A Canadian sandwich, another German, yet another Australian. Dishes unobtainable in Italy, drinks with surprising flavors and typical specialties available only in some countries, served and eaten at a typically Italian table. A navel of the world unthinkable until recently, but contemporary marketing has accustomed us to proposals and related campaigns that sniff out the spirit of the times, anticipating evolutions. A way to wink at Generation Z globetrotters in search of unexpected tastes to experiment with, who after the pandemic are taking revenge by traveling the world (even at the table).
Read more International Criminal Court, prosecutor Khan removed
Ask Il Sole
The questions are automatically suggested by 24Ore AI
based on the displayed content.
Thus, the new World Menu Heist campaign, with which McDonald’s also brings international products to Italy, is not surprising: it ranges from Japanese teriyaki to Canadian hot honey, empanadas from Chile, and szechuan sauce from China. «More and more customers enjoy discovering and trying the menus of our restaurants in other countries, often not available locally. It’s a real social phenomenon: they themselves test recipes from around the world, share them, and review them online,» says Valeria Casani, Chief Marketing Officer of McDonald’s Italia.
The diplomacy of marketing
Who would have thought it. In a world that multiplies silos and erects walls, the diplomacy of marketing tries to make a difference by building bridges. An inverse phenomenon compared to the glocalization that, until a few years ago, guided the strategy of multinational giants in glocal logics – how much time has passed since Naomi Klein’s manifesto with her «no logo» – now arriving at a new global village, paraphrasing McLuhan and his idea of media interconnection. Thus, that same zero-kilometer brand performs an opposite operation with recipes from international markets.
Read more Rumors of an agreement reached for Pirlo as coach, in Figc for now no announcements are expected
It is a new phase of glocalization coined by sociologist Roland Robertson, which for decades described the ability of global brands to combine a widespread presence with adaptation to local cultures. Thus, underlying globalization no longer hides its expanded dimension. On the contrary, it places it at the center of the narrative. Paradoxes of the current time, in an era characterized by geopolitical tensions, tariffs, and market fragmentation. More than a simple commercial strategy, it’s a cultural response. If glocalization told how to make a global brand local, today some campaigns suggest the opposite: making the global desirable in a world that tends to close itself off.
In short, marketing tries to mend the wounds of a broken world. Netflix has transformed productions born in local contexts like Squid Game and La casa de papel into global phenomena. Starbucks enhances beverages and formats developed in Asian markets for Western markets. Ikea brings products and solutions initially conceived for specific needs of individual geographical areas worldwide, Lego creates collections inspired by Japanese, Chinese, or British culture that become international successes, Airbnb transforms the desire to experience authentic neighborhoods into purchasable experiences anywhere in the world, and McDonald’s itself in Chicago opens a restaurant-laboratory with menus from international markets, transforming geographical diversity into experience.
Read more Meloni meets Giorgetti, «working against high fuel prices»
