Despite the increasing tendency toward globalization of the buying needs, habits, and attitudes of consumers, there are still enough differences among international markets to make selling to them extremely challenging. For example, although Coca-Cola has had tremendous success in selling essentially the same dark drink all over the world, some people outside the United States still drink it with no ice at all-a fact that has implications for the size of the glass, the need for refrigeration, and the price of a Coke.
Most of the basic tasks of marketing overseas are the same as the ones performed by a manager attempting to enter domestic markets. The "four Ps"-product, price, promotion, and place-are relevant whether one is selling bread in the United States or rice in Japan. The specific combination of these Ps, however, varies with the particular socioeconomic and cultural setting. Customer responsiveness to promotional tactics is different in different countries. Thus the main decision international managers must make is between the so-called global and multi domestic marketing strategies. In other words, should a company develop a "one name, one message, one voice" marketing strategy, or should it tailor its marketing efforts to local or regional socioeconomic and cultural conditions?
Obviously neither extreme holds the answer. In most cases an adaptive marketing strategy will evolve. That is, a marketing manager will start with some common elements, and then modify the strategy to accommodate local or regional demands.
This chapter will first summarize the basic concepts and techniques of marketing and then outline the main elements of an international marketing strategy.
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