This fascinating article talks about how Colombia wants the world to recognize its passion. And it is not indicative of just Columbia (check out the Embassy of Colombia). A growing number of countries are using branding strategies to set themselves apart in the global marketplace.
No matter what you are passionate about -- whether it's a country, a service or a product -- don't forget to highlight its advantages.
And by the way, Columbia's new branding strategy is: Columbia is Passion.
Live, from your desktop, it's Small Business Trends Radio. Join me today at 1:30 p.m. EST at:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/smallbiztrends where I will talk about reasons for going global, ways to get started, and places to look for help.
Look forward to connecting.
The Great World Wide Star Count helps scientists map light pollution globally while educating participants about the stars.
The event, which is open to everyone who wants to participate, is organized by the Windows to the Universe project at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in Boulder, Colo., in conjunction with planetariums and scientific societies across the country and abroad.
Get a sense of how star visibility varies from place to place around the world here.
Americans feel most secure about global engagement when they are well equipped to compete and have insurance against economic risks. What is required? Vigorously enforcing the trade rules and investing in economic competitiveness.
Take a good look at this. Immediate PDF download here: Re-imagining Global Trade by Paul Blustein (pictured).
->>>>>>>>>> Separately, but related, be sure to dial-in and listen-up for 30 minutes at 12:30 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, October 28th at Small Business Radio where I will chat about ways to take your business global, including using Web 2.0 as a platform for discovery worldwide. Look forward to connecting.<<<<<<<<<<-
Source: Cool News of the Day® and reveries.com
Switzerland exports 26 million watches a year, but counterfeiters ship 40 million, reports Christina Binkley in the Wall Street Journal (10/16/08). Even more troubling, "counterfeiters have been improving their technology faster than watchmakers," too. It used to be the fakes were easy to spot, but not always anymore. "The counterfeiters have learned all the things that people didn't know 20 years ago," says David Hendry, an expert. They'll make sure the watches weigh enough by using "sapphire crystal" and incorporating "other elements that can confuse even experts -- and they may charge many hundreds of dollars."You might also want to read this: Protect Yourself.
To combat this, "one Swiss watchmaker, Vacheron Constantin (pictured), has created a wristwatch that it says is impossible to counterfeit." Called the Qai de I'lle, the watch "can be customized in up to 400 combinations and will sell for between $29,000 and $60,000, depending on which features are chosen." Making the watch counterfeit-proof (or at least counterfeit-resistant) involves "highly-controlled money-printing materials like the polymers and inks." The polymer Vacheron uses actually "is monitored by the maker of Swiss passports."
Some of the words on the watch's dials are engraved, while others are printed using special inks. "Tiny texts on the dials of some models -- illegible without the aid of a magnifying glass -- reproduce parts of letters sent between 19th-century family members of the watchmaker, Jacques-Barthelemy Vacheron and Franchois Constantin." Certain images, such as a tiny sun, "can be seen only under a UV lamp," and even then only barely. Will this be enough to stop counterfeiters? Even the watch's designer, Roger Pfund, "an acclaimed painter and designer of the Swiss passport" doesn't think so. "They already have fakes of this watch," he says. "Of course the movement is wrong -- a lot of things are wrong."
Just when you think you have a handle on an executive compensation plan, the financial market goes crazy and now nations are putting limits on financiers' compensation as part of efforts to rescue their banking systems.
I wonder if this applies to us? As an entrepreneur or small business owner, do you curb your own pay as a result of what's happening in the global marketplace?
Read the article here.
Low-literacy consumers (e.g., those who have trouble reading package labels or instructions) can be a profitable and loyal customer group if understood and treated properly. You might want to explore this notion further because the combined purchasing power of these shoppers is expected to surge as incomes in emerging markets improve.
Read more here.