New Delhi: Marketers have known it for long and the think-global-act-local brigade have coined a word for it: 'glocalisation'. But at IIW 2000 it wasn't some savvy marketer who drove home the point. It was Laloo Prasad Yadav - of 'yeh IT-YT kya hain' fame - who demanded a site in Bhojpuri on day one. Pity he didn't meet Mr Jim James, founder and CEO of go-events.com, as ardent an advocate of glocalisation as any. Interaction in the local language is an absolute must, he told the Internet A&M Forum of IIW 2000 on Friday. So is associating with local colours - saffron for example? - and local news.Mr James insisted that the technology and marketing people realise local necessities. A chorus of agreement followed his observation that the marketing and technology teams often work to different agendas.
There can be no set rules for globalisation and localisation. In Mr James' view, globalisation is good for brands like Coca-Cola, Microsoft and McDonalds. "If your business is high volume, low margin, globalisation may be great."
Localisation and globalisation can mean different thinks. It's up to the entrepreneur, said Mr James, to show that localisation is not equivalent to cheap plus low quality but relevant and approachable.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.