1. International marketing
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2. International Marketing
In this module:
What is International Marketing?
Review Marketing Mix (the 4 P’s of Product, Promotion, Price and Place) of your product to suit the foreign country you are going to do business in.
Simple and budget friendly tips to help start-up companies market their products internationally.
Case study – 5 huge international marketing blunders
Activity – Promotion of your product online

3. What is International Marketing?
International marketing is simply the application of marketing principles to more than one country.

4. The International Marketing Mix
When introducing a product into a foreign market, it is important to review the marketing mix (the 4 P’s of Product, Promotion, Price and Place) of your product or service to suit the country you are going to do business in.

5. The International Marketing Mix - Product
You will sell more of a product if we aim to meet the needs of our target market.
In international markets this will involve taking into consideration a number of different factors including:
Consumer's cultural backgrounds
Religion
Buying habits
Level of income

6. The International Marketing Mix - Product
Example: McDonalds - their menu is adapted to local needs. In Mexico McDonalds burgers come with chili sauce, in France you can order a beer with your burger and in the Netherlands fries come with lots of mayonnaise.

7. The International Marketing Mix – Product
However, not in all cases adapting your product to local needs is the way to go. Example: Nike & Levis are successful global brands with a standardised product.

8. The International Marketing Mix - Promotion
Promotional messages in countries may have to be adapted because of:
Language
Political climate
Cultural attitudes and religious practices
Level of internet speed
Number of internet users

9. The International Marketing Mix - Promotion
A promotional campaign in one country could cause offence in another (think of symbols, icons and colours). Example: The colour white is worn by brides in the United Kingdom and by mourners in India and China.

10. The International Marketing Mix - Price
Pricing on an international scale is a complex task. Companies need to consider:
Fixed and variable costs
Competition
Target groups
Transportation costs
Import duties
Exchange rates
Currencies
The general economic situation of the country and how this will influence pricing
Perceived value of products

11. The International Marketing Mix - Price
Example: IKEA, as a world famous furnishing company, sells identical products in different countries with different prices.

12. The International Marketing Mix - Place
PLACE Distributing a product or service to the customer. When you are selling in an international context, there will be more parties involved because the goods need to be moved around a foreign market.

13. The International Marketing Mix – Place
Decision:
Sell the product or service directly to the target group
Or:
Use agents, retailers or wholesalers
The distribution strategy for each country could be different due to profit margins and transportation costs.

14. Tips
Simple and budget friendly tips to help start-up companies market their products internationally.
Learn (the basics of) a new language
Do not butcher a language
Drop the slang
Get your marketing message across using images
Be active on the right Social Media platforms
Go digital
Ask
Be aware of the target group’s culture
Take holidays into account

15. Tips
Learn (the basics of) a new language Get familiar with the language. It is a good way of getting familiar with the culture of the country and shows respect to the person you are doing business with.

16. Tips
Do not butcher a language Know who your audience is, why you selected that market, and how they want to be communicated with. When translating marketing texts; use professional translations.

17. Tips
Drop the slang Many startups want to be seen as young and trendy, which means using a lot of slang. Be aware that you can get lost in translation. Think about translating Cheesy (trying too hard, unsubtle, and inauthentic) into another language, will it still keep its meaning?

18. Tips
Get your marketing message across using images Get your messages across using images, infographs, short wordless video’s, screenshots, etc. Besides being less expensive than translations, it is creative and more appealing than a dry document.

19. Tips
Be active on the right Social Media platforms Find out what the most popular social media platforms are. Facebook and Twitter are not the only social media platforms.

20. Tips
Go digital Besides a thorough social media strategy, some companies even go fully digital. In some cases, you might want to pick up multiple domains and create content for each region (.com & .nl).

21. Tips
Ask Customers will feel more valued when they are involved in the process. By asking for feedback, customers will articulate their problems, enabling you to present them with numerous solutions and see which ones they lean towards. And that is when you ask them which solution they would pay for.

22. Tips
Be aware of the target group’s culture Remember that it is not just about the language but also the culture in international marketing. You can easily create an offensive marketing campaign in another country and never know it.

23. Tips
Take holidays into account Depending on the product or service a business sells, holiday periods can be highly important in sales, and therefore in marketing planning.