The Global Code

Book excerpt: For decades, Clotaire Rapaille's work focused on how people's relationships with the most important concepts in their lives—love, health, and money, for instance—are guided by subconscious cultural messages. But recently, he has uncovered a new phenomenon: a "global unconscious," or core values and feelings that are consistent worldwide—the result of our constant interconnectedness. He has also identified a new group who are paving the way for the future of decision-making: the Global Tribe. These individuals are fluent in the language of culture, untied to any notion of nationalism or ideology. They are defining the key values driving our new world economy, with profound implications for how companies market their products and services. Rapaille takes us on a journey through China, Brazil, India, England and everywhere in between to discover the new standards for luxury, pleasure, technology and education. How can elite brands compete in a world of knockoffs? How can universities maintain their prestige when a cheap master's degree or doctorate is only a click away? We must speak the language of the Global Tribe in order to succeed. Building on seven years of research, Rapaille analyzes how this new mindset has taken hold in various regions, and how marketers and service providers can tailor their offerings and marketing accordingly. The Global Code is an invaluable glimpse at how our new multi-sphere world is affecting us all.