By Michel Bouquier

Is your company ready for a new global marketing strategy?

If you take the right steps and if you are really ready for a major change of behaviour, you will undoubtedly increase the value of your company.

Implementing a global marketing program is a complex endeavor.

Are you ready to think differently? Are you prepared for a major change?

You will need a new mission statement or most certainly you will have to revise your old one because this is an all new battle field out there.

Partnership alliances will play a key role in your new strategy. Creativity and innovative thinking will make you win the global battle. Look around at the successful strategies in other winning industries. With a few outstanding exceptions, the travel industry has been slow to mark out territory in partnerships and is not as aggressive as it could be.

The exceptions which prove the global alliance rule include airlines such as Star Alliance, One World and some of the top agency players. American Express Travel with 1700 travel agencies under the leadership of Charles Petrucelli in Paris is probably one of the most advanced travel companies along with Rosenbluth Travel. Both companies do not aim only to conquer the European market. They want to be world number one.

Cruise lines are slowly progressing on the global scale. Club Med is facing major internal changes. The recent purchase of Cunard by Carnival Cruises shows the willingness of the world number one cruise line to lead the global market.

Large international hotel chains are focused on their network development but are neglecting the new alliances that would allow them to run an effective global marketing strategy.

The bank and the credit card industries are probably among the leaders of the new global thinking. Both do it right. Both do it fast. Both do it with a brand new state of mind.

How can a bank increase the number of its outlets without opening new agencies? The answer is placing ATM machines where the consumers spend their money, ie video stores, department stores, airports etc...and investing heavily in the Internet.

Credit cards know they are competing not only with other credit card companies, they are competing against check and cash transactions. The challenge is to make credit card usage more attractive and added valued to anybody, anywhere, anytime. Partnership alliances are also the answer for credit card companies. In addition to a very effective distribution network, exclusive added value products give them the power of penetrating each market segment and each region of the world. Partners add value to the product in any industry-whether it be financial services or travel. The very real benefits of shared costs and shared customers mean that all parties benefit-and that the biggest winner of all is the consumer.

This new creative thinking is powered by a new generation of leaders who do not hesitate to destroy old habits and to fix things even if they are not broken.

In a world of changes, companies are starving for lack of innovation. They know that they have to adapt fast because the ability to adapt to changes is the key identifier in the global marketplace.

Going global means taking the lead and showing the way forward. It only requires new ideas that work-new ideas that will convince your future strategic partners that you mean business.