Mark Ritson on branding: US brands' decline shows risks of complacency

Three years ago, a student in my department rushed into my office and thrust a piece of paper at me, bearing the details of a doctoral symposium to be held in Philadelphia on the topic of international business. He was writing his thesis on global marketing and pleaded for the research funds to buy a plane ticket to attend the event. Eventually, I consented and off he went to email his registration to the conference committee.