|
October 2, 2000—The
Global Imperative
In the face of digital hysteria, we have striven with our
clientele to accent where the profits lie. They are found in global trade
pastures as well as in the new service ecosystem now surrounding every
product worth its salt. Digitalis (digital fascination) is a means to an
end, not the end in itself.
The Latin Rhythm. The flowering of Hispanic culture, which dominates
our entries on The Global Province this week, is evidence of how we are
becoming globalized. Given our huge national market and our heartland
culture, the world is finding us, rather than us taking the world. We have
been slow to market internationally, and very slow off the mark
geopolitically. For the last ten years our government has been asleep
internationally, but no one has cared. This was further confirmed this week
during a visit with an old State Department hand.
Just recently, Ruben Dario, poet of Latin greatness, has been rediscovered,
almost by accident, at Harvard's Widener Library (<www.globalprovince.com/bestofclass.htm>).
Cuban and Latin music now sweep across the dance clubs of the United States
(<www.globalprovince.com/bestofclass.htm>).
Spain's fast moving fashion store -- Zara (<www.globalprovince.com/agilecompanies.htm>)
-- is running circles around our retailers, while Spain's new economic
muscle is also being felt around the Hemisphere in banking and
telecommunications. Recognizing the obvious, ABC World News Tonight
is just beginning broadcasts in Spanish. In spite of ourselves, we are
donning some international clothing.
The Global Imperative. More and more companies are understanding the
global imperative. GE, slow to grow overseas, has been buying cheap assets
ranging from lighting companies in the old Eastern bloc to an array of
financial service assets in Japan. Gradually companies are learning to be
international.
The Service Paradox. Service is another story. It is the central
paradox of business. Every company with vision has decided that it must
offer a panoply of services if it is to enjoy double-digit growth. And yet
"service quality," in company after company, industry after industry, is
declining. At the consumer or business-to-business level, one experiences
pure shock if anyone surprises you with a superior service experience. By
and large, companies do not understand the essence of service. In fact,
that is a strategic problem we are being asked to deal with in some major
companies: How do we make the transition to the service economy? The ability
to do so will profoundly affect the branding issues all companies must now
confront.
P.S. We would appreciate it if you would share with us any superior
encounters you have with the media -- be it newspapers, cable channels,
academic journals, web magazines, or whatever. We wonder who compels your
attention or simply provides something you find terribly useful. For us, a
revived Atlantic Monthly has been a recent pleasurable surprise.
Back to Top of
Page
Return to the Index of
Letters from the Global Province |