Knowledge@wharton

Five years ago C.K. Prahalad published a book titled The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid in which he argues that multinational companies not only can make money selling to the world’s poorest but also that undertaking such efforts is necessary as a way to close the growing gap between rich and poor countries. Key to his argument for targeting the world’s poorest is the sheer size of that market -- an estimated four billion people. How has Prahalad’s book -- a revised fifth-anniversary edition of which has just been published -- affected the behavior of companies and the well-being of consumers in the years since its publication? Knowledge at Wharton checked in with the author for an update including examples of specific companies that are implementing Bottom of the Pyramid strategies. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.