Vishal Kumar
1. Learning Objectives:
After completing this, module students will be able to:
i. Understand the meaning and concept of International Marketing Research
ii. Understand the evolution of marketing research
iii. Know about the nature and objectives of International Marketing Research and also
iv. Understand the importance of International Marketing Research
2. Introduction: The fundamental objective of MNCs is to achieve its goal by satisfying the needs and wants of the consumer from different countries. In this context marketing attains the core position in the international business operations and its activities. The complexity in the marketplace has increased many folds in recent years and related decision making also has got complex. This dynamism of the market affects marketing continuously because of the continuous change in the international business environment. The decision maker is finding it difficult to take decision in today’s environment because of such changes. For example, changing character of the market, growing concern for environmental quality, increase in competition, growing shortage of raw materials, volatility of the political relationships, rapidly changing technology and shift in international economy power give rise to the growing difficulties in making efficient marketing decisions.
As these complexities in market increase, the decision makers feel increasing need for understanding the market and its players be it customers, suppliers or any other stakeholder. Managers must know who their customers are, what they want, what their competitors are doing, if they are to make sound decisions. Due to the increase in complexity each right or wrong decision may cost company a fortune.
Marketing Research is a critical part of marketing decision making in international business operations. It helps in improving management decision making by providing relevant, accurate, and timely information. Every decision poses unique needs for information, and relevant strategies can be developed based on the information gathered through marketing research in action. Too often, marketing research is considered narrowly as the gathering and analyzing of data for someone else to use. However, firms can actually achieve and sustain a competitive advantage through the creative use of market information generated by marketing research. Hence, marketing research is defined as information input to decisions, not simply the evaluation of decisions that have been made. Market research alone, however, does not guarantee success; the intelligent use of market research is the key to business achievement. A competitive edge is the result of how information is used than who does or does not have the information.
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3. Evolution of Marketing Research
The successful entrepreneurs always make an effort to search for information and identify newer ways to create, communicate and deliver value to their markets. So far the history of marketing research is apprehensive, the role and impact of industrial revolution is ineradicable. Consequently, the paradigm shift in the ways of production and management had shown the seeds of market research of modern days. Though before the beginning of industrial revolution some cases of marketing research were reported, yet the beginning of marketing research as an organized business activity began between 1910 and 1920. It is believed that in 1911, the appointment of Charles Collidge Parlin as the manager of the Commercial research division of the advertising department of the Curtis Publishing Company marked the beginning of organized marketing research.
After the World War II, there seems to be a dramatic rise in the area of marketing research. Though by the 1950s and 1960s, television became the part of life and with came the era of television advertisement. Further, the revolution in the area of Information and Communication Technology and the process of globalization has intensely influenced the marketing research activities.
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The marketing research activities in India also got thrust in the post economic liberalization scenario. Till the 1990s, marketing research was given much importance and used to be carried out as a custom activity and not on a challenging basis. The real changes in marketing research activities started taking place with the large scale entry of many Multinational Companies to India. These MNCs used the market research for making better business and strategic decisions. This led the many Indian companies to realize the significance of marketing research, which resulted in the growth of marketing research industry in India. The following factors are responsible for the development of marketing research:-
4. Definitions of Marketing Research
1. According to American Marketing Association (AMA), MR is “The systematic gathering, recording, and analyzing of data about problems relating to the marketing of goods and services.”
2. According to Richard D. Crisp, MR is “The systematic, objective and exhaustive search for and study of the facts relevant to any problem in the field of marketing.”
3. According to Philip Kotler , “Marketing research is systematic problem analysis, model building and fact-finding for the purpose of improved decision-king and control in the marketing of goods and services.”
4. According to Paul Green and Donald Tull, “Marketing research is the systematic and objective search for, and analysis of, information relevant to the identification and solution of any problem in the field of marketing.”
On the basis of all these definitions, it can be concluded that marketing research is the systematic, scientific and objective identification, collection, analysis, dissemination and use of information for the rationale of improving decision-making related to the identification and solution of problems and connecting the opportunities and facing the threats in marketing. The process of Marketing research has following steps:-
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5. The Concept of International Marketing Research
One of the most striking developments of recent decades has been the globalization of business. The growth of international trade requires more information about foreign markets and companies which expand into new and unknown markets and must possess the information about the demand and conditions of these markets. Companies invade not only into such developed markets as Europe, US and Japan, but also into the unstable but growing markets of Latin America, the politically uncertain markets of the Middle East and Russia, and the rapidly changing markets of South East Asia and the emerging African markets. The development of new communication and information technologies change the lifestyle, consumption behavior and purchasing patterns of different nations. All this indicates that the marketing research in global environment has become essential.
Marketing research practices and techniques have become truly global. International marketing managers make the same basic types of decisions as the decisions taken by the mangers working in the domestic country. Of course, they make these decisions in a more complicated environment. As with marketing decisions, the basic function of marketing research and the research process does not differ between domestic and multinational research. However, the process is complicated almost exponentially as more and more countries are involved in the same decision.
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6. Nature of International Marketing Research:
After the analysis of above facts about international marketing research, the following points have been developed to understand the nature and characteristics of research:-
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7. Objectives of International Marketing Research:
The following are the main objectives of the international marketing research:-
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On the basis of this discussion it can be concluded that international marketing research facilitates producers, merchants, distributors and advertisers to avoid mistakes either in manufacturing or in marketing. To that extent it can minimize business failures and maximize profitability of multinational corporations.
8. Importance of International Marketing Research:
Marketing research is fast growing in its importance due to increasing competition, fast moving technological developments and changing consumer needs, expectations and attitudes. The importance of marketing research is universally accepted. The status of marketing research in business management is identical to the position of brain in a human body. The following points suggest the importance of marketing research:-
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9. Summary: In this module, we have discussed the meaning and concept of international marketing research. International marketing research is the systematic design, collection, recording, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of information relating to a particular marketing decision facing a company operating internationally.
The international marketing research process has some peculiarities such as the national differences between countries arising out of political, legal, economic, social and cultural differences and, the comparability of research results due to these differences. A company performing the international marketing research may experience several problems. Firstly, there is a complexity of research design due to operation in a multi country, multicultural, and multi linguistic environment. Secondly, the availability of secondary data varies widely from country to country. On some markets, especially emerging and unstable, the data is neither available nor reliable. Thirdly, the costs of collecting primary data are much higher in foreign developing markets as there is the lack of an appropriate marketing research infrastructure. The module has also highlighted the objectives, nature and scope of international marketing research.
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Since GeoPoll’s launch, we have grown to now facilitate research in over 60 countries, including 25 countries in Africa alone. During this time, GeoPoll’s team has amassed a trove of knowledge on best practices when carrying out international marketing research. We have also encountered some challenges, and with them, invaluable learnings regarding international research. Based on these learnings, we have put together a how-to guide on the marketing research process , including tips on regional nuances to look out for as well as the dos and don’ts when engaging a research agency, and how to understand basic research terms and get the most value out of the data you are gathering. We hope you find this useful as you start your own marketing research process. If you have specific questions about embarking on a new project feel free to contact us.
A. conduct preliminary research.
Carry out some preliminary research by going online and searching for existing survey reports on your topic of interest. There might not be much especially if you are looking for very specific information, but you might find something close either for a different country or a report that gives you some ideas on how to go about your primary research.
While gathering international research data has been difficult in the past, in the last 10 years, information about Africa and other regions is more available online. Governments, the private sector, and international development organisations throughout the world are continuously churning out research data. One example of this can be seen on GeoPoll’s very own blog, which contains troves of research reports on various topics on commercial and international development research. This secondary data can be used to help structure your research brief.
To get the most out of your marketing research project, put together a brief with the objectives of your data collection. What exactly do you want to understand better? Be as specific as possible, for example: “What percentage of adult working females aged between 25 and above living in urban areas use my product brand?”
Which aspects of the 4 Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) do you want to best understand? The more detail you can provide the better. This helps later when designing the project. A brief document should contain the following information: Company background, the business objectives, the research objectives, your target market, your competition, the geographical focus and your research project budget.
Research agencies come in all shapes and sizes. It often helps to understand an agency’s main data collection method which, more often than not, tells you what their strengths are. What you will note is that many of the international marketing research agencies have wide-ranging capabilities in data collection and use multiple data collection modes. However, often the cost for these agencies is higher than for agencies that only specialize in one data collection method. For you as the consumer, the scope of your project will determine which agency you will work with.
When talking to various research agencies, counter check their website and social media pages to look for any published reports online, which will give you an idea of the quality of their research and topic areas they focus in. Another crucial due diligence aspect of deciding on what agency to work with is their capabilities and country coverage – too many companies claim to be in markets that they are not in, and they end up sub-contracting. This practice means you are further removed from the data collection process and can also result in a higher cost.
You can verify the company’s coverage by requesting for a copy of their panel book; this is a comprehensive document that gives you details of the agency’s research panel and includes their geographical coverage as well as the demographic details of the panel. Also request copies of case studies, either of projects on the same topic or in the same geographical location, to further assess their past experience in the area you are interested in.
Last but not least, confirm that the agency is a member of either local, regional or international research accreditation bodies based on the geographical scope of your project. These associations have strict policies around marketing research ethics and how data is collected from respondents. GeoPoll is a proud corporate member of ESOMAR, PAMRO, and MSRA .
Once you have listed your objectives, deciding on which of the following research methodologies to utilize becomes easier. Deciding on which type of research to run also helps further narrow down the agency best suited based on their capabilities. The data collection mode you use will impact both the type of data you collect and how it is collected.
Data is generally grouped into two categories, qualitative and quantitative . Simply put, qualitative data is unstructured and is often exploratory by nature. When analyzed, responses may be grouped into similar categories but they cannot be ranked in the same way quantitative data can.
Quantitative research is the mathematical approach to collecting data, which can more clearly be measured and structured. Quantitative data includes survey data where respondents have a clear choice of answers, and quantitative questions often appear with radio buttons, check boxes and Likert scales which are easy to measure and compare. The two data collection methods are often referred to as simply quant and qual. It is important to note that qualitative research tends to be more expensive than quantitative research, as it requires more manual data analysis.
Different research modes will often lend themselves more easily to quantitative or qualitative data collection. Focus groups, unstructured interviews, and open-ended questions are typically collecting qualitative data, while surveys with answer choices collect quantitative data. Understanding the different modes and what type of data they can collect is important: Text message surveys can collect some qualitative data, but perform better with quantitative questions that are easily answered from a list of choices.
You also need to consider how robust and agile the different modes of data collection are. Can your selected mode work across multiple countries and languages? How much data are you looking to collect and in what time-frame? The level of scalability of the mode is important, especially if your project will entail a multi-country survey. In addition, some modes will collect data more slowly than others.
Some examples of different modes of data collection include: • Face-to-face • Text message (SMS) survey • Online survey • Mobile web survey • Mobile application survey or passive data collection • CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews) • CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) • Focus groups
Marketing research agencies can often give you guidance on what modes would be best for your project, and you should also consider if the agency has experience in that type of data collection. Another question to consider is how relevant each methodology is to your needs – if you are looking for a lot of exploratory data, a focus group may be your best bet, but if you want to reach a wide group of respondents in emerging areas, text message surveys would be a better mode.
The most important aspect of market research is being able to analyze the data once it has been collected. A thorough analysis should guide you on how to act on the insights you have gathered. It is therefore crucial that the research agency, through their insights report, address the questions you had set out at the start of your survey. For example: What is my product’s current position in the market, who are my actual customers, and which aspects of my 4 Ps do I need to work on? Analysis capabilities of the agency and the tools being used by the analysts and if they meet your needs
Having a session with the research team after completion of your project to share feedback and discuss the project execution is sometimes overlooked. Such an undertaking involves various departments but is important to understand why a project did or did not go as smoothly as planned. A post-project review session helps in both parties knowing what areas worked and which ones the agency or the client will need to improve for their next project.
Conducting international marketing research is often a large undertaking and there are various details you need to consider before embarking on your project. Language, infrastructure, internet penetration, and the type of data you are looking to collect all have an impact on your project and how easily data will be collected from your target population. To be successful, you must engage the right company: One that has a wide range of experience in the area you are researching can utilize multiple modes with ease and can give you advice on questionnaire design, regional nuances, and more.
GeoPoll has a team of experts in collecting data around the globe, and specifically in emerging markets in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. We are always happy to advise you on your data collection needs: To ask a question or contact us about an upcoming project, please get in touch with us
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When brands aim to target multiple markets worldwide, effective international marketing allows them to seamlessly integrate with local cultures. Take, for example, Dunkin’ Donuts. In its 2013 Donut Day campaign, the company provided tailored widgets for 24 different markets, offering consumers a localized feel with unique menus and messaging adapted to each language and culture.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dunkin’ Donuts Singapore (@dunkindonuts_sg)
The campaign became so popular that the company made Donut Day an annual event. Customers worldwide now celebrate National Donut Day in their local markets, eagerly anticipating Dunkin’ Donuts’ brand festivities and exciting offers. This is just one example of how powerful international marketing can be in promoting offers within a local context. Discover how to make it work for you in our complete guide.
International marketing promotes products or services in different target markets by adapting them to local needs, preferences, and expectations.
The key objective of international marketing is to create a global brand presence while tailoring marketing strategies to each specific region’s culture, demographics, and consumer behavior.
Unlike domestic marketing, where the focus is on a single local market, international marketing involves a broader scope, requiring businesses to adapt to the diverse needs, preferences, and regulations of multiple markets.
This adaptation process is known as marketing localization and stands as the core difference between international and global marketing. More on that later.
The essence of international marketing lies in its adaptability. Companies must be agile enough to reimagine the entire marketing mix—product, price, place, and promotion—to align with local market dynamics.
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For example, a fast-food chain may offer a vegetarian menu in India due to religious considerations, while in the United States, the focus might be on quick, meat-based meals. Similarly, a skincare brand may offer lighter formulations for humid climates and richer products for colder regions.
One common misconception is that international marketing and global marketing are interchangeable terms. While both involve marketing across borders, they differ fundamentally in their approach to market adaptation.
In international marketing, the focus is on customizing the entire marketing mix to suit the specific needs and preferences of each local market.
This could mean altering the product features, adapting the advertising language and visuals, or even changing the pricing strategy to match local economic conditions. The aim is to resonate with the local consumer base while maintaining the core brand identity.
Global marketing adopts a “one-size-fits-all” approach, where the same products and marketing strategies are applied uniformly across all markets with minimal intervention.
The idea is to create a consistent brand image worldwide—capitalizing on economies of scale and scope. While this approach may work for products with universal appeal, it often overlooks the nuances of local cultures, consumer behaviors, and market conditions.
Here’s a detailed overview of the differences between international and global marketing:
International marketing | Global marketing | |
Adaptive and localized | Standardized and uniform | |
Multiple markets with local adaptations | One-size-fits-all strategy | |
Adapted to local preferences and needs | Same product for all markets | |
Varies based on local economy | Generally consistent across markets | |
Tailored distribution channels | Uniform distribution strategy | |
Marketing campaigns adapted to local cultures | Single marketing campaign for all markets | |
High, due to focus on local customs and behaviors | Low, as the focus is on a uniform brand image | |
Must comply with local laws and regulations | Focus on international laws and standards | |
Lower, due to market diversification | Higher, due to uniform approach | |
Higher, due to localization efforts | Lower, due to economies of scale | |
Higher, due to localized approach | May vary, as the strategy may not resonate locally |
For example, a global marketing strategy might involve launching a single advertising campaign worldwide, with minimal changes to the content. This could be effective for a software company selling a device with universal functionalities. However, for a food and beverage company, such a strategy could backfire if the product features flavors that aren’t universally accepted in every target market.
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Understanding the different types of international marketing is crucial for businesses looking to expand their reach beyond domestic borders.
Each type offers its own set of advantages and challenges, so the choice will often depend on the company’s resources and global expansion strategy .
Let’s take a look at some key types of international marketing.
The simplest form of international marketing involves exporting products to foreign markets.
This approach requires minimal investment and allows companies to test the waters before committing to more extensive strategies.
However, businesses must navigate trade regulations, tariffs, and local distribution networks.
Franchising allows businesses to license their brand and business model to local operators in foreign countries.
This reduces the financial risk and operational burden on the parent company, but it also requires a strong, universally appealing brand that can be easily adapted to local markets.
In this model, a company collaborates with a local business to share the costs, risks, and profits of the international operation.
Joint ventures and partnerships offer the advantage of local market knowledge but may involve complex negotiations and shared decision-making.
Direct investment involves establishing a physical presence in the foreign market, such as opening a subsidiary, manufacturing facility, or retail store.
While this approach offers the most control, it also requires significant investment and exposes the company to higher risks, including political instability and currency fluctuations.
Licensing involves granting permission to a foreign entity to use your intellectual property, such as trademarks, patents, or technology, in exchange for royalties or fees.
It allows companies to generate revenue from their intellectual assets without the need for significant investment or direct involvement in foreign operations. However, it requires careful monitoring to protect intellectual property rights.
As we can see, each type of international marketing comes with its own benefits and drawbacks, so it’s advisable to choose the right mix of these strategies—tailored to the company’s capabilities and the specific needs of each target market.
For example, a restaurant chain expanding into new markets may benefit from following a joint venture, partnership, or franchise model, allowing the company to decentralize its cost burden and incorporate local management and leadership into operations within each market.
Marketing products and services in international markets offers many advantages that can significantly impact a company’s bottom line. Let’s review some key benefits that can make a difference for your business:
One of the most obvious advantages of international marketing is the expansion of the customer base. By entering new markets, companies can tap into a larger pool of potential consumers, increasing their market share, and strengthening their resilience and stability.
Relying solely on a domestic market can be risky, especially during economic downturns. International marketing allows for diversification, spreading the risk across multiple markets. If one market faces challenges, your business can still capitalize on opportunities in another market.
Companies that successfully market their products internationally often enjoy a stronger brand image and recognition—which can be leveraged to gain market share even in highly competitive environments.
Because competitive advantage can be multiplied through international marketing, your business gains enhanced standing across individual markets.
Your company is then in a position to leverage a strong global position as well as strengths in each market one-on-one.
The experience gained from international marketing can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior, market trends, and operational efficiencies. With a more robust knowledge foundation, your company is better equipped for future global expansion and operations.
Seasonal fluctuations can pose challenges for businesses that rely on specific selling seasons. International marketing can help balance these fluctuations by selling products in markets with different seasonal cycles.
For example, a clothing company can sell summer wear in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, effectively doubling the selling season.
By mitigating the impact of seasonal fluctuations, international marketing enhances business resilience, ensuring a more consistent and predictable revenue flow.
Successfully marketing products or services internationally can enhance a brand’s image, increasing its appeal even in the domestic market.
The perception of being an international brand adds prestige and attracts a wider customer base. A strong domestic brand reputation can extend internationally, fostering trust and reliability.
In some cases, international markets may offer better regulatory conditions like tax breaks or reduced tariffs, which can boost profitability. Still, it’s crucial to do your homework and follow local laws to avoid legal trouble and damage to your brand.
Since differing regulations can make or break international marketing success, knowing how to handle them can give your company a competitive edge.
An international marketing strategy serves the same purpose for international expansion as a roadmap does for a journey. It’s a plan that outlines where you want to go, how you’re going to get there, what challenges you might experience along the way, and how you will address them.
And just like with journeys, it’s not impossible to get to your destination without a plan—but you’re much more likely to encounter issues along the way and arrive at your destination later than you had hoped—if you arrive there at all.
That’s why any international marketing endeavor should rest on a solid strategy from the very beginning. Creating an international marketing strategy will be different from one company to another, but it generally involves 3 stages:
Let’s break down these three stages one by one.
Result: In-depth understanding of the target market and the best entry strategy.
Establish specific objectives and targets that will guide the development of the international marketing strategy, ensuring alignment with the company’s expansion goals.
Begin by conducting thorough market research . Gather data on market size, growth potential, customer demographics, and trends. For each target market, understand the cultural nuances and legal requirements, including language, customs, regulations, and any potential barriers to entry.
Analyze competitors in the target market. Identify their strengths, weaknesses, market share, and strategies. This will help in positioning your company effectively.
Conduct a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) to assess your company’s internal capabilities and external factors that may impact your international expansion.
Evaluate various market entry options such as exporting, licensing, joint ventures, or establishing a wholly-owned subsidiary. Select the most suitable entry strategy based on your analysis.
Result: Clear strategic direction, target audience, value proposition, positioning, pricing, and distribution strategy.
Define your target audience within the international market. Segment the market based on demographics, psychographics, and behavioral factors.
Develop a unique value proposition tailored to each target market. Highlight how your product or service meets the specific needs and preferences of the target audience.
Determine how you want your brand to be perceived in the international market. Create a market positioning strategy that sets you apart from competitors.
Establish a pricing strategy that factors in local market conditions, competitive pricing, and cost considerations. Ensure it aligns with your value proposition.
Carefully select the channels for promoting your product to ensure effective reach to your target audience.This may involve partnerships with local distributors or the use of e-commerce platforms.
Result: Effective implementation of strategy, localization, marketing, sales, monitoring, and risk management for successful expansion.
Tailor your product, marketing materials, and communication to align seamlessly with the local culture and language. Localization is a nuanced process with many moving parts, including translating content and customizing product features if needed.
Execute marketing campaigns tailored to the international market. This may involve digital marketing, advertising, social media, and other relevant channels.
Implement your chosen distribution strategy. Ensure your product is readily available to customers through your chosen channels.
Continuously monitor the performance of your international marketing efforts. Gather feedback, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and be prepared to make adjustments as needed.
Stay compliant with local laws and regulations. Develop a risk management plan to address potential challenges such as currency fluctuations, political instability, or supply chain disruptions.
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In the world of international marketing, real-life examples offer valuable lessons. By delving into both successful and unsuccessful international marketing campaigns, businesses can gain precious insights into handling the intricacies of various markets, cultures, and consumer behaviors, helping companies fine-tune their international marketing strategies and steer clear of typical pitfalls along the way.
On the flip side, BMW’s international marketing campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) serves as a cautionary tale. The campaign used the market’s national anthem in a commercial, sparking local complaints and leading to the withdrawal of the campaign. The lesson here is the importance of cultural sensitivity and understanding local norms when crafting international marketing strategies.
Lay’s potato chips offer another example of successful international marketing. Known by different names like “Walkers,” “Smiths,” “Sabritas,” and “Margarita” in various parts of the world, Lay’s also adapts its flavors to local tastes. For instance, you’ll find ‘Masala’ flavored Lay’s in India and ‘Nori Seaweed’ in Japan. This adaptation to local preferences has helped Lay’s maintain a strong global presence while appealing to local tastes.
Dolce & Gabbana faced significant backlash for a series of ads released in China that were considered culturally insensitive. The ads featured a Chinese model struggling to eat pizza and spaghetti with chopsticks, leading to public outrage and calls for a boycott of the brand. This example underscores the potential pitfalls of not adequately researching and understanding the cultural context of your target markets.
Last updated on December 20, 2023.
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Classic business literature asserts the central role of marketing as foundational to the existence of organizations, and further notes that marketing must permeate all areas of a business enterprise. Leveraging this premise, we examine marketing scholars’ contributions to the international business (IB) literature – specifically notable works in exporting and market entry. Despite the overarching role of marketing in business, our systematic examination of published works in JIBS identified only 11 marketing contributions among the top 100 most frequently cited publications. More recent Web of Science data for the most cited contributions since 2015 demonstrate a decline in the number of international marketing (IM) and IB-related contributions by marketing scholars. Our goal in this editorial is to re-emphasize marketing’s critical importance and centrality in IB research, especially with reference to its dominant role in such areas as exporting and market entry decisions, customer acquisition, and relationship management. This special issue is intended to highlight IM and to motivate more contributions by IM scholars, as well as to call for greater integration of marketing thought in IB research.
La littérature classique en management affirme le rôle central du marketing comme fondement de l'existence des organisations, et souligne en outre que le marketing doit imprégner tous les domaines d'une entreprise. Nous appuyant sur cette prémisse, nous examinons les contributions des chercheurs en marketing à la littérature du commerce international (IB – International Business ), plus spécifiquement, les travaux importants portés sur l’exportation et l’entrée sur les marchés. Malgré le rôle fondamental du marketing dans les affaires, notre examen systématique des travaux publiés dans la revue JIBS n'a identifié que 11 contributions liées au marketing parmi les 100 publications les plus fréquemment citées. Les données plus récentes sur le Web of Science liées aux contributions les plus citées depuis 2015 montrent une baisse du nombre de contributions relatives au marketing international (IM – International Marketing ) et au IB par les chercheurs en marketing. Dans cet éditorial, notre objectif est de souligner à nouveau l’importance critique et la centralité du marketing dans la recherche en IB, notamment par rapport à son rôle dominant dans les domaines tels que les décisions d’exportation et d’entrée sur les marchés, l’acquisition de clients et la gestion des relations. Ce numéro spécial a pour but de mettre en valeur le IM, de stimuler davantage de contributions de la part des chercheurs en IM, ainsi que d'appeler à une plus grande intégration de la pensée marketing dans la recherche en IB.
La literatura empresarial clásica reivindica el papel del marketing como primordial a la existencia de las organizaciones y además nota que el marketing debe permear todas las áreas de una empresa. Apalancándonos en esta premisa, examinamos las contribuciones de los académicos de marketing a la literatura de negocios internacionales – específicamente los trabajos más destacados sobre la exportación y la entrada del mercado. A pesar del papel global del marketing en los negocios, nuestro examen sistemático de los trabajos publicados en JIBS identificamos sólo 11 contribuciones de marketing entre las 100 publicaciones más citadas. Los datos más recientes de Web of Science de las contribuciones más citadas desde el 2015 demuestran una disminución en el numero de contribuciones relacionadas con marketing y negocios internacionales por parte de los estudiosos de marketing. Nuestra meta con este editorial es hacer hincapié a importancia fundamental del marketing y su centralidad en la investigación de negocios internacionales, especialmente con referencia a su papel dominante en áreas como la exportación y las decisiones de entrada al mercado, la adquisición de clientes y la gestión de relaciones. Esta edición especial busca resaltar el marketing internacional y motivar más contribuciones de académicos de marketing internacional, y también hacer un llamado a una mayor integración del pensamiento de marketing en la investigación de negocios internacionales.
A literatura clássica de negócios afirma o papel central do marketing como fundamental para a existência de organizações e, além disso, observa que o marketing deve permear todas as áreas de uma empresa. Aproveitando essa premissa, examinamos contribuições dos acadêmicos de marketing para a literatura de negócios internacionais (IB), especificamente trabalhos notáveis em exportação e entrada no mercado. Apesar do papel abrangente do marketing nos negócios, nosso exame sistemático de trabalhos publicados no JIBS identificou apenas 11 contribuições de marketing entre as 100 publicações mais citadas. Dados mais recentes da Web of Science para as contribuições mais citadas desde 2015 demonstram um declínio no número de contribuições de marketing internacional (IM) e relacionadas a IB por acadêmicos de marketing. Nosso objetivo neste editorial é reenfatizar a importância crítica e centralidade do marketing na pesquisa em IB, especialmente com referência ao seu papel dominante em áreas como exportação e decisões de entrada no mercado, aquisição de clientes e gerenciamento de relacionamento. Esta edição especial tem como objetivo destacar o IM e motivar mais contribuições de acadêmicos de IM, bem como pedir uma maior integração do pensamento de marketing na pesquisa de IB.
经典的商业文献断言市场营销对组织存在有着基础的中心的作用, 并进一步指出, 市场营销必须渗透到商业企业的所有领域。 利用这一前提, 我们研究了市场营销学者对国际商务 (IB) 文献的贡献, 特别是在出口和市场准入方面的著名作品。 尽管市场营销在商业中起着举足轻重的作用, 我们对JIBS发表的作品的系统检查发现, 在最常被引用的前100篇文章中只有11篇是市场营销的贡献。最新的Web of Science数据 (自2015年以来被引用最多的数据) 表明, 市场营销学者对国际市场营销 (IM) 和与IB相关的贡献数量有所下降。 我们这篇社论的目标是重新强调市场营销在IB研究中的至关重要性和中心地位, 尤其是参考市场营销在出口和进入市场决策、客户获取以及关系管理等领域的主导作用。 本期专刊旨在突出IM和激发IM学者做出更多的贡献, 并呼吁将市场营销思想与IB研究有更大的整合。
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Marketing is the raison d’etre and the force that drives organizations. Among the many axioms advanced by Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, are that the purpose of a business is “to create customers”, and that an organization has only two functions: one role relates to marketing (i.e., innovation) and the other is marketing (Drucker, 1954 , p. 37; Trout, 2006 ; Webster, 2009 ). Drucker further observed that only innovation and marketing produce results (i.e., revenue streams); the rest are costs (Cohen, 2013 ). Product innovation is a key marketing strategy component and an important means of creating and keeping customers, and, hence, a central element of a successful competitive strategy. This marketing-based view is also shared by other management thought leaders. Ted Levitt ( 2006 , p. 129), for example, notes that “the entire corporation must be viewed as a customer-creating and customer-satisfying organism.”
The “marketing-based” position held by seasoned management opinion leaders underscores the “overarching” role and centrality of marketing as a philosophy that should drive virtually all organizations. In fact, McKenna ( 1991 ) takes this notion even further by claiming “…successful companies are becoming market driven, adapting their products to fit their customers’ strategies” (p. 66). Adopting market orientation and becoming a market-driven organization, in turn, require marketing to “permeate” all aspects of organizational decision-making, inclusive of international business activities, before a product is produced or externally sourced. Parenthetically, since marketing represents the interface of all businesses with their customers, it should be expected to play a central role in published academic works in business, including international business (IB) – the focus of attention in this editorial.
Many studies have examined research themes covered in IB journals. One such effort surveyed academic publications in the six leading IB-related journals, and identified and classified 112 articles with at least 20 citations each for the 1996–2006 period (Griffith, Cavusgil, & Xu, 2008 ). Collectively, with over 22% of the most-cited publications, marketing was identified as having the largest number of publications. 1 In keeping with business thought leaders’ position on the purpose of an enterprise, one would expect a higher proportion of (1) internationally oriented marketing topics and/or (2) published works on other topics, such as IB, that actively include marketing in some meaningful way. Surprisingly, much of the published research in IB excludes marketing considerations. As an example, in examining foreign market entry and expansion modes [e.g., foreign direct investment (FDI)], the ultimate goal – beyond the theoretical lens in use, efficiencies, drivers, order of market entry, and resultant models and theories – is to gain or create new customers and/or better serve current customers in markets worldwide. Such an approach constitutes a marketing-centric view of FDI.
The IB literature has demonstrated that firms engaging in FDI invest more in research and development (R&D) and innovation (e.g., Anand & Kogut, 1997 ); however, the IB literature is not explicit about why firms invest in innovation in the first place. 2 A marketing-centric view (e.g., Ellis, 2000 ; Knight & Cavusgil, 2004 ; Leonidou & Katsikeas, 1996 ) does not imply a necessity to include marketing in every (e.g., market entry) project. Rather, it consists of a researcher mindset that conceives of and fine-tunes research projects in light of the ultimate purpose of an organization (per Drucker, Levitt, and McKenna) when marketing is not an explicit aspect of the study. The business worldview from within the marketing discipline is that marketing permeates the entire organization (including innovation). IB scholars recognize the integrated nature of marketing across various firm activities in specific sectors (e.g., in the services industry per Rugman & Verbeke, 2008 , p. 409), however, creating and serving customers necessitate the broadening of this perspective across all industries, as predicated in marketing. Stated differently, framing marketing as a single value chain function, or adopting a strictly downstream view of it inhibits richer and more meaningful customer-centric, as well as increasingly more realistic conceptualizations of critical activities and decisions in IB (cf. Takeuchi & Porter, 1986 ). Among other downsides, the narrow conceptualization of marketing functions as downstream activities in the value chain undermines marketing’s true role and influence in shaping strategy formulation. Global strategy decisions envisioned and designed by the C-suite inherently involve a very significant level of marketing content, without which a sound global strategy is not possible.
Concurrently, Buckley ( 2002a ) voices concern that international marketing (IM) has neglected the proximal issue of globalization in studies of IM strategy. This concern is in line with the broader criticism that IM has also largely abandoned strategy issues (Kotabe, 2001 ). Indeed, the marketing discipline can be criticized for failing to fully embrace the influences of international and global dimensions across the many critical strategy pillars inherently thought of as marketing’s intellectual domain. An examination of research priorities published by the influential Marketing Science Institute (MSI) demonstrates the discipline’s relative inactive posture in IM/IB. In all, the 2020–2022 MSI Research Priorities report includes four internationally oriented topics among 126 research questions listed. 3 It is thus not too surprising that IM scholars have paid only scant attention to research opportunities at the intersection of IM strategy and globalization, which, in turn, has limited our understanding of the crucial role that marketing plays in establishing, developing, and sustaining effective business operations across markets worldwide. In parallel, we assert that investigations of globalization should also include marketing strategy considerations.
To develop a better understanding of the contributions of marketing scholarship to the IB literature and, more specifically, to the Journal of International Business Studies ( JIBS ), we examined all highly cited articles published in JIBS since the journal’s inception. We rank-ordered all articles by their total citation frequencies using the Web of Science (WOS) database. We identified 11 marketing articles on topics generally considered to belong to the marketing domain among the top 100 most-cited JIBS publications (Table 1 ). 4 We further observed that scholars with marketing ties have also made highly cited general IB contributions to the literature. Overall, it is evident that marketing scholars have made significant contributions in JIBS to the extant IM and IB knowledge. However, it is also apparent that the most highly cited IM publications in JIBS were published in the 1982–2002 period. This pattern raises a question about the relative impact of IM, as measured by WOS citation frequencies, in JIBS published works. We thus examined the most-cited JIBS publications since 2015 (Table 2 ). The data indicate that, in contrast to pre-2015, fewer marketing studies have been among the top 100 most-cited articles published in JIBS as of late. In addition, fewer contributions on broader IB topics are by authors with close marketing ties.
Despite the centrality and importance of marketing in business, the influence of IM scholars and IM publications in the broader IB discipline via the field’s leading journal has been on the decline. The marketing theme of this special issue of JIBS builds on business and management thought leaders’ (e.g., Drucker, Levitt) view regarding the purpose of a business enterprise; that is, we start with the premise of the critical importance of marketing to all facets of business and leverage broad-based agreement about the declining role of marketing in IB research as well as broader IB contributions by marketing scholars in JIBS . Our overarching objective in this issue is to motivate relevant and rigorous research that advances IM and, in turn, IB thought on an ongoing basis, beyond the confines of this special issue. If one subscribes to Drucker’s vision about the purpose of a business, then IM should be better integrated into and represented within IB publications, notably within JIBS , the leading and most highly cited journal in IB. To this end, our goals in this essay are to (1) highlight the role of IM within IB, (2) detail the many critical roles of marketing in today’s business enterprise, and (3) introduce the marketing contributions in this special issue.
Beyond Drucker’s view of the purpose of a business, IB at its core is inherently intertwined with marketing. For centuries, individuals and firms have sought to expand sales through exporting, which constitutes the most common foreign market entry and international expansion mode; for many firms, therefore, export marketing has defined IB. Indeed, all exporting is strictly rooted in marketing (see, for example, Anderson & Gatignon, 1986 ). 5 This view is implied in the broader perspective of export development, which emphasizes internal and external triggers to exporting (cf. Cavusgil & Nevin, 1980 ; Wiedersheim-Paul, Welch, & Olson, 1978 ), both of which are export marketing centered. Some scholars view all international market entry forms as essentially marketing driven (e.g., Douglas & Craig, 1989 ). Indeed, many early contributors to foreign market entry and the export development process are closely associated with the marketing discipline (e.g., Bilkey & Tesar, 1977 ; Cavusgil, 1980 ; Czinkota, & Johnston, 1981 ; Katsikeas, 1996 ; Samiee & Walters, 1991 ). Over time, some firms continue to reap the benefits of increased sales and profits via export marketing, whereas others, recognizing the broader and longer-term potential of global markets, have sought to establish different forms of engagement in markets abroad. For example, international leasing and licensing (i.e., limited-term rental contract of an asset) as means of foreign market entry or expansion constitute marketing activities, but they are often viewed as activities related to, for example, market expansion and operational strategy (e.g., Contractor, 1985 ; Ricks & Samiee, 1974 ). It may be that the role and critical importance of IM is widely recognized by IB scholars. However, making marketing’s presence more explicit in IB research can result in framing issues such that corresponding research findings will yield greater marketplace and marketing relevance, in line with Drucker’s and Levitt’s views on the purpose of business. In short, regardless of entry mode or a firm’s structural configuration, market expansion and increased sales via (in)direct marketing internationally is central to IB. Such a view highlights the centrality and critical role of IM activities, while emphasizing the significance of IM contributions to the broader IB field.
Interest in and focus on scholarly research in IM began to intensify during the 1980s, and empirical investigations of IM problems and challenges facing firms have received heightened research attention for decades. Initial scholarly research in IM was limited, though there is noteworthy work on export market entry triggers as well as motivations and explanations for internationalization decisions (Ford & Leonidou, 2013 ). Since this early research, IM scholars have amassed a growing, multifaceted, and well-developed body of knowledge. Despite these advances, however, the growing importance and relevance of IM remains underappreciated and understudied (Day, 1996 ). As an unfortunate outcome of this, IM topics in the top IB journals are sparse (cf. Griffith et al., 2008 ), and a current survey of several leading marketing and IB journals reveals a relative paucity of scholarly work on IM issues. 6 Given IM’s centrality to all enterprises, the primary purpose of this special issue is to reinforce IM’s broad-based importance, with a particular focus on IM in the broader IB context.
A recent survey of the IM literature published in the top six IB/IM journals during the 1995–2015 period identified 1,722 published works (Leonidou, Katsikeas, Samiee, & Aykol, 2017 ). The knowledge structure on which this body of scholarly work indicates that many of the developments in IM thought are driven by 14 key knowledge nodes identified in Samiee and Chabowski ( 2012 ). 7 It is evident from the results of the investigation by Samiee and Chabowski ( 2012 ) that, in terms of knowledge base, IM has much in common with IB. A relatively high proportion (approximately 40%) of key sources used in IM research are also commonly cited in IB research, including Hofstede ( 1980 , 1991 , 2001 ), Porter ( 1980 , 1985 , 1990 ), Williamson ( 1975 , 1985 ), Buckley and Casson ( 1976 ), Bartlett and Ghoshal ( 1989 ), Nelson and Winter ( 1982 ), Penrose ( 1959 ), and Pfeffer and Salancik ( 1978 ). Of the 26 most influential works in IM, serving as foundational knowledge for the 2004–2008 period, the majority (18) were published in outlets not specifically designated as marketing-related (Samiee & Chabowski, 2012 ), thus demonstrating IM’s shared knowledge and close relationship to IB. Key IM knowledge nodes serving as the foundation of IM scholarship during this period appear in Table 3 .
IM research has evolved across numerous themes, with some areas receiving disproportionate scholarly attention over time (Leonidou et al., 2017 ). Foreign market entry and export marketing are among the oldest topics of interest for IM researchers, and these remain relevant and important. Collectively, origin-related research topics likely constitute the most popular IM theme among IM researchers and potentially the most researched area, with hundreds of publications (e.g., Kotabe, 2001 ; Papadopoulos, el Banna, Murphy, & Rojas-Méndez, 2011 ; Samiee & Chabowski, 2021 ). 8 Origin-related research – or more specifically, the country-of-origin line of research within IM – can be traced back broadly to Dichter ( 1962 ) and, more specifically, to Schooler ( 1965 ). Although the concept was applied strictly to customer product choice, it can and has been applied to other facets of IB (e.g., liability of foreignness). Beyond marketing, explicit recognition of business problems associated with nonlocal origins of firms began to emerge in the IB literature in the 1970s. For example, Buckley and Casson ( 1976 ) refer to the political problems of “foreignness,” and Boddewyn and Hansen ( 1977 , p. 550) note that “American companies were faced with handicaps due to their foreignness.” Although IB challenges related to nonlocal origins of products and firms seem intuitive, international marketers’ close proximity to markets and customers afforded them the opportunity to recognize the issue much earlier than appears to have been the case in the broader IB discipline. We highlight this issue to point to how IM and IB can and should leverage each other for a more comprehensive analysis and rapid advancement of the field.
Much of the intellectual capital in IM works has been devoted to various aspects of buyer behavior (Kotabe, 2001 ; Leonidou et al., 2017 ). This trend is not surprising given that, in general, a large majority of MSI research priorities ( 2020 ) are focused on customer-related issues (including three of the four internationally oriented themes out of the 126 research questions posed). Among international themes, one research question pertains to gaining global perspectives on prioritizing customer value at all touchpoints during the omnichannel customer experience; another theme seeks to understand whether customer behavior is the same or different in emerging markets; and a third issue addresses ways in which firms might integrate consumer-focused strategies globally. A sharp focus on the buyer and, more specifically, the consumer and his/her behavior highlights an ongoing emphasis on behavioral issues within marketing at the expense of advancing other equally salient issues in need of development. As a result, some important IM research areas are not receiving sufficient scholarly attention. To this end, 25 years ago, Day ( 1996 , p. 15) noted that “studies of cross-cultural differences in buyer behavior or the effect of country of origin do not suffice when the big issues needing answers are about global competitive interactions, global new product development and launch practices, sharing of market insights across borders, or the coordination and integration of multicountry operations.” An overemphasis on the buyer behavior aspects of IM, frequently via experiments, has indeed curbed scholarly efforts to advance IM and the exploration of “big issues”: for example, the short- and long-term effects of radical shifts in the external environment and competitive structures on various aspects of marketing strategy, notably, global supply chain management, innovation, and global product development activities, among others. In general, innovation can be related to and affect any facet of an enterprise’s operations (e.g., processes). The key innovation concern within marketing has centered on product breakthroughs and service delivery, as well as how firms can adapt to a changing landscape often marked by disruptive technological developments. Nevertheless, studies of global innovation or R&D can benefit from cross-fertilization, with significant advances in this area within marketing.
Despite the decades-long practice of international outsourcing by firms, few IM researchers have explored this critical area (e.g., Kotabe & Murray, 1990 ; Swamidass & Kotabe, 1993 ). As a result, scant research is available within this important area to shed light on IM practices [e.g., innovate vs. import (buy) new products; make vs. buy] that can facilitate enhanced IM performance. To this end, a fourth research priority identified by MSI ( 2020 ) is the global supply chain impact of the pandemic (p. 11). Sourcing considerations, such as exporting and importing, are by nature customer-centric and marketing-based. Nevertheless, much of the research in the area is conducted within other disciplines (Buckley, Doh, & Benischke, 2017 ). The importance of a focus on the bigger picture, including the organization, human capital, capabilities, innovation, and metrics, has been stressed in marketing (Moorman & Day, 2016 ). Behavioral components should continue to play important roles in advancing marketing (and IM); however, these topics need to be examined within the context of organizational priorities and not strictly limited to consumer-based studies.
Given the commonality of direct and indirect international involvement across firms and industries, a host of new and exciting challenges related to customers, suppliers, and relationship management are raised. Today’s global marketplace is characterized by disruptive external forces, intense competition from a multitude of foreign and indigenous companies, and heterogeneous customer behavior shaped by differences across a range of host-market conditions, notably culture. Technological advances create marketplace opportunities and novel business models and segments (e.g., social media, collaborative consumption/shared economy, product cocreation), while undermining long-established global brands, product/service markets, and business patterns and processes on a global scale. For example, local and international ride-hailing services such as Ola and Uber competing with long established global car rental firms; collaboratively developed HD DVD losing the industry-wide format war to the technologically more advanced Blu-ray by Sony shortly after its debut which, in turn, lost popularity as the market shifted to streaming services; photorefractive keratectomy developed in the U.S. essentially undermined the Russian-born radial keratectomy; and MP3/FLAC and streaming services largely replaced tangible music CDs developed through an R&D joint venture between Philips and Sony. Concurrently, new technologies are promoting new forms of interaction for businesses and customers that transcend national boundaries (e.g., social media; short message service-SMS; online reviews; using proprietary consumer data via artificial intelligence activated voice recognition to drive host-market demand, as is the case with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant). Concurrently, innovative breakthroughs and rapid dissemination of information have given rise to intellectual property theft on a global scale, undermining marketing strategies, global brands, and distribution network relationships and their management, while requiring all firms to canvass markets globally to identify potential abuses and to assert control over their intellectual property. 9
Although the Internet and information technology (IT) continue to have a significant influence on customers and businesses (e.g., exporters, importers, concept-testing, global marketing strategy planning), a citations-based review of the IM literature revealed that IT-related topics did not constitute a knowledge base in IM (Samiee & Chabowski, 2012 ). This finding was corroborated by Leonidou et al. ( 2017 ), who noted that less 4% of IM-related academic articles reviewed included various facets of Internet connectivity. In addition, a literature review of 29 academic journals addressing the Internet’s impact on relational approaches to foreign market entry identified only 94 published articles, constituting approximately 3% of all the articles reviewed (Watson, Weaven, Perkins, Sardana, & Palmatier, 2018 ). IT has transformed how firms enter and manage markets globally to varying degrees in ways that are often not self-evident. In addition, IT's ubiquity and intangible nature make its detection and true impact on IM difficult, thus leading to a growing knowledge gap. The paucity of IT-motivated IM research uncovered by these reviews demonstrate the need to incorporate various facets of IT in more IM projects, including initial online export/import information gathering, marketing research, market entry and development, and export customer acquisition by both manufacturers and channel intermediaries. Furthermore, a research focus on cross-border e-commerce, especially as a means of internationalizing the scope of smaller firms’ marketing, is underdeveloped. It is surprising that, while origin-related buyer behavior topics remain popular, almost no effort has been made to explore how origin affects choice in online and, in particular, international e-commerce contexts (e.g., Ulgado, 2002 ). Buckley ( 2002a ) rightfully identified e-commerce as a frontier in IM research nearly two decades ago. Firms allocate significant amounts of financial resources to adopt promising technologies to improve their marketing performance, yet little research has been devoted to assessing the performance impact of digital tools (e.g., customer relationship management software) in terms of establishing new cross-border relationships or maintaining existing ones. Although IM has generally ignored such impactful areas of research as the influence of the Internet in global marketing, the IB literature, and more specifically international management, has also been shortsighted with respect to its limited pursuit of pertinent Internet-related research topics (e.g., international human resource management, global strategy development, management of global collaborative ventures and partnerships) (Chabowski & Samiee, 2020 ).
Social media influence both the demand and the supply side of exchange. On the supply side, firms are engaging people by allowing them to participate in cocreation and product development processes. Enterprises are increasingly engaging the public in idea generation via social media (e.g., Dell IdeaStorm, LEGO World Builder), new product development, and start-up capital (e.g., Quirky, Kickstarter). The degree to which firms engage social media audiences internationally (including both global and local social media sites) for one or more aspects of cocreation, and the influence of such activity on multinational corporations’ competitiveness across markets, remain unexplored. Examining the extent to which customers from around the world participate in knowledge development processes and help firms improve their existing products and/or create innovative ones also remains a fertile research area (Bayus, 2013 ; Prahalad & Ramaswamy, 2004 ).
Equally important research issues on the demand side also warrant research attention. For example, customers located in distant parts of the world use social media, but the impact of such engagement, and the positive or negative ripple effect it creates in or across social networks with respect to local and global brands, has received insufficient research attention (McAlexander, Schouten, & Koenig, 2002 ). Furthermore, the extent to which various customer segments rely on and ways in which they use social media across markets remain unexplored. This knowledge void, in turn, impacts the development of effective international cocreation strategies on the supply side. Relatedly, the global ubiquity of the Internet and social networks has made these media a major target for cybercriminals. Regular revelations of firm and customer data breaches are bound to have a consequential impact, not only on firm image and the customer engagement process, scope, and depth but also on demands for greater privacy and protection by customers and governments. Thus, IM research should explore the impact of, for example, cross-national privacy regulations on the efficacy of relationship development and management as well as online marketing processes.
Globalization has transformed the way business relationships are formed, managed, and evaluated, and customer engagement is likely to play a prominent role in business-to-business contexts. Business relationships are complex, interpersonal, and interdependent, and relationship marketing efforts can make a difference in promoting common goals and facilitating joint activities that create value for both partners; value that each company could not achieve outside the relationship or with other partners (Palmatier, 2008 ). In an international context, companies need to manage their cross-border relationships more skillfully to address geographic separation, cultural distance, administrative (e.g., currencies, legal jurisdictions) and economic (Katsikeas, Samiee, & Theodosiou, 2006 ; Leonidou, Samiee, Aykol, & Talias, 2014 ; Samiee, Chabowski, & Hult, 2015 ) differences between local and foreign markets, and increased levels of risk and uncertainty inherent in international operations (Johanson & Vahlne, 2009 ; Katsikeas, Skarmeas, & Bello, 2009 ). How does the international environment affect the activities, strategies, structures, and decision-making processes of companies with respect to their business relationships? How can companies manage their overseas business relationships as value-bearing assets? Are cross-border business relationships part of a value-creating network that delivers superior value to the end customer? What is the role of international relationship building and management in overcoming the liability of foreignness? Likewise, the roles of overseas business partners (e.g., distributors, suppliers) in knowledge development, innovation, and goal achievement are relevant and important areas that require research attention.
The fit between IM strategy and international relationships also deserves ongoing research attention. How can companies ensure that their different suppliers and partners abroad are well-aligned with their IM strategy? Strategy standardization offers significant economies of scale in value-adding activities (e.g., R&D, production, marketing), facilitates the development of a consistent corporate/brand image across countries, enhances coordination and control of international operations, and reduces operational and managerial complexity, whereas adaptation is based on the premise that variations between countries necessitate adjustment of the marketing strategy to the idiosyncrasies of each local market. The contingency approach suggests that the appropriateness of the selected IM strategy – typically positioned between the two standardization–adaptation extremes – should be evaluated based on its alignment, or fit, with dominant factors in the international environment, as fit facilitates enhanced performance outcomes (Katsikeas et al., 2006 ). Despite long-standing traditions in these areas, sensemaking in some overarching topics is needed. For example, the pursuit of a market orientation strategy demands sensitivity to local market conditions and IM strategy adaptation. Given the importance of market orientation for many firms, there is a need to better understand how market orientation influences IM strategy. On the one hand, market and customer orientation demand more localized or adapted IM strategies. On the other hand, a high degree of IM strategy standardization seemingly impedes a high degree of market orientation. How do firms reconcile their IM strategy and market orientation efforts? Moreover, how do customer relationships in particular and business relationships in general interact with the perennial issue of adaptation or standardization of IM strategy? Do overseas business relationships help the company determine which specific strategic elements are feasible or desirable to standardize or adapt? If so, under what conditions, and to what degree? To what extent is cocreation possible and appropriate under each IM strategy scenario?
In addition, the assessment of performance in international market operations is an issue that requires particular attention in the IM literature. The relevance and importance of IM resources, strategies, and actions is reflected in the extent to which these favorably influence firm performance outcomes achieved via international market operations and, in turn, contribute to organizational performance. However, there are a large number and wide diversity of IM performance measures employed in the literature, which makes the development of a coherent cumulative body of knowledge in the field particularly challenging (Katsikeas, Morgan, Leonidou, & Hult, 2016 ). Scant attention has been given in IM as to how performance should be conceptualized and operationalized, and studies commonly do not provide a definition or any justification for the assessment of performance that is adopted and for the specific measures used in the context of foreign market operations (Katsikeas, Leonidou, & Morgan, 2000 ; Leonidou, Katsikeas, & Samiee, 2002 ). Given that performance is inherently a multidimensional construct, it is essential that IM researchers be selective in choosing specific performance dimensions, and justify their choice on the basis of some theory-based logic, conceptual framing, and/or for pragmatic reasons. Performance assessment in international market operations should be in line with the theoretical perspective(s) adopted in the study. For example, empirical research grounded in the resource-based view and/or the dynamic capabilities perspective, which underpins much of the strategy-related and competitive advantage work in IM, requires a competitor-centered assessment of performance outcomes; that is, individual performance aspects and items need to be assessed in relation to competition in the foreign market targeted by the firm’s IM strategy (see Katsikeas et al., 2016 ).
The call for papers for this special issue has been received with much enthusiasm, as demonstrated by the large number of submissions covering a wide range of IM topics. Accordingly, manuscripts accepted for inclusion in this issue represent the diversity of submissions, with each making a unique contribution to the IM body of knowledge. The first article focuses on the sharing economy (SE), which is a timely and important issue that influences business operations across industries worldwide. Kozlenkova, Lee, Xiang, and Palmatier’s meta-analytic effort examines the effects of value-based (i.e., utilitarian, social, hedonic, and sustainability value) and governance-based (i.e., trust) factors on SE participation and investigates their relative effectiveness under different global contingencies (i.e., economic/competitive, cultural, societal, technological, regulatory, and demographic factors). Based on 55 empirical articles, with 60 independent samples from 15 countries, representing 123 correlations across 26,377 customers during the 2009–2019 period, the findings suggest that hedonic value exerts the largest effect on SE participation, followed by trust and utilitarian value, while social value and sustainability have the smallest effects. The analysis reveals a complex pattern of global contingency effects that firms should consider when advancing their entry strategies, formulating governance mechanisms, and evaluating promising markets. Kozlenkova et al. integrate their key insights into three tenets, reflecting the most important and surprising findings. These tenets are grounded in the vitally important roles of inequality, the hierarchy of needs, and governance mechanisms that can serve as a platform for establishing an emerging perspective of global SE participation.
Marketing metrics represent another critically important topic that has received little research attention in IM or IB. Sound managerial decisions and marketing strategy are based on quantitative measures, including outcomes (Moorman & Day, 2016 ). In their contribution to this special issue, Mintz, Currim, Steenkamp, and de Jong focus on metric use in marketing decisions across 16 countries, using a cultural perspective. The authors leverage a rich dataset containing more than 4,300 marketing decisions in more than 1,600 firms across 16 countries. Respondents chose from 24 general metrics pertinent to marketing (12) and financial (12) decisions, plus 6 metrics specific to each of 10 marketing mix decisions. The findings indicate that, for all markets combined, an average of 9 metrics are used per marketing decision. With nearly 12 metrics per decision, South Korean managers use the highest number of metrics, while Japanese managers use the fewest, with approximately 4 metrics per marketing decision. China and India, each with approximately 11 metrics, are close to Korea and are heavy users of marketing metrics, whereas France and the United States, with nearly 6 and 7, respectively, are moderate users of metrics in decision-making. Importantly, satisfaction, awareness, and return on investment are the three most commonly used metrics across markets. In addition, the study finds that metric use is affected by both firm and country culture.
Business-to-business (B2B) electronic platforms (e-platforms) play a critical role in helping exporting firms reach, serve, and penetrate foreign markets. However, the IB literature is unclear about how and under what conditions firms can use B2B e-platforms to boost their export performance outcomes. Drawing on signaling theory, Jean, Kim, Zhou, and Cavusgil propose and empirically test a model that investigates how exporters’ e-platform use affects export sales performance by boosting foreign market contact (i.e., quotations from foreign buyers) and how the institutional environment and export growth strategies influence the e-platform use–foreign market contact link. Using survey and archival lagged data on a sample of 205 exporters that subscribe to Alibaba.com, the authors reveal that e-platform use enhances foreign buyer contact and, in turn, export sales performance. The findings also suggest that the positive impact of e-platform use among exporters is further boosted when they come from regions that have less-developed market intermediaries or under conditions of high institutional distance between the home and host countries. The study also demonstrates that the effect of e-platform use on a foreign buyer contact becomes weaker under conditions of high export market diversification or high product diversification.
Platform-based mobile payments have experienced significant growth worldwide in recent years, partly because they offer unique value for both customers and companies over other digital payment methods. Kumar, Nim, and Agarwal note, however, that patterns of such payment adoption grow differently across countries, with some emerging countries (e.g., China) outperforming developed ones. The authors propose a conceptual model of mobile payment adoption, and develop hypotheses using explanations from the literature on network effects and institutional theory. Based on data collected across 30 countries (17 developed and 13 emerging), the study confirms the existence of network effects and differential influences of perceived value, inertia, and cultural factors on the mobile payment adoption of innovators and imitators. The presence of significant heterogeneity both within and between countries regarding the adoption of mobile payments, which offers additional evidence of leapfrogging by emerging markets with regard to mass mobile payment use, has important implications for theory development and marketing management practice in IB.
Global brands and perceived brand globalness (PBG) research have received much scholarly attention in the IM literature (Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 1999 ; Batra, Ramaswamy, Alden, Steenkamp, & Ramachander, 2000 ; Steenkamp et al., 2003 ). Contributing to this growing literature, Mandler, Bartsch, and Han tap the potential aversion to globalization among consumers and examine sentiments with respect to branding as the basis for corporate decisions regarding the appropriateness of global branding. The authors leverage signaling theory to conduct two studies that (1) assess brand credibility on the basis of consumer PBG and perceived brand localness (PBL) across two countries (Germany and South Korea), and (2) examine the role of three moderators (perceived country of origin, category social signaling value, and category cultural grounding). The findings demonstrate that both PBG and PBL are positively associated with brand credibility across markets; a split-sample test offers a contrast between globalized and globalizing markets, and demonstrates a relationship between brand credibility and PBL in Germany but not in South Korea, where brand credibility is associated with PBG. The study reports the impact of brand origin on brand credibility and demonstrates that effect of PBL on brand credibility does not vary with the brand’s origin in Germany, but the effect is stronger for domestic brands than for foreign brands in South Korea. The contrast between consumer perceptions in globalized and globalizing markets offers fruitful theoretical and managerial implications, while raising a series of consumer and IM strategy questions that have the potential to expand the boundaries of IM knowledge.
Origin-related research and animosity with reference to consumer perceptions, preferences, and choice have played major roles in the marketing literature (Klein, Ettenson, & Morris, 1998 ; Lu, Heslop, Thomas, & Kwan, 2016 ; Samiee, 1994 ; Verlegh & Steenkamp, 1999 ). In line with this stream of IM research, Westjohn, Magnusson, Peng, and Jung contrast animosity’s effect on product judgement versus willingness to buy. The first part of their contribution consists of a meta-analysis of 43 post–Klein et al. ( 1998 ) published works focusing on animosity, involving 18 nations, to address the inconsistencies reported in the literature. The authors follow this with an examination of the contextual role of culture on animosity effects using six experiments in the United States and China. They leverage three Hofstede dimensions (i.e., collectivism, long-term orientation, and power distance), measured at the individual level. The results indicate that collectivism and long-term orientation lessen the negative effects of animosity and support the position that animosity’s effect on willingness to buy is stronger than it is on product judgments. The findings offer useful insights for managers regarding, among others, consumers’ attitudes toward brands. Although the findings indicate that product judgements are not affected by animosity, the results indicate that product sales could be affected. In addition to demonstrating cross-cultural differences, the authors find that cultural values influence consumers’ willingness to buy.
The establishment, development, and management of cross-border interorganizational exchange relationships has received considerable research attention in the IB literature (e.g., Bello & Gilliland, 1997 ; Robson, Katsikeas, Schlegelmilch, & Pramböck, 2019 ; Skarmeas, Katsikeas, & Schlegelmilch, 2002 ). The starting point for Obadia and Robson’s study is the inconsistent findings in the literature regarding the effects of cooperation on performance in exporter–importer relationships. The authors argue that the relationship of cooperation with performance in IB associations has an inverted U shape; at high levels, the performance impact of cooperation weakens greatly and becomes negative. They also find that the importer’s specific investments mediate the link between cooperation and performance, which advances the idea that relational phenomena affect exporter performance only if they foster an importer’s productive behaviors. The study also points to the role of interdependence in moderating the inverted U-shaped relationship between cooperation and the importer’s specific investments. The findings reveal that a limited increase of interdependence enhances the impact of low to moderate levels of cooperation on the importer’s specific investments.
Overall, criticisms of IM scholarship (e.g., Buckley, 2002a ; Douglas & Craig, 1992 ; Kotabe, 2001 ) are generally well placed and to the point. Marketing and IM are pivotal to a firm’s existence and should play overarching roles in charting firms’ management and strategy. Yet IM has largely abandoned the “big picture” by focusing on microresearch and behavioral questions, notably, country-of-origin, and cross-cultural consumer behavior topics (Day, 1996 ; Kotabe, 2001 ; Leonidou et al., 2017 ).
Much work remains for IM scholars to advance the field by placing greater emphasis and effort on strategy-related topics and exploring macro-areas of business: for example, by bridging IM strategy with regard to market entry modes and globalization and addressing issues related to disruptive external change to global supply chains and e-commerce, among others. Indeed, Buckley’s ( 2002b ) position regarding the past successes of IB scholarship in exploring international market entry (the “big picture”) may seem premature if one agrees that marketing, a central concern of which is the customer and the idiosyncrasies associated with the demand-side, is largely absent from much of this success. The relative absence of “marketing” in much of the market entry literature is a call for IB and IM scholars to leverage this critical aspect of firms’ internationalization decisions. This view is consistent with Drucker’s position that “Concern and responsibility for marketing must therefore permeate all areas of the enterprise” (Drucker, 1954 , pp. 38–39). Additionally, the fact that IB and IM are close in their fundamentals, and that the IM knowledge structure significantly taps into management scholarship (Buckley, 2002a ; Samiee & Chabowski, 2012 ), further validates marketing’s relevance and centrality in the broader international business thought. Consequently, the perceived proximity of these disciplines appears to be greater than one might expect. A major strength of IB has been its ability to embrace and integrate other business disciplines from which crucial research questions emerge (Peng, 2004 ). A more marketing- and customer-centric view of IB research is also in line with this position.
There appears to be ample research opportunity to adopt a marketing mindset in IB research and to explicitly introduce marketing considerations to achieve a marketing-based view of IB activities, most notably the macro-issues, including market entry mode choice, international expansion patterns, cross-border buyer–seller relationships, and strategic alliances. Although this special issue is primarily intended to inspire and broadly direct researchers’ focus on developing IM projects that fill key knowledge gaps in IM thought, in keeping with Drucker’s and Levitt’s positions regarding the marketing purpose of all enterprises, we very much hope that this work offers pathways for general IB scholars to embrace, leverage, and contribute to IM knowledge.
The proportion of marketing articles reported by Griffith et al. ( 2008 ) is likely inflated, as two of the six journals surveyed are dedicated entirely to international marketing topics.
This issue maybe exacerbated by the use of varying terminologies across disciplines; however, despite marketing’s centrality in business, “marketing” and “consumer” or “customer” are rare terms in much IB research (cf. Anand & Kogut, 1997 ; Hejazi, Tang, & Wang, 2020 ).
MSI is a non-profit organization led by academic researchers, in collaborations with industry, aiming to address marketing issues faced by firms. Although we do not observe an ongoing internationally related research momentum in its current list of priorities, MSI has periodically addressed selective IM-related topics.
We also calculated citation per year to account for the timing of the published works; however, as Tables 1 and 2 show, among the highly cited works, the most-cited set and the order of articles remain largely the same.
This includes intracorporate export transactions involving parts and semifinished products. International firms frequently require subsidiaries to effectively compete in quality, price, and service with other suppliers, effectively marketing themselves as the premier supplier to the internal customer. Even if intrafirm export sales were guaranteed, as is the case in some firms, the final assembled product must still compete with other firms in every respect. In other words, the marketing function of intracorporate export transactions is merely pushed to the firm assembling and selling the final product.
Several journals, led by Journal of International Marketing and International Marketing Review , are dedicated to publishing scholarly IM research.
This is based on the spatial configuration generated by multidimensional scaling for works published in 34 scholarly journals (2,709 articles) in the 2004–2008 period. Other analyses (factor analysis and clustering) produced slightly fewer knowledge groups.
Estimates of the number of publications in this IM domain vary. For example, Samiee and Chabowski ( 2021 ) identify more than 482 country-of-origin publications listed in the Web of Science database, whereas Lu et al. ( 2016 ) estimate that the number of country-of-origin-related publications exceed 600.
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Collins College of Business, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
Saeed Samiee
Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Constantine S. Katsikeas
Broad College of Business, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
G. Tomas M. Hult
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Accepted by Alain Verbeke, Editor-in-Chief, 29 March 2021. This article has been with the authors for one revision and was single-blind reviewed.
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Samiee, S., Katsikeas, C.S. & Hult, G.T.M. The overarching role of international marketing: Relevance and centrality in research and practice. J Int Bus Stud 52 , 1429–1444 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-021-00433-2
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Published : 18 May 2021
Issue Date : October 2021
DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/s41267-021-00433-2
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An International Marketing Research Process is the systematic gathering, recording, and analyzing data to provide information useful to marketing decision-making. The information must be communicated across cultural boundaries and these research tools are then often applied in foreign markets. General information about the country, area, and/or market is necessary to forecast future marketing. These requirements are done by anticipating social, economic, consumer, and industry trends within specific markets or countries. Specific market information is then used to make the product, promotion, distribution, and price decisions and develop marketing plans. In domestic operations, most emphasis is placed on gathering specific market information because the other data are often available from secondary sources.
Types of Information:
Research Process:
*Variations and/or problems in implementation occur because of differences in cultural and economic development.*
Economic Dualism
A way of conceptualizing the existence of two (sometimes more) separate but symbiotic sets of economic processes or markets within the same political or national social framework. In third world societies, for example, a dual economy is formed by the coexistence of peasant subsistence agriculture and cash production of basic commodities or industrial goods for the international marketing research process. An analogous division exists in highly industrialized economies between the corporate core and peripheral firms and labor markets.
Multicultural Research Involves countries that have different languages, economies, social structures, behavior, and attitude patterns. Keep this in mind when designing cultural research to ensure comparability and equivalency of results. Different methods have varying reliabilities in different countries (thus different research methods should be applied in different countries). Example: In Latin American countries it is difficult to attract consumers to participate in focus groups because of different views about commercial research and the value of their time. The Japanese don’t respond to mail surveys compared to Americans. Evidence suggests that inefficient attention is paid to non-sampling errors in improperly conducted multicultural studies and the appropriateness of research measure that has not been tested in the multi-cultural context.
Internet Research/P rivacy Issues (a matter of personal and legal consideration) The ability to conduct primary research is one of the most exciting aspects of the internet but the bias of a sample universe composed solely of internet respondents present severe limitations. The firms vary in their abilities to turn data collected into competitive advantages. Today, the real power of the internet for international market research is the ability to easily access volumes of secondary data. Online surveys and buyer panels-have better “branching abilities” (asking different questions based on previous answers). Below are some examples of research. – Online focus groups: Use of bulletin boards. – Web visitor tracking: Auto track time visitors travel through websites. – Advertising measurement: Servers track links to other sites to assess their usefulness. Customer identification systems-track visits and purchases over time creating a “virtual panel”. – E-mail marketing lists: Sign up for direct marketing efforts via the internet. – Embedded research: The internet process people go through searching for info about products, comparison shopping, interacting w/service providers, etc is the research process itself (firms that give the option of custom designing products online are the ultimate in applying research for product development purposes). – Observational research: Chat rooms, blogs, and personal websites monitored to assess customer’s opinions about products.
Two Methods for Forecasting Market Demand 1) Expert Opinion: For market estimation problems, growth rates, and market size particularly in foreign countries new to the marketer, expert opinion is advisable. The key to using expert opinion to forecast demand is triangulation and comparing estimates produced by different sources. 2) Analogy: Assumes that demand for a product develops in much the same way in all countries as comparable economic development occurs in each country. The relationship between a known situation and country in question. Advanced techniques include multiple regression analysis or input-output analysis.
In Review: – The key component in developing successful international marketing research process strategies and avoiding major market blunders is information. – If a researcher interested in a general non-economic review of conditions affecting the company’s business, the best area avenue would be a cultural, sociological, and political estimate. – If a company wants to gather information on its own market environment you should define the research problem and establish research objectives. – Consulting with customers regarding research design is not a standard step in the research process. – The availability and accuracy of recorded secondary data increases as the level of economic development increases. – Survey questionnaires are primary data. – Yes/No questions research format is quantitative research. – The open-ended questions research format is qualitative research. – Lack of randomness in the population is not a problem of drawing a random sample in the international environment. – The language barrier is the most universal survey research problem in foreign countries. – Back translation is when a researcher translates a questionnaire into another language and then another translator translates it back into the original language. – Parallel translation: Analogy assumes that demand for a product develops in much the same way in all countries as comparable economic development occurs in each country.
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What is international marketing.
International marketing refers to marketing carried out by companies overseas or across national boundaries. This strategy uses an extension of the techniques employed in the house country of a firm.
This is primarily due to the numerous factors that the organization has to take into consideration these include the geographical, economic, cultural, political and legal environment . It is important to understand that the marketing environment plays a great role in all businesses.
[su_quote cite=”Hess and Cateora”] International marketing is “the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services to consumers or users in more than one nation.” It is different from domestic marketing in as much as the exchange takes place beyond the frontiers, thereby involving different markets and consumers who might have different needs, wants and behavioural attributes.[/su_quote]
[su_quote cite=”Terpstra and Sorathy”] International marketing consists of finding and satisfying global customer needs better than the competition, both domestic and international and of coordinating marketing activities within the constraints of the global environment.”[/su_quote]
[su_quote cite=”Cateora and Graham”]International marketing is the performance of business activities designed to plan, price, promote and direct the flow of a company’s goods and services to consumers or users in more than one nation for a profit.[/su_quote]
This is the easiest form of International Marketing a company can get into importing from one country and selling in the domestic market. This is attainable solely in an exceedingly state of affairs wherever there’s demand within the domestic marketplace for foreign merchandise or services. Companies also localize the imported product depending on the needs of the market.
Opposite of importation and mercantilism, firms export their finalized product to international markets or on to their different franchises in far flung markets wherever they will sell the product to their localities for generating huge revenues.
Whenever a business moves on the far side of its domestic boundaries, its scope of international marketing exposes it to greater chances of doing a lot more business. The market expands, the consumer base expands and even volumes and profits expand. Companies grow exponentially by going into written agreement agreements with many different partners overseas.
Two brands will close and enter a possible market. The investments, profit or losses are pre-decided in terms of both value and time period. At times it’s useful for firms to enter into a squad to raise the scope of international selling as a result of barriers to new entrants in foreign markets.
A local partner will sway be vastly helpful for doing business not solely operationally but conjointly from a domestic understanding of the market dynamics.
Growth opportunities.
There are lots of growth opportunities for both of the countries, developing and underdeveloping countries by trading with each other at a global level. The imports and exports of the countries grow their profits and help them to grow at a global level.
Difference between domestic and international marketing.
The activities of production, promotion, , distribution, selling and customer satisfaction within one’s own country. | Marketing activities are undertaken across the globe. |
There is less government influence. | Companies have to deal with the rules and regulations of various countries. |
More reliance on indigenous technology. | There is an advantage that the business organizations can have access to the latest technology of numerous countries. |
Cultural adjustment issues are less challenging. | Cross cultural adjustment issues are very challenging. |
The risk factor and challenges are comparatively less in the case of domestic marketing. | The risk involved and challenges in the case of international marketing are very high due to some factors like sociocultural differences, exchange rates, setting an international price for the product and so on. |
Requires less investment for acquiring resources and involves less research due to the familiarity of the market. | Requires huge capital investment and in depth research of the foreign markets. |
Expand target market.
The target market of a marketing organization will be limited if it just concentrates on the domestic market. When an organization thinks globally, it looks for overseas opportunities to increase its market share and customer base.
Connect business with world.
Apple has not restricted its business to a nation, but rather expanded it throughout the world. The opportunities for networking internationally are limitless. The more “places” a business is, the more connections it can make with the world.
For example, American organizations investing in Japan have found programs like Six Sigma and Theory Z which are helpful in shaping their business strategies.
These are the important characteristics of international marketing are as follows:
The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law is also supporting the opinion of uniformity and is doing an effort to bring uniformity in International Trade Law.
Monetary system.
The monetary system of each country is decided by the government of that country and the exchange value of the country’s currency is determined by the forces of supply and demand.
Every country has its own procedure of documentation requirements for the purpose of experts. Every business house has to comply with these rules and regulations for the purpose of exports and imports.
Large scale operations, broader market.
It provides wider platform for advertising products at an international level. Business can target their products among large populations residing in different nations. Marketing is not limited to any local area or nation but is free for all across the globe.
Higher risk and challenges.
Marketing at an international level involves a large amount of risk and challenges as it is dependent upon various factors and conditions. These risks arise due to political factors, cultural and regional differences, language barriers, changing styles and fashions of customers, sudden war or changes in government regulations.
Organizations in international market need to follow all tariff and non-traffic constraints. There are various restrictions imposed due to differences in rules and regulations among nations at the global level. All nations perform import and export following the restrictions imposed in the international market.
Subject to diplomatic relations, involves at least two set of uncontrollable variables.
In domestic marketing, the marketers have to interact with only one set of uncontrollable variables. In international marketing, at least two sets of uncontrollable variables are involved or more if the marketing organization deals in more countries.
Significance of international marketing.
The term International marketing refers to exchanges across national boundaries for the satisfaction of human needs and wants. International Marketing affects consumers in many ways, though its importance is neither well understood nor appreciated. Following are the significance of international marketing :
Most of the countries in the world are lacking market size, resources and opportunities. Therefore, it is their compulsion to trade with other countries for their survival. Since the European countries are small in size, without overseas markets, their firms would not have sufficient economies of scale to be competitive with US-based firms.
The slow growth of the US population and changing lifestyle viewed the growth of other markets with a critical eye. It is evident that Russian smokers show no concern about the health risks. And international giants Philip Moris Co., R.J. Reynolds, Tobacco International SA and British-American Tobacco Co. have entered the market very aggressively.
It is clear that there is a large potential to sell the products in the international market. The international market constitutes a large amount of share of the total business of many firms. Further, it is evident that many large US-based companies have performed very well in the overseas market. IBM and Compaq are the best examples in this regard.
Thus, the market is at a saturation level whereas there is still great potential for its future growth in other countries. Thus, it can be concluded that the international market provides huge potential to increase the sales value and profits of the firms.
It is the only solution for such kinds of risks to diversify a company’s risk and to consider the foreign markets as the only solution to overcome variable demand. Such markets can provide outlets for excess production capacity and can easily counter such fluctuations. Seasonal factors, for instance, may affect the consumption level of soft drinks.
And keeping in mind such limitation, the soft drink industries are spreading their marketing activities throughout the global market. It has been observed that global selling has enabled the company to carry on with production throughout the year and help the companies to stabilize their business.
The lack of alternatives in imported products may compel consumers to pay more for the products to local firms, resulting in inflation and excess profits for local firms.
International marketing helps the countries and their citizens to increase their standard of living. On the other hand, without trade, there may be product shortages and which may force people to pay more or less. International trade make easy for industries to get specialization and gain access to raw materials.
Faq related to international marketing, what is the simple definition of international marketing, what is the meaning of international marketing.
International marketing consists of finding and satisfying global customer needs better than the competition, both domestic and international and of coordinating marketing activities within the constraints of the global environment.
What is the importance of international marketing, what are the characteristics of international marketing.
Following are the characteristics of international marketing: 1. Different Legal System 2. Market Characteristics 3. Monetary System 4. Procedure and Documentation.
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International marketing simply means the sale and purchase of products and services in a market that acts as a platform for several other markets. Companies from different countries attempt to draw customers by advertising their products and services on the same platform.
The major objectives of international marketing are outlined as follows −
To enhance free trade at global level and attempt to bring all the countries together for the purpose of trading.
To increase globalization by integrating the economies of different countries.
To achieve world peace by building trade relations among different nations.
To promote social and cultural exchange among the nations.
To assist developing countries in their economic and industrial growth by inviting them to the international market thus eliminating the gap between the developed and the developing countries.
To assure sustainable management of resources globally.
To propel export and import of goods globally and distribute the profit among all participating countries.
To maintain free and fair trade.
International marketing aims to achieve all the objectives and establish a connection among the nations that participate in global trade. Establishing a business in one’s home country has limited restrictions and demands but when it comes to marketing at international level, one has to consider every minute detail and the complexities involved therein. In such instances, the demand grows as the market expands, preferences change and the company has to abide by the rules and regulations of two or more countries.
Some basic modes are followed to enter into the global market and the organizations planning to expand their business globally need to know some basic terms. These have been discussed in the next chapter.
Meaning of marketing research.
Marketing research is a process of analyzing and conducting research about the market to understand market trends. It involves proper collection, analysis and interpretation of information regarding market conditions. Marketing research is mainly conducted to identify changes in preferences and behaviour of customers arising from the change in market mix elements viz. promotion, place, price and product. It may be defined as the mechanism which helps in linking the customers, producers and several other end users to the marketer and help in finding and communicating of all required information.
Provide valuable data.
Effective decision making of any organisation depends entirely on the quality of information available with it. Marketing research supplies all important information about the market to the management team. It keeps organisation aware of market factors like demand, supply, competition, technological changes, consumer behaviour etc. All this information is vital for strategic decision making. Managers frame all their organisation policies in accordance with data supplied by marketing research.
Lower business risk.
Marketing research plays an important role in reducing business risk and raising the revenue of the business organisation. It helps businesses in carrying on their operations in accordance with market requirements. The business acquires all current data and generalized information about market trends. All decisions are taken in order to focus on the customer’s current demands and thereby producing the right product. This results in avoiding resources of organisation and lowering risk.
Facilitates introduction of new products.
Marketing research enables the business to examine and introduce their new products in the market. It enables to conduct testing of new products in small or local markets initially and studies consumer reaction towards it. This helps the business in understanding the deficiencies and problem in their product. They can accordingly overcome these issues and develops an efficient marketing mix for their product. All these helps in minimising the risk involved in the launching of a new product.
Objectives of marketing research.
Marketing research helps business in understanding the needs and wants of customers. Proper knowledge of what customer want is necessary to deliver the products as per their expectations. Marketing research involves reaching out to customers and interacting with them to understand their demands. It helps in developing the right product as per customer requirements.
Setting up proper price policy, finds target market and new opportunities.
Identifying potential customers and new opportunities are important for grabbing the market. Marketing research explores the wide and large market and find out the opportunities for new products by recognising the unfulfilled needs of customers.
These suggestions and feedback from customer help the customers in improving their product quality. Marketing research also informs of any technological changes in market to business so that accordingly changes can be made timely.
Process of marketing research, problem identification.
The first and foremost step in the marketing research process. The identification of problems. For which the research is to be conducted. Unless and until the problem is recognized clearly. No clear cut plan can be formed leading to wastage of resources.
Acquiring and gathering information, interpretation of information.
The successful collection of all required information. A systematic and proper study is to be done. To conduct a successful analysis of all collected information. To get details in accordance with the research plan.
Decision making.
Marketing research plays an important role in studying consumer behaviour. It is very efficient tool for the marketers to understand the trends of the market that mainly consists of information relating to new product launch in the market, trends in consumer demand, pricing strategy of the competitor and available close substitutes of the product.
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Published: August 08, 2024
One of the most underrated skills you can have as a marketer is marketing research — which is great news for this unapologetic cyber sleuth.
From brand design and product development to buyer personas and competitive analysis, I’ve researched a number of initiatives in my decade-long marketing career.
And let me tell you: having the right marketing research methods in your toolbox is a must.
Market research is the secret to crafting a strategy that will truly help you accomplish your goals. The good news is there is no shortage of options.
Thanks to the Internet, we have more marketing research (or market research) methods at our fingertips than ever, but they’re not all created equal. Let’s quickly go over how to choose the right one.
5 Research and Planning Templates + a Free Guide on How to Use Them in Your Market Research
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What are you researching? Do you need to understand your audience better? How about your competition? Or maybe you want to know more about your customer’s feelings about a specific product.
Before starting your research, take some time to identify precisely what you’re looking for. This could be a goal you want to reach, a problem you need to solve, or a question you need to answer.
For example, an objective may be as foundational as understanding your ideal customer better to create new buyer personas for your marketing agency (pause for flashbacks to my former life).
Or if you’re an organic sode company, it could be trying to learn what flavors people are craving.
Next, determine what data type will best answer the problems or questions you identified. There are primarily two types: qualitative and quantitative. (Sound familiar, right?)
Understanding the differences between qualitative and quantitative data will help you pinpoint which research methods will yield the desired results.
For instance, thinking of our earlier examples, qualitative data would usually be best suited for buyer personas, while quantitative data is more useful for the soda flavors.
However, truth be told, the two really work together.
Qualitative conclusions are usually drawn from quantitative, numerical data. So, you’ll likely need both to get the complete picture of your subject.
For example, if your quantitative data says 70% of people are Team Black and only 30% are Team Green — Shout out to my fellow House of the Dragon fans — your qualitative data will say people support Black more than Green.
(As they should.)
You’ll also want to understand the difference between primary and secondary research.
Primary research involves collecting new, original data directly from the source (say, your target market). In other words, it’s information gathered first-hand that wasn’t found elsewhere.
Some examples include conducting experiments, surveys, interviews, observations, or focus groups.
Meanwhile, secondary research is the analysis and interpretation of existing data collected from others. Think of this like what we used to do for school projects: We would read a book, scour the internet, or pull insights from others to work from.
So, which is better?
Personally, I say any research is good research, but if you have the time and resources, primary research is hard to top. With it, you don’t have to worry about your source's credibility or how relevant it is to your specific objective.
You are in full control and best equipped to get the reliable information you need.
Once you know your objective and what kind of data you want, you’re ready to select your marketing research method.
For instance, let’s say you’re a restaurant trying to see how attendees felt about the Speed Dating event you hosted last week.
You shouldn’t run a field experiment or download a third-party report on speed dating events; those would be useless to you. You need to conduct a survey that allows you to ask pointed questions about the event.
This would yield both qualitative and quantitative data you can use to improve and bring together more love birds next time around.
Now that you know what you’re looking for in a marketing research method, let’s dive into the best options.
Note: According to HubSpot’s 2024 State of Marketing report, understanding customers and their needs is one of the biggest challenges facing marketers today. The options we discuss are great consumer research methodologies , but they can also be used for other areas.
1. interviews.
Interviews are a form of primary research where you ask people specific questions about a topic or theme. They typically deliver qualitative information.
I’ve conducted many interviews for marketing purposes, but I’ve also done many for journalistic purposes, like this profile on comedian Zarna Garg . There’s no better way to gather candid, open-ended insights in my book, but that doesn’t mean they’re a cure-all.
What I like: Real-time conversations allow you to ask different questions if you’re not getting the information you need. They also push interviewees to respond quickly, which can result in more authentic answers.
What I dislike: They can be time-consuming and harder to measure (read: get quantitative data) unless you ask pointed yes or no questions.
Best for: Creating buyer personas or getting feedback on customer experience, a product, or content.
Focus groups are similar to conducting interviews but on a larger scale.
In marketing and business, this typically means getting a small group together in a room (or Zoom), asking them questions about various topics you are researching. You record and/or observe their responses to then take action.
They are ideal for collecting long-form, open-ended feedback, and subjective opinions.
One well-known focus group you may remember was run by Domino’s Pizza in 2009 .
After poor ratings and dropping over $100 million in revenue, the brand conducted focus groups with real customers to learn where they could have done better.
It was met with comments like “worst excuse for pizza I’ve ever had” and “the crust tastes like cardboard.” But rather than running from the tough love, it took the hit and completely overhauled its recipes.
The team admitted their missteps and returned to the market with better food and a campaign detailing their “Pizza Turn Around.”
The result? The brand won a ton of praise for its willingness to take feedback, efforts to do right by its consumers, and clever campaign. But, most importantly, revenue for Domino’s rose by 14.3% over the previous year.
The brand continues to conduct focus groups and share real footage from them in its promotion:
What I like: Similar to interviewing, you can dig deeper and pivot as needed due to the real-time nature. They’re personal and detailed.
What I dislike: Once again, they can be time-consuming and make it difficult to get quantitative data. There is also a chance some participants may overshadow others.
Best for: Product research or development
Pro tip: Need help planning your focus group? Our free Market Research Kit includes a handy template to start organizing your thoughts in addition to a SWOT Analysis Template, Survey Template, Focus Group Template, Presentation Template, Five Forces Industry Analysis Template, and an instructional guide for all of them. Download yours here now.
Surveys are a form of primary research where individuals are asked a collection of questions. It can take many different forms.
They could be in person, over the phone or video call, by email, via an online form, or even on social media. Questions can be also open-ended or closed to deliver qualitative or quantitative information.
A great example of a close-ended survey is HubSpot’s annual State of Marketing .
In the State of Marketing, HubSpot asks marketing professionals from around the world a series of multiple-choice questions to gather data on the state of the marketing industry and to identify trends.
The survey covers various topics related to marketing strategies, tactics, tools, and challenges that marketers face. It aims to provide benchmarks to help you make informed decisions about your marketing.
It also helps us understand where our customers’ heads are so we can better evolve our products to meet their needs.
Apple is no stranger to surveys, either.
In 2011, the tech giant launched Apple Customer Pulse , which it described as “an online community of Apple product users who provide input on a variety of subjects and issues concerning Apple.”
"For example, we did a large voluntary survey of email subscribers and top readers a few years back."
While these readers gave us a long list of topics, formats, or content types they wanted to see, they sometimes engaged more with content types they didn’t select or favor as much on the surveys when we ran follow-up ‘in the wild’ tests, like A/B testing.”
Pepsi saw similar results when it ran its iconic field experiment, “The Pepsi Challenge” for the first time in 1975.
The beverage brand set up tables at malls, beaches, and other public locations and ran a blindfolded taste test. Shoppers were given two cups of soda, one containing Pepsi, the other Coca-Cola (Pepsi’s biggest competitor). They were then asked to taste both and report which they preferred.
People overwhelmingly preferred Pepsi, and the brand has repeated the experiment multiple times over the years to the same results.
What I like: It yields qualitative and quantitative data and can make for engaging marketing content, especially in the digital age.
What I dislike: It can be very time-consuming. And, if you’re not careful, there is a high risk for scientific error.
Best for: Product testing and competitive analysis
Pro tip: " Don’t make critical business decisions off of just one data set," advises Pamela Bump. "Use the survey, competitive intelligence, external data, or even a focus group to give you one layer of ideas or a short-list for improvements or solutions to test. Then gather your own fresh data to test in an experiment or trial and better refine your data-backed strategy."
8. public domain or third-party research.
While original data is always a plus, there are plenty of external resources you can access online and even at a library when you’re limited on time or resources.
Some reputable resources you can use include:
It’s also smart to turn to reputable organizations that are specific to your industry or field. For instance, if you’re a gardening or landscaping company, you may want to pull statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
If you’re a digital marketing agency, you could look to Google Research or HubSpot Research . (Hey, I know them!)
What I like: You can save time on gathering data and spend more time on analyzing. You can also rest assured the data is from a source you trust.
What I dislike: You may not find data specific to your needs.
Best for: Companies under a time or resource crunch, adding factual support to content
Pro tip: Fellow HubSpotter Iskiev suggests using third-party data to inspire your original research. “Sometimes, I use public third-party data for ideas and inspiration. Once I have written my survey and gotten all my ideas out, I read similar reports from other sources and usually end up with useful additions for my own research.”
If the data you need isn’t available publicly and you can’t do your own market research, you can also buy some. There are many reputable analytics companies that offer subscriptions to access their data. Statista is one of my favorites, but there’s also Euromonitor , Mintel , and BCC Research .
What I like: Same as public domain research
What I dislike: You may not find data specific to your needs. It also adds to your expenses.
Best for: Companies under a time or resource crunch or adding factual support to content
You’re not going to like my answer, but “it depends.” The best marketing research method for you will depend on your objective and data needs, but also your budget and timeline.
My advice? Aim for a mix of quantitative and qualitative data. If you can do your own original research, awesome. But if not, don’t beat yourself up. Lean into free or low-cost tools . You could do primary research for qualitative data, then tap public sources for quantitative data. Or perhaps the reverse is best for you.
Whatever your marketing research method mix, take the time to think it through and ensure you’re left with information that will truly help you achieve your goals.
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Home • Knowledge hub • 8 Reasons Why Companies Need to Research Their International Markets
Market research is an essential activity for companies of all kinds. When entering a new local market or category, it’s crucial to do as much research as possible in many areas to ensure you’re as prepared as possible to launch successfully, with minimal risk.
Market research is even more important when entering an international market, as the stakes are higher, and you’ll be facing entirely new market conditions.
This article will examine international market research, how it typically differs from what you’re used to in your domestic market, and some of the main reasons companies need to do it.
International market research is a blanket term for all the research and preparation on a new market, usually before entering it. Unlike domestic market research, international market research focuses on an overseas market, often with different cultures, business conditions, and consumer behaviors.
There are many different methods and stages involved in international market research. In some cases, the particular methods and techniques are the same as domestic market research, but your overall strategy will likely be very different.
International market research is a way of understanding a new, overseas market before you launch a product or service there. The main objectives are to understand your target customers, identify any challenges, get familiar with your competitors, and do anything else to boost your chances of success and avoid unpleasant surprises.
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There are several key differentiating factors between domestic market research and international market research. Here are three of the key differences:
Domestic market research is already tricky, but the often vast differences between your home country and your target country make international market research much more challenging in many ways.
Often, the reasons for this difficulty are the same reasons why you need to research in the first place — you need to learn as much as possible about a region and culture that may be entirely unlike your own.
The differences between countries can create many challenges for researchers. For example, a research method like one-on-one interviews that work well in western countries like the UK and US may fail miserably in other parts of the world where it is considered suspicious.
In addition to cultural and social differences, international markets also come with legal differences. While you might have a good understanding of how the law (as it relates to market research) works at home, the reality abroad may be very different.
You’ll need to be aware of an entirely new set of rules to avoid breaking them and ending up in legal trouble. One example is the USA’s TCPA, which forbids calling a cellphone using an automated dialing system.
Legal differences make it imperative to conduct legal research and coordinate with lawyers in your target market before beginning any research. Ending up on the wrong side of the law could be catastrophic.
Conducting market research on your home soil can often be undertaken relatively cheaply. However, costs can quickly skyrocket doing research abroad. Seemingly simple things like hiring venues, running telephone interviews, and gathering people to interview can become exponentially more complicated when you’re doing it in a foreign country with people who speak another language.
You may find yourself needing to hire a small army of staff on the ground to help you carry out these tasks. To make things even more frustrating, the cheaper market research methods like email and online surveys don’t work nearly as well in developing countries with less widespread internet access.
Despite the additional challenges involved, international market research is simply unavoidable if entering a new market overseas. Here are some of the reasons why.
The culture of your overseas target market may be completely different. Failing to research the culture of your target market adequately could result in serious blunders, which could seriously harm your market entry and brand reputation.
Cultural differences don’t have to be vast to cause significant problems. For example, in many African countries, containers are labeled with a picture of their contents. When baby nutrition company Gerber entered this market with their jars labeled with photos of babies, the reaction was understandably negative and seriously impacted sales.
Laws and regulations don’t just have an impact on your market research methods. They can affect every part of your market entry process and how you conduct your business in your new market.
If you enter a new market without a comprehensive understanding of the law concerning your activities, you risk getting into legal trouble.
There are many different potential legal pitfalls to consider when entering a new market. Some examples are environmental regulations, tax laws, and laws that pertain to hiring new staff. On top of this, rules can change quickly, and what was legal five years ago might be a no-go today.
Understanding legal and regulatory differences is where one-off research isn’t enough — you’ll have to conduct regular and ongoing research as well as work with legal experts in your target market.
Customers in one country may have completely different preferences to those in another. Cultural differences can be due to the earlier issues, but they can also result from other factors.
When China began allowing its citizens to buy and own homes a few decades ago, US do-it-yourself chain Home Depot quickly capitalized on this new opportunity. Six years later, they closed all their Chinese stores, never to return.
The reason — they opened all their stores in the suburbs, but most middle-class Chinese citizens tend to live in apartment blocks in the cities, homes that don’t require or allow much renovation. This simple misunderstanding due to incomplete research led to the failure of Home Depot’s market entry attempt.
When you enter a new market, you’ll need to compete with already existing brands. Brand competition is not easy — you’re already at a significant disadvantage compared to companies that have been established in that region for a long time and are well-known to the local consumers.
It’s essential to understand who you are competing against and — more importantly — how they have been able to succeed. What exactly is it that customers like about your competitors? What keeps them coming back? What has allowed them to gain and maintain a hold in your target market?
Answering these questions through research will give you valuable direction on what your brand must do to succeed. It will also highlight weaknesses in your competitors that you can address in your marketing.
Entering any new market is a risky venture, and that risk increases when you expand abroad. According to the Harvard Business Review , companies operating abroad faced far lower Return on Assets than those in domestic markets. Many of these companies do not survive the attempt.
Market research allows you to mitigate your risk by being as prepared as possible for the many challenges of entering a foreign market. You’ll better understand your customers and what they want, be more prepared to take on your competition, avoid legal issues, and have a more viable strategy.
Entering a new market overseas will never be risk-free, but research allows you to minimize that risk.
The logistical challenges involved in entering a foreign market can be enormous. Everything from selecting and evaluating suppliers to finding ways to transport your products around your new market, there are many things to consider.
When entering a market in the developing world, these challenges become compounded. Regions without well-established transport infrastructure, financial systems, labor laws, government, and so on can create an endless series of logistical challenges.
To prepare for this, you’ll need to research your new market rigorously. Understand all the potential issues facing you so you have time to prepare and aren’t caught unawares by a problem that might set back your operations by a significant amount.
A well-established strategy and budget plan is an essential starting point for any market entry process. The only way to do this effectively is through diligent market research.
Market research allows you to understand the costs of your new market, including unexpected expenses. It also helps you anticipate obstacles and challenges and flesh out your strategy in a way that boosts your chances of success.
Suppose you need to win the support of high-level stakeholders in your organization. In that case, a well-prepared and financed strategy is an excellent way to convince them that your market entry attempt is well-placed to go ahead.
Marketing your product in a foreign market comes with a unique set of challenges and considerations. Channels that work well in your home country may fail abroad — for example, digital marketing in a country with poor internet access.
On top of that, your messaging will need to consider all the cultural and linguistic characteristics of your target market. An advertising campaign that works well at home may very well perform terribly on the other side of the world.
Market research is a great way to identify the marketing channels and approaches that typically work well for similar products in your target market, helping you plan an effective marketing strategy and boost your chances of success from the start.
Market research is an essential and unavoidable task if you want to enter a foreign market successfully. Done right, it can help reduce the many risks involved and give your product the best possible chances of succeeding in a market that may be radically different from the ones you currently operate.
Contact Kadence to learn more about how we can help you with international market research , along with all other kinds.
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International Marketing Research can be defined as research that crosses national boundaries and involves the respondents and researchers from various countries and cultures. It may be conducted simultaneously in multiple countries or sequentially over a period to time.
International marketing research involves studying and analyzing markets outside a company's domestic boundaries to make informed decisions for global business expansion. International marketing research requires a deep understanding of diverse cultures, as consumer behavior, preferences, and market dynamics can vary significantly across ...
What are the objectives of international marketing research? International market research is a way of understanding a new, overseas market before you launch a product or service there. The main objectives are to understand your target customers, identify any challenges, get familiar with your competitors, and anything else that will boost your chances of success and avoid unpleasant surprises.
Gain market research insights on the essential guide to conducting international. Discover key data and consumer insights.
First, international marketing research efforts need to be more closely aligned with market growth opportunities outside the industrialized nations. Second, researchers must develop the capability to conduct and coordinate research that spans diverse research environments.
2. The importance of international marketing research. Market research is the vital link between the organization and its customers. The objective of sound market research is to interpret consumer behavior and translate the perspective of key customers into actionable marketing strategies.
International marketing refers to any marketing activity that occurs across borders. Types of international marketing include export, licensing, franchising, joint venture, and foreign direct investment. Global marketing aims to satisfy the needs of global customers. International marketing enables the effective utilization of surplus production.
Here is a 10-step guide on how to develop an international marketing research plan: Identify research objectives — Clearly define what information you hope to gather about your target markets and what your goals are for expanding globally. Target regions — Choose the countries you're interested in expanding into and determine the ...
Samiee Saeed, and Chabowski Brian R., (2012), "Knowledge Structure in International Marketing: A Multi-Method Bibliometric Analysis," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40 (2), 364-86.
These international market research methods help your business go global by reaching the audiences who will love your product in multiple target countries.
What is International Marketing? Definition, Objective, Challenges, Scope, Process, Framework, Opportunities | International marketing is the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services to consumers or users in more than one nation.
Understand the importance of International Marketing Research. 2. Introduction: The fundamental objective of MNCs is to achieve its goal by satisfying the needs and wants of the consumer from different countries. In this context marketing attains the core position in the international business operations and its activities.
A brief document should contain the following information: Company background, the business objectives, the research objectives, your target market, your competition, the geographical focus and your research project budget.
The key objective of international marketing is to create a global brand presence while tailoring marketing strategies to each specific region's culture, demographics, and consumer behavior.
Classic business literature asserts the central role of marketing as foundational to the existence of organizations, and further notes that marketing must permeate all areas of a business enterprise. Leveraging this premise, we examine marketing scholars' contributions to the international business (IB) literature - specifically notable works in exporting and market entry. Despite the ...
By analysing what is happening in the industry, international marketing research helps to comprehend the market and the variables that govern it. Developing a competitive advantage and outperforming competition. International marketing research aids in the investigation and comprehension of state-specific environmental restrictions.
An International Marketing Research Process is the systematic gathering, recording, and analyzing data to provide information useful to marketing decision-making. The information must be communicated across cultural boundaries and these research tools are then often applied in foreign markets. General information about the country, area, and/or ...
What is International Marketing? International marketing refers to marketing carried out by companies overseas or across national boundaries. This strategy uses an extension of the techniques employed in the house country of a firm.
International Marketing - Objectives - International marketing simply means the sale and purchase of products and services in a market that acts as a platform for several other markets. Companies from different countries attempt to draw customers by advertising their products and services on the same platform.
of international marketing research is to define the objectives. The clear definition of objectives helps the researcher to identify the appropriate sources of information and
Marketing research is a process of analyzing and conducting research about the market to understand market trends. It involves proper collection, analysis and interpretation of information regarding market conditions. Marketing research is mainly conducted to identify changes in preferences and behaviour of customers arising from the change in ...
From brand design and product development to buyer personas and competitive analysis, I've researched a number of initiatives in my decade-long marketing career.. And let me tell you: having the right marketing research methods in your toolbox is a must. Market research is the secret to crafting a strategy that will truly help you accomplish your goals.
What are the objectives of international marketing research? International market research is a way of understanding a new, overseas market before you launch a product or service there. The main objectives are to understand your target customers, identify any challenges, get familiar with your competitors, and do anything else to boost your chances of success and avoid unpleasant surprises.
Marketing research is regarded as a systematized process of setting goals, identifying the scope of objective market information, its collection, and analysis, developing recommendations for any elements of the market product strategy to achieve the highest results of the company in a specific marketing environment.
UBS Group cut their price objective on Marriott International from $267.00 to $244.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday.