International Marketing

A firm's international marketing program must generally be

modified and adapted to foreign markets. This international

marketing program uses strategies to accomplish its

marketing goals. Within each foreign nation, the firm is

likely to find a combination of marketing environment and

target markets that are different from those of its own home

country and other foreign countries. It is important that in

international marketing, product, pricing, distribution and

promotional strategies be adapted accordingly. In order for

an international firm to function properly, cultural, social,

economic, and legal forces within the country must be

clearly understood. The task of International marketing is

more difficult and risky than expected by many firms.

One of the most controlling factors of international

marketing is management. It is very important for managers

to recognize the differences as well as similarities in buyer

behavior. Many mistakes can occur if managers fail to

realize that buyers differ from country to country. It is the

international differences in buyer behavior, rather than

similarities, which cause problems in successful international

marketing. An international marketing manager is a

manager responsible for facilitating the exchange of

products between the organization and its customers or

clients. Sometimes an international marketing manager will

find difficulties in completing the exchange of products.

Many surprises in international business are undesirable

human mistakes. An international corporation must fully

understand the foreign environment before pursuing

business matters. Problems constantly crop up and many

times have unexpected results. Sometimes these

unexpected results are unavoidable. Other times they are

avoidable. To be sure those avoidable situations do not

occur, international marketing managers must be aware of

cultural differences.

Cultural differences take place among most nations of the

world. Differences in culture are one of the most significant

factors in an international company. All nationalities posses

unique characteristics, which are unknown to many

foreigners. Many of the top international businesses are

unaware of these cultural differences. It is very important to

understand these cultures in order to market a product

successfully. As an example, different nationalities have

different beliefs on how business matters should take place.

Where some countries prefer to work with a deadline other

countries can take this as being offensive. Many countries

feel it is an insult to be asked to work under a set time

period. A country may feel that a deadline is threatening

and may feel backed into a corner. On the other hand,

other countries try to expedite matters by setting deadlines.

To be effective in a foreign market it is necessary to

understand the local customs. Knowing what to do in a

foreign country is as important as knowing what not to do.

Failure to understand local customs can lead to serious

misunderstandings between business people. The simple

rejection of a cup of coffee can lead to total confusion. The

decline of an invite is sometimes considered an affront. To

avoid making blunders, a person must be able to discern

the difference between what is acceptable behavior and

what is not acceptable behavior. Violations of a local

custom can be insulting, and can cause uncomfortable

situations. To be a successful manager of international

marketing, one must be able to discern the differences as to

what must and must not be done. It is almost impossible to

attain complete knowledge and understanding of a foreign

culture.

As established, culture plays an important role in the drama

of international marketing. Of all the cultural aspects,

communication may be the most critical. It is certain that

communication has been involved in a number of cultural

confusion. Good communication linkages must be set

between a company and its customers, suppliers, its

employees, and the governments of the countries where it

performs business activities. Poor communication can

obviously cause various difficulties. One source of difficulty

among starting companies is that of effective