A few years ago, executives at Procter & Gamble, the consumer industries giant, became frustrated at how few nappies (diapers) they were selling in Brazil. So, they decided to investigate nappy consumption on the ground – and discovered an interesting cultural twist.
In America, when parents buy nappies they often demand fussy add-ons (think nappy flaps, subtle scents, biodegradable material and so on). But in Brazil, babies often sleep with their parents, and many families are poor. Thus what consumers really care about is keeping the baby (and parents) dry all night. So Procter & Gamble eventually launched a cheap, ultra water-tight nappy in Brazil, without fussy details – and sales soared. Many parents are happier now, they are getting more sleep,” one industry leader observed with a chuckle, at a recent debate at the World Economic Forum.
It is a salutary tale for all those western multinationals now flocking to countries such as Brazil. However it is also pretty thought-provoking – and cheering – for anybody, like myself, who once studied social anthropology or other social sciences. A couple of decades ago, when I was at university, it was not always clear how a degree in social anthropology might produce a job. After all, in the 1980s the “hot” – or high-paying – parts of the job market typically required degrees in economics, hard science, law or languages. Anthropologists, by contrast, tended to end up in social work, aid work, teaching or the media; they rarely dived into the business world.