All Business Is Local: Why Place Matters More Than Ever in a Global, Virtual World [Hardcover]

John A. Quelch (Author), Katherine E. Jocz (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 2, 2012

Why businesses should never underestimate the power of place.

Today's business leaders are so obsessed with all things global and virtual that they risk neglecting the critical impact of physical place. It's a paradox of the Internet age: now that it's possible for businesses to be everywhere at once, they need to focus on what it means to be one specific place at a time.

The best global brands, from IBM to McDonald's, are by design also the leading local brands. For instance, your decision to patronize Starbucks will depend on whether it's the best local coffee shop in your neighborhood, not on how many thousands of global locations it has.

Marketing experts John Quelch and Katherine Jocz offer a new way to think about place in every strategic decision-from how to leverage consumer associations with locations to where to position products on the shelf. They explore case studies such as Nike and The Apple Store, which use place in creative ways.

Drawing on a blend of hard data and engaging anecdotes, this book will help any business-from global mega-brands to boutique, small town stores- influence customers more effectively.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is a timely reminder that not all markets are global and even those that are have local foundations. Consumers trust big brands but they also trust local relationships based in their community. Well worth the read Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO, Tesco This is not a back-to-basics book: it takes the debate a great step forward. All Business Is Local identifies and endorses the most important aspects of global market-ing - then convincingly demonstrates not just the need for local sensitivity but also the huge competitive value that an evocative sense of place can confer on ambitious brands Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO WPP Technology has rendered distance irrelevant, but that does not mean we should for-get the importance of location. Quelch and Jocz remind us that, while we may all be global citizens, we are deeply influenced by our connections to place. All Business Is Local is a thoughtful and counterintuitive book Don Tapscott, bestselling co-author of Wikinomics --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

John Quelch is Dean of CEIBS, the highestranked business school in China. He's also a former Dean of the London Business School and a former professor at Harvard Business School.
Katherine E. Jocz is a research associate at Harvard Business School and a former director at Marketspace. Their work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review among other publications.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover (February 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781591844655
• ISBN-13: 978-1591844655
• ASIN: 1591844657
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #795,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The more things change, the more they remain the same March 17, 2012

By N. Noor

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The authors do a great job of making the case for localization and importance of geography when it comes to branding, and in general marketing. There are some interesting anecdotes (e.g., how Malaysia attracted investment from multinational corporations) which make for an entertaining read. Also peppered throughout are high level frameworks that others have used to strike a balance around globalization and localization of various product attributes. These may help readers to consider new dimensions as they explore the concepts on their own.
Having said that, towards the end of the book, the proof to support the thesis around why location is ever so important gets a bit tiring, with the last chapter rehashing some of the concepts introduced earlier in the book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars If You're Enamored of Globalism, Read This Book July 10, 2012

By Daniel

Format:Hardcover

Responding to World is Flat Friedmanites and other idealogues of the globalized world economy, author John Quelch says "Actually, business is still very much local" (my paraphrase). In other words, business is and always will be serving local communities, influenced by local contexts, and driven by local factors." As the title says, all business is local.

Perhaps Quelch and Jocz are responding to a global-only business ideology that I am unaware of, but I thought the thesis was sort of a well-known fact. All business serves a clientele firmly ensconced within a locality. All business is affected by local factors. The authors' research was interesting, but almost unnecessary due to the obvious nature of the point being proven. People live in places. Business cater to people in places. Right.

This book, like other books that I've read, seems primarily to serve a select audience -- the C-level executives of Starbucks, Microsoft, McDonalds, and Dell. The book's advice, research, and directives seem best suited for massive global firms that operate on a multinational scale. This is a far cry from my little sandbox of limited business experience. This target audience focus isn't a problem. After all, there are a lot of Fortune 500 companies playing ball in the vast global arena, but aren't there more little guys, startups, and VC fledglings? Not all businesses aspire to the explosive franchise levels of a McDonald's.

I do, however, appreciate the authors' emphasis upon the importance of localized marketing and localized product tailoring. Despite the veneer of "globalism" upon the world business scene, the globe is still comprised of individuals who live in their own cultures. Businesses, like all of us, could be a bit better at cultural awareness, adaptation, and sensitivity.

3.0 out of 5 stars Readable but quite descriptive, offering little insight for practitioners February 26, 2013

By ServantofGod

Format:Hardcover

In short, the authors spent over 150 pages on the importance of a single concept:- To be a strong global player, you have to be a strong local player. The writing is good and the examples are interesting. Yet, it is not insightful or prescriptive on how to manage or market a global brand or business in any local market. In case you can fully appreciate the wisdom of HSBC's slogan - "The World's Local Bank", There's no need for you to read this book at all.