Why Global Products Change from Country to Country

Walk into a supermarket in Amsterdam and then into one in Philadelphia, and you’ll notice something curious. The detergents, shampoos, and dish soaps look familiar, but not quite the same. Some brands carry different names. Others use alternate colors. Look closer, and even the formulas inside the bottle may vary.

This isn’t a coincidence. It’s a distinct strategy. Global consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies carefully adapt their products for local markets. The reasons are practical, cultural, and financial, and these choices have a ripple effect on profitability, complexity, and growth.

AI is still in the early stages across many industries, but there’s no question that it has already been
transformational. At Advantexe, we’re seeing firsthand how AI can elevate leadership development learning engagements, especially in the areas of developing business acumen and leadership skills.

One of the most exciting innovations we have recently launched is the AI Board of Directors (BOD) Debriefing Tool. Traditionally, after learners complete a business simulation workshop, we challenge them to present their strategy, goals, objectives, results, and guidance to a fictional board of directors, explaining what they did, why they did it, and where their simulated companies are going in the future, which simulates the real-world process leaders go through every quarter. These presentations help learners solidify their thinking, connect decisions to outcomes, and improve communication skills.

Now, we’ve taken this process to the next level with the support of AI.

When tariffs hit (or don’t hit and then hit again), the impact isn’t always immediately clear, but the consequences can be significant. One of our consumer-packaged goods (CPG) clients recently found themselves in this tough situation. Their supply chain team was dealing with escalating costs from new international tariffs, but they couldn’t fully grasp how those changes were affecting the rest of the business, or how to build internal alignment around the best response.

To bridge that gap, we partnered with them to create a dynamic learning experience that combined business simulation with AI-powered roleplay exercises to emulate having very challenging conversations. The focus was on helping learners gain a clearer understanding of how tariffs impact a business and what it may take to respond to these increased costs.

As part of Advantexe’s tradition at ATD, we like to feature a special business simulation designed just for conference learners. Something timely, relevant, and hands-on. This year, we introduced a new experience focused on a hot-topic business challenge: tariffs.

Rather than just talking about simulation-centric learning, we invited attendees to experience it through a scenario that put them in the role of a decision-maker responding to a sudden surge in global tariffs.

The goal wasn’t to teach global trade policy. It was to demonstrate how external business disruptions ripple across everyday business decisions and how simulation, combined with our new AI feedback tool, Simi™, can create immersive and hands-on learning that makes an impact.

It’s trade show season, and Advantexe is heading to the ATD International Conference & EXPO, the talent development industry’s largest and most influential event. With thousands of attendees and hundreds of booths, one thing is clear: AI will dominate the conversation.

My guess is that nearly every vendor on the floor will be showcasing or name-dropping some form of AI. Whether it’s “AI-powered coaching,” “AI personalization,” or “AI-generated learning,” the buzz will be everywhere. But as a participant, how do you cut through the hype?

Not all AI is created equal. And not all vendors are using it in the same way, or with the same level of responsibility, transparency, or actual impact on learning outcomes.