The Global Consumer
Since the Second World War the technological advancements in transportation and communication have brought about a revolution in people’s daily lives. While the origins of globalisation are often disputed, there is no denying that through the years our day to day activities increasingly link us to other people and activities throughout the rest of the world (Surman, 2009). There has been much debate on the effects of globalisation and what businesses and consumers facing them should do. This essay will outline and discuss elements of the paradigm shift of the last thirty years starting with the call for global standardisation and lowest cost orientation for the benefit of the consumer, as expressed by Levitt (1983) in his legendary article “The Globalisation of Markets”. We will then jump forward to the twenty-first century with global brands and glocalisation supported with the following articles: Holt et al (2004) “How Global Brands Compete”, Askegaard and Kjeldgaard’s (2006) “The Glocalisation of Youth Culture” and Surman’s (2009) “The Global Consumer”.

Discourse around what companies operating on the global level should and shouldn’t do always ends up being centered on the consumer. What the consumer wants/needs, what they will buy and why they buy it, what implications does buying the product have for them. Levitt (1983) states that consumers are driven by the lowest price, though accounting for the importance of quality. Products are bought in the first place because of their functional benefits and ability to increase discretionary time. Companies must work under the belief that the customer doesn’t know what he/she really wants therefore such market research and customisation is pointless, inefficient and costly to company and consumer. Companies should therefore standardise wherever possible to achieve economies of scale and offer