I’m trying to find a good news article & event to use as an example of a global marketing fiasco. I want to find something that happened within the last year in which a company operated in one country went to another and failed magnificently due to differences in culture. Think Wal-Mart in Germany, but more recent. Any examples?
And by ‘global marketing fiascos’, I don’t mean business fiascos in general. I mean ones from when corporations went global with their product (as in brought their business to another country) and things went down the pie-hole. Corporate failures in general don’t answer this question at all!

In a recent news article posted on Yahoo! "Historic anti-smoking vote to give FDA new power", it states that "The legislation [...] would give the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the content, marketing and advertising of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

I don’t smoke cigarettes, nor do I advocate them, but think is a gross abuse of government power. Tobacco products already have the strictest rules concerning advertising (in CA ads are practically limited to magazines and gas stations only). Now the government is attempting to regulate it even more.

Also, in an odd "change-of-the-poles" effect, the government now IS Big Tobacco. Picture this, the government is now in control of what Big Tobacco makes, how it makes it, what it markets, how it advertises, and profits from it substantially through 300%+ tax rates excised on tobacco products in cities such as New York.

Does anyone else see several very wrong things with this scenario? Please no heated remarks about how cigarettes kill – WE KNOW.
gomanyes – "do you think that requiring FDA approval to sell a drug is also an abuse of government power?"

Yes, I do think that is another example of the government’s abuse of power. I believe gov. should only act as a facilitator, never* an inhibitor. Build roads, build schools, but let the markets do as they please. If the FDA wants to put a stamp on things it approves, that’s fine. But making non-approved products illegal is an abuse of power, because people have the right to choose what they put in to their bodies, whether it be cigarettes, alcohol, or medicine.
Bill M – I would agree with you if corporations forced people to consume their products. However the fact remains that individuals have the ability to choose whether or not they use tobacco products, and in what capacity. Would you like to edit your comment to include a rebuttal?
Lea R – I did not know until reading your post how severe the circumstances were in Canada surrounding tobacco and alcohol. It is interesting to learn how different things are.
It worries me because we are continuously creating more restrictive laws, but hardly ever do we abandon them. We are losing our freedoms inch by inch.

Many think cigarettes should be bad because of the health implications, but where does that road end? Will they next ban chocolate, and butter, and candy, and steak, and ham, because they all in some way or another can be detrimental to ones health?

People cit how many people have died from cigarettes frequently. It’s as if people think "If it weren’t for tobacco, no one would ever die, so we should get rid of it." I fail to see the logic in fruitlessly attempting to prevent something that is inevitable. (death)

I’m looking for sport idols of areas such as football, soccer, tennis, racing, formula 1, golf, etc. being hired by corporations to promote their services. Links to news articles would be greately appreciated. Articles concerning merchandising revenues from sport related activities are welcome as well.

How will Americas political/cultural response to environmental threats determine whether or not American society will collapse?

Think about big corporations controlling the politicians and the American consumer. The laziness of most American consumers and the lifestyle of overindulgence.

I’m trying to write an English paper, it would help if someone has read Collapse by Jared Diamond. I just need a few ideas to spin. Maybe an article to back up an idea? Really, I would appreciate any insight on the topic!

Thanks in advance!