Ever seen McDonald’s sell Hamburgers in India?
You know why? Cow is a holy animal for the Hindus and majority of the Indian population follows Hinduism. So selling beef in India would provoke mass sentiments against the brand and most beef would have gone into the dumpsters given that they managed to procure all licenses for setting up such large scale slaughter and found enough employees to serve beef stuffed dishes!
Ever wondered why McDonald’s sells Rice Balls in Japan?
Come on! Americans may love all the brown stuff that comes out of the baker’s oven but you just can’t expect asians to leave the fluffy white stuff. And Japanese just love rice so if you don’t sell anything that suits their taste don’t expect yourself to be a part of their lifestyle.
In food business being alienated is actually “try it once” and you don’t just expect people to like it and compromise with their lifestyles so that you become a part of it. I gave the example of Food Industry just for two reasons: first, they are the best at this and second, it would be easy for you to relate and understand.
Talk about any successful food chain, name it: McDonalds, Subway, Dominos, Pizza Hut, etc… They have tweaked their dishes to suit local tastes and it takes a lot of R&D.
So now coming to the point, globalisation is not just tweeting to someone on the opposite side of the planet but it is about being local wherever you go! Just as Mahatma Gandhi said, “No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” You don’t expect people to make space for you but you have to earn your space.
And it’s not just about local religion or lifestyle but also about:
Prejudices: No product is priced at $9.99 in Japan because 9 may work for most of the 7 billion people but it just doesn’t work for the 127 million people of Japan. Instead they love inverted version, I mean 6. So products are priced at $6.66 instead. Now one of the greatest dilemmas of the hospitality industry. Which car would you send to receive your high roller hotel guest who just hit the Vegas tarmac in his private jet? Of course a limo but would it be a black one or white one? The black one definitely is the status symbol but it’s also a part of the funeral convoy and is regarded as bad luck by some people and a white limo looks good only on the Vogue Magazine! Well I would have sent a Rolls Royce Phantom, just any colour except yellow!
Etiquettes: Never ever wear a stripped tie if you’re on a business trip to the United Kingdom. Why? Stripped tie is a part of many private schools uniforms in London. If you happen to be in Italy and someone invites you over for dinner just leave the wine and flowers back at your place. Local custom is to send the gifts the next morning.
And the Most Important, Language: Both verbal and non-verbal(body language). Get a list of all local jargons also get to know which words and gestures are seriously offensive to the locals. Two men holding hands in Middle East is a sign of mutual respect but in some other part of the world this can land you behind bars. For the verbal part, know a bit about local words which have become a part of their version of English. So in case you’re giving a speech or presentation, using such words can make your message more effective.
When you attempt to adopt local culture, you convey your appreciation for the culture. This doesn’t make you a stupid foreigner but it helps you leave a lasting impression.
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Savvy Munshi 