Adventures in web globalization, since 2002
According to a recent press release, last year more than 15 NBA teams incorporated Asian American marketing efforts into their overall marketing plans. And the timing isn’t due just to Yao; today, there are three Chinese players in the NBA: …
InternetNews featured a brief article on eBay’s expansion plans. It includes a great quote from an industry analyst: “Globalization is the next logical path for growth, they do have to be cautious,” Alvarez (Meta Group) told internetnews. “So long as …
The executives at Wal-Mart may be accused (and guilty) of many bad things, but I have to give them credit for sucking up their pride when going global. This article talks about how Wal-Mart decided against using its brand name …
Remember Realnames – the company that promised to eliminate the need for URLs forever? With their system you needed only to enter a company’s name in the address window of a Web browser instead of a URL and you would …
The Pew Research Center has released an interesting study about the differences between men and women around the globe. One area where there appears to be general agreement is the Internet. Here’s what they say: Men and women similarly like …
The brain trust that is General Motors will have to rename its latest brand, the Buick LaCrosse for its Canadian market. According to this article in the Toronto Sun, GM did not realize that LaCrosse is slang in Quebec for …
McDonald’s has a new slogan “I’m Loving It.” I’m not fan of the slogan – and am not sure McDonald’s even needs a slogan any more — but I do enjoy watching how companies extend their slogans across markets. So …
In 2001, the McDonald’s in Greece launched the “Greek Mac.” The Greek Mac consists of two burgers wrapped in a pita with yogurt sauce, tomato slices, iceberg lettuce and onions. According to a recent press release, McDonald’s claims the sandwich …
Maps generally make ideal global gateways. That is, if you see a map on the home page, you will likely assume that you are being asked to select your target country or region. However, the challenge with using maps is …
Globalization is funny. Just when you think you’ve created a global brand, people start yearning for its “localness.” Take Coca-Cola. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, expat Mexicans are paying a premium for imported Coke. Here’s an excerpt: …
I recently came across the Web site of BYD Automotive in China. Now I have to believe the lawyers at BMW are well aware of this logo, though I’m not sure what they can do to stop it. It certainly …
This recent article in USA Today covers the Internet access craze in China. According to the article, the number of people online has surpassed 68 million, making it the second-largest Internet market next to the U.S. — and it has …
I am on a number of mailing lists. This year I noticed that a few multinational organizations have begun sending releases in more than one language. While it would make more sense to have recorded my language preference and sent …
The trend of American companies building Spanish-language Web sites is now in full swing. We are now seeing health care organizations getting into the act, with Delta Dental of California now offering a Spanish site: I always find it interesting …
Here is a great article about Unicode and how it affects Web developers and programmers. Here’s an excerpt: The Single Most Important Fact About Encodings If you completely forget everything I just explained, please remember one extremely important fact. It …