The Challenges of International Marketing

The Challenges of

International Marketing

BY

Jay Fankam

Baker College 2005-2006

Abstract

Regardless of the success of your company on a national scale, to engage yourself in a successful venture outside of your borders requires several critical elements that one must acknowledge and apply with great care. One of those requirements would be to thoroughly research the cultural environment in which you wish to launch your product no matter how popular and indispensable you believe it might be. In the past, many national giants have hit the wall when introducing a foreign market or launching a new marketing campaign because of the cultural gap they encountered on the other side of their borders. Another way of preventing a flop on an international market is to carefully study the economical past of this country, which might differ quite a bit from the one the company flourished in. In addition to the previous precautions, it Would be advise to make sure that your product will blend seamlessly within the spending habits of the consumers. Overall, meticulous market studies and patience often constitute the way to success on a foreign soil.

The Challenges of

International Marketing

Despite the facts that many of the most powerful markets on the planet operate within the capitalistic principle of free trade. Despite the fact that Western Europe is now border-free within its bounds and uses the same common currency. And despite the fact that the USSR ‘s Iron Curtain has fallen more than a decade ago, the people of this world have never expressed their need to belong to a national identity as much as they do today. In response to international organized terrorism, mass media and political pressure, the average consumer today is looking for security, truth, and for a product tailored to his need. A product that reflects the international society we live in today but also carries the cultural identity of the consumer buying it. Or at least carries one that can be compatible with it.

One suiting example of a company of international caliber tailoring its marketing campaign to the local population would be mentioning the producer of computer hardware and software IBM. “IBM ads used in France feature IBM employees whose names and faces give the impression that they are Europeans hired by IBM to service the needs of other Europeans”(Martin, as cited in the Journal of Language for International Business, 2005, 16(1) pp. 76-96). Only trough this genuine effort to identify with the local consumers could a company such as IBM being able to successfully blend in within the market’s landscape.

Unlike IBM, some other worldly known companies have fallen victim to their image and had to spend some substantial amount of time and money correcting that image. Such is the case of McDonald, which because of the type of product it furnishes has inherited the reputation of contributing to the children obesity rate, in this case, in France. In order to erase this negative stereotype from the minds of the French population, McDonald engaged in a marketing campaign, which was published in some of the most popular women’s magazines. With the backing of medical studies stating that unhealthy food could be bought anywhere, they reinforced the fact that McDonald’s meals, if carefully chosen, could be just as healthy as any other restaurant (Martin, 2005). Granted, it was not saying much, but the point was to use the medical support of the study to reassure the consumers and ended up greatly improving the overall image of McDonald overseas.

Some other multi-national companies are notorious for struggling with identifying to the common individual, they therefore opted for a different approach. Instead of reaching out and trying to establish a one on one relationship with its customers, these companies treat their clientele as a whole. In her article published in The Journal of Language for international Business and titled, Global Advertising a la Francaise: Designing Ads that Speak to French Consumers (2005), Martin noted the following:

A typical example is the two-page Microsoft ad recently used in France containing imagery from Paris on one page and Tokyo on the other. The headline reads “One second between sunset and sunrise”, essentially underscoring the importance of maintaining instant and continuous communication with business partners and clients in various locations