Author

Nigel Lake & Olivia Loadwick

Title

Flying With the Dragon: Riding the next wave of global growth.

Synopsis

Over the last year, the allure of Asia has been overwhelming. Companies around the world have refocused on the opportunities for profitable growth that might exist in the region. Just as mythology varies country by country, however, so too do economic conditions, market structures, social preferences and business opportunities. We think that an “Asian growth strategy” is nothing more than a corporate placebo, easy to swallow but likely to have minimal impact. The only way to unlock real value will be to drill down, market by market, and segment by segment, to understand very clearly what local customers really want and to identify whether you have the capabilities to serve them well. Even if you do, you will need to ensure that you generate a sufficient return on investment over the medium to longer term to justify the effort and risk.