Thank You for Your Readership; It Means the World to Me!

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Examining Product Names in Multiple Languages

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Making sure a company or product name does not offend anyone, sound strange or translate into something other than its original intent in countries all over the world is no easy feat.  For Choice Translating, based in Charlotte, its their profitable niche examining product names in multiple tongues.

"It's expensive to create a brand identity," says Vernon Menard, who co-owns [For Choice Translating] with his wife, Michelle. "We're cheap insurance." 

Read the entire article:  Found in translation:  Avoiding multilingual gaffes

Related article(s):

• How not to sell abroad
• Adventures in Mistranslations From Around the World
• Funny Mistranslations From Around the World

Look Abroad for Growth

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According to "Expanding Internationally:  How to Improve Your Odds Abroad" published by the Daily Business Buzz:

• China's economy grew by over 10 per cent annually from 2000 to 2010
• India expanded by seven per cent yearly
• Brazil has grown by nearly four per cent per year
• The economies of Canada, the U.S. and the European Union each grew by less than two per cent annually

“The emerging markets are where you have constant GDP growth. Going to those countries should be no longer a question of why, but rather a question of how,” says Frank Pho, vice president, Global Expansion, at the Business Development Bank of Canada

Looking abroad for growth offers increased revenues, additional profitability and much needed diversification for small businesses.

Read the entire article:  Expanding Internationally:  How to Improve Your Odds Abroad 

The Game Goes Global, Baseball That Is

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Major league baseball is about to take baseball around the world. 

“I’m really looking forward to growing the sport around the world, to teaching some kids to play the game that has given me and my family so much,” LaTroy Hawkins* said.

Read the entire article:  Major League Baseball going global with offseason outreach efforts

* Hawkins is 40 years old and a veteran of 19 major league seasons.

Prepping for Holidays at Roosevelt Collection in Chicago

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

I had the opportunity to preview the movie Black Nativity with Jennifer Hudson Thursday night (11/21) at the ICON Theater at Roosevelt Collection in Chicago.  Beautiful area!  I encourage you to give it a visit if you haven't already.

• The Shops at Roosevelt Collection
• Urban Life, Collected:  Roosevelt Collection Blog

With All the Challenges and Barriers, Why Go Global?

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With all its challenges and barriers, why go global?  Here's one reason:

The U.S. represents only about 3 percent of the consumers in the world, albeit the wealthiest. 

To tap into the other 97 percent of the consumers in the world, you must go global.  Before you start, do your homework and proceed with caution.

Read the entire article:  Avoid the Growing Pains of Going Global With Your Business

A Checklist To Expediting Clearance of Goods On Imports

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Whether you use your own transportation company (i.e., UPS or FedEx) or your supplier’s preferred shipping carrier, you will want to minimize errors on your importation, which can cause shipping delays. I’ve prepared the following 10-point checklist to use as a guide for expediting the clearance of your goods. It gets down to “the devil being in the details,” so pay attention to what needs to be done and do it accurately.

Read:  A 10-Point Checklist to Expedite Clearance of Goods On Imports

International Trade and the Law

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When you expand your business internationally, there are a host of issues you need to address on the legal front.

Knowing the ground rules and preparing properly for doing business in another culture, with its own rules, politics and traditions, can make for profitable business. Taking your small business international is a complicated process, however, that is governed not only by U.S. laws, but also by the laws of other countries.

Read the entire article:  Taking Your Small Business International

Global Business Intelligence Tools

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To conduct global market research, track your competitors worldwide, acquire new sales leads and evaluate opportunities, including finding new sources of supply on a brand new product idea, you might visit these fab four:

1. PIERS
2. Datamyne
3. Import Genius
4. Zepol

 Have we given you a leg up for the future on developing a global competitive edge?

Crafting a Global Ecommerce Strategy

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In developing a global ecommerce strategy, the human side of your enterprise must be taken into consideration.  Do you have the right people on board?  Do you have enough people on board to execute on a strategy?  Yet before you can make these decisions, you must know what you want from your business - a real catch-22.

The article below will provide solutions to the challenges at hand and help guide you in the process.

Read the entire article:  How to Craft an Ecommerce Strategy and Recruit the Right Team to Implement It

Note:  I devote an entire chapter to ecommerce in my new book, "Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably."

Horses in the Sky

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

A building in Chicago between Lake and Randolph Streets (about 1100 West).  Like all great discoveries, you must be on the hunt as I was.

Developing a Global Brand for a Small Business

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We’ve all heard the saying, "first impressions matter," and it rings true for small businesses looking to expand into the global marketplace. Creating a global branding campaign for your small business doesn’t have to be a costly endeavor. But it’s something that’s vitally important to the global success of your business.

To develop a brand as global as Mickey Mouse, what do you do?

Read:  Global Branding For Small Businesses

Ready, Set, Social Global

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Social media and networking has the ability to take a business global provided you leverage it in a very strategic way.  I write about this extensively in Chapter 6 in my new book, "Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably," (http://www.ExportingGuide.com) to be published by Apress December 18, 2013.

Meanwhile, take a look at some other strategies for launching an international social media campaign here.

Globally, Why Would Anyone Follow You?

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Why would anyone follow you?  That is the question Cari E. Guittard, Principal, Global Engagement Partners and Professor of Global Management, Hult International Business School asked her students during a class she taught on women's leadership at the Hult International Business School in Dubai.

Before we get to how that question was handled (don't want to let the cat out of the bag here), she defines global leadership.

Take a look:  Our World Demands a More Effective Global Leader

And by the way, Why would anyone follow you?  Let me know and we'll post your answers here. Meanwhile, need some help?  Explore the Global Mindset Inventory tool.  And read:  Leading With a Global Mindset.

6 Tips for Networking Globally

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English is not the only language spoken in our world.  When you network globally, consider these six tips for building your fan and follower base worldwide via social media.

Read the entire article:  Using Social Media Internationally:  How Not To Get Lost in Translation

Note:  I devote an entire chapter on this topic called Creating a Social Media and Social Networking Presence (chapter 6) in my new book, "Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably" to be published December 18, 2013 by Apress.

Shifting From Local Leaders to World Leaders

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YMCA of Greater Kansas City Young Achievers hit the road in Europe as they joined youth from 62 nations for an 11-day global conference. And in the process, they became leaders of the world, bringing understanding and solutions back home to Kansas City.

In Prague, the YMCA Young Achievers transformed themselves from local leaders to world leaders, tackling some of the toughest global problems and challenges. Workshops, networking and strategic planning on homelessness, poverty, education and many more global issues got these teens from the middle of America personally engaged with youth from around the world, giving them new a point of view to see the world in a much different way.

Read the entire article:  Young Leaders Go Global

Love this quote from one of the young leaders:

“Once you take someone on a global mission, it really just expands their mind and unleashes things within them that they really don’t know and it allows them to go further in life,” said Webster.

Hot Chocolate to Warm the Heart

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

My favorite race in Chicago:  the Hot Chocolate 15/5K, considered America's sweetest race.  I finished the 5K but didn't break any records!  See you there next year.  Have a great weekend.

Why Culture Matters in Global Business

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Ever have a communication problem with someone you are working with overseas?  Who hasn't.  You know how it goes.  You say one thing.  The party you are communicating with agrees and several days later, things are done exactly counter to what you discussed!  Is it because they ignored you?  Didn't like your strategy?  Wanted to do things on their own terms?  Not likely because why would they choose to do business with you?  It all boils down to cultural differences.

Mark Hehl from The Desara Group has some points to offer on the importance of culture when conducting business overseas.

Intro:

Conducting business on a global basis requires a good understanding of different cultures.  What works in your country might not work well in another and might even be interpreted as an insult. One of the many roles of an effective project manager is to raise the awareness of cultural issues within your project team and your organization to ensure success.

Read the entire article:  The Importance of Culture when Conducting Business Overseas

Related articles:  Communicating Across Cultures and How to Deal With Cultural Differences

Note:  I discuss Communicating with Cultural Intelligence at great length in Chapter 24 of my new book, "Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably" due out December 18, 2013 by Apress.

Turning Global Virality Into a Science

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Thanks to social media, a message can go global in an instant.  Meet the new global mover and shaker on the block:  BuzzFeed.  According to Slate, "BuzzFeed had 85 million visitors, three times more than just a year ago; by next year, it expects to become one of the most popular sites in the world."

What does that mean for everyone?

Judging by the spectacular results, BuzzFeed has turned “virality” into a science: Thanks to advanced analytics and tools of Big Data, they know exactly what needs to be said—and how—to get the story shared by most people. Its approach is best described as Taylorism of the viral: Just like Frederick Taylor knew how to design the factory floor to maximize efficiency, BuzzFeed knows how to design its articles to produce most clicks and shares. The content of the article is secondary to its viral performance.

Whether you agree or disagree, the article is worth a read.

Read the entire article:  Duolingo, BuzzFeed partnership:  The translation project is terrible for foreign news

The 24-Hour Global News Room

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The 24-hour global newsroom is what Jill Abramson, executive editor of the New York Times is seeking with her rebranding efforts at the New York Times.  It's similar to my goal here with The Global Small Business Blog but with a bias towards helping entrepreneurs and small businesses go global. 

Read:  Going Global - POLITICO.com

Should You Invest in Global Market Research?

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Euromonitor International, experts in strategy research for consumer markets, has put together a 16-page report (2013), "Investing in Global Market Research:  A Strategic Guide for Small to Medium Sized-Enterprises."

The guide covers assessing the value of market research and common uses for market research among SMEs and start-ups.  Page 7 shows a nice infographic on keys to success in small business.  My favorite part is Page 10, which says:  "More than ever before, companies of all sizes are exporting.  In fact, the biggest business in the world is international trading."  There are some good case studies featured as well.  Worth a read.

Immediate download of the PDF file here.

Small is Becoming the New Big

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As Hemant Taneja for the Harvard Business Review's blog says, "A series of breakthrough technologies and new business models are destroying the old rule that bigger is better." Clearly the Internet (i.e., eBay and Amazon) and less expensive approaches to manufacturing (Foxconn, for example) are game-changing moments in our world.

The global business environment is decomposing into smaller yet more profitable markets, so businesses can no longer rely on scaling up to compete, but must instead embrace a new economies of unscale.

What is unscaling?  Well you will have to read the provocative blog post below to find out. But let's just say that small is becoming the new big, which is great news for global small businesses.

Read the entire article along with all its comments:  Economies of Unscale:  Why Business Has Never Been Easier for the Little Guy

Hope You Had a Happy Halloween!

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Have a Spooktacular weekend!  Enjoy.

Global Nomad: BagPod

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A passion for fashion becomes a true global business.  How does it start?  Marianne Sparrenius-Waters, founder of Sweden-based RedDog Design shares her story:

"I suppose I was a bit of a global nomad, having traveled the world with my husband and our three children for 25 years before setting up my company in 2005. I've always loved fashion. I'm not an expert but love to be organised so I founded RedDog Design at home to create fashionable, yet simple functional handbags and accessories."

Marianne came up with the idea for a clutch-size organizer called a Bagpod because she was always losing things.  Now her business of leather and canvas clutches, along with phone covers and handbags has evolved to sell in more than 160 shops worldwide from Switzerland to Australia.

Read the entire article here.

Leverage Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Go Global

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Going global via your web properties is a whole new ball game but the question comes up more often than not:  How do I get the world to find me?

Marc Purtell takes a stab at the subject with, "How to Take Your Brand Global with SEO." One of his many key points:

One of the most important steps in achieving international success for a brand is garnering performance of its Web properties in international search engine results.  Strong organic search performance across a multitude of nations and regions will build both brand awareness and brand influence across the globe.

I talk about this topic extensively in chapter 15 (web translations) of my new book:  Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably coming out December 18, 2013.

Read the entire article here.

A Truly Global Education Experience

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One of the leading business schools in Europe, INSEAD (French origin), has taken another step forward in the globalization process by opening a new branch in New York where it will compete against Harvard and Columbia.

Read the interview conducted by Universia-Knowledge@Wharton with Frank Brown, dean of INSEAD:  Making Business Schools a Truly Global Experience

Frank Brown says:  " ... the big advantage European institutions have is that their programs are not dominated by one single culture. They are more open to foreign students who come from other continents." 

The earlier the global education experience, the more likely a student will develop a global mindset and a multicultural perspective on the world. 

India Places 60th out of 148 Economies in The Global Competitiveness Report (2013)

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Is global competitiveness important?  Many believe a country's global competitiveness is a fundamental determinant of its productivity and economic growth.  Improving India's competitiveness, for example, would strengthen investments in the country, encourage a more employment-friendly environment and foster innovation.

The World Economic Forum released The Global Competitiveness Report, 2013-14, which includes, inter alia, a global competitiveness index (GCI) computed as a weighted average of components grouped into various factors (pillars) characterising competitiveness. These pillars include institutional, efficiency and innovation factors.

Where does India stand within the index?

India's GCI score places it 60th out of 148 economies, with its ranking slipping by 10 positions over 2008-2013.

Read the entire article:  Doing Business in India:  Take Up the Slack on Global Competitiveness

Staying Connected Worldwide on Daily Life

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Are you a big fan of social media?  Many people use social media for making connections and sharing just about anything, including insider tips on their holiday trips.

What's changing on social media?  For one, Chinese people are using platforms (i.e., Weibo, Wechat, Instagram and TripColor) more and more to plan and make international trips. They normally make a decision on where to go by reading travel stories and looking at pictures through their social networks. Secondly, which isn't surprising, they "trust recommendations from friends more than the stories published in magazines or aired on TV."

Check this out: 

... "social media comprises a stronger component of travel than ever before, 44 percent of Americans said that photos or posts viewed through such networks drive them to their destinations; another 29 percent added that they receive contentment from reading comments left on their holiday posts."

When it comes to China, that sentiment is no different.  Asians use social media platforms to inform leisure travel decisions. According to Seeing the World Via Social Media, "Online travel reviews had the greatest impact on Chinese people when making initial decisions on travel destinations with roughly 70 percent of them searching online for such write-ups." 

Free WiFi spots are a way of the future.  That is, at least for global travel.

Read more here.

How to Become a Great Global City

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

The Brookings Institution, which along with JP Morgan Chase & Company created the Global Cities Institute, implores metropolitan regions to look outward to seize new opportunities and become truly global.

Some of the traits you need to become a great global city?

• Local leadership with a worldview.
• A legacy of global interaction that includes a “first-mover advantage.”
• Distinct economic specializations that attract investment.
• The ability to adapt to each new cycle of global change without losing progress.
• A culture of knowledge and innovation that encourages local thinkers and entrepreneurs to “generate new ideas, methods, products and technologies” here.

And the Initiative’s chairman is a former big-city mayor who got things done -- Chicago’s Richard M. Daley!

Read the entire article:  Going Global Requires Regional Effort

A Natural Born Global Entrepreneur

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Let's congratulate Dale Wishewan, president and chief executive of Booster Juice, an international quick-service smoothie chain, who is the 2013 Prairies EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner.

Award officials said Wishewan is a natural leader and born entrepreneur. With no franchise, food or beverage experience, he grew Booster Juice to 50 locations in just two years — a Canadian franchising record.

Read the entire article:  Booster Juice CEO name entrepreneur of the year

Taking a Page Out of the Japanese Global Playbook

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Should you expand into emerging markets?  For small businesses, it's a stretch because you need human capital, rich resources and hefty financial support, which can oftentimes be scarce when you are small.  But for established global companies, they are rushing to penetrate BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China).  The next question becomes:  What should the BRICs do in response - stay home,  go head to head against the global companies or focus on emerging opportunities?  Or all of the above? 

To answer these questions, we think there is a page out of the Japanese global firm’s playbook that firms from the BRICs and other emerging markets should not follow.

Read the entire article to learn more:  Going Global Is Key For Emerging Giants

Think Different to Expand Internationally

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Expanding internationally is not that difficult, it's just different.  Different from selling domestically.  Yes, you have to pay more attention to documentation, how you get paid and how to transport products from here to there.  But basically, once you master that and some cultural issues, you're well on your way to selling globally.  I'll cover all of this in my new exporting book but for now, read the five tips Elana Donio offers for going global.  Quickly, here's one of them:

Tip #2: Get the lay of the land

Understanding local laws and the business environment is important, but that’s just the beginning. Building cultural credibility is vital for attracting the initial crop of employees, clients and partners.

Tips for Going Global 

When something is different, you must develop the right mindset (attitude) to conquer it.

Design Destination of the Month: Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort in China

The Importance of a Global Brand

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Everyone knows the Apple brand, yet creating a global brand presence in one or more international markets isn't cheap or easy, especially for a small business owner. But it is worthwhile, provided you understand the reasons why. Below I spell out what a global brand is and five reasons to develop one.

Read:  Making the Case for a Global Brand

What a Treat: Chicago Hawks and Halloween!

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

The official website for the world famous Chicago Blackhawks.

More on the 2013 Stanley Cup Champs here.

Malaysian Entrepreneurs Driven Towards Penetrating the Global Market

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"Twenty-five percent of the local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will have global market business networking by 2020," says SME Corporation Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Datuk Hafsah Hashim.  This will happen largely as a result of the government's establishment of the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creative Centre (MaGIC) in Cyberjaya, which will increase local entrepreneurs' opportunities to penetrate the global market.

In Malaysia:

SMEs contribute 19 percent to the country's exports and 57.4 percent in job opportunities.

Read the entire article: 25 Percent to have global market business networking

International Franchising As a Way to Access New Markets

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More and more established brands in the retail, food and beverage and quick-service restaurant sectors are using franchising as a way to access new markets.  International franchising is a strategic way to reduce dependence on domestic demand and grow new, future revenue and profit centers worldwide.

Read the entire article:  Expanding into new markets through franchising

Related article:  International Franchising:  A Global Strategic Initiative

Selling Nearly 2.5 Billion People Around the Globe Online

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According to a recent study by MasterCard, people adopt personas when shopping online — an interesting consideration for ecommerce businesses.

The Digital Sharing and Trust Project shows that consumers actually shed their “real-world” identities when they go online to assume “digital personas."  To be more specific, there are five different personas parading themselves around the web today.

What does this mean for selling in the online world?  It means getting to know your customers can be tricky.

Learn more:  5 global online personas your business should take note of

Factors to Consider When Developing a Global Brand for the Audience of the 21st Century

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Flavia Barbat conducts an interview with Sandy Suffield (former art director at Apple) from the London office and Mike Abbink (co-founder of Method) from the New York office. The entire interview includes Wolff Olins and several of its global creative directors and is available in the most recent Premium Issue of Branding Magazine, entitled "Crafting the Brands of the 21st Century."

Here's an excerpt of the interview:  Meet the Global Creative Directors of the 21st Century 

And here's the first question posed to Sandy:

Overall, what do you consider to be the first thing one must take into consideration when developing a brand for the audience of the 21st century? 

How Joint Ventures Can Be a Good Global Market Entry or Expansion Method

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American Express Company recently announced plans to create a joint venture designed to accelerate the transformation of its Global Business Travel (GBT) division.

American Express is in ongoing discussions with regard to a proposed joint venture in which it would share the ownership of the joint venture with an investor group led by Certares, a firm headed by senior management with significant experience in the travel industry.  The joint venture transaction is expected to create greater investment capacity for GBT to further enhance its suite of products and services, attract new customers and grow internationally to deliver additional value to customers.

I write about joint-ventures in my new exporting book (Chapter 17) in how they can prove to be a most viable way to enter a foreign market or expand within it.  Each party usually takes an equal equity stake and this case is no different (50 percent equity stake).

Read the news on the joint-venture here to see what other value the two companies will get out of forming a joint venture.

Feel With Your Heart

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." - Helen Keller

For Irish Entrepreneurs, Small Is Beautiful

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Ireland has the Small Firms Association (SFA), considered the "Voice of Small Business" with over 8000 member companies.

SFA assists you in managing your business, as well as allowing you to interact with fellow members through their member's directory listing.

In addition, SFA provides full details of upcoming events and management training, along with featuring their most recent news updates and outline of lobbying policy submissions and press statements issued to represent your interests. 

Give it look here:  Small Firms Association

The Little Import Business That Could

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When it comes to importing, everyone starts small.  It goes like this:  You think of a brilliant product idea, find a supplier, import the product and start selling away. 

In the article below, Kelly Spors outlines what it takes, especially on the compliance side of things, to open a small import business.

Opening a Small Import Business

Related article(s):  How to Start and Run a Profitable Import/Export Business and How to Comply with Import Regulations

Only 1 in 5 UK SMEs Export

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Is it surprising that according to UK-based CBI, only one in five UK SMEs exports? 

This is especially surprising if you add the additional statistic that businesses are 11% more likely to survive if they do so. Then, when you mix in research from the government's UK Trade & Investment body which states that exporting SMEs are 34% more productive in their first year than those SMEs who do not, you wonder why UK businesses remain so internationally reticent.

Read the entire article:  Mapping the small business export market

Filipino Franchises Go Global

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Filipino concepts are gaining wider acceptance globally, the Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc. (AFFI) reports.  Many members already have franchisees abroad:  Aquabest (healthy water), Figaro, Potato Corner and Eat Bulaga, for example, where these brands have a presence in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Middle East, South Africa and the United States.

Read the entire article:  15 Pinoy franchise businesses going global in 2 years

Related article:  Open a New International Path:  Franchise

Hello Planet Entrepreneur

Photo courtesy:  Wiley

Say hello to a new book, Planet Entrepreneur, written by members of the World Entrepreneurship Forum, the first global think tank fully dedicated to entrepreneurship.  Members who contributed are as follows:   Steven D. Strauss, Tugrul Atamer, Inderjit Singh, Nikhil Agarwal, Colin Jones, Thais Corral, Tony Meloto, Jeannie Javelosa, Jack Sim, David Drake, Baybars Altuntas, Fadi N. Sabbagha, Anna-Lena Johannsen, Nicolas Shea and Laurel Delaney!

For a look at the table of contents, more information on the co-writers of Planet Entrepreneur and an excerpt from the book, visit here.

Each chapter focuses on different aspects of the challenges and opportunities currently being encountered and solved by entrepreneurs worldwide, including:

• Using technology to solve real-world problems
• Empowering women and minority entrepreneurs
• The global rise of the self-employed entrepreneur
• Making the marriage of business and the environment work for all
• Social media as a launching pad for your ideas
• Taking your business global in the digital age (my chapter contribution!)

Planet Entrepreneur explains how the world's best entrepreneurs are making a profit or meeting a pressing social need, and how you can too.

Buy the book now: Planet Entrepreneur

(Full disclosure:  I am a pioneer member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum)

Think BIG in the Global Marketplace

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"I like thinking big.  If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big." - Donald Trump

Photo:  Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago

I like thinking big. If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/donald_trump.html#TKBxcbZW7BGeUwgp.99

I like thinking big. If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/donald_trump.html#TKBxcbZW7BGeUwgp.99

I like thinking big. If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/donald_trump.html#TKBxcbZW7BGeUwgp.99

Lessons From Burberry On Going Global

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Iconic British luxury fashion brand Burberry, established in 1856, offers a great case study on how to do a global launch via all media channels, including social media.  Here's what they did:

... pushing its spring women’s show in London out across 11 social networks, its own digital flagship and through 13 live-streams on outdoor screens set up in locales from New York’s Times Square to Hong Kong’s Worldwide House. 

And it can't hurt that they partnered with Apple:

Apple approached Burberry to exclusively use the iPhone 5S to capture images and video before, during and after the show, and Twitter’s real-time reach resulted in tens of millions of impressions for content relating to the event.

A first on numerous fronts and thus far, it appears to have worked.

Read the entire article:  Burberry's Spring Show Goes Global

Key insight:  Don't just use the United States social media platforms to launch your brand globally.  Use other country's popular platforms such as Japan’s Sumally and China’s Sina Weibo, Douban and Youku.  I talk about this in my new book, "Exporting:  The Definitive Guide to Selling Abroad Profitably" (chapter 6).

The Global Website Is Alive and Well

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With the advent of social media platforms, there is much talk worldwide about whether we really need a website anymore.  You do.  The website is alive and well but has changed and is far more global.  It has adapted to accommodate social media feeds and videos, for example, to be far more interactive.

In the article below, the author talks about four key points on localization challenges and best practices.  One being, "the global website is alive and well, but it has changed."

Read:  Driving Marketing Localization Success:  Four Takeaways From Brand2Global

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