Tapestry™
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Australia tops most coveted products
When it comes to global acceptance of a national image, Australia ranks the most popular. This is according to a survey of 2,700 people throughout the world looking at the safe, friendly, familial, and reliable.
Canada placed second.
The image of the country affects the international sale of products and services and its position as a tourist destination.
Canada, with Russia, USA, and Greenland as international neighbors would be expected to fare well with tourists, however it ranked eighth as a tourism destination in spite of the global image. This is because most international tourists prefer nearby countries to get their international flavor.
When it comes to global acceptance of a national image, Australia ranks the most popular. This is according to a survey of 2,700 people throughout the world looking at the safe, friendly, familial, and reliable.Canada placed second.
The image of the country affects the international sale of products and services and its position as a tourist destination.
Canada, with Russia, USA, and Greenland as international neighbors would be expected to fare well with tourists, however it ranked eighth as a tourism destination in spite of the global image. This is because most international tourists prefer nearby countries to get their international flavor.
Labels: Globalization
¶ 12/03/2008 0 Comments Links to this post
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Deadly impact of Daylight Savings Time
I have often wondered why much of the world participates in the needless practice of Daylight Savings Time. When I think of the expense and energy involved in turning our clocks back and forth each year I ponder if their may be some more worthwhile exercise. How silly it seems to me that we must adjust our clocks for nothing more than a mind game allowing us think it is later than it really is.
Yet most people on both sides of the equator follow this ritual.
Enter a study from Sweden revealing that the time change is costing lives! It seems that the hour of lost sleep when the clocks are pushed forward generates a 6 percent increase the following Monday and Wednesday, and a whopping 10 percent increase the following Tuesday. There is no offsetting decrease in heart attacks when the clocks are moved back!
Therefore, MBC Global calls upon people north of the equator to stop this practice. Perhaps a one time half-hour shift could occur. Perhaps the practice could just be abandoned. You have six months to stop this needless human killing.
Meanwhile, to those of our readers south of the equator that are turning their clocks ahead this weekend, we offer our sincere sympathy for those that will not live past Wednesday.
I have often wondered why much of the world participates in the needless practice of Daylight Savings Time. When I think of the expense and energy involved in turning our clocks back and forth each year I ponder if their may be some more worthwhile exercise. How silly it seems to me that we must adjust our clocks for nothing more than a mind game allowing us think it is later than it really is.Yet most people on both sides of the equator follow this ritual.
Enter a study from Sweden revealing that the time change is costing lives! It seems that the hour of lost sleep when the clocks are pushed forward generates a 6 percent increase the following Monday and Wednesday, and a whopping 10 percent increase the following Tuesday. There is no offsetting decrease in heart attacks when the clocks are moved back!
Therefore, MBC Global calls upon people north of the equator to stop this practice. Perhaps a one time half-hour shift could occur. Perhaps the practice could just be abandoned. You have six months to stop this needless human killing.
Meanwhile, to those of our readers south of the equator that are turning their clocks ahead this weekend, we offer our sincere sympathy for those that will not live past Wednesday.
Labels: Globalization, Health, News
¶ 11/01/2008 0 Comments Links to this post
Thursday, October 23, 2008
New York most cultural city
New York has been ranked as the top city for diversity according to Foreign Policy Magazine’s Global Cities Index. The ranking takes into account business, human capital, culture, global political influence, and centrality to global information flows.
The top cities are:
Editor's note: Sales are made possible when you have a viable marketing plan. Robert Middleton, "The Info Guru", is offering a Marketing Start-Up Kit completely without cost or obligation. Click on the following ad to learn more.
New York has been ranked as the top city for diversity according to Foreign Policy Magazine’s Global Cities Index. The ranking takes into account business, human capital, culture, global political influence, and centrality to global information flows.The top cities are:
- New York
- Paris
- London
- Toronto
Editor's note: Sales are made possible when you have a viable marketing plan. Robert Middleton, "The Info Guru", is offering a Marketing Start-Up Kit completely without cost or obligation. Click on the following ad to learn more.
Labels: Globalization, Tourism
¶ 10/23/2008 0 Comments Links to this post
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Culture Code
Salespeople seeking to sell more and consumers trying to understand their buying habits need to read The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They Do
.
IClotaire Rapaille paints a picture of how cultural imprints guide our thoughts, perceptions and desires he calls imprints. He presents a five step process for eliciting imprints while clearly and convincingly demonstrating the translation of our imprints into codes that anyone can use in their ability to persuade, sell or market their products and services.
If you have more customers than you can handle save you money. But if you want to grow a business, this book is a must.
Likewise, if you have ever bought something you didn’t need but were caught up in the heat of the moment during a sales pitch, this book can help prevent that mistake in the future.
Salespeople seeking to sell more and consumers trying to understand their buying habits need to read The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They Do.IClotaire Rapaille paints a picture of how cultural imprints guide our thoughts, perceptions and desires he calls imprints. He presents a five step process for eliciting imprints while clearly and convincingly demonstrating the translation of our imprints into codes that anyone can use in their ability to persuade, sell or market their products and services.
If you have more customers than you can handle save you money. But if you want to grow a business, this book is a must.
Likewise, if you have ever bought something you didn’t need but were caught up in the heat of the moment during a sales pitch, this book can help prevent that mistake in the future.
Labels: Book, Business, Globalization
¶ 10/19/2008 0 Comments Links to this post
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Columbus Voyage a Tribute to Diversity
Columbus Day marks the annual remembrance of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to open east-west trade routes. As the day is observed, the diversity behind the voyage’s success is often overlooked.
Arranging for the voyage was a long process for Columbus as he tried to find funding in Portugal, Italy, and Spain. The journey was planned by a committee in Lisbon, Portugal. Led by Joseph Diego Mendes Vezinho, a Jewish scientist that later converted to Christianity, a nautical plan was developed using newly created star charts and maps developed by Muslim navigators.
The diversity continued when it was time to fund the trip. Columbus sought finances from several sources eventually finding success with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. They did not agree to fund the trip until Luis de Santangel developed a successful plan. King Ferdinand had ordered all Jews and Muslims convert to Catholicism or leave Spanish soil. Santangel, a Jew, converted under this decree. He compiled the funds using an endowment, uncollected penalties owed by the City of Palos, and his own personal funds. The monarchy agreed as it involved little of their own money.
To read more, click here.
Columbus Day marks the annual remembrance of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to open east-west trade routes. As the day is observed, the diversity behind the voyage’s success is often overlooked.Arranging for the voyage was a long process for Columbus as he tried to find funding in Portugal, Italy, and Spain. The journey was planned by a committee in Lisbon, Portugal. Led by Joseph Diego Mendes Vezinho, a Jewish scientist that later converted to Christianity, a nautical plan was developed using newly created star charts and maps developed by Muslim navigators.
The diversity continued when it was time to fund the trip. Columbus sought finances from several sources eventually finding success with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. They did not agree to fund the trip until Luis de Santangel developed a successful plan. King Ferdinand had ordered all Jews and Muslims convert to Catholicism or leave Spanish soil. Santangel, a Jew, converted under this decree. He compiled the funds using an endowment, uncollected penalties owed by the City of Palos, and his own personal funds. The monarchy agreed as it involved little of their own money.
To read more, click here.
Labels: Diversity, Globalization
¶ 10/12/2008 0 Comments Links to this post
Friday, October 3, 2008
Kangaroo for dinner
Beef and lamb would be replaced by kangaroo if this idea from Australia catches on. In an effort to stop global warming, Professor Ross Garnaut in Sydney has suggested that kangaroo farming replace traditional live protein farming.
Garnaut feels 43 million heads of cattle and sheep could be replaced by as many as 240 million head of kangaroo.
Not only is kangaroo a leaner meat high in protein, kangaroos emit fewer greenhouse gases creating less of an impact on global warming concerns.
Beef and lamb would be replaced by kangaroo if this idea from Australia catches on. In an effort to stop global warming, Professor Ross Garnaut in Sydney has suggested that kangaroo farming replace traditional live protein farming.Garnaut feels 43 million heads of cattle and sheep could be replaced by as many as 240 million head of kangaroo.
Not only is kangaroo a leaner meat high in protein, kangaroos emit fewer greenhouse gases creating less of an impact on global warming concerns.
Labels: Globalization, Health
¶ 10/03/2008 0 Comments Links to this post
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friends without Borders
Here is a short video from Global Rickshaw showing how our youngest global citizens view the world of friendship.
Labels: Globalization, Millennial, Video
¶ 9/27/2008 0 Comments Links to this post
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Historical time in US
Multiculturalism is alive and well in the United States, as evidenced by the two major party slates for this year’s presidential election. For the first time, a legally recognized minority will hold a position in the executive branch of the US government. Depending on which party wins Americans will have either their first African-American or woman in the executive branch of their government.
Both tickets also represent diversity in generation two different generations (Democrat: Obama is a Baby Boomer* while Biden is a Builder, Republican: McCain is from the Builder generation while Palin is in Generation X.
This election is already historical in that the tickets have more diversity than any prior election. It will also make history when the votes are counted and a never before represented culture takes its place in the executive branch of government.
*It is important to point out that generational classifications are based on birth years and are not uniformly accepted. Although all show the year Obama was born, 1961, as designating a baby boomer, some show the year as the first year of Generation X.
Multiculturalism is alive and well in the United States, as evidenced by the two major party slates for this year’s presidential election. For the first time, a legally recognized minority will hold a position in the executive branch of the US government. Depending on which party wins Americans will have either their first African-American or woman in the executive branch of their government.Both tickets also represent diversity in generation two different generations (Democrat: Obama is a Baby Boomer* while Biden is a Builder, Republican: McCain is from the Builder generation while Palin is in Generation X.
This election is already historical in that the tickets have more diversity than any prior election. It will also make history when the votes are counted and a never before represented culture takes its place in the executive branch of government.
*It is important to point out that generational classifications are based on birth years and are not uniformly accepted. Although all show the year Obama was born, 1961, as designating a baby boomer, some show the year as the first year of Generation X.
Labels: Baby-Boomer, Gen-X, Globalization, News, Traditionalists
¶ 8/30/2008 0 Comments Links to this post
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Michigan city connects to global marketplace
The City of Madison Heights, Michigan, has been connected to the global economy thanks to a program from Max Impact’s MBC Global division.
MBC Global had been contacted by Linda Williams of the Downtown Development Association (DDA) and the city’s Department of Economic Development to address their merchants about the city’s rapidly changing demographics. The task was to ignite the imagination of the business community to opportunities available to do business with new local cultures and to open the door to selling their products and services in a global environment.
To read the full case study, click here.
Today's sponsor:
The City of Madison Heights, Michigan, has been connected to the global economy thanks to a program from Max Impact’s MBC Global division.MBC Global had been contacted by Linda Williams of the Downtown Development Association (DDA) and the city’s Department of Economic Development to address their merchants about the city’s rapidly changing demographics. The task was to ignite the imagination of the business community to opportunities available to do business with new local cultures and to open the door to selling their products and services in a global environment.
To read the full case study, click here.
Today's sponsor:
Labels: Globalization, Strategy, Success_Story
¶ 7/27/2008 0 Comments Links to this post
Monday, July 14, 2008
Globalization captures American icon
The proposed purchase of an icon of American beer, Budweiser, by Belgium’s InBev is potentially just the beginning of a trend. As populations continue to migrate around the globe at unprecedented rates, products with well-known names are easier to sell. Couple this with a rapidly descending American dollar and it is easy to see that companies located in stronger currencies, such as the Euro, are ready to pounce.
Few American businesses truly understand the global marketplace as ripe for growth. Companies such as Wal-Mart and General Motors have found great benefit by being savvy global marketplace players. For Wal-Mart, understanding the culture of the budget-minded along with the nuances of local cultures have given the global mega-corporation a safe harbor against the falling dollar. At General Motors, growth in new markets, such as China, is saving the company as it innovates to deal with alternatives to the American SUV marketplace.
American products with high advertising budgets have made their name known around the world. The spread of the population has also carried word-of-mouth name recognition to new customers. As the price tag of American companies drops in other currencies, because 1 billion US dollars is far less British pounds than it use to be, they become targets of international conglomerates that have already learned the importance of reaching across borders for business growth.
Several politicians say they will fight the buy-out due to the negative impact on jobs, which could number as high as 6,000 being added to Missouri’s unemployment roles. They say they fear jobs will be moved to InBev’s headquarters in Europe. InBev is smart enough to know that some presence in the US will be necessary, however it will not need all 6,000.
This should anger the politicians. not because their constituents will be added to the job lost category, but because they were inept in understanding their role in keeping the dollar in the category of strong currencies. In other words, they should not be mad at InBev or Budweiser, but they should be mad at themselves.
Perhaps they should put down a few Buds during their month-long August vacation. It will be interesting to see how much more devalued the dollar is when they return in September.
The proposed purchase of an icon of American beer, Budweiser, by Belgium’s InBev is potentially just the beginning of a trend. As populations continue to migrate around the globe at unprecedented rates, products with well-known names are easier to sell. Couple this with a rapidly descending American dollar and it is easy to see that companies located in stronger currencies, such as the Euro, are ready to pounce.Few American businesses truly understand the global marketplace as ripe for growth. Companies such as Wal-Mart and General Motors have found great benefit by being savvy global marketplace players. For Wal-Mart, understanding the culture of the budget-minded along with the nuances of local cultures have given the global mega-corporation a safe harbor against the falling dollar. At General Motors, growth in new markets, such as China, is saving the company as it innovates to deal with alternatives to the American SUV marketplace.
American products with high advertising budgets have made their name known around the world. The spread of the population has also carried word-of-mouth name recognition to new customers. As the price tag of American companies drops in other currencies, because 1 billion US dollars is far less British pounds than it use to be, they become targets of international conglomerates that have already learned the importance of reaching across borders for business growth.
Several politicians say they will fight the buy-out due to the negative impact on jobs, which could number as high as 6,000 being added to Missouri’s unemployment roles. They say they fear jobs will be moved to InBev’s headquarters in Europe. InBev is smart enough to know that some presence in the US will be necessary, however it will not need all 6,000.
This should anger the politicians. not because their constituents will be added to the job lost category, but because they were inept in understanding their role in keeping the dollar in the category of strong currencies. In other words, they should not be mad at InBev or Budweiser, but they should be mad at themselves.
Perhaps they should put down a few Buds during their month-long August vacation. It will be interesting to see how much more devalued the dollar is when they return in September.
Labels: Business, Globalization, News
¶ 7/14/2008 3 Comments Links to this post
