The latest buzzword in the corporate lexicon has all the bigwigs salivating, their thought bubbles filled with dollar signs and outbound flights - 'glocalisation'. With the prospects of plunging political stability, protectionist trade policies, and a global pandemic that has the potential power to give even Superman shivers, the business world is bidding adieu to globalisation. We are now dancing to the rhythm of glocalisation. In a nutshell, glocalisation is the mixture of global and local. I know, very creative right? We already had 'frappuccinos', 'labradoodles' and 'Brangelina'. Who knows, perhaps the creators of 'glocalisation' missed the memo that the trend of merging two words to create new, nonsensical terms died out with Bennifer. The term supposedly encourages companies to adapt their international strategies to accommodate local conditions. Or in layman terms, selling the same old wine but in a fancy new bottle named 'local tradition'. Yes, you heard it right - nothing has changed! The sweets sold by McSweet’s or the spiced latte sold by Coffeebucks won’t be any different than before, but they will be packed, sold, and advertised as local delicacies. The corporate world, never short of marketing gimmicks, has found a new one to add to their already overwhelming arsenal. Underneath the veneer of promoting local traditions and cultures, glocalisation, however, is just another stage of capitalism with a fancy new name. Remember that small bakery down the street that couldn’t keep up with the giants? Now, they have a fun twist to their tragic ending - they will be swallowed in the name of promoting local business and culture. This really is a brilliant move by corporations. On one hand, they seduce regions with the promise of their global brand and on the other, present themselves as champions of local culture. This is the age of reusing, recycling, and re-packaging concepts, and glocalisation is the epitome of this environmental-friendly mental approach in the world of capitalism. Furthermore, glocalisation is the new blanket squashing the discussion of fair trade policies. Those hours wasted by experts debating whether or not trade policies are fair can now be replaced by talking about how to paint a multinational brand with a local hue. So here’s a toast to the new global world order – glocalisation! In this neoliberal sham, we will keep living our lives one corporate gimmick at a time. The capitalist playground continues to thrive and evolve. Same old game, just on a new and shinier stage. And as always, remember - if it looks too good to be true, it probably is just the magic of clever marketing.