These activities include the opening of showrooms in the USA, brand-building strategies, effective and targeted communication, and online sales and promotion initiatives. A review of their competencies reveals another weakness – a persisting propensity toward manufacturing – a characteristic of an “old economy” rather than investing in developing marketing capabilities. The prevalent use of extended distribution channels limits the contact and understanding of the American end-user. Indian firms seem to have been successful because they tend to serve Indian-American consumers and they use short distribution channels (including the internet). Italian firms have begun to respond to the profound changes in the competitive setting of international gold markets albeit at a slow pace. Possibly, the legacy of a glorious past on a global scale has created complacency and over-reliance on more traditional product development protocols and competitive positioning competencies.