Developing a Global Brand for a Small Business

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We’ve all heard the saying, "first impressions matter," and it rings true for small businesses looking to expand into the global marketplace. Creating a global branding campaign for your small business doesn’t have to be a costly endeavor. But it’s something that’s vitally important to the global success of your business.

To develop a brand as global as Mickey Mouse, what do you do?

Read:  Global Branding For Small Businesses

The Importance of a Global Brand

©2013 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Everyone knows the Apple brand, yet creating a global brand presence in one or more international markets isn't cheap or easy, especially for a small business owner. But it is worthwhile, provided you understand the reasons why. Below I spell out what a global brand is and five reasons to develop one.

Read:  Making the Case for a Global Brand

The Rest of the World Awaits the iPhone 4S

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Effective November 11th, Apple will be offering its iPhone 4S (pictured) to:

Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania and South Korea.

Seventy (70) countries are expected to be selling the iPhone 4S before the close of 2011.

Read the entire article here.

The World Pays Tribute

©Laurel Delaney 2011, "Apple Store, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., 10.8.11"

The tributes keep coming in from all over the world on the passing away of Steve Jobs.

I visited the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Saturday, October 8, 2011 to give my farewell to Steve and condolences to Apple folks and as I stood in front of the store for half an hour, I was moved by the outpouring of emotion from people everywhere.  Some individuals prayed and set down a memento; many wrote messages on post-it-notes and affixed them to the front of the store window (as shown above; what you see is the left side of the store, the right was completely covered with post-it-notes too ... look closely at the messages and some of the items posted) and still others photographed or videod the experience.  You knew something larger than life had happened and it would never be the same again for many.

Steve was admired and respected around the globe.

Here's an interesting UK perspective:

Steve jobs:  the world pays tribute

The Apple iPhone 4S = Sensational!

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In memory of Steve Jobs, we feature the latest and greatest from Apple:  the iPhone 4S. 

Learn more here.  And catch:  Report:  Life As We Know It Already Changed Following iPhone 4S Debut

The World Is Insanely Sad Today: Steve Jobs Dies

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Considered the Thomas Edison of our time, Steve Jobs (1955-2011) died today.  We thank him for changing the world - making it a much better place to live.  May he rest in peace.  Our condolences to his family and all the Apple loyalists.

Wired (photo courtesy of Wired)
New York Times
The Washington Post
LA Times
CNN

Steve Jobs Wikipedia

The Global Small Business Blog:

Related posts (Apple)
Related posts (Steve Jobs)
Related posts (iPad)

Will Eric Schmidt Run Apple?

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In light of what's happening at Apple with the upsetting situation of Steve Jobs taking another leave of absence from the company due to his health, I can't help but wonder at the same time why there is a sudden management overhaul over at Google.

 Change is the only thing that is constant in life.  This could become disruptive innovation at its best.

Your thoughts?

Posted by:  Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Video of Apple's Grand Opening of New Lincoln Park, Illinois Retail Store

Video credit:  Laurel Delaney, The Global Small Business Blog

Apple's Grand Opening of New Lincoln Park, Illinois Retail Store

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney, founder of GlobeTrade.com

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney, founder of GlobeTrade.com

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney, founder of GlobeTrade.com

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney, founder of GlobeTrade.com

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney, founder of GlobeTrade.com

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney, founder of GlobeTrade.com

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney, founder of GlobeTrade.com

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney, founder of GlobeTrade.com

I had a great time standing in the rain and taking photos this morning of Apple's grand opening of new Lincoln Park, Illinois retail store.  Managed to walk away with a classy umbrella souvenir (as shown above).  Those global Apple folks think of everything!
Congrats to Apple!  Nice launch.

Posted by:  The Global Small Business Blog

iPad Goes Global

Photo credit: Laurel Delaney, 5/29/10, Apple store downtown Chicago

iPad, an Apple product, made its global debut. The rollout included the U.K., Germany, Japan, and six other countries.

Read more here.

Another: iPad Makes Foreign Debut

See our previous posts about the iPad here, here and here.

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Who's the Largest Tech Company in the World?

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IBM, Google, Oracle, Apple or Microsoft?

In terms of market capitalization, the winner is:

Apple

This list of product rollouts tells the story:

iMac (Bondi Blue -- pictured above) – 1998

iBook (clamshell) – 1999

iPod with scroll wheel – 2001

Mac OS X – 2001

iTunes Store – 2003

MacBook (switch to Intel) – 2006

iPhone – 2007

App Store + iPhone SDK – 2008

iPad – 2010

Do you aspire to become the world's largest company at what you do?

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Apple Delays Overseas Launch of Its iPad

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Think they have all their iDucks in a row? Is the domestic demand so great that it's forcing Apple to slow down their international expansion efforts? Or did Israel's ban wallop them?

Don't know.

Read more here and let us know what you think or what you would do if you were in Apple's shoes.

We welcome your viewpoints.

Opening a New Global Frontier: The iPad

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Here it comes. Brace yourself for a magical and revolutionary product that will change the way we do things on a global basis in the digital media sphere. It's called the iPad.

And we wrote about it first here (2/1/10). And then Mossberg over at the WSJ referred to it the same way here (4/1/10). Remember this piece too? "Who Has the Global Edge On Wireless Reading Devices?"

Looks like we are on to something. Are you ready?

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Global Game Changer

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Apple's new iPad (pictured) is here and we most certainly will have to wait to see if it becomes another global game changer. Read more here.

Apple's motto which we can all learn from: Think DiFfeRent.

About Steve Jobs. One more here.

Our post about the much anticipated new product launch here. And another post October 9, 2009 on: "Who Has The Global Edge On Wireless Readers?"

Related topic wise ... watch for upcoming post to the American Express OPEN Forum on "bold innovation." Follow us on Twitter to capture it @LaurelDelaney.

Global iTablet from Apple?

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Whatever it is and whenever it is launched, get ready to take your business global by developing accessories for the soon to be announced Apple tablet.

Read more here.

Global Competition

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High Tech Computer, a hardly-known but rapid-growing Taiwanese gadget maker, unveiled a touch-screen smartphone called Touch Diamond.

Looks like Apple has some healthy global competition coming its way against the iPhone .

Overseas Adventures in Advertising

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When it comes to advertising, what's funny in one culture can seem ill-mannered in another.

Globalizing Apple's ads meant tweaking characters, clothing and body language.

Please Choose Your Country

Think this company wants to do business with the world?