IM Reply 2

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Post#1:

There can be many occurrences when cracking into Big data or market research in international countries outside of the US. To start cultural differences can cause confusion on what sort of data, demographics, and economic status is needed in order to sell a product.

Take for example back in 1999 when concentrate detergent sales increased by 90%! This was not only because it made more sense economically/ financially but also because it was more compact to be stored and transported (PG.114, Arno).

My company is going global in European countries and a huge selling point is “green energy.” Environmental consciousness is going global but it is still a differential product and European countries are in need of advocates to support the importance of going green. Just as it said in our text, Americans though the Japanese would enjoy barbies but they did not. Even if we made barbies that looked like Japanese girls, if it doesn’t fit the culture it wont make a difference and no matter how much promotion a company brings for that product if it does not align with the interest of the customer it fails.

The solution to marketing is to examine culture to examine products that are currently being purchased to take into consideration the realities of differences and similarities and not try and push another culture into adapting to the company but adapting a company to the culture.When doing market research to enhance, innovate, or simply promote a product we must be able to think outside of the box of what the “American Dream” because we are not selling in America.

Cahn, A. (1999). Proceedings of the 4th World Conference on Detergents: Strategies for the 21st century. Page 111.Champaign, IL: AOCS Press.

Post#2:

There are several challenges that the U.S. firms will face when entering an international market. First, there are challenges due to cultural differences. Cultural differences exist even within one nation, let alone different countries globally. There are challenges such as cultural nuance and communication style. There will be differences in the concept of punctuality, customs like fiestas etc. Communication style difference would also create challenges during negotiations. Cultural differences could become obstacles when identifying market needs. For example, China does not have a large bread market not because of not many companies have entered that market, it is because Chinese culture has needs on rice, noodles etc. instead of bread products. One culture’s need might not necessarily be the same for other cultures. Another challenge could be establishing a brand name/image. It could be difficult to market against an existing generic local brand. Finally, there will be financial challenges such as tariffs and currency exchanges. These are often heavily depending on external factors. To overcome these challenges, marketers need to do is research. Information is the key. Knowing and understanding the cultural differences are important.

References

Hill, Brian. “What Are Some Challenges That Firms Face for International Marketing?” Small Business – Chron.com, Chron.com, 29 June 2018, smallbusiness.chron.com/challenges-firms-face-international-marketing-3356.html.

Keegan, Warren J., and Mark C. Green. Global Marketing. Pearson, 2017.