'When in Rome as they say. You can't succeed in international markets if you aren't going to play the game.'

Sorry, but that's not always the case. For starters, it takes two hands to clap. Far too many executives are too eager to show short term results by buying their way through foreign markets. Unsurprisingly, such people are rapidly surrounded by fixers who swear bribes are the only way forward. Naturally, they buy that story unquestioningly.

Somehow such hot shots tend not to last very long

In a similar vein, there's no dearth of sales and marketing people who swear their customers buy only on price promotions/ discounts. The few good men know better and focus on building equity and sustainable consumption, backed by strategic promotions. We may not stigmatize it as such, but relying heavily on promotions is nothing but consumer bribery.
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GG Home Fool