Top of the worldThere are many terms that we encounter, mostly in ads, and other forms of marketing communication from brands. One such term is “World-Class”

We have seen this coming from many brands, “we offer world class services, we are developing a world-class manufacturing facility, we have world-class customer service teams, world-class logistics” and the list keeps going on and on and on!

What is the true meaning of the term world-class then? To be brutally frank, it once used to denote things which ranked among the foremost in the world, the creme de la creme. But over the years, the term has been over used and abused, and has reached its current meaning, it means nothing.

The word now does not signify anything and connect with the global mindset of the consumer. What consumers now expect, even from the biggest multinational brands, is an adapted product, and service delivery model. When have you seen brands say they have an Indian-class, or a Chinese-class product? Even if they do, they would call it world-class.

Educational institutions, hotels resorts, and spas, all advertise about being world-class, but are they? really? The true definition of the word world-class is “being of the highest caliber in the world” according to Merriam Webster dictionary. But does the term , so widely used in advertising, a claim of almost every other brand that we encounter, hold any value to the consumer?

About the author

Arvind Ravikumar wrote 201 articles on this blog.

Arvind believes that “Marketing is a function, inherent in every human being. A post graduate in Retail Management, he has worked with retail companies like Shoppers Stop and Spar, before venturing out on his own, and now is a successful entrepreneur running a manufacturing business based in Chennai, India. Click here to know more about him.