Today in Global Small Business: RIP Lily Ebert

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert dies at 100.  May she finally rest in peace, deservedly so.
• Have you ever heard of planetary health?
• Quote of the week: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." – Martin Luther King Jr.
• The world’s most powerful countries are the ones that consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns.
• Best global brands 2024.
• World economies competitiveness ranking.

How to Be Like Apple

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So you're a small business owner but want to grow up to be like Apple, Google or Coca Cola?  It's not as hard as you think.  First, change your mindset.  Next, to help you make a big impact when it comes to branding, practice these four lessons from Interbrand's 2013 Best Global Brands list.

No. 1: Be consistent.
No. 2: Be nimble.
No. 3: Concentrate on service.
No. 4: Use digital to your advantage.

Read:  Four Small-Business Lessons from 2013's Top Global Brands

Going Global: Risks and Rewards

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Interbrand’s annual Best Global Brands study of brand value generates great interest and debate. A recurring question is whether being global affords a brand more benefits than a geographically-focused one. Many brand owners are interested in the attributes shared by successful global brands (i.e., BMW). Interbrand’s work with leading global brands and the conclusions reached through our ranking indicate significant implications for brands that choose to operate globally.

The criteria for the study states that a global brand must achieve more than a third of its sales outside of its home country and have a visible external market presence. A global brand is one that is available in many nations and, though it may differ from country to country, the local versions have common values and a similar identity. The brand’s positioning, advertising strategy, personality, look and feel are, in most respects, the same but allow for regional customization. What remains consistent market-to-market are the values communicated and delivered by the brand.

This paper explores the attraction and risks associated with going global.

And the first question asked: Why go global?

Read the paper here.