Strategic partnerships can be a highly effective way to grow businesses, particularly in competitive markets. Mattel and McDonald's – two brands that are household names in America – have formed a wide-ranging partnership to conquer one of the most important consumer markets – China.

Breakfast in China is nothing like it is in the West. Eggs, cereal and fresh fruit hardly ever appear on the menu, instead bland soups and dumplings are slurped down. But just as China has come around to buying Western luxury goods, is there a place for coffee and bacon on the Chinese breakfast table?

While many American fast food chains have set up shop in India, reinventing themselves in the process in order to appeal to local tastes, Domino’s stands out as a brand that’s gone one step further. Carefully balancing local tastes with the Western flavour that people associate with pizza, Domino’s has engineered a 72% slice of the market.

With more women than ever working in Japan, the need for quick, nutritious meals has become of utmost importance for busy wives and mothers. How have depachikas – food halls in department stores across the country – helped overturn cultural stigmas surrounding ready meals?