A popular new trend in language, it seems, is to combine two words to invent a whole new word. I first heard of glocalization in a human geography class I took back in high school, and though first glance it seemed to be an odd word, it’s meaning is self defined when you realize it’s a combination of globalization and localization. You may have seen “Think Global, Act Local” bumper stickers around town encouraging people to do their part in their local area to yield a better global outlook; this stems from that same idea.
I like to think of glocalization as a sort of grassroots campaign. Instead of the classic globalization tale where products are simply introduced from a point source, the sources grow from everywhere. Globally-centric ideas are spread through direct interactions with a specific locale. Rather than inject an idea into a specific culture, practitioners of glocalization come to understand a locale’s needs and help them develop something to aid that need specifically. If something seems or feels foreign, interest in it fades quickly. This is why when glocalization is taken on in a marketing or product development approach, it is so important to pay attention to what foreign customers are saying so that your company can work together with them to fill their needs.
If you know of any other “combo-words” that have entered into your vocabulary, let us know. Comment below or send us a tweet @lingoport.
