Passport Troubles
The European Union has much stricter customer data restrictions than the U.S. Even Microsoft couldn’t skirt those regulations, as reported in EU Business: The US software giant Microsoft has agreed …
Business globalization
China’s Gold Rush
When asked about his company’s plans for 2003, Kirk Pond, the CEO of Fairchild Semiconductor, talked mostly about Asia, specifically China. His company already does 70% of its business in …
Local Markets Change Channels
Is American entertainment a bellweather for other American products around the world? American multinationals must certainly hope not, based on this recent article. It seems that American studios are no …
Have a Mecca Cola and a Smile
When the world loved America, American multinationals could do (almost) no wrong. Nike, Coke, McDonald’s and the rest could sell their goods practically anywhere in the world and make a …
Translating Fashion
The French children’s clothing store Jacadi is a case study in the craziness that is globalization. Here is a French store expanding into the U.S. market because its fashions are …
The EU: Bigger and Better
The EU took a big step toward becoming the world’s largest trading market, with 446 million people vs. NAFTA’s 416 million. It put 10 additional countries on the track to …
When Brand and Country Collide
McDonald’s is about as American as apple pie, and that’s not such a good thing in parts of the world where America not in vogue. Consider the following from the …
Go-slow Globalization
A great article in the International Herald Tribune about Vietnam’s approach to globalization: The country’s 80 million people want their piece of global prosperity and the benefits that come from …
It’s Not a Matter of If, But When
Ford Motor Co. is paying an “incredible penalty” for Britain’s absence from the European single currency and its UK competitiveness will be hurt if the nation does not join, the …
Global E-commerce Update
Internet users are expected to number 655 million worldwide by the end of 2002. That’s a 30 percent increase over the previous year, with the developing world accounting for a …
Big Mac; Little Mac
Well, it appears that McDonald’s has fallen on hard times. According to the New York Times, it is “pulling out of three countries and closing restaurants in about 10 other …
Amazon Loves Japan
Want to know a big reason why Amazon is doing well these days? According to this article: Sales rose 33 percent to $851 million, helped by growth of some 90 …
Brand Name Blunders
In a global marketplace, the odds of a new brand name offending somebody somewhere multiply significantly. Do your homework before taking a brand name into new markets. And read Steve …
BellSouth Targets Hispanic Consumers Online
“With more than 42.5 million people of Hispanic descent in the United States, representing nearly 15 percent of the entire population, it’s important for us to provide this valuable audience …
Sizing the Translation Industry
According to a new report by Allied Business, the translation industry is showin no signs of slowing down. They predict translation revenues will reach $9.5 billion annually by year-end 2002: …