The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

In essence, they wanted to know how companies like Microsoft could maximise the opportunity in these developing nations.

As usual, I went on a bit of a rant.

You see, while I understand why these countries get grouped together and even why they are termed ‘developing’, I can’t help but think both these terms have contributed to why so many Western brands fuck up in these markets.

First issue: Grouping them together implies they’re like eachother.

They’re not.

Let’s face it, if they accept the communities of Ohio are different to the communities of California, why the fuck do they think 4 massive countries, divided by seas and thousands of miles will be similar?

“But they don’t think that Robert, it’s just they’re very important markets and have been grouped as such”, I hear you cry.

Well maybe that is the case, but even if I accept that marketers in Western companies appreciate the massive cultural differences between them all [which I only am semi-willing to accept, especially when you see the work they produce in an attempt to seduce people to their brand] the fact they have grouped them together as if the countries have only just been discovered demonstrates the small mindedness so many Western companies have towards the rest of the World.

[I pointed out that by their reckoning, we could give America, England, Rwanda and Spain the acronym ARSE, but no one seemed to like that. Or find it funny]

And here’s the other thing … calling them ‘developing’ is a fucking outrage.

Sure, in some aspects, each of those BRIC countries may have certain elements that are not as advanced as Western nations – but in many areas, you can point to things where they are miles ahead and yet too many people have the impression these countries are a blank canvas … countries with no views or values of their own … countries waiting for some Western King to come in and show them the way and in all those cases, that is a massive pile of absolute bollocks.

Every one of the BRIC nations [or – as some organisations are calling them, the BRICI to take into account Indonesia] is a proud and culturally rich nation … and in many cases, they’re already in better financial positions than many of the countries who are claiming dominance &/or superiority. To say they are ‘developing’ is a huge misrepresentation which I genuinely believe has/is leading to arrogance on the part of Western nations and organisations because they approach new challenges in a way that makes the brands board of directors feel good and comfortable rather than doing something that truly appreciates and understands the needs/wants & desires of the market they are entering.

Seriously, for all the research these companies do – or claim to do – it’s astounding just how many get it totally and utterly wrong but then when you realise how many companies want to hear their truth rather than the real truth … and how many research companies want long term contracts, rather than a reputation for true insight … you can sort of understand why.

I should point out not all companies are like this. In fact there are many who have done things very well – over a long period of time – but there are a whole heap of them [of which agencies are amongst the worst] that either ignore cultural reality or simply advocate views that ignore any sort of cultual and societal evolution whatsoever.

Acronyms may be convenient but they are also about exclusivity … keeping people [supposedly] in the know, away from people who don’t – or worse, letting people feel like they are in the know when they absolutely aren’t – and all this leads to is arrogance, delusion and billions of dollars being thrown down the drain.

Each of the BRIC or BRICI nations aren’t new.

They’ve been around for longer than many of the so called developed nations.

They have given the World things that many of us now take for granted.

Things that are the foundation of life as we know it.