Localization
Kevin Newburg
BUS/ECON 494
Professor Gin
1/10/11
2 examples of localization
The Mainland China and Macau excursion has brought light onto specific examples of localization practiced by international entities. International products that are tailored to meet the needs of the locale and its culture foster a synergistic understanding to the targeted demographic as well as to the company. More planning, research, and production costs are incurred when localization is practiced. However, the achievements that can be made with localization stress the importance to customize goods or services for different national markets.
The first example that I would like to cite is the difficulty to find my shoe size at the Nike stores here in China. Nike is perhaps the most recognized athletic apparel brand in the world; their swoosh is an iconic symbol that has been at the forefront of international commerce. I would love to pick up a pair of running shoes in size 11.5 but most stores do not stock anything in a size over 10. Nike is not localizing its product, but tailoring the inventory to meet the demands of its demographic. In the United States, my 11.5 shoes sizes is considered normal size, however, out here in China my feet are considered humongous. The Chinese are generally smaller in stature and don’t have a need for anything bigger than a size 10 because in the land where space is scarce, they would be wasting it with unnecessary inventory.
Secondly, my observations lead me to discover localization in the casinos of Macau. As I was gambling in the Venitian, I noticed the amount of unique table games that were on floor of the casino. Our tour guide informed us that the casino has to pay a tax on the every table in their facilities regardless of weather individuals are gambling on them or not. Baccarat seamed like the most popular game in the entire casino and the Venitian definitely catered to that. They could of copied the layout of their Las Vegas casino, but
BUS/ECON 494
Professor Gin
1/10/11
2 examples of localization
The Mainland China and Macau excursion has brought light onto specific examples of localization practiced by international entities. International products that are tailored to meet the needs of the locale and its culture foster a synergistic understanding to the targeted demographic as well as to the company. More planning, research, and production costs are incurred when localization is practiced. However, the achievements that can be made with localization stress the importance to customize goods or services for different national markets.
The first example that I would like to cite is the difficulty to find my shoe size at the Nike stores here in China. Nike is perhaps the most recognized athletic apparel brand in the world; their swoosh is an iconic symbol that has been at the forefront of international commerce. I would love to pick up a pair of running shoes in size 11.5 but most stores do not stock anything in a size over 10. Nike is not localizing its product, but tailoring the inventory to meet the demands of its demographic. In the United States, my 11.5 shoes sizes is considered normal size, however, out here in China my feet are considered humongous. The Chinese are generally smaller in stature and don’t have a need for anything bigger than a size 10 because in the land where space is scarce, they would be wasting it with unnecessary inventory.
Secondly, my observations lead me to discover localization in the casinos of Macau. As I was gambling in the Venitian, I noticed the amount of unique table games that were on floor of the casino. Our tour guide informed us that the casino has to pay a tax on the every table in their facilities regardless of weather individuals are gambling on them or not. Baccarat seamed like the most popular game in the entire casino and the Venitian definitely catered to that. They could of copied the layout of their Las Vegas casino, but