Globalizing Our Awareness

The Goal

Let’s chat about global awareness. Global awareness is a person's or organization's ability to navigate the challenges and opportunities of a globalized world to increase its market share (Tusculum College General Education Outcome, n.d.). Like my fictional public relations heroin, Olivia Pope, my approach to my Italian summer experience with the Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano Consorzio began with one question. “What do you want?” Expansion of the awareness of the Consorzio on a global scale was the ultimate goal.

Walmart VS Germany

When thinking of managing a task like this one best, I considered aspects of my cohort’s multinational corporation’s course. A great deal of the theory in this course involved respect for other cultures and meeting people where they are. When the global expansion of an organization is the goal, one must avoid taking a blanket format and attempting to apply it to every culture. Let's look at an example.

Walmart is an American multinational corporation that operates large discount department stores, supermarkets, and warehouse store chains. As one of the most successful retailers in the United States, with locations in every state, it may be surprising that Walmart has struggled with international expansion. The first German Walmart opened its doors in 1997 after purchasing the German retail chain Wertkauf. Unfortunately, rather than welcoming the new store, locals found themselves in a price war with this American heavyweight, with their wallets taking a beating. Walmart failed in Germany due to various factors, including an inability to adapt to German retail market conditions, a lack of competitive prices compared to German stores, environmental and cultural differences, and different organizational rules and corporate culture for Walmart employees. Walmart grossly underestimated the competition in the local market.

Proactivity

To avoid falling into this trap, cultivating S.M.A.R.T goals is imperative. These goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. I focused specifically on expanding awareness of the brand in the United States. As we know, social media is a great tool that can be used to further the globalization of society. Simply having this tool and not knowing how to apply it is pretty redundant. Therefore, studying different cultures' social media habits is essential to building awareness. In America, for example, we care about what important people care about. This is why the suggested use of influencer marketing was mentioned in my proposal. This is just one example of the tactics I proposed to the Consorzio. It is also important to note that the tactic above is relevant to the American population. This may not be the case in different countries.

My Interests

The idea of globalization has always been one that has fascinated me not only because of the concept of bringing people from all over the world closer but also people from the same cultures with different ideologies. As a member of the LGBT community, I understand what it means to feel like a foreigner in your backyard. Using tools and concepts learned to connect with people from around the world allows me to bring my community to the table and bring awareness to the issues we face.