May 8, 2012
U.S. telecom carriers face daunting challenges from device makers, content providers, social networks, and an array of disruptive technologies. But the solutions may not be housed on their own soil.
The telecom industry has changed, and the industry dynamics will continue to shift under the pressure from social media and the power of the consumer. Already, the popularity of the iPhone app store and the iPhone device itself has given credence to a purchasing phenomenon and the clout a...
Unilever's AdeS, a combination of soymilk and fruit juice, has become a big success in Latin America. In Brazil it's now so popular that it now has about ten direct competitors, among them a product made by Nestlé. All of which raises a question: Why did it take so long?
AdeS was developed not by Unilever but by an Argentinean lawyer. And while he enlisted Unilever and other multinationals to distribute the product from its beginnings in the...
May 1, 2012
April 24, 2012
In my previous post, I argued that the potential gains from globalization are larger than most people think. Since I only addressed possible benefits, it is perhaps unsurprising that readers were quick to point out many potential downsides. The global recession has recently and directly impacted the lives of many, most obviously in the form of rising unemployment — and the finger of blame is often...
April 19, 2012
Today's greatest business opportunities, and also the greatest challenges we face, are global in nature and therefore demand leaders who are also global. But what does "global" really mean? The old mantra "think global, act local" is woefully inadequate to describe the complex realities global leaders face. Truly global leaders act as bridge builders, connectors of resources and talent across cultural and political boundaries — relentlessly dedicated to finding new ways of creating...
April 16, 2012
If you shaved today, either in the U.S. or in India, you probably used a Gillette razor. Gillette (now a brand of P&G), reportedly has had a U.S. market share of more than 80%, with Schick a distant second. Even more remarkably, they achieved this without resorting to price competition. The blade cartridges for its latest-and-greatest razor, the top-selling Fusion ProGlide, retail for around $4 each, leaving...
April 10, 2012
"Siew Tian, why don't you speak up? I know you have something to say, and you're not saying it," I gently nudge a junior executive in Indonesia. We have worked together on various projects for several months, so I know what she is capable of. She is smart, her client service is unparalleled, and she constantly strives to learn. Yet, when her CEO enters the room specifically to seek feedback in her area of expertise, I once again watch her shrink from being a bright, outgoing creative...
April 9, 2012
There is a general consensus that U.S. healthcare needs major reform. Can reverse innovation — innovations originating from poor countries — provide one important answer? Most definitely.
In the U.S., the approach is to spend more money on major technological advances and come up with innovative products and solutions. In poor countries, the innovation paradigm is just the opposite: spend less and innovate new business...
April 4, 2012
Entrepreneurship seems to have become the silver bullet for a job-scarce, unemployment-saddled global economy still struggling to shake off recession. Around the world, leaders talk about how start-ups can create new jobs and lift regions out of poverty. But many entrepreneurs — particularly those in the world's toughest economies — are still battling to secure the cash they need to launch and run their businesses.
In low-income countries, according to World Bank data in...
March 26, 2012
Western multinationals — especially the most successful ones — consistently struggle to achieve their growth targets in emerging markets. Why? Because they try to repeat their past success formulas — the ones that work so well for them in developed markets.
This was the case at Harman, which had achieved extraordinary success in the high-end automotive infotainment systems for luxury cars. However, the...
