The Influence of Globalization and Localization

* Discuss the influence of globalization and localization when it comes to marketing brands. Modern business imperatives dictate that companies adopt a strategy of marketing both locally and globally if they have to compete or capture a significant portion of the market. The concept of global village means that the global market is shrinking and barriers that used to be impenetrable are breaking down allowing for businesses to market their brands out of their traditional market strongholds. The effects of this is that companies will make a global presence but with a local flavor and close attention to the new local communities or markets that they are seeking to acquire. A case in point is the KFC brand. It has the advantage of solid brand name which gives it an instant recognition and market share, but for it to make a significant inroad and capture a majority market shares, it must think locally by tailoring its menu, management and marketing to the local communities. This seems to be the strategy employed by David Novak of the Yum brands in China. He not only realized that a local presence through local management staff and menu makes good business sense, it also ensures the survival of the brand away from its home base. Would the same success be achieved with a less-visible brand? Explain your rationale from the receiver’s perspective. A less visible brand will find it difficult to make an inroad into the market due to the fact that consumers will have a bit of trepidation to accept the brand. The brand will have to work itself up by creating loyalty, employing locals, improved quality and community involvement to gain acceptance. Through advertisement, promotional offers, affordable price and incorporating local delicacies in its menu, a lesser known brand can become a well-known franchise and a visible brand as well. * What steps might you take to achieve the same kind of success with an almost unknown brand? I think the lesser known brand will do well by thinking locally by taking into consideration the sensitivities of the local communities it operates in, employ the locals, be a good local corporate citizen, incorporate the local delicacies on its menu so as to appeal to a wider variety of clients. Also, in its pricing, it must take into consideration the buying power and spending habits of the people to make sure that its products are within local reach. * Discuss the influence of globalization and localization when it comes to marketing brands. Modern business imperatives dictate that companies adopt a strategy of marketing both locally and globally if they have to compete or capture a significant portion of the market. The concept of global village means that the global market is shrinking and barriers that used to be impenetrable are breaking down allowing for businesses to market their brands out of their traditional market strongholds. The effects of this is that companies will make a global presence but with a local flavor and close attention to the new local communities or markets that they are seeking to acquire. A case in point is the KFC brand. It has the advantage of solid brand name which gives it an instant recognition and market share, but for it to make a significant inroad and capture a majority market shares, it must think locally by tailoring its menu, management and marketing to the local communities. This seems to be the strategy employed by David Novak of the Yum brands in China. He not only realized that a local presence through local management staff and menu makes good business sense, it also ensures the survival of the brand away from its home base. Would the same success be achieved with a less-visible brand? Explain your rationale from the receiver’s perspective. A less visible brand will find it difficult to make an inroad into the market due to the fact that consumers will have a bit of trepidation to accept the brand. The brand will have to work itself up by creating loyalty, employing locals, improved quality and community involvement to gain acceptance. Through advertisement, promotional offers, affordable price and incorporating local delicacies in its menu, a lesser known brand can become a well-known franchise and a visible brand as well. What steps might you take to achieve the same kind of success with an almost unknown brand? I think the lesser known brand will do well by thinking locally by taking into consideration the sensitivities of the local communities it operates in, employ the locals, be a good local corporate citizen, incorporate the local delicacies on its menu so as to appeal to a wider variety of clients. Also, in its pricing, it must take into consideration the buying power and spending habits of the people to make sure that its products are within local reach. Numerous theorists discuss cultural concepts. Using this information as a basis, discuss the concepts you would want to analyze and evaluate in order to prepare you and other company executives for the upcoming meeting. * Which of the concepts you discussed would be the hardest to analyze? Why? * Describe a worst case scenario involving the muddling of culture concepts. What steps could you (or your company) take to ensure something similar never happens to you? Numerous theorists discuss cultural concepts. Using this information as a basis, discuss the concepts you would want to analyze and evaluate in order to prepare you and other company executives for the upcoming meeting. There are so many issues that come to mind when preparing for a meeting with a foreign business audience. The first thing would be to know the audience and the cultural, social background to be able to formulate an adequate communication strategy to make the message clear and understandable. There is always the issue of cultural differences that have to be bridged. This translates into what to say and how to say that will not generate any misunderstanding or negative feelings. Understanding the verbal and non-verbal cues that are important in cross cultural exchanges is very important. For example, there is a definite difference between a Japanese or Korean business concept and communication and that of an American. Therefore, advance knowledge and preparation for any meeting between people from these cultures is very critical. What is the gender perception in each culture? Would I send a female to go do a business deal in a culture that has a less favorable view of women in power? What is the most appropriate language to use and what is the distance to maintain when discussing are the issues that would have to deal with. Any company that has a diverse business- be it internal or external must have a policy and procedure manual on how to deal with such diverse base. * Which of the concepts you discussed would be the hardest to analyze? Why? While one may be able to analyze the cultural, socio-graphics and other concepts, being able to nalyze the individual specific reaction in a real situation as personal differences come to play. Certain non-verbal cues may be very hard to analyze and it will be left to he participants to figure out the meaning of each non-verbal gesture to avoid misunderstanding and potential conflict. * Describe a worst case scenario involving the muddling of culture concepts. What steps could you (or your company) take to ensure som ething similar never happens to you? A worst case scenario would be where beliefs and world views are so opposite that communication is impeded. An assumption of superiority by one side over the other may be a recipe for disaster and a deal killer. I had an experience back home in Africa when I received some people from England as I was accustomed to doing. There was always a feeling of being patronized by my European counterpart by not respecting my cultural taboos and on many occasions I had to call them to order and insisted on things being done with mutual respect. I think, preparing my experts on how to behave and respect the cultures of others by not being judgmental and patronizing is definitely one thing to do. Recognizing the non-verbal cues of approval or disapproval is key to avoiding conflict when negotiating. Assignment 1: Communication Process (due by Sunday before midnight). Find a Web site that has an â€Å"About Us† section or a â€Å"Press Release† section. Write a three to four (3-4) page paper addressing the following: 1. Identify the Web site, the sender, and perceived receiver. 2. Analyze the integrated business communication. 3. Assess the media richness of the section. 4. Describe how the message is framed. 5. Identify opinion leaders. 6. Make recommendations for improving word choice.