Why did the MGM Grand in Las Vegas get rid of the massive lion sculpture at the entrance? Why does this matter?
In the late 1990’s the MGM thought to remodel. Their design team wanted to continue with the lion theme that represents their brand so they moved forward with placing a massive lion at the entrance and patrons would enter through its jaws. Sounds cool aesthetically, perhaps but maybe not.
Lets think about their customers point of view. What are their nationalities, what is culturally acceptable to them?
Many of us have a variety of interests but few would step out of what pushes our boundaries or beliefs.
The change was to please their customers and increase profits. Did this happen? Shortly after the grand opening they realized a massive decline in their Asian customer base who previously were considered their high rollers (character vs culture) They conducted their research and evaluated the situation and found that their design was culturally offensive to their Asian customers. In the Chinese culture it is considered bad luck to enter through the jaws of the lion.
As you can see this turned out to be a very costly mistake, to the tune of $250 million dollars to correct.
In business do you think about the culture of your customer base? Do you know the difference between culture and character? How important is communication? All of this is covered with the IDI training.
Are you ready to take the IDI, intercultural developmental inventory? The training could assist with becoming more culturally sensitive as well as being diverse and bridging any gaps to diversity and inclusion. All trainings are customized to fit your needs and schedule. For individuals and groups.
Avoid costly mistakes and offenses. Message me today.