As part of our “Go Canadians, Go” project, Marketing asked dozens of Canucks working abroad (or those who’ve returned with a few years of international experience) to give us their impressions of the differences between Canada’s industry and others. Does being Canadian give you a leg up?
I’m a Canadian who emigrated from the U.K. when I was 26 years old (many decades ago) and took out citizenship back in 1979. I have lived and worked in marketing and advertising for long periods in China, Japan, Norway and the US as well as in the U.K. before coming to Canada.
As part of my current job I am regularly in Brazil, China, India, and occasionally Russia, marketing management education programs.
I have loved every – well almost every – experience. I have spent nights in geisha houses playing odd games, participated in endless Chinese banquets and drunk too much Moutai, been beaten with birch leaves in a banya by the Mayor of Nizhni Novgorod, given presentations in downtown Newark, N.J. where I was absolutely the only even remotely white face, and conducted negotiations while sitting naked in the snow outside a Norwegian cottage.
What do others think of Canadians? Norwegians think we are like them and have the same problem with the Swedes that Canadians occasionally have with Americans. Brazilians think of us as all ‘gringos’ but when they think of Canadians specifically think we are nice (but rather dull) and cold (not just the climate).
My good friend and co-author of “Ikonica” Jeannette Hanna (an imported American) has described Canadian brand strategy as being ‘chameleon’. We don’t have many globally powerful brands but we have successful and admired organizations and activities in agribusiness, banking, education, engineering, insurance, mining, pension fund management, real estate development and transportation. We are more often the enablers of successes than the principals.
Being a Canadian abroad means being mostly well accepted and we’re a small enough group in any city that we’re not too annoying to the locals.
But is nice enough? No. I think we need to remain Canadian but be a little more a ‘trader’ or merchant in instinct and behaviour.
A Japanese friend, then head of a major Japanese organization, said this to me once: “We like dealing with Canadians in business. You are more respectful of our culture and traditions than others. You make more effort in research and understanding of us. You exaggerate less than others so we have more trust in relations and negotiations. Through 85% of any discussions and negotiations the process is constructive and one of respect. But you don’t ask for the order strongly enough!!!”
Too often our niceness and respect get in the way of determined pursuit for the order or contract. Our comfort at home gets in the way of seeking greater opportunities out side of both Canada and indeed, North America.
We can be both: Nice, circumspect, respectful and proud of our homeland, but also determined, persistent, globally oriented and always focused on winning the contract and business.
Happy Canada Day!
Alan C. Middleton is assistant professor of Marketing at the Schulich School of Business, York Universityv
