The Mouse That Doesn’t Come With a Computer, Case Study Example

Working in another country can be a fun and challenging experience. If you had to choose one country to live in other than the United States, where would it be? What American companies are located there?

If I have to choose one country to live in, it would be France. This is because I love French history and their cultural accomplishments over the centuries including art, cuisine, perfumery, and fashion. American companies with operations in France include fashion brands such as Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, automobile manufacturers such as Ford and GM, consumer goods companies such as Proctor & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive, and technology companies such as Microsoft and Apple.

What products have you bought lately that were made in a different country? What countries produced them? Did you have any difficulty accepting the fact that the product came from there? Did you have any difficulty with the directions or the follow-up service? What does that tell you about global marketing and global business?

Recently I bought a Nike sneaker that was made in Vietnam, an Apple iPad that was assembled in China, and a Prada fragrance that was made in Spain. I have heard that there was a time when products manufactured in China had a reputation for bad quality and consumers were willing to pay premium prices for products with ‘Made in Japan’ and ‘Made in Germany’ label. But now it is not common to see many high priced products with ‘Made in China’ label. I didn’t have any difficulty accepting the fact that the products I bought came from China, Vietnam, or Spain. In addition, I didn’t have any quality concerns as well because I know that multinational companies require the contractors to follow agreed-upon quality standards. Globalization has not only benefitted corporations but also the consumers because we would be paying higher prices otherwise.

The directions were also easy to understand and so was the follow-up service. This made me realized that companies today have their operations spread all over the world and yet they are able to maintain quality standards and provide effective customer service. All of this has been made possible due to advancements in supply chain systems and information technologies. In addition, the factors of production have become more mobile and competition has increased due to globalization. Consumers now care less about the origins of manufacturing than they might have in the past. This is because products’ quality has improved and moreover, a significant number of products are now manufactured in emerging economies, thus, the consumers have adapted to the new reality. The companies have also learnt the importance of customizing service and marketing to suit local tastes and traditions, thus, they often delegate marketing and customer service to local offices or business partners instead of going for one-size-fits-all approach.

Imagine yourself trying to sell someone from France on the idea of visiting the Disney park. What issues might you expect to encounter? What issues may you encounter when trying to get someone visiting from France to go to the Disneyland Park in the United States?

If I am trying to convince someone from France on the idea of visiting the Disney Park, some of the issues I may expect to encounter include food, entertainment preferences, and clothing attire. In France some food outlets sell alcohol and even McDonald’s sell beer. In addition, McDonald’s and other companies such as Starbucks have customized their menu to suit local tastes (Wall Street Journal, 2010), thus, French visitors may not like the food in Disneyland. In addition, French visitors may have different entertainment tastes and may think of Disneyland as a place for children or families only. Instead, French visitors may prefer other entertainment options such as museums, visit to American historical places, and theater. In addition, French also have a reputation for fashion-forwardness and are less into casual wear than Americans, thus, their dressing attire may not be best suited to a Disneyland trip where one would have to walk a lot (Paris Escapes).

References

Paris Escapes. (n.d.). What to Wear in Paris, France. Retrieved November 5, 2011, from http://www.parisescapes.com/paris_wear.html

Wall Street Journal. (2010, May 4). Fast Food Craze Hits France. Retrieved November 5, 2011, from http://blogs.wsj.com/source/2010/05/04/fast-food-craze-hits-france/