International Marketing – A Whole New Game
Even those of us who are making a pretty good living on the Internet sometimes long for the good old days when you could take Marketing 101 in college and go out and build a successful business. Boy! Are those days ever gone! And they’re gone forever. The most significant aspect of this brave new world is that a business owner must use the Internet for marketing if he’s to succeed. Even more than that, he must face up to the fact that the world we used to know is gone. We are living in a world where the farthest reaches of the globe must be taken into consideration if we want to succeed in business. International marketing is the new game in town.
Where to start? One of the first things to adjust to is that your competitor is no longer just another company similar to yours. The competition is more likely to come from outside the traditional boundaries of the industry you are in. Also, whether you want to do it or not, you need to develop an understanding of cultures other than your own because you are going to need to reach customers in an international market. There are plenty of horror stories about companies that have lost a considerable investment in marketing to potential international customers without taking the time to understand the differences and similarities between international marketing and the kind of marketing they are familiar with. The needs and desires of this new market are unique to the whatever culture you wish to serve. Only by marketing to those needs and desires will your company be able to succeed in the international market.
The products you’ve been selling in your own country may be of no use or interest in another country. You may need to spend more on product development, for instance, in order to succeed in the international market. You may find that you need to target your products to a particular country. You may even want to think about bringing some executives from that country onto your team. Or even some lower-level managers or employees. After all, you are going to have to communicate with people whose language and cultural practices are foreign to you. If you’re thinking that people in other countries are just longing to have American products, you need to retool your thinking.
Furthermore, your marketing department needs to develop a philosophy that is different from the past. They need to become the eyes and ears of your company. They may need training in international marketing. Even so, if management doesn’t listen to the marketers, the company still will not do very well in selling to international markets.
