International Marketing “The multinational process of planning and executing the conception, pricing,
promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and
organizational objectives”
When making a SWOT-analysis for a new marketing strategy, keep in mind:
- The value net ; Consisting of a vertical network (suppliers and customers) and a horizontal network
(competitors) See Global Marketing, Hollensen figure 4.10
- External analysis:
Customer
Competitor
Market/submarket analysis → Porter’s diamond and Porter’s Five Forces model
Environmental analysis via DEPEST
Meso- actors: competitors, distributors
Macro-forces: Demographics; Economic; Political / legal; Ecological; Socio-cultural; Technological
[DEPEST]
The external analysis can make you come up with opportunities (O) and threats (T)
- Internal analysis
Performance analysis
Marketing strategy
Segmenting, Targeting → Lecture 3
Positioning → Lecture 5
Marketing mix
The internal analysis can make you come up with strengths (S) and weaknesses (W)
Porter came up with a market/submarket analysis, which are the basis for competitive advantage. A three
stage model for CA;
1. Analysis national competitiveness (Porter’s diamond)
- Home nation characteristics on firm’s success
2. Competition analysis (Porter’s five forces)
- Profit potential industry
3. Competitors:
- Competitive triangle
- Benchmarking
Chapters 6+7
Trends in the market: What is going on? (Dynamics)
- Uncertain economy
- Rapid globalisation
- Sustainability; be environmentally conscious
- Social networks; competitive disadvantage if you as a company do not join a social network
- Demographics; aging? wealthy baby boomers? more-than-one-person-households?
- Demand side;
Consumer sees no differences between products
Consumer uses simpler choice processes: less interest and low involvement buying behaviour
Individualisation, moment consumer
Consumer is more rational and wants to be ‘happy and free’ (Millennials > Gen Z)
- Supply side;
E-business
Mondialisation
Markets more transparent, more data
Products/services more and more similar
Product life cycles shorter and shorter
More competition
Differences between markets (Status Quo)
- Economic forces; level of development “Big Mac Index” > See Global Marketing, Hollensen ch. 6
- Political forces; unrest, laws, corruption, trade marks, patents > See Global Marketing, Hollensen ch. 6
- Socio-cultural forces; origins of culture + elements of culture + behavioural consequences
> See Global Marketing, Hollensen ch. 7
Characterists of culture, things you should take into account
Communication and language
Sense of Self and Space
Dress And Appearance
Food/Eating Habits
Time consciousness
Family and friends
Values and norms
Beliefs and attitudes
Business/Work Habits
High context and low context
Hofstede and his dimensions + critics!!
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Lecture 3
“Chapter 8” > Emphasis on INTERNAL analysis
Recap:
- Internal analysis
Performance analysis
Marketing strategy
Segmenting, Targeting ; dividing the market and choosing target segments
Positioning → Lecture 5
Marketing mix
The internal analysis can make you come up with strengths (S) and weaknesses (W)
You should build a Global Marketing Plan (Global Marketing, Hollensen, fig 2.1)
Build around the 5 main decisions in global marketing:
1. The decision whether to internationalize > Framework discussed in lecture 1, Global Marketing, Hollensen
figure 1.6
2. Deciding which markets to enter > Today
3. Market entry strategies > Lecture 4
4. Designing the global marketing programme
5. Implementing and coordinating the global marketing programme
Who are your customers?
1) Consumer decision process
Need recognition
Information search (“Where??”)
Evaluation alternatives (“How am I in the eyes of my consumer??”)
Purchase decision
Post purchase behaviour (“Is my consumer satisfied??”)
2) International market segmentation
Figure 8.2
Step 1: “Segmentation is the process of dividing the world market into distinct subsets of customers
that have similar needs”
General characteristics of the market
Specific characteristics of the market
Step 2: requirements for effective segmentation ; Measurable, Accessible, Substantial, Actionable
Step 3: Macro-segmentation, screening the segments
Preliminary
Fine-grained > ABC countries > Global Marketing, Hollensen
Step 4: Micro-segmentation
Consumer styles
3) International market selection, targeting
“Targeting aims at evaluating and comparing the identified segments in order to select the one (or more than
one) segment with the highest potential.”
Finally: We segmented and targeted; how to enter the market? In other words… What market expansion
strategy to choose? Incremental VS Simultaneous and Concentration VS Diversification. See Global Marketing,
Hollensen for in depth theory and definitions
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Lecture 4
“Chapter 9+11+12” > How can I serve my customer best?
So, I have segmented the market in a meaningful way (Lecture 2+3), how to be remembered? (= Positioning)
And how to enter the international markets?
Positioning = “the location of a product in the consumers’ mind”. Visualised by a positioning map. Positioning
maps show consumer perceptions of brands vs competing products on important buying dimensions.
… You want to achieve the best location in your consumer’s mind in order to achieve the greatest customer
equity. Strategies;
- By Product Attribute(s)
- By its Benefits
Effective statements: what is the benefit of the product and how is it different
- By Usage Occasion
- By Users
- vs Competitors
- As a Substitute
- Combinations of the Above
Rational positioning = Positioning based on a product’s concrete functional benefits
Emotional positioning = Positioning is based on higher level emotional needs, with more emphasis on image
Entry strategies… ;
- Indirect strategies VS Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) strategies
- Export modes (ch.10), intermediate modes (ch. 11) and hierarchical modes (ch. 12)
Export Modes
‘Production in home or third countries, products transferred directly or indirectly to host market. The central
question: Which functions controlled by external agents, which by company itself?’ > Partner Mindshare
Partner mindshare = The measurement of the strength of a relationship between manufacturer and export-
partner in terms of trust, commitment and cooperation. Keep in mind that partner mindshare affects your
brand image, so be selective!! → Use framework, See Global Marketing, Hollensen, figure 10.4
- Indirect export
- Direct export
- Cooperative export
Chapter 11
Intermediate modes = ‘No full ownership by the parent firm! It can be shared (Joint Venture) or contracted
(Licences, Franchises). Done to share knowledge and skills.’
Chapter 12
Hierarchical modes = ‘Firm completely owns and controls the entry mode. Requires huge investment and risk,
but greater influence and control over (local) marketing’
- Level of responsibility over value chain functions to local management, depending on orientation:
Ethnocentric
Polycentric
Regiocentric
Geocentric
Of course, also adapt structure to orientation > Lecture 1
Every entry mode has positive sides and negative sides.
Licensing
Advantages
- Quick expansion (entry) when capital is scarce
- Very low risk
- Allowing host country to gain technology and create jobs
- Allowing host country and licensee to keep most profit
- Circumventing trade barriers
Disadvantages
- Very low profit
- Licensee becoming future competitor
- Licensee's poor performance: image
- Difficulty in terminating licensing agreement
Franchising
Advantages:
- Overseas expansion with a minimum investment
- Franchisees’ profits tied to their efforts
- Availability of local franchisees’ knowledge
Disadvantages:
- Lack of control over the franchisees’ operations
- Problem in performance standards
- Cultural problems
Joint Venture
Advantages:
- Maximizing profit while minimizing risk
- Sharing of resources
- Allowing host country to gain technology and create jobs
- Circumventing trade barriers
- Local partner's market knowledge
- Local partner's political connections
Disadvantages:
- Conflict with partner
- Sharing of profit
- Loss of control
- Difficulty in terminating relationship
Local Manufacturing
Advantages:
- Job creation for host country
- Host country gaining resources (capital and technology)
- Low trade barriers
- Higher profit
- Utilization of local labor
- Host country's economic incentives
Disadvantages:
- Expropriation risk
- Large capital investment
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Lecture 5
“Chapter 14” > What should I think about when aiming my strategy at product?
Marketing programme:
Strategy
Segmenting > Lecture 3
Targeting > Lecture 3
Positioning > Lecture 4+ today
Marketing Mix
Product > Today
Price > Lecture 6
Place > Lecture 6
Promotion > Lecture 7
Recap lecture 1: When developing a product you should think in solutions and benefits for your consumer.
The ‘P’ of product is defined by: core product benefits, product attributes and support services. See Global
Marketing, Hollensen figure 14.1. Ability to standardise goes from high in core product benefits to low in
support services.
> Support services are seen as a source for a core competence
> In figure 14.1 in the book, price and staff behaviour are not an example of a product attribute. See slides for
the correct figure 14.1 by dr. Voerman
Brand equity = the premium a customer / consumer would pay for the branded product or service compared
to an identical unbranded version of the same product / service. In other words: Strong, relevant and unique
associations that consumers have with the brand
Effect of branding on buyer decision process (Recap: lecture 3; Need recognition, Information search
(“Where??”), Evaluation alternatives (“How am I in the eyes of my consumer??”), Purchase decision, Post
purchase behaviour (“Is my consumer satisfied??”). With good branding and high brand equity; consumers skip
step 2+3!!
Three branding options:
Private branding → 100% externalising
Campina producing Albert Heijn’s milk
Co-branding/ingredient branding > Brand Alliance
Intel and computer manufacturers
Manufacturer’s brand > 100% internalising
Keeping it all just for yourself
So, you have a branded product and you keep your brand for yourself (manufacturer’s brand); you can then
serve a single market or multiple markets.
Single market: single brand VS multiple brands
- Single Brand
Full attention for maximum impact
Based on assumption of market homogeneity
- Multiple Brands
Market segmentation
Mased on assumption of market heterogeneity
- Or family brands (Umbrella brand) > Unilever for example
Multiple markets: local brand VS global brand
- Local brands
Assumption of market heterogeneity / local segments
(Or result of acquisitions/mergers)
allowing quality variations
Local competitive position (‘local heroes’)
Easier pronunciation by local consumers
Avoiding negative connotation
Avoiding legal complications
Circumventing price control
Discouraging gray marketing/ parallel import
- Global brands
Based on assumption of market homogeneity
Uniform brand image => no confusion
Convenient identification
Status and prestige
Maximum market impact
Lower production costs and/or
Lower advertising costs, so economies of scale
International Product Strategies:
- Standardized Product
Domestic product introduced internationally, with minor or no modification
- Localized Product
Domestic product adapted for foreign markets
Product designed specifically for foreign markets
- Global Product
Product designed with international (not national) markets in mind
Product having universal features
Product being adaptation-ready, when necessary
Product modification may be necessary due to local use conditions (Netherlands: yoghurt is a dessert, USA:
yoghurt is breakfast), local customs and culture (No porc for Islamics), etc.
Another important thing to keep in mind: Country of Origin effect = The effect on quality perceptions caused
by knowledge of the production country location for the product
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Lecture 6
“Chapter 15+16” > P of Price and Placement
Chapter 15
Price = The amount of money charged for a product or service, or the sum of the values that consumers
exchange for the benefits of having or using the product or service > Price says something about the product
Pricing strategies:
1. Price level (strategic level)
Note: this is all about new products entering the market. Which price level should you as a firm maintain?
- Market-skimming = Setting a high price for a new product to skim maximum revenues layer by layer from
segments willing to pay the high price
See graph in slides; has to do with the market equilibrium > setting a price above equilibrium. In time
price will drop to equilibrium
- Market-pricing
- Market-penetration = Setting a low price for a new product in order to attract a large number of buyers and a
large market share.
2. Price changes over PLC
See graph in slides.
Take the refrigerator as an example. Once it was found, people started buying refrigerators and profits were
huge. After a while, everyone has a refrigerator (market is at maturity) and as a refrigerator is a durable good
(you buy one and assume you do not have to buy another in the next 5-10 years) the profits start declining
fast.
> In order to save yourself as a company: add features to the product once the market is at maturity.
3. Pricing across products
Depends on your product line and assortment
4. Pricing across countries
Most critical thing to global marketing!! Think back to the Big Mac Index at lecture two and Global Marketing,
Hollensen. It would be crazy to ask the same price for a Big Mac in a developing country as in a developed
country.
Consider: Market conditions; Competitors; Cost factors; Government regulations
For example: Pharmaceuticals > once an American pharmaceutical firm entered the African market with a
medicine against HIV. As they had huge R&D costs for developing the medicine, they asked a very high price.
The African government intervened and made sure the price dropped, as the medicine was a necessity.
> See Global Marketing, Hollensen figure 15.6 for an international pricing framework!!
Other pricing issues; decisions:
- Operational decisions:
Setting specific price:
Cost-based pricing
Value-based pricing → Chanel n.5 VS Davidoff
Competition-based pricing
Other
Psychological pricing
Price discrimination / price differentiation
Promotional pricing
Currency in which price is stated
International issues:
- Transfer pricing (MNC’s!) = Pricing transactions between buyers and sellers that
belong to the same corporation
Companies use them to: Shift profits from high-tax to low-tax countries, Create and maintain barriers to entry,
Manage levels of market involvement
- Price escalation = the added costs incurred as a result of exporting products from one country to another
(shipping costs, trade barriers, taxes, etc.)
Approaches to Lessening Price Escalation
› Rationalizing distribution process
› Lowering export price from factory
› Establishing local production of product
› Pressurizing channel members to accept lower profit margins.
- Parallel Importing or Grey Market = “Trademarked products that are exported
from one country to another where they are sold by unauthorized persons or organizations”
> See image in the slide
Causes
Different price policies across countries
Limited availability of product
Inexpensive logistics for unauthorised channels
Negative effects
Erode brand equity
Strain relationship with authorized channel members
Lead to legal liabilities
Complicate global marketing strategies
You can prevent it by control leaks and differences in products.
Chapter 16
Placement is of course about logistics.
‘Availability’; people want their products at the right place on the right time.
Advantages of using intermediaries
- Lower overhead for manufacturer
- Intermediary has local knowledge
- Intermediary has own network of customers
- Synergy: customer prefers one-stop shopping
- Intermediary provides additional services (market research, promotion material etc)
Channel decisions > See figure 16.1 at Global Marketing, Hollensen
Major channel / place decisions
- Structure of the channel decisions:
Type intermediaries (retailer / wholesaler etc)
Coverage (intensive / selective / exclusive)
Intensive distribution for necessities (food has to be available everywhere, you do not want to go to
50 stores for your groceries)
Selective distribution for shopping goods like clothes (shopping is most of the times a day-time
activity and you want to look at several shops)
Exclusive distribution for specialty goods like a car (you drive a long time for
one particular good)
Length (indirect / direct)
Multichanneling?
Control
Degree of integration
Note: Cursive channel decisions should be known at exam!! Very important
- Managing and controlling channels
- Managing logistics
!! However, also: channel objective = availability (number of resellers, size of resellers, size of sales share with
retailers)
Wrap up: Price and place strategies:
Building strong brands through products that are bundles of benefits, for which the
perceived price fits the perceived value. Building strong brands with international
coverage through channels that fit the product and the country
Notes on tutorial 6, as the tutorial case in week six is a practice exam and it is important you know how to
answer the exam question correctly. You will get something similar at your final!
Tutoiral six- Wednesday 12 March 11.00-13.00
The Philips iron for men case is very important!! Exam will be similar.
Notes on Q1:
P of Product; don’t only come up with product features, but also services, branding, CoO-effect, et cetera
P of Promotion; you should also come up with what message you want to share: objective of promotion? Not
only name the media via which you do your promotion but also name cognitive/affective/conative!!
P of Price; pricing strategy (skimming/penetration?) > relation of price to competitor’s price (PLC?) > base of
price (cost/value/competition?)
P of Place; type of channels; length of channels; number of channels; Kind of distribution
(intensive/selective/exclusive?) and type of retailers
Don’t mention countries and entry modes!!!!
Learn characteristics of each marketing mix instrument by heart, as you have to come up with several
characteristics per marketing mix instrument.
Notes on Q2:
UAI = willingness of people to take risk.
High > Make sure you offer people guarantees, service, trials and explanations
Low > Make sure you put the emphasis on the newness of the product, so that people are eager to try it out
PDI = level of hierarchy in society.
General note > Be specific on which layer to focus. Focusing on the ‘lower layers’ in society won’t give you high
sales
IND = individualism or collectivism?
General note > Emphasis on the benefits for either the individual or the group
MAS = importance of prestige
High > Put the emphasis on the status the product offers you
As you can see, Hofstede’s dimensions force you to adapt your marketing mix to each and every single country
you enter!!
Lecture Seven- Tuesday 18 March 11.00-13.00
“Chapter 17” > P of Promotion
Even the packaging of a product could be communication and promotion > Walking with say a cup of Douwe
Egberts coffee is advertising for Douwe Egberts.
‘Break through the clutter’ ; getting your message across and getting a positive response from the audience
Communication takes place only when meaning is transferred and it is only effective if the meaning is
understood in the way you meant it.
Communication process; figure 17.2 in Global Marketing
Context of home country (the sender sends a message to the foreign country) = coding ; Context of foreign
country (the message from the sender is sent via a medium and is received by a receiver or the audience) =
decoding.
> Due to cultural differences coding and decoding might differ in meaning. For example: using an owl in your
logo might be interpreted as wisdom in western countries, which is meant by the firm; in other countries it
might be interpreted completely different and as something negative. That would have a negative impact on
your brand equity.
Also, noise might have a negative impact of the coding > decoding process. Noise might also be the extent of
humour in an advertisement; Centraal Beheer Achmea had really funny advertisements on the television,
‘Even Apeldoorn bellen’, but due to the extremely high level of humour, people had no clue the campaign was
about Centraal Beheer Achmea (insurance), they just saw how funny it was.
Developing effective communication (Figure 17.3 Global Marketing):
1. Objective setting
Communication objectives and sales objectives : Buyer-Readiness Stages
You want people to be aware of your product (Awareness); You want people to know your product
(Knowledge); You want to people to have a positive attitude towards your product (Liking); You want people to
prefer your product over other products (Preference); Convincing people should buy (Conviction); You want
people to purchase your product (Purchase)
Cognitive objectives : Action > Awareness and Knowledge
Affective objectives : Feeling > Liking and Preference
Conative objectives : Behaviour
2. Budget decisions
Percentage of sales/affordable approach; competitive parity approach; objective and task approach >
Definitions see Global Marketing
3. Media decisions
Reach, frequency, impact, type (TV, radio, newspaper??)
3a: Designing an Affective Message:
- AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action) framework guides message design (Objective = guide)
- Message content contains appeals or themes designed to produce desired results: Rational appeals,
Emotional appeals (having dinner with the whole family is cosy and fun), Moral appeals
- Message structure : whether or not to draw a conclusion, one-sided versus two-sided arguments (only
positive or both positive and negative arguments), order of argument presentation
- Message format : Design, layout, copy, colour, shape, movement, words, sounds, voice,
body language, dress, etc. NOTE: celebrity endorsement!!
3b: Choosing Media within instruments
- One-way communication Versus Two-way communication (Figure in Slides lecture 7)
The highest possible extent of one-way communication is advertising via newspaper, magazines, radio, TV. The
highest possible extent of two-way communication is personal selling via sales presentations for example.
NOTE: P of Promotion is NOT just sales promotion
- Media decisions: Where and When? ; Reach, Momentum, Media Mix, Gross Rating Points, Frequency
- Effect of communication ; Graph in slides !!
4. Message decisions (creative strategy)
Standardization versus adaptation
- Drivers:
Converging consumer wants and needs
Net benefits to companies
o Long term product identities
o Economies of scale
o Easier to control and manage brand
o Gains retailers support
- Constraints
Cultural diversity
o Language
o Perception
Media limitations
o Availability
o Cost effectiveness
Regulation
Management and control
- Benefits of Standardization
Cost savings
o Economies of scale in production and marketing
o Minimizes product/advertising development costs
Utilization and Transfer of Know-How
o Experience transfer, idea transfer
Uniform image of quality and service
o Global customers, international communication
Easier co-ordination and control
o Uniform standards
- Barriers to Standardization
Differences in customer characteristics and behavior
o Cultural values, perceptions
o Government regulations and restrictions
o Product/advertising, tariffs
o Difference in Marketing Infrastructure
o Media, macro distribution
o Local Competition
o Internal
o Local management, existing network of operations
So shall you adapt you product or promotion? See framework offered in Global Marketing, Figure 11.3
You should ask yourself: Does the specific advertising message & media strategy need be changed because of
environmental or cultural requirements?
From there you can take two positions: ‘One world, One voice approach’ or the Localized Approach
5. Evaluation > Measuring Effectiveness
Use coupons
See table in slides ; The impact of multiple-unit pricing on supermarket sales
Giving a discount and saying 1 for €X or say 4 for €X; 4 for €X increases sales more than 1 for €X
Wrap Up lecture 1-7 International Marketing; Semester 2.1
What to do in the marketing mix question at exam?
Use the total framework on slide 31 of lecture 7!!
!! Things you should always mention:
- Product: product quality/performance
Functional attributes
Design
Brand name
Package
Label
Country-of-Origin effect
Services/guarantees
- Promotion: awareness, image, sales [new/existing customers]
Objective (cognitive, affective, conative)
Budget
Instrument
Design of message
Media and motion
Evaluation
Price: Price positioning
Price level (skimming, market pricing or penetration)
Specific price (cost, value or competition based)
Place: Availability
Channel structure
o Types of intermediaries
o Coverage (intensive, selective, exclusive)
o Length
o Types of channels
o Multichanneling
Managing and controlling channels
Logistics