c is for consumer.

As I have said in past posts, we had the opportunity to visit many businesses. It was really interesting to see the differences between business in South America and business in the United States. One aspect that is same is the importance of consumers. Customers and stakeholders are an important part of any business and it was fascinating to see how they addressed those needs.

We visited the business of Arcor which is a candy confectionary business. Not only did we get to sample the product but I remember that we discussed the impact of the economy on their production. I was really impressed to hear how they took their consumers into account when making decisions regarding the production of certain products.

Natura is a cosmetics company in Brazil. They are similar to Avon. A lot of Natura’s employees are also customers. I was impressed with how Natura treats their employees. Not only do they get delicious lunches but they also have an expansive day care system so that women can have the opportunity to work. Natura focuses on giving their customers the best product that they can create.

Promperu is a Peruvian company that focuses on tourism for Peru. Tourists are the consumer and their job is to convince us to travel to Peru. One of the tactics that they used is bringing celebrities into the country and then using that publicity. Also, they try and inform potential tourists about all the opportunities that the country holds. I appreciated the honesty that this company displayed both in its presentation and in its own marketing endeavors.