International Marketing summary
Door Luuk Bosch, 2ce2
Chapter 1 – An introduction to international marketing
International marketing defined
Marketing: Management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer
requirements profitable. Marketing involves:
Focusing on the needs and wants of customers
Identifying the best method of satisfying those needs and wants
Orienting the company towards the process of providing satisfaction
Meeting organizational objectives
Uncontrollable marketing environment consists of:
Social/cultural, Legal, Economic, Political, Technological sustainability (SLEPTS)
International marketing can be expressed on different levels.
Simplest level: Involves the firm in making one or more marketing mix decisions across national
boundaries.
Most complex level: Involves the firm in establishing manufacturing/processing facilities around the
world and coordinating marketing strategies around the globe.
Levels of (international) marketing:
Domestic marketing
Company manipulates a series of controllable variables (Price, advertising, distribution, etc.,)
in a largely uncontrollable external environment.
International marketing
Operating across multiple foreign countries where markets not only differ in terms of
uncontrollable factors but also controllable factors.
Global marketing management
Creating synergy in an overall operation to make the company as whole greater than
separate parts.
International marketing defined by the involvement described above. International marketing can
therefore be:
Export marketing
Firm markets goods and/or services across national/political boundaries
International marketing
Marketing activities include activities, interest or operations in more than one country &
where there is control of marketing activities from outside the country where goods/services
are sold
Global marketing
Whole company focuses on selection and exploitation of global marketing opportunities and
marshals resources around the globe to achieve competitive advantage
, International marketing environment
Environment consists of the SLEPTS.
Social/cultural:
Social and cultural differences between countries are immense
Companies will have to adjust to succeed.
Cultural differences involve language, religions and habits
Legal environment:
A company is not only bound by laws of its home country but also those of Europe and its
host country
The laws involved in international marketing can be divided in three dimensions
o 1. Local domestic laws: Are all different per country!, use experts on separate legal
systems.
o 2. International law: Cover laws for multiple regions, like IMF, patents, trademarks;
European Union is example of regional economic grouping.
o 3. Domestic laws in the home country: Could limit the free export, country must act
and abide its national laws in all activities.
Economic environment:
Important to have understanding of economic developments.
Economies are divided in:
o Developed countries: (EU, North America, Japan)
o Emerging economies: (Brazil, Russia, India, China. (Demand in technology like cars
and phones is growing, rapidly developing) Usually wealth is divided with a poor and
a rich part of society
o Less developed/underdeveloped countries: Low GDP, limited amount manufacturing
activity, poor infrastructure.
Currency movements and exchange rates should be tracked carefully.
Political environment
Government’s attitude and the freedom in which firms can operate. Unstable political
regimes expose foreign businesses to a variety of risks.
Three main areas in which governments may take:
o Operational restrictions: Exchange controls, employment policies, insistence on
locally shared ownership and product requirements
o Discriminatory restrictions: Tend to apply only on foreign, usually export/import
restrictions from specific countries.
o Physical actions: Direct government interventions like confiscation when not paying
debts, forced takeovers and takeovers when damage to country property is done.
Technological
Major driving force in both international marketing and in the move towards a global
marketplace.
Emerging economies are skipping parts in technological evolution.
Internet playing huge role in international marketing (ordering online).
Some countries have a technological/cultural paradox; don’t know their way around with
computers or the internet. There are also huge differences in costs of internet.
