In the contemporary global landscape, the question of whether a country can be fully isolated through sanctions, particularly when it resists disengagement from the global economy, becomes a complex puzzle. The Russian example underscores the challenges of achieving complete isolation. Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States, Canada, the European Union, […]
Founded in 1999 by Josef Zotter, Zotter Schokoladen Manufaktur is an award-winning Austrian manufacturer of artisanal chocolates. Annually, about 600 metric tons in several hundred varieties of chocolates, wrapped in artist-designed packaging, leave its Fair Trade bean-to-bar production in the small city of Riegersburg in the Southeastern part of Austria. After establishing a strong foothold […]
The global media went crazy. the New York Times wrote: “… Scarcity takes the spice out of life,” and “…. Scarcity. What You Need To Know,” CNN reported. Are we running out of oil? Steel? Energy? Not at all. There is a shortage of Sriracha that only worries hot sauce lovers around the world. So, […]
Blue Microphones was founded in 1995 by American session musician Skipper Wise and Latvian recording engineer Mārtiņš Saulespurēns (the company’s name is actually an acronym for Baltic Latvian Universal Electronics). In 2006, Blue expanded from studio microphones into desktop USB consumer and prosumer creator microphones. Under new ownership and leadership in 2009 it grew swiftly and was ultimately […]
Founded in 1932, Danish toymaker Lego has managed to expand its business to more than 130 countries worldwide. Among those, China seems to be a particularly fertile ground for the company. Although China only represented 1% of global sales until recently, Lego is penetrating the market rapidly, believing that the future there will be bright. […]
Atlanta-based U.S. fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A currently offers food at 2,700 restaurants in nearly every U.S. state, as well as a few select stores in Canada and Puerto Rico. Now the company is looking to grab a bigger bite of the global market. Chick-Fil-A has had failed attempts in international markets. From 1996 to 2001, Chick-Fil-A […]
What do Apple, BASF and McDonald’s have in common? Apparently nothing. They are three companies from three fundamentally different industries, each with different business models, and yet they have something in common. They all have a global presence and engage in global arbitrage. And now they are all suffering from an area that has been […]
In 2009, American toy company Mattel opened a gigantic, 36,000 square-foot “House of Barbie” in Shanghai, China. The company had invested over $30 million in the House of Barbie in celebration of the American iconic doll’s 50th anniversary. The six-story building housed the world’s largest collection of Barbie dolls, and also featured a fashion runway, a […]
As several news outlets, including the New York Times and the German Bild Zeitung have reported, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has recently made a horrible mistake in Germany. On November 9, KFC sent a push notification through its app promoting the addition of cheese to its menu of fried chicken in remembrance of Kristallnacht: “Gedenktag […]
Global media had a lot of fun with what happened in the summer of 2022: The US-based pizza giant Domino’s announced that it would say arrivederci to Italy after seven years in the country. Domino’s, which has operations in approximately 90 international markets and about 12,000 stores worldwide had always had eyes on Italy. In 2015, it […]
Bad translations have long been the humor well that keeps on giving in International Business. Just think of German car maker Audi’s relatively recent rollout of the E-tron (French for excrement) brand for their electric cars. Nike is certainly no stranger to translation issues as it has blundered among Arabic speakers and devout muslims as […]
When Netflix launched in India in 2016, the future seemed bright. With 200 million households having TV sets, India was and is a large market with a strong movie culture. It seemed to be ripe for Netflix’s combination of global hits and local productions. As it did in other markets, Netflix launched by serving a […]
