Global Marketing disasters and recoveries
Elliot Polak
Frank Cuttita
Toyota aired a commercial in Malaysia with Brad Pitt as the pitchman. The country's prime minister promptly banned it and declared it was time for Asian advertising to use Asian figureheads, who, he pointed out, can be just as handsome as westerners.
This may or may not be an overreaction, but the warning is clear. Globalisation has led to the converse: raised sensitivity regarding all that is local. Respect – or perceived lack of respect – of people's roots, local values, beliefs, cultures, iconography and language, is ignored at one's peril....