Go Glocal: The Definitive Guide to Success in Entering International Markets

Twenty-five years ago, when I was tasked with taking VH1 (the video music channel) into the brave new world of international markets, I certainly could have used this new, practical, readable handbook, Go Glocal, by Craig Maginness. As Senior Vice President of programming & production, I had no training in foreign expansion. Moving into VH1/UK was straightforward enough. The cultures of the US and British music scene were already inextricably linked. But when it came to Eastern Europe, we had a bumpier road. It was 1994; the wall had come down five years earlier. But the Soviet culture still ruled the day. Existing customers in the US and the UK found value in virtually the same playlist, similar contemporary hosts, and the reality that national advertisers wanted to reach a valuable younger adult market (18-34s). Previous Soviet bloc television was a different animal entirely, as was the popular music scene, as was the advertising business—almost all ads were local. We did much better when we “proactively chose markets that were the best fit for our business” as Maginness writes in his handy new book. We maximized our chances for success when we launched VH1 UK (1994), and further challenged many of the Eastern European, Middle East and North African countries to carry the network in English, with advertising and regional hosts using the local languages. VH1 EUROPE (launched in 2002) remains a surprisingly strong video music satellite network, now available from Belarus to Belgium, Croatia to Malta, Denmark to Greece, Iceland to Israel, Egypt to Iraq, Portugal to Russia, from Spain to Sweden to Uzbekistan. I believe it took us eight years to go from the UK launch to serving the entire continent and beyond, because we underestimated how difficult it would be to find and how long it would take to build trust between our NYC-based entertainment base, and a huge assortment of different cultures. Maginness makes it clear in his book that differences in communication styles and attitudes about how long things normally take can derail or really slow down an expansion, even for a major firm like Viacom. In Go Glocal, you’ll find experienced guidance and practical tactics for a profitable business expansion into a new market. You’ll need to sort out what your successful “promise” is that creates value to your existing, local customers, and look for markets where a similar promise will hold sway. You’ll also want to take a close look at the requirements (read “changes”) of doing business abroad, and the impact these will have on your existing company structure. Effects will be felt through and through your “home office,” from sales to customer service, product development to branding and packaging, HR to legal. The work you do initially to align your company with your new international strategy could be the difference between successes on all fronts, or, worst case, cause significant damage to your existing business. Craig Maginness includes plenty of real world stories in his book, and packs it with practical advice on how to implement his three big strategic insights. This is not a business school textbook. It’s an in-the-trenches guide to finding the right partners, choosing the right vehicle to take your business international and utilizing resources to help evaluate a very different market over against your existing business drivers. To enhance your success when considering entry into an international market, Go Glocal reminds us that our new market is someone else’s home base, their local market. Maginness gives us tactics designed for execution and road-tested strategic insights that you can follow like a bright line down the road to international success.

Run don’t walk to get this amazing guide, whether you are in the earliest stages of considering an international market play or well down the road. Comprehensive, extremely readable, “Go Glocal” is loaded with no nonsense, practical advice on the opportunities, risks, obstacles and rewards of entering international markets, for businesses of all sizes. A gifted mentor who writes from wide experience in international business and law, Maginness provides a how to manual with sound advice and detail that could hardly be matched by a seminar costing hundreds of times the price of the book. Who knew that the size of the consumer market in Shanghai alone is comparable to that of Chile or the Netherlands, or that wooden pallets might need to be treated with insecticide before shipping to some markets? Not a chest-pounding or didactic narrative on the subject - Maginness shares as many mistakes as triumphs - this volume provides a critical and complete a checklist for businesses looking globally - or glocally - in an intelligible and absorbing format. Read it before taking the first steps onto foreign soil - you will not regret it.

It's hard to encapsulate the thought process, initial steps and challenges that go into entering or servicing international markets, and the author does this better than any book I've read in accessible length. His perspicacious knowledge spans strategic thinking, tactical plan development and on-the-ground research elements that are a must for any out of country expansion or on-going business. It's also clear he has deep experience in the cultural process of international business. I've been doing business for 30 years in overseas markets and having this book available when I started would have been priceless. His anecdotes add value to the narrative while providing a context for employing his suggestions. The lessons included are not only for initial expansion, but also for assessing what your current operations can do better. Read it and keep it.

As a small business person, I found Go Glocal to be practical, accessible and very helpful. Maginness has translated his real-world experience to lessons and best practices that can be immediately implemented in a variety of business contexts. His thoughtful approach to understanding cultural context and developing trusted relationships with business partners around the world was thought-provoking. I think this book would be helpful to entrepreneurs, executives and those responsible for exploring and developing new markets - I highly recommend it!

Going Glocal is a must read for anyone interested in expanding to international markets. The author uses real world stories and offers practical advice based on his many years of experience. His thoughts on the importance of understanding cultural context and developing relationships in distant markets are particularly helpful.

Fantastic book! His experience with international business is insightful! I'd recommend this read for anyone even remotely interested in the topic. It will be a resource for me going forward.

"Go Glocal" is the go-to book for any business contemplating international markets. Maginness has the experience and writing skills to layout getting off to a good start when another country can present so many unknown variables. Practical considerations are explained as are some intriguing finer points, such as whether a culture looks at "time sequentially ... or take(s) a more synchronistic approach." (p. 156)I would have liked more information earlier in the book on getting a translator. Examples of why you need your own translator are chilling.Craig's conversational style makes this a good read. His depth of understanding and passion for the role of international markets in our ever changing world is impressive. Craig Maginness says "Knowledge is the currency you need" (p. 87) and this book has that knowledge for you.