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February 14, 2005
American companies abroad are cautious
American companies in Europe are adjusting to the feelings of the time, and learning how to “fly the flag subtly” writes Kevin J. O'Brien in today’s Herald Tribune.
Some Germans, for instance have protested against the purchase of Boeing aircrafts over Airbus by a big tour operator.
"Our data shows that this is not simply political tension at the root of this, but some underlying discomfort with American culture," says Richard Edelman, chief executive of the Edelman public relations firm in New York.
The key to the issue is localization. “There's no such thing as global media," says Edelman.
What becomes tricky, according to this article, is that “downplaying their heritage” is not an easy thing to do for American companies.
“That could be suicidal at home in the current political climate," said Nick Wreden, an American brand consultant based in Kuala Lumpur who wrote a book called FusionBranding.
Posted February 14, 2005 11:07 AM
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