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International audienceIn the 'knowledge economy', knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) are a key driver for innovation and competitiveness. The internationalization of these businesses raises challenges given their specificities such as knowledge intensity, the importance of customer interaction and intimacy in service delivery. This paper focuses on design consultancies as a specific type of creative KIBS for which these characteristics are emphasized. The objective of this research is to analyse the resources leveraged by the firms to compete internationally. It is based on 11 case studies of design consultancies located in five different countries (France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the UK) that were selected for their capacity to perform at the international level for several years. The paper advances three internationalization modes depending on contingent variables and focusing on specific resources that enable international competitiveness: star-based, process-based and glocality-based. In star-based creative KIBS, the individual designer has developed a reputation that attracts customers internationally, operating as a brand. In process-based creative KIBS, the reputation of a collective creative process attracts clients from other countries. In glocality-based creative KIBS, the geographical proximity obtained by opening international offices helps to develop a close understanding of the client through frequent interactions, and also to know the client's market well and to better understand local codes and signs. These modes complement those presented in the existing internationalization literature which takes the peculiarities of creative KIBS into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR

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Taboos have a strong presence today in society and public debate. Mass demonstrations against the 12 caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published by a Danish newspaper, the withdrawal of two Eastpack advertisements showing zombies, or the decision to cancel a performance of Mozart's opera Idomeneo in which the hero pulls the decapitated heads of Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad out of a bag provide three examples of strong and sometimes violent reactions to representations of topics relating to ABSTRACT Despite the importance of taboos in contemporary societies and their impact on consumption, little research has been conducted in marketing on the concept of taboo. Building upon the literature in anthropology, sociology and psychoanalysis, this paper puts forward five defining characteristics of taboos which shed light on previous research related to taboos in marketing. This article suggests topics for future research based on taboo characteristics that influence consumer behavior and taboo perception, with emphasis on the methodological difficulties and opportunities related to this field of research.

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