Marketing grads need to understand subtleties of globalization: speaker

Marketing students about to enter the workforce need to understand what it means to work globally, said the speaker at a public talk on globalization given at UPEI on Nov. 6.
“Globalization is not just an opportunity for companies, it’s an opportunity for you,” said Debra Sandler to the university’s global issues and business school students. Sandler, born in Venezuela, raised in Trinidad and educated at NYU in the U.S., was named one of America’s top 15 African Americans by Ebony Magazine last year. She was employed with Pepsi Co for the first 13 years of her career.
It was her dream job, she said.
“It was my first real global experience.”
But it was a burnout position as well, Sandler added.
“I really lived on American Airlines.”
After taking two years off to raise her daughter, she sought entry once again into the job market and found herself employed with Johnson and Johnson, a $16-Billion corporation with 250 operating companies.
She was brought in to launch McNeil Nutritionals in 1999, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.
Some of the things global marketers need to consider are efficiency, economics of scale, consistency in brand imagery and experience, innovations which can be applied quickly and the need to replace competitors, Sandler said.
She gave the example of the golden arches which is McDonald’s restaurant symbol. Globally, it is a well-identified sign.
Other important aspects involve what defines a brand, its design and packaging, logo and labels, advertising and pricing strategies.
“It’s very difficult to get true global advertising,” she said.
“The price strategy needs to ring true wherever you exist.”
The goal is to build an icon brand.
She used the example of NIKE, asking students to offer up their responses to the brand name.
“Jordon. Just do it. Sports performance,” were some of the responses from students.
Sandler said they looked at the Chinese market when trying to promote Pizza Hut. Marketers had to consider 75 per cent of Chinese are lactose intolerant. They chose to embellish the salad bar. It turned out, Chinese clients preferred tuna and raisin pizza.
It was a success.
But often, mistakes are made, she said. When the American Dairy Association came up with its marketing phrase, “Got Milk?” it was translated into “Manure stick” in Germany.
Colgate introduced a product called Cue and tried to market it in France. They hadn’t done their homework and did not know Cue was also the name of a notorious French porn magazine.
Sandler spoke for about an hour, afterwards answering questions from students. Angela Larter, the coordinator of the Global Issues course said it is required for all first-year students at UPEI.
This year’s course had three themes.
“We’ve had speakers come for each of the three themes.”
The third theme was globalization and governance, she said.
“There is a common major paper for all the three themes.”
Speakers for the first two themes were Jay Ingram and Carlos Reyes Manzo.
Sandler’s name was submitted by a professor of Business at UPEI.
Sandler spoke twice on Nov. 6, once in the morning and once at night.
“This morning’s room had 300,” Larter said.