brands such as Lao Feng Xiang and Baromon as examples, this paper adopts methods including literature research, case analysis and content analysis to examine their international communication practices from a semiotic perspective. The study finds that Shanghai brands shape the image of Eastern culture through visual symbols and narrative symbols, but overseas audiences' understanding mostly remains at the level of aesthetic consumption. Their international communication faces dilemmas such as the imbalance between materiality and symbolicity, ineffective translation of regional culture, and conflicts between nostalgic narratives and modern aesthetics, which essentially reflect the dislocation between the cultural meaning of brands and the "interpretant" of overseas audiences.
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