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Home » Management Case Studies » Case Study: L’Oreal International Marketing Strategy

Case Study: L’Oreal International Marketing Strategy

L’oreal is the world’s biggest cosmetics and beauty products company. Basically it’s a French based company and its headquartered in Paris. It is focusly engaged in the field of production and marketing of concentrating on hair colours, skin care, perfumes and fragrances, make up and styling products. L’oreal products also based on dermatological and pharmaceutical fields. Their products are made for Individual and professional customers. This company operates over 130 countries like Asia, America, East and West Europe through 25 international brands.

The success of L’Oreal lies in the fact that the company succeeded in reaching out to the customers of different countries of the world, across different income ranges and cultural patterns, giving them the appropriate product they are worthy of. The area of expertise of L’Oreal being that it succeeded almost in every country that it entered. The strategies of L’Oreal was varied enough to help it and stop itself from restricting itself in a single country. L’Oreal sold its product on the basis of customer demand and country want rather than keeping the product identical across the globe. It built ample number of brands or mammoth brands entrenched to the restricted culture and which appealed to a variety of segment of the universal market instead of generalising the brand and edible in innumerable culture. L’Oreal went on to being a local product in every international market. The brand extension of L’Oreal also came in the same sector or the same segment of market . L’Oreal believed in growing its expertise in the segment it is conscious of rather than going into a completely new sector of market.

International marketing strategy is more in-depth and broadened in one sense of the term. It is simply a principle of marketing however on a global scale. Setup of global marketing strategy has a lot to do with understanding the nature of global market itself, and most importantly the environment. Business environment across the globe has different economic, social and political influence. Thus, it is believed that selecting a global market target for examples when strategizing is a good idea.

International marketing strategy of L’Oreal is concentrated on a cross cultural arena spanning four market destinations. They are namely, 1.) Asian Market, 2.) European Market, 3.) North America Market and 4.) The African, Orient and Pacific Region.

Marketing Strategy of L’Oreal in Asia

Marketing strategy of l’oreal in european market.

L’Oreal is the only company which uses the strategies which also supports the people in many ways and not only in providing good quality products at cheaper rates. L’Oreal used different strategies of marketing in the European market like they used the strategy of nurturing self-esteem of the people with beauty. In France, L’Oreal created the programs like “Beauty from the heart” for helping the people made helpless by illness or any kind of negative life experiences. In the countries like UK and Germany, many of the women and also the young people regain their confidence and their self image gradually by using the cosmetics which are provided by L’Oreal. In European countries L’Oreal also used the marketing strategies like taking calculated amount of risk etc but most of the strategies are related to the growth of the people mentally and not only for the beauty or the fashion purpose. Various innovative treatment programs are launched by L’Oreal for the young people of European countries and this company also launches the free skincare and make-up workshops for the women suffering from cancer. For example in France a programme named as “La Vie, de Plus Belle” offers the free skincare and makeup for the cancer suffering women in all over the France. This helps them to cope with the treatment’s side effects and it also helps them to retain their self esteem which is very important for a patient. In the European countries L’Oreal generally uses the strategy of the management of brand by which L’Oreal had made a large amount of brands which are rooted in the local culture and which all appeals to the various segments of the global market. By using these social types of strategies for the people of Europe has helped L’Oreal in expanding their business in the whole Europe.

Marketing Strategy of L’Oreal in North American Market

North American markets are considered as a perfect place for the companies like L’Oreal, Olay, ponds etc. The best business of L’Oreal comes from the market of US. The reason for this much success is that L’Oreal uses very good global marketing strategies in North America and the other countries like Canada etc. One of the successful strategies of L’Oreal in US market is brand extensions which includes the extensions of the brands after doing a complete research. For example when L’Oreal launched a shampoo for kids they firstly made a complete research and also debated about the new launch or for an extension. In US and Canada L’Oreal uses the strategy of frequent advertisements and promotions. As we know in the present scenario proper advertisements and promotions are very important for any company because people follow the promotions and due to which the demands of the products like hair colour increases at a very rapid rate. We can clearly understand the advertisement and the promotions of L’Oreal through their media budget. L’Oreal has the twelfth largest media budget in the world which is much more than the other companies of this field. For example in the late 1990’s the expenditure of L’Oreal advertising and promotion was jumped from the 37% to around 47% of the total amount of sales. The global ad spending of L’Oreal was increased to $1.25 billion which was on par with the company named as coca cola. The best thing about this company is that they have a separate and very distinct policy of promotion in the market of US. Matrix is the number one brand of L’Oreal in US and the main reason behind the success of matrix is the frequent and distinct advertisement and promotion of the cosmetic and the hair products. The people of countries like Canada like to use new products that mean they like changes in their product after some interval of time. So by keeping this thing in mind L’Oreal uses the strategies of modifications which mean they modify their existing products according to the latest tastes and fashion of the local people. According to latest surveys of the people of L’Oreal company, majority of the profits of this company is because of US and these perfect strategies used by this company in US is the reason behind this type of success specially in north American market. (Helping vulnerable people)

Marketing Strategy of L’Oreal in Africa, Orient and Pacific Region

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International marketing strategy of emerging market firms: the case of Bangladesh

Journal of Asia Business Studies

ISSN : 1558-7894

Article publication date: 21 October 2022

Issue publication date: 7 July 2023

This study aims to increase understanding of factors influencing the international marketing (IM) strategy of products from emerging markets (EMs) to international markets.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted case studies by collecting qualitative data through semistructured interviews with respondents from four food product companies in Bangladesh.

This study finds that the firms employ local Bangladeshi people who are knowledgeable in the company culture. They strategically focus on countries where the Bangladeshi diaspora lives and initially target them, approaching natives later. They adapt and customize products to the importers’ requirements to make them visible and increase understanding between product providers and local customers. The findings show that EM firms encounter a mentality that poor countries produce poor quality products; this mindset makes the internationalization of their business difficult.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes to international product marketing of EM firms by constructing a model of a modern people-oriented marketing strategy for food products. This study contributes to literature on culture by illustrating that the cultural dimensions of collectivism and uncertainty avoidance enhance the development of networks and trust and impact marketing strategy.

Originality/value

This study theorizes the importance of context and an innovation-driven modern people-oriented IM strategy that adapts to customers’ preferences for food products and emphasizes the contribution of diaspora. This research reveals that Bangladeshi firms face challenges both because customers link the country and the companies to low-quality products and because governmental regulations prevent them from establishing a local presence in other countries. This study analyzes challenges EM firms face in the process of IM and the factors affecting Bangladesh in particular.

• Product marketing
• Customization
• Emerging markets

Fregidou-Malama, M. , Chowdhury, E.H. and Hyder, A.S. (2023), "International marketing strategy of emerging market firms: the case of Bangladesh", Journal of Asia Business Studies , Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 804-823. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-12-2021-0504

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Maria Fregidou-Malama, Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury, Akmal S. Hyder.

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction

This study deals with marketing products from an emerging market (EM) to other international markets. International marketing (IM) strategy labels how the firm fulfills the needs and wants of its customers in international markets ( Ferrell et al. , 2021 ). The development of emerging economies and their growth is important for the globalization of business ( Hitt et al. , 2000 ; Cavusgil, 2021 ). Researchers estimate that by the year 2035, the gross domestic product (GDP) of EMs will exceed that of all advanced markets ( Wilson and Purushothaman, 2003 ). These markets have special characteristics and institutional structures that do not exist in developed markets ( Rottig, 2016 ). They suffer from institutional instability, informal social institutions or institutional pressures and expectations from different stakeholders, all of which affect the way they do international business. Further, Rana (2020) and Rana et al. (2021) maintain that EM firms have limited resources and access to information and lack of experience from advanced markets, which affects their IM capacity. Sheth (2011 , 2020 ) argues that studying EMs offers opportunities to discover new theoretical perspectives and practices in marketing that can be interesting even for firms in advanced markets.

Kotler et al. (2019) found that the decision to go international affects firms’ choice to take into consideration different factors. International Business Strategy directs firms to think about which markets they will enter, learn about the conditions in those markets and choose an appropriate entry strategy, such as exports, contractual agreements or foreign direct investments, to compete in the market. According to Gaur et al. (2013) and McCormick and Somaya (2020) , exporting is a low-risk strategy that can be changed if new resources become available. Milanovic (2003) discusses how globalization matters for businesses and argues that a policy that does not take into consideration the situation that people live in is insufficient. Globalization of agribusinesses affects governments, consumers and producers, constituting an important but complex problem to manage ( Jerzak and Smiglak-Krajewska, 2020 ). The production and processing of food products is linked to such questions as food safety or rules and regulations in different countries ( Brenes et al. , 2020 ).

How does institutional and cultural context influence the product-marketing strategy of emerging market firms across borders?

What are the challenges emerging market firms face in developing a product-marketing strategy across borders?

In our research, we present results of an empirical study examining the IM of food products by four Bangladeshi firms operating across borders. Bangladesh is a promising emerging economy ( Taufique and Islam, 2021 ). Bangladesh’s market was chosen because of its high rate of annual growth in GDP, about 8% ( Asian Development Bank, 2020 ). Bangladesh is one of the fastest-growing economies of the world ( Karim and Qi, 2021 ). Exports from Bangladesh to other countries of products in the processed food industry increased from US$3.93mn in 2009–2010 to $700mn in 2018–2019, and the annual turnover of the agro-processing industry is $3.2bn ( Ahmed, 2020 ). This makes Bangladeshi firms consider expansion to foreign markets. Moreover, Bangladesh is a middle-income country in South Asia, with a large migrant population. About ten million Bangladeshi people live and work in other countries. Six million of them work in the middle east and southeast Asian countries ( Chowdhury and Chakraborty, 2021 ).

We focus on four leading agrofood producer firms: alpha, beta, gamma and delta (names changed for confidentiality). Alpha is part of a family-owned conglomerate whose main products are agrofood products, agro equipment, chemicals, bicycles, automobile equipment, building materials, construction services, electronic products, footwear, fashion, furniture, kitchenware, toys, paint, stationery products and industrial solutions. We concentrate on alpha’s agrofood products; their main food products are fruits and fruit processing products, dairy, snacks, biscuit and bakery, culinary and sugar confectionary. Beta is part of a conglomerate; their main products are broiler chicken, layer chicken, chicken-based products and eggs. Gamma is part of a family-owned conglomerate that deals with such food products as processed milk, snacks, candy and tea. Delta is also part of a conglomerate that deals with innovative consumer food products, such as rice, noodles and spices.

Our study makes the following unique contributions. First, it adds to literature on culture theory showing the effect of cultural context on the international product marketing strategy of EM firms. Second, it contributes to marketing theory building by offering a model of international product marketing strategy grounded on empirical data. Third, it indicates the advantages of a people-oriented marketing strategy highly based on the contribution of the Bangladeshi diaspora.

Theoretical background

Definitions of institutional and cultural context.

EMs comprise countries with poor infrastructure, poorly developed formal institutions, local institutional pressures and governmental policy regarding local firms’ internationalization. They tend to have low and middle income and are characterized by rapid growth ( Hoskisson et al. , 2000 ; Rottig, 2016 ). We assume that the concept of the institutional void, that is, underdeveloped formal institutions and infrastructure that characterizes EMs ( Boso et al. , 2018 ), can influence how EM firms perform marketing activities and formulating marketing strategies. Al-Kwifi et al. (2020) argue that governmental support for EM firms in host countries provides constructive environment and contributes to positive performance. The authors further suggest that EM firms analyze information, define impact factors and invest in required resources to develop their competitive capacity in international markets.

Michailova (2011) maintains that it is important for international business to refer to context to present trustworthy organizational and management studies. North (1994) argues that humans develop institutions that structure human behavior. He found that interaction between institutions and organizations forms and influences the development of an economy and contributes to economic growth. Oliver (1997) reasons that socially constructed limits restrain economic behavior. Institutions in firms’ internal and external environment affect decision-making; managers are bounded by social judgments and need to consider the social context. Tripathi and Kaur (2021) , while comparing developed and developing markets’ contexts have pointed out the importance of socially responsible investments for international market expansion. Rahman et al. (2017) developed a barrier model for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Bangladesh, concluding that economic barriers such as political instability, legal procedures, corruption and bureaucracy are most important when a firm expands to international markets.

Hofstede (1991) developed a well-known theory for studying the influence of cultural contexts in international business. He presented four original dimensions of culture that characterize different nations and their cultural distance. According to Hofstede et al. (2010) , the national culture of Bangladesh is characterized by high power distance (score 80), collectivism (score 20), uncertainty avoidance (score 60) and masculinity (score 55). According to this theory, the dimensions of culture affect organizational behavior and the way companies make decisions and develop relationships with stakeholders. Dewasiri et al. (2021) discuss the importance of understanding cultural dynamism and consider differences between cultures to develop a successful IM strategy. The laws, regulations and rules in the host country also influence the business environment for an international firm and the IM strategy of a firm ( Fregidou-Malama et al. , 2019 ). The literature shows that relationships between stakeholders are affected by social norms and the culture distance between them, and connections are necessary for the development of networking across countries ( Narooz and Child, 2017 ). We agree with Sheth (2021) , who states that a cross-cultural marketing strategy is required to counter the cross-cultural consumption pattern of consumers influenced by their own cultural and institutional context.

Network development

Network researchers discuss three aspects within the network perspective: namely, actors, resources and activities ( Ford, 2004 ). They comprehend IM as a process focused on the relationships and interactions between the actors in a network. Jarillo (1988) suggests that networks are a resource that managers can use to gain competitive advantage. The actors in the network can decide how to complement their resources from the network, and the behavior of the firms depends on their relationship with the actors ( Chang et al. , 2012 ).

Networking is helpful in this regard, but to develop a network, trust must be developed ( Håkansson and Snehota, 1995 ). The authors argue that it takes time to develop trust between actors, as they need good relationships. Vahlne and Johanson (2017) emphasize that not only products and services are exchanged through relationships; they highlight the importance of knowledge exchange in relationships as well. In this sense, trust is an important factor for the successful development of relationships and networks. Bhushan et al. (2020) maintain that the characteristics of networks change in different stages of the growth of the firm and affect social and business relationships, the development of trust and the performance of the firm. Hingley and Lindgreen (2002) state that trust is important when business relationships are developed, and Bianchi and Saleh (2010) and Fregidou-Malama and Hyder (2021) emphasize that trust is the basis for relationships and cooperation. Based on that, we reason that development of successful networks is influenced by interactions and requires product marketers to invest in the development of relationships and trust.

Trust perceptions

Fulmer and Dirks (2018) argue that trust is a dynamic construct with reference to relationships between individuals, groups or organizations. One definition of trust is the willingness and confidence between people and firms to rely on each other ( Bianchi and Saleh, 2010 ; Rousseau et al. , 1998 ), linked to positive expectations ( Kataria and Saini, 2020 ). Trust is one of the most important factors to influence consumers’ consumption intentions ( Suhartanto et al. , 2021 ). Absence of positive expectations is defined as distrust ( Sitkin and Bijlsma-Frankema, 2018 ). McKnight et al. (1998) define initial trust as trust between parties not based on earlier experience, but it can be high in the beginning of a relationship. They argue that we need knowledge about how distrusting beliefs influence peoples’ trusting intentions, and they call for more research on this subject. On the negative side of perceptions, Fong et al. (2014) discuss how consumers’ animosity based on specific actions linked to a country can be a burden and a country-specific disadvantage when entering a new market. To gain trust, marketers need to take into consideration the complexity of the market and be proactive to identify the external factors that influence customers’ uncertainty ( Khan, 2020 ).

Fregidou-Malama and Hyder (2021) , discussing health-care services marketing, argue that trust must be considered even at the national level to understand how it develops and acts. Their model presents multilevel trust as a process developing at three levels – country, company and individual – and indicates the importance of cultural context and country of origin (COO) in trust building. Vijaranakorn and Shannon (2017) maintain that a country’s image affects consumer perceptions about the quality of products. Pappu et al. (2007) argue for the importance of to consumers’ perceptions and stress that products from developed economies are more positively evaluated than products from less developed countries. We conclude that the sources of trust and distrust constitute an important aspect when developing trust in product marketing in an international context and must be handled when marketers from EMs aim to enter the international field.

Marketing strategy

Rottig (2016) finds that because of lack of information about consumers as well as lack of infrastructure, multinational companies (MNCs) operating in EMs face uncertainty. He further states that managers who understand the EM context choose to adapt to its political, social and economic conditions. Rana et al. (2021) and Manotas and Gonzalez-Perez (2020) indicate that EM firms’ internationalization capacity is often influenced by lack of resources, unfavorable government policies and weak and poor institutional infrastructure. Standardization versus adaptation in IM has been an important issue when marketing globally ( Ryans et al. , 2003 ). If firms apply the same marketing mix (product, price, promotion and place) to all markets, it is referred to as standardization. Adaptation refers to changes in the marketing mix based on the local context ( Vrontis et al. , 2009 ). Dangi et al. (2020) , Rana (2020) and Rana et al. (2021) specify the importance of understanding consumer behavior to be successful as a marketer. Constantinides (2006) and Fregidou-Malama et al. (2019) further extend that view by arguing that to succeed with a marketing strategy, marketers should take into consideration the behavior and needs of the customers, competition in the market, market trends and the macro environment, specifically the political, economic and cultural environment. They further argue for a shift from a firm-centric view to a customer- and stakeholder-centric view when discussing IM strategy. The perception of customers and consumers of the COO of a product strongly influences customer perception of the quality of the product and their trust in products ( Nguyen and Alcantara, 2020 ). Upamannyu et al. (2021) specify that consumers’ perceptions of corporate and brand image affect their willingness to buy, their trust, their loyalty and their word-of-mouth communication about the brand to others, which is important for the firms to consider while developing an IM strategy.

Wernerfelt (1984) discusses resource-based perspective and maintains that firms’ unique competences are developed of distinctive resources that they possess. This strategy emphasizes dynamic resource management and the importance to exploit firms´ specific assets, tangible and intangible, for example know-how, brands or technologies and skills to develop new resources that are difficult for competitors to imitate. Teece et al. (1997) advocate for the dynamic capabilities approach to specify factors that contribute to competitive advantages for firms. They recommend that firms examine their internal resources and the market environment to find specific capabilities that can be used to integrate, restructure or adapt internal and external organizational resources to match the changing environment and develop competitive advantages to compete in international markets. They divide the dynamic capabilities in firms’ processes, i.e. the way they do things in the firm, positions that is specifying as specific assets and paths the firm follows as a result of its history or current position. We conclude that firm-specific competences and knowledge of the local and international context can be necessary for EM firms for organizing and acquiring resources to perform in international markets and for their choice to apply a specific marketing strategy ( Taneja et al. , 2012 ; Khan, 2020 ).

Khan and Khan (2021) confer that EM firms exporting to advanced markets need to develop unique marketing skills to face the host country’s dynamic environment. By considering responsiveness to the external environment the firms can develop dynamic capabilities to respond to the competitive intensity of the markets, they can use their resources effectively and enhance their marketing performance. Further, Khan et al. (2021) discusses how EM firms can succeed with the introduction of new products by focusing on strategic marketing. They discussed two strategies for EM firms that are customer driven, concentrated on the needs and wants of current customers and customer driving, concentrated on market offerings for customers’ future needs. Neither strategy alone can be best for the EMFs, but ambidexterity (meaning being adaptive and combining both strategies) helps the firms to continually introduce radical innovations and at the same time meet existing customers’ needs, making effective use of their limited resources.

Wegapitiya and Dissanayake (2018) emphasize that a firm’s COO exerts positive or negative influence on consumers’ perception of the products or services of the firm which needs to be taken into consideration by EMFs while developing their IM strategy.

Theoretical framework

Based on the preceding theoretical discussion, our theoretical framework in Figure 1 shows the links among four constructs: context, trust, networks and marketing strategy. The context construct considers culture characteristics ( Hofstede et al. , 2010 ; Michailova, 2011 ; Vijaranakorn and Shannon, 2017 ) characteristics of EMs ( Boso et al. , 2018 ; Rana, 2020 ; Rana et al. , 2021 ; Manotas and Gonzalez-Perez, 2020 ) and characteristics of international markets ( Rahman et al. , 2017 ).

Context interacts with and affects trust ( Sitkin and Bijlsma-Frankema, 2018 ), networks ( Chang et al. , 2012 ; Bhushan et al. , 2020 ) and marketing strategy ( Constantinides, 2006 ). Trust affects the development of relationships ( Bianchi and Saleh, 2010 ) between different actors in the context of a firm and is necessary for the development of networks. The framework also illustrates that network development ( Fregidou-Malama and Hyder, 2021 ) affects trust development, and both of them affect the marketing strategy of a firm.

Marketing strategy that firms perform is directly related to trust and network development ( Fulmer and Dirks, 2018 ; Jarillo, 1988 ) in the new market context, customer perception of the COO of the products and the institutional environment. The choice of marketing strategy impacts trust and network development ( Vrontis et al. , 2009 ; Constantinides, 2006 ; Taneja et al. , 2012 ; Fregidou-Malama et al. , 2019 ; Upamannyu et al. , 2021 ) and how firms succeed with their product offerings and can survive in the new ecosystem.

In sum, Figure 1 illustrates the relation between the four constructs and their integration to facilitate the fit of the companies in the new environment to resolve problems they face in the IM of products.

Methodology

Research approach, context and case selection.

A qualitative research and inductive method were applied to understand and explore the process of international product marketing from EMs. Yin (1981 , 2009 ) states that when a business process is complicated, as international business is, it is suitable to use a qualitative approach and case study. A multiple case study is used to allow for analysis of a phenomenon in a real-life situation and to provide in-depth insight ( Silverman, 2011 ).

The cases used in this study are good examples of such a phenomenon. Our cases justify this method because we investigate firms in the EM of Bangladesh, which is complex, new and challenging for the marketers. Bangladesh was selected as a case study because it is a growing emerging economy ( Asian Development Bank, 2020 ).

We concentrated on the food industry, as this sector has historically been a marketing sector in South Asia and is important for employment and income generation for people ( Dewasiri et al. , 2021 ). In selecting the organizations to gather information from, we gave priority to organizations dealing with product marketing, involved in the food industry and in operation for at least ten years, with experience in international markets to ensure they have insights into the Bangladesh and foreign markets ( Cassia and Magno, 2015 ). Though the permission was received from the case firms regarding using their actual names, to maintain the confidentiality of the participating firms, they were conceptualized as alpha, beta, gamma and delta in our study. Table 1 presents information on the selected firms.

Data collection, processing and analysis

We applied a purposive sampling technique ( Patton, 2002 ) which is a nonprobability judgmental sampling technique ( Campbell et al. , 2020 ) and face-to-face and digital semistructured interviews. The criteria we used when selecting the respondents were their knowledge of business issues, their education and work experience in international business and their fluency in the English language. We used a research protocol covering the research topic, ethical issues and questions related, for example, to challenges faced by the firms from Bangladesh, how they cope with those challenges and what product marketing strategies they perform ( Richards and Schwartz, 2002 ). Five face-to-face interviews were conducted by one of the researchers in 2017 and 2019, two Skype interviews by one of the researchers during 2019 and 2020 and one respondent answered the questions in written form ( Pagliaro, 2020 ). In one of the interviews, there were three respondents involved, who complemented each other. In that way we got interesting insights into the way the firms do international business. All interviews were conducted in the English language. Table 2 presents information about the respondents.

We complemented the interview data by direct observation, and by using documents the respondents provided or the authors obtained from other sources, such as the websites of the firms and the Bangladesh Agro-processors’ Association (2016) , for cross-checking of the data to allow triangulation and increase the credibility of the study ( Jick, 1979 ).

The three researchers together coded, organized, and analyzed the data ( Table 3 ). We began the analysis of the data by identifying important topics from the transcribed interviews as quotes. Based on the quotes, we developed memos ( Glaser, 1978 ), helping us to theorize our thinking and ideas. By developing memos, we identified four subthemes: relying on cultural context, networking process, trust by tailoring brands and targeting customers. We linked those constructs to the product marketing strategy of EM firms.

market context, networks and marketing strategy; and

trust, networks and marketing strategy.

We compared the findings with theories to highlight the process of EM firms’ IM of products. Figure 2 presents the empirically grounded theory we developed.

Empirical results

Relying on cultural context.

According to the respondents, they rely on their own people’s experience to ensure the standard quality of the products and the brand strategy of the firm. They send their own employees to manage the work team they have in other countries as they do in Bangladesh. They believe that experienced employees who have been working for five to ten years know how they manage the company, what the mission and vision of the company is and the business policies. If they decide to employ people from other countries, for example from India or Bhutan, they bring the new foreign employees to Bangladesh to train them for one to three months and send them back to manage the business in their respective countries. One respondent confirms:

It is more effective sending Bangladeshi-experienced people to other countries. It is more effective, more efficient (interview, 2017).

The firms apply an equal opportunity policy for all. There are many women working in the production industry, but not in sales and marketing. The respondents consider Bangladesh to be a small market and claim that the purchasing power of the people is not adequate to fulfill their supply capacity; they need international markets.

In the international markets, they give priority to countries where the culture is similar to Bangladeshi culture. To create a good image among international consumers, the EM firms often get quality certifications from international and local organizations.

Networking process

To enter other markets and countries, the firms participate in conferences and fairs around the world and try to identify procedures through which they can meet prospective international customers. Companies send the same person to the same fair and country and add some new people so they can learn. By seeing the products displayed in international fairs and visiting the company websites, customers ask if the firms want to sell products to them. They then use digital communication platforms for developing a relationship with international customers. After effective negotiations, they appoint importers and cooperate with them.

Language and cultural barriers present a big problem to the firms. In some countries, language barriers are tough, as English is not accepted and people use their own languages, especially in India or other South Asian markets. Another problem is that some countries do not accept Bangladeshi people and do not treat them nicely while doing business with them, and they have negativity towards Bangladesh products. One respondent explains:

In […] in some states they treat us as pariah[.…] they do not like Bangladeshi people and Bangladeshi products. This is their mentality, that poor country, poor products. Poor countrýs people produce poor-quality products (interview, 2017).

The initial challenge has been that there is a negative perception in international markets regarding the Bangladeshi people, as well as Bangladeshi product quality and production processes. To manage and change this perception, the firms offer good-quality products with a commitment to good business transactions and delivery.

They focus on special markets, choosing markets where Bangladeshi diaspora live and work and trying to target expatriates. Beyond the diaspora, they focus on other Asian people such as Indians, Pakistanis, Nepalis and Sri Lankans and then target the countries in the middle east, Cyprus or Australia. One respondent states:

Culture is given priority by us as our products are mainly targeted to customers who are influenced by Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Nepali and

Indian culture.[…] We give priority to the culture of our business-to-business customers […] and try to study their culture to have smooth business negotiations and relations (interview, 2019).

Trading with other countries is challenging, as firms must understand local rules and regulations on product quality. In such situations, the importers help by informing about local rules and tastes to avoid problems when customizing products. It is important to know local people in international markets to avoid mistakes and link the businesses to others for a win-win situation. The companies develop networks with their own employees, Bangladeshi diaspora, dealers, consumers, shopkeepers and suppliers or importers. They select local opinion leaders and provide a variety of products based on differentiation of quality and price.

Trust by tailoring brands

To gain trust within the foreign markets, informants emphasize the importance of giving priority to commitment; they believe that trust influences long-term business relationships. They follow the social responsibility rules for Bangladesh but try to understand the social responsibility criteria of the countries they export to and act accordingly.

Before launching the products to other countries, the firms investigate the market. They examine what products are available in the market, judging consumer interest and their preferences. That helps companies adjust the products to customers’ preferences. There are also customers that have retail shops but do not have their own products. Those customers can order products with their own brand names and quality specifications, and the Bangladeshi companies produce the products for them. They customize the products, as customers’ tastes and needs can differ. They also try to be competitive in the new markets by modifying the prices. One respondent mentions:

Meeting the buyers’ asking price is the biggest challenge in international markets. We try to meet this challenge through quality, offering good services and cutting our profits (interview, 2019).

They analyze the international market, gather information and knowledge regarding the competitors’ prices, and based on that, they price their products, sometimes in negotiation with local importers. Occasionally, they need to sacrifice margins to get the opportunity to enter the market. To promote the products, they use mass media, television advertisements or social media. One problem they face can be to identify the right person to develop network and trust with, for which they often use local contacts in international markets. One respondent states:

It is important to think about quality. Then to understand the local interests. Then you must understand the local rules and regulations. Then to have good connections with the market, with a lot of people, because all is about relationships and good networks. Without a good network it is difficult to sell anything (interview, 2017).

Targeting customers

The respondents find that the only way to survive and thrive is to be competitive and stand on their own feet. They must communicate that they are a local company, with local products.

Despite their desire to be local in other countries, the Bangladesh Government creates problems. These EM firms would like to invest in manufacturing plants in other countries to be local, employ local people, invest money in those countries and affect the economy of those countries. Yet, they cannot, as there are restrictions in the foreign payment and investment policy for other countries imposed by the Bangladesh Government. As one respondent specifies:

Nowadays most of the governments are focusing on local production. So, by transporting products from one country to another, it is possible to do business on a small scale. But to increase the scale of business we need local production facilities (interview, 2019).

Therefore, they must rely on exports and good relations with importers and relations with people they meet at fairs. The respondents state that the credibility of Bangladeshi products internationally is an important issue. The perception of the country is not good, and this poses problems and constitutes a future challenge. One respondent suggests:

You need to work as ambassador of the country and the brand you represent. Give assurance or spread out the confidence and belief to the people of your environment by offering quality products (interview, 2019).

The respondents affirm that another challenge is to invest in research and development to produce quality products and target prospective customers and develop long-term relations with them. To maintain quality, they focus on international standards, and they follow the rules of the social context.

This section presents two main themes and then an empirically grounded, modern, people-oriented international product marketing strategy for EM firms.

Market context, networks and marketing strategy

This study indicates that the Bangladeshi firms prefer and rely on the knowledge of their own people. Upamannyu et al. (2021) point out that training of employees enhances customer loyalty and positive word of mouth. This can be linked to the collectivistic characteristics and uncertainty avoidance of the culture in Bangladesh ( Hofstede, 1991 ). By cooperating with the diaspora ( Bahar, 2020 ) and employing local people, the firms can learn about the consumers and their tastes in foreign countries, as Khan (2020) also indicates. This helps firms to customize their products to the customers’ needs and preferences and introduce new ideas, new products and promotional activities to improve and maintain their position in the foreign market. The theoretical literature argues for the importance of culture ( De Mooij and Hofstede, 2011 ) and the need to follow local rules in IM ( Ryans et al. , 2003 ). Our research also shows the need to follow the local laws and rules and the influence of culture, especially language barriers and problems communicating with foreign people and markets, as Michailova and Holden (2019) and Constantinides (2006) point out as well.

The EM firms facilitate awareness of their products by using their cultural closeness to diaspora in the foreign markets. The companies develop relationships with Bangladeshi diaspora, importers, retailers and other stakeholders to run their business smoothly by following local laws and regulations to develop networks and share resources with them and avoid uncertainty. These actions are all in line with Hofstede’s cultural dimension of collectivism and high uncertainty avoidance for Bangladesh ( Hofstede et al. , 2010 ). The fact that companies cannot employ females as salespeople, as one of the firms discusses, can be related to the masculinity dimension in Bangladesh; we also point to Upamannyu et al. (2021) , who mention the influence of gender on corporate image and word of mouth.

Trust, networks and marketing strategy

Our research shows that EM firms develop relationships with their own employees, Bangladeshi diaspora and expatriates, people of similar cultures, importers, suppliers and retailers, and international fair participants. Ensuring and communicating product quality and adopting customization all create trust for the companies in the foreign market ( MacMillan et al. , 2005 ). By adapting and tailoring their products to local needs ( Jiao et al. , 2003 ), EM firms enhance both consumers’ trust of the firms and the product quality.

The respondents complain about the perception in foreign markets that a poor country and people cannot produce quality products and are distrusted. This can be linked to multilevel trust ( Fregidou-Malama and Hyder , 2015, 2021 ), highlighting the importance of developing initial trust. Bangladeshi firms have succeeded in creating a positive image for their firms and their products and gaining the trust of foreign markets by attracting the diaspora, developing relationships with local actors, adjusting prices, improving marketing communication and customizing products to the customers’ needs, as also suggested by Upamannyu et al. (2021) and Rana et al. (2021 ).

Customization can have a positive impact on firm, country and product image because consumers can identify the products as of good quality and value for them ( Demirbag et al. , 2010 ; Dangi et al. , 2020 ). What firms standardize is the product quality ( Constantinides, 2006 ; Vijaranakorn and Shannon, 2017 ; Fregidou-Malama et al. , 2019 ) and the training of employees, so the products are of high quality and tailored for the customers’ needs, which is the focus of the marketing process. Figure 2 shows the empirically based model we developed for product marketing. We conceptualize the IM strategy EMs firms develop as a modern people oriented (MPO) international product marketing strategy, which is the raison d´être of the study. The strategy is driven by innovation and adapted to the customers’ reality.

Conclusions

The aim of this research was to explore product marketing strategy for EMfirms. The empirically grounded MPO international product marketing strategy model stresses creativity and focuses on people and customers’ preferences ( Figure 2 ). This study suggests that the cultural context and the cultural dimensions of collectivism and uncertainty avoidance influence trust, relationships and product marketing strategy. Collectivism influences relationships and interaction with people, authorities and government. Collectivism requires good relationships with and the empowerment of a firm’s own employees and business partners. Uncertainty avoidance influences the companies’ adaptation to laws, regulations and rules of the host country by developing relations with the diaspora and importers, relying on their knowledge about what customers prioritize and what the context requires. The femininity issue raises the question of how to engage women in IM.

This research indicates that the focus on tailoring products following local requirements, along with the desire for high quality, establishes trust and networks and enhances consumers’ acceptance of the products in the local market. Customizing products affects and changes distrust and negative conceptions, linked to the perception of poor country – poor products, by developing value for customers. The study demonstrates that the reputation of the EM context influences the development of trust between the companies and actors in the foreign market as well as the local society. Distrust results in distraction and lessening of the reputation of the companies’ brands. To develop trust in their products, firms change this perception by heightening their own business advantages as adapting and producing what the customer wants and regards as high quality, which was also specified by Khan (2020 , 2021 ) as an essential area of focus in complex market conditions.

One conclusion is that EM firms dealing with international markets need to consider developing local networks to boost their reputation as producing high-quality products. It is essential for firms to adapt their marketing strategy to people’s needs and market requirements for successful operation in foreign markets ( Sheth, 2011 ). To affect customers’ perception of products as being of high quality can impact not only the corporate image but even the future image of a COO positively by developing initial trust ( Fregidou-Malama and Hyder, 2021 ). The study reveals that product development and features, local context, price and promotional activities must all be adapted to people and the host country context to make the products visible to customers.

Our study shows that the marketing mix factors for EM firms differ from the 4Ps marketing mix approach. Important components of the winning adapted marketing mix are the following: tailoring product solutions focusing on value for customers for local use, physical presence ( Hitt et al. , 2000 ), appreciation of the company’s own country nationals and local partners, modified prices and face-to-face cross-cultural interaction. Vrontis et al. (2009) maintain the importance of a contingency approach for marketing strategy, focusing on the underlying forces of the market where MNCs operate. Two important components revealed and emphasized by this study are the development of customized products and networking with diaspora and expatriates, importers and distributors. The study highlights the establishment of a customer-driven product marketing strategy and sharing of knowledge as important elements for trust development and market adaptation that need to be followed by EM firms to be successful in IM, as Sheth (2021) asserts as well.

offer insight into the value of a people-centric international product marketing strategy for EM firms in the international environment;

highlight that the international market context, involving different cultures, strongly affects EM firms’ IM strategy for food products; and

emphasize the value of diaspora for the success of the strategy.

Theoretical and managerial implications

This study makes several contributions. First, it contributes to the literature on cultures by illustrating that the cultural dimensions of collectivism and uncertainty avoidance enhance the development of networks and trust and the marketing strategy. The masculinity dimension of Bangladeshi culture makes it difficult for women to work with product promotion. Thus, can the development of a modern people-oriented international product marketing strategy facilitate female participation in IM of products? This could be a productive research question for further theoretical contributions.

the tailoring of products to customers’ needs;

the innovation of marketing structure emphasizing the role of the diaspora; and

the dynamics of focusing on the specific knowledge of people both in the home country and the host country of operation.

In addition, this study is unique by indicating a customer-driven international product marketing strategy for food products from the EM perspective.

Third, our research stresses that the context of EMs drives EM firms to standardize the marketing process and take steps to develop and coordinate networks. Successful EM firms adopt all the other components of a marketing mix, emphasizing the importance of people as the main underlying success element. These findings contrast with classical marketing theory, which highlights the characteristics of the firm and its resources ( Abraha and Hyder, 2021 ; Khan and Khan, 2021 ; Teece et al. , 1997 ).

The results of this research have important implications for managers and governments. For the managers, the introduction of our MPO international product marketing strategy model shows how successful marketing of products from EMs requires adaptation to the international local context and the development of networks and trust for success. Further, managers should recognize that the needs of people should be the basis for marketing strategy formulation and execution. To meet the challenges of EM firms in product marketing, we advise managers to promote their own products, countries and people skills, as well as communicating about them physically and electronically for positive trust development.

For government policymakers, we suggest that they can contribute to successful IM strategies and strengthen country and corporate image by promoting institutional structures, initiating supportive policies and providing facilities to develop competitive advantages for EM firms.

For society as a whole, our research reveals that a successful international product marketing strategy can greatly facilitate the development of trust for EM firms and countries and prevent distrust of poor countries and their products. In the long run, it can reduce poverty and sustain business and international relations.

Limitations and future research

Our limitation of research to the EM of Bangladesh and the four firms opens new avenues for research. We examined four firms with different food products but the same COO. This limitation makes the generalization of the findings difficult. The validity of the study can be questioned because of the focus on one EM and four agrofood products companies. We suggest further research on different emerging economies, different markets, different product industries and firms of both Asian origin and others, to compare with the findings of our study. Furthermore, the influence of geopolitical catastrophes on IM strategy of emerging economy firms and the diaspora should also be explored in forthcoming studies.

In this study, we found that product quality should align with customers’ requirements, but future studies could investigate the quality of customized products while adapting and relying on local expertise and skills. Furthermore, a new contribution could be to include the perspective of foreign firms and consumers by applying a mixed quantitative and qualitative study to cross-check our results and add new insights. This research found that EM firms follow the customers’ demands and innovate products by producing brands that the customers want. We suggest research on the long-term effects of this tailoring strategy for IM of products on firm sustainability. Furthermore, the results show that the investigated firms use digital tools in their communication strategy. We propose future studies should examine the consequences of digitalization on the marketing strategy of EM firms under global pandemic situations like COVID-19, which Ghauri et al. (2021) and Dewasiri et al. (2021) focus on as well.

Process of international product marketing for EM firms

Modern people-oriented international product marketing strategy of EM firms

Information on the agro-based food product firms selected for this study

Information about the respondents

Process of developing themes

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Further reading

Michaelis , M. , Woisetschläger , D.M. , Backhaus , C. and Ahlert , D. ( 2008 ), “ The effects of country of origin and corporate reputation on initial trust: an experimental evaluation of the perception of polish consumers ”, International Marketing Review , Vol. 25 No. 4 , pp. 404 - 422 .

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. Authors are grateful to the University of Gävle and the librarian Anna Hillström for all their support during the publication process.

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Planning and driving a stepchange in growth – a travel marketing case study from Hertz.  Devising, planning and driving business growth through membership marketing

Managing your marketing performance effectively across dozens of markets – a travel marketing case study from Hertz Europe.  Building a performance management mindset to drive performance growth.

Building effective customer marketing operations in dynamic emerging markets – a pay-TV broadcasting marketing case study from Viasat.  Creating a shared sense of purpose through a clear strategy, agreed priorities, a performance measurement mindset, high levels of communication, and a long term development agenda

Developing strategy across multiple markets – marketing case study from travel at Hertz Europe and pay-TV broadcasting at Viasat.  Agreeing a clear shared strategy across markets to drive business performance

Making your customers your biggest advocates – marketing case study from travel at Hertz Europe and pay-TV broadcasting at Viasat, putting the customer at the centre of business thinking to drive business performance, including the use of NetPromoter

Who buys Super-premium pay-TV? – a pay-TV broadcasting marketing case study from Viasat looking at tiered products including the case for premium and super-premium tiers

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6 effective international marketing strategies by top brands

If you’re aiming to market your brand in multiple countries, you’ll need to find the right international marketing strategies to engage audiences who not only speak different languages but also have different values, cultures and contexts.

That’s why marketing on a global scale is an entirely different ballgame compared to marketing in only one country—it requires tailoring your messaging, campaigns and even your products to each region you’re targeting.

Here are six effective international marketing strategies used by the pros to inspire you to successfully market your brand across borders, from working with local influencers to localizing your ad campaigns.

Watch our recap here:

The importance of international marketing strategies

Replicating your existing marketing strategies won’t cut it when branching into international markets. What attracts consumers in your home region isn’t guaranteed to work in another country. 

Having an international marketing strategy is key when it comes to connecting with global audiences in a meaningful, effective way. 

Don’t underestimate the importance of global marketing tactics. Failing to take the right approach for your brand results in wasted time and resources that could have been used to grow your customer base abroad. 

See also: 6 global marketing strategies to inspire you

What makes global marketing successful?

There are many elements that go into making a strategic global marketing campaign successful, but it generally comes down to one thing: understanding the audience .

Your global content strategy needs to address the specific needs and wants of each new market. And adapt every message, graphic and campaign to speak directly to them—in way that they can understand and relate to.

To achieve this, you need to do extensive international audience research to understand the different cultures and markets that you’re working with. Cultural understanding is especially crucial, as it’ll help you adapt your messaging, branding and products to resonate with local consumers.

Successful global multilingual marketing also involves adapting products, services, and marketing campaigns to suit the preferences, needs, and languages of each market. This can include modifying product features, packaging, pricing and promotional strategies. While adaptation is important, maintaining a consistent brand identity across different markets is still essential as it helps create a sense of familiarity and trust.

See also: Cultural marketing: Going beyond simple translations

6 international marketing strategy case studies from brands with global success

It’s time to learn from the best: We’ve rounded up six effective international marketing strategies used by successful global brands. 

While they may be much bigger brands—with larger budgets—than yours, you can still incorporate elements of their global marketing approaches into your own international marketing plan.  After all, marketing global brands, no matter the size, should always follow the same principles.

See also: The importance of quality content

1. Nike international marketing strategy

It’s no secret that Nike is a global marketing powerhouse. When comparing its international revenue from 2021, the brand earned more than double its closest competitor, Adidas. But what does Nike do to outrun the rest of the pack?

One of Nike’s strategies for international marketing is to partner with athletes and sports teams worldwide. 

That way, the faces of their brand are recognizable in every country they sell in: Tiger Woods in the US, Christiano Ronaldo in Portugal and the Liverpool football team in the UK. 

You can mirror Nike’s strategy by working with relevant local influencers in your target markets so your audience can match a familiar face to your brand’s name. 

See below an example of one of Nike’s UK adverts with the Liverpool football team:

2. KFC international marketing strategy

KFC was the first American fast-food franchise to enter the Chinese market in 1987. How did they do it? Localization. 

By adapting its marketing strategy and product offering to local markets, KFC has since successfully opened restaurants in 145 countries.  While they localize their menu in each country to cater to local tastes, a large part of their international marketing objectives is localized marketing—from their radio and TV commercials to their social media and digital marketing.

To mirror KFC’s strategy, don’t be afraid to modify your product and marketing messages to fit the needs and desires of each foreign market. You can see a perfect example of this in the image below, where the KFC India homepage takes a highly localized approach to connecting with its audience. 

See also: Localization strategy: Your guide to engaging a global audience

3. McDonald’s international marketing strategy

There’s a reason you can find the instantly recognizable Golden Arches in over half the world’s countries—and it isn’t because of their fries. McDonald’s international marketing strategy combines a localization and global standardization strategy to give consumers what they want while maintaining the brand’s recognizable image. 

See also: Global marketing standardization vs. localization: A helpful guide

You’ll find staples like the McFlurry and Happy Meal worldwide, which helps McDonald’s preserve its unique brand. But each country’s franchises serve food that its target audience is more familiar with. That means tomato and mozzarella turnovers in Italy, poutine in Canada and a side of sweet corn in Japan.

This approach is called glocalization , and it’s when global products or services are adapted to fit the customs, laws or preferences of a local market.

To use this type of strategy in your international marketing approach, create a uniform brand in every country you operate in, while also adapting your products to the desires of local consumers. 

See also: Building a profitable glocalization strategy for your brand

4. Apple international marketing strategy

In contrast to KFC and McDonald’s, it may seem like Apple has taken an entirely different approach, as their products are completely the same in every country they sell in. You can purchase Macbook Pros, iPhones, and iPads in 25 countries, and users can enjoy Apple services like the App Store, iCloud, and Apple Music in over 160 countries. 

However, Apple always designs their stores with local tastes in mind. They also customize their content, like applications and advertisements, to their target markets. A big part of this is localizing their marketing , as they did with their popular “ Get a Mac ” campaign back in 2006-2009, which ran in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Japan and Germany with slight adaptations in each region.

See an example below of Apple’s “iLife” ad which was part of their “Get a Mac” campaign that was launched in the US and then adapted for Japan:

The Japanese version is almost exactly the same as the American version, except that PC listens to Eurobeat on his iPod rather than slow jams, and Mac gives a pause instead of complimenting PC on his preloaded calculator and clock.

To channel Apple’s strategy, make sure your advertisements aren’t just translated but also localized to really resonate with your target audiences. Partnering with a marketing translation agency can significantly enhance the effectiveness of international marketing strategies by ensuring that messaging makes an impact both culturally and linguistically.

See also: Marketing translation: Engaging audiences in their own language  

5. PopSockets international marketing entry strategy

In 2017, the mobile phone accessory brand PopSockets, which had great success in the US, decided to go global. They started by emerging into the UK, Germany and France and eventually into Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Polish markets. 

One of the big drivers for their international growth was their global social media strategy . With the help of the VeraContent team, they launched country-specific social media pages and partnered with local influencers, which helped to increase engagement and sales. Read more about it in our case study !

Check out a few work samples to see what we’ve done for PopSockets, including this localized TikTok post and morning routines Instagram post .

Pro tip: If you’re planning on going global, make country-specific social media pages a part of your communication strategies in international marketing. 

See also: Global vs. local social media accounts: Which is best  

6. Ben & Jerry’s international marketing strategy

Who would have thought that two guys (Ben and Jerry) selling ice cream out of a Vermont gas station would evolve into a global phenomenon, selling in over 30 countries worldwide? Ben & Jerry’s is one of those success stories that show even the smallest of brands that they too can have success abroad. 

After being purchased by Unilever in 2000, the multinational took the brand worldwide. Their international marketing strategy remains simple: maintain their unique image . The brand stands for sustainability and social corporate responsibility and Unilever has worked hard not to alter the brand’s personality or values.

However, they do alter their products to fit foreign markets, offering flavors like “If I Had 1,000,000 Flavors” in Canada, “Maccha Made in Heaven” in Japan and “Minter Wonderland” in the UK and Ireland. They also run country-specific social media accounts. 

Be inspired by Ben & Jerry’s successful global marketing approach and stay true to your brand and its values while experimenting with unique products to fit the desires of distinct markets abroad. 

See also: Social media localization: Go global without fresh content

You don’t have to be a huge corporation with a million-dollar marketing budget to go global. Get inspiration from these successful international marketing strategies and take your business abroad with the help of a qualified global marketing specialist !

Do you want to grow your brand across borders? Download our worksheet on adapting content to local markets so you can start implementing successful international marketing strategies and watch brand awareness and revenue soar. 

Get your free guide by filling in the form below!

Learn more about VeraContent and get in touch to find out if you qualify for a free content consultation.

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Marketing Management: An International Perspective

Case Studies

• © 1999
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• Kamran Kashani ,
• Dominique Turpin

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• Written by professors from IMD a leading international business school with an international reputation for producing highquality case studies Provides numerous uptodate case studies from companies around the world that demonstrate different marketing management scenarios Provides both text and cases, plus an accompanying teacher's manual free to adoptors of the book

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Upper echelons research in marketing

Toward a Taxonomy of Marketing Strategies: Issues and Evidence

The Core Concept of Marketing Management

• communication
• Distribution
• international marketing
• marketing management

Table of contents (4 chapters)

Front matter, introduction to marketing, introduction to marketing.

• Kamran Kashani, Dominique Turpin

Marketing Decisions: The Five ‘Ps’ 53

Marketing decisions: the five ‘ps’, international marketing: global integration strategy, international marketing: global integration and strategy, international marketing: strategy implementation, about the authors, bibliographic information.

Book Title : Marketing Management: An International Perspective

Book Subtitle : Case Studies

Editors : Kamran Kashani, Dominique Turpin

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-27529-8

Publisher : Red Globe Press London

eBook Packages : Palgrave Business & Management Collection , Business and Management (R0)

Copyright Information : Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 1999

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XVII, 512

Additional Information : Previously published under the imprint Palgrave

Topics : Marketing

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International marketing case study: Kellogg’s India

Kellogg’s initial foray into the Indian market is generally agreed to have been a failure, although it’s now doing well in terms of both market share and sales growth in the subcontinent.

As part of our series of in-depth case studies with TranslateMedia looking at major brands tackling major new markets we look at Kellogg's attempts to crack the tricky Indian market.

But are Indian consumers ready to accept breakfast cereals?

In this article, we’ll examine what went wrong, and discover how Kelloggs recovered from its initial problems in this challenging market.

An unsuccessful first foray into India

The world’s leading producer of cereals and a major snack foods manufacturer, Kellogg’s entered the Indian market way back in 1994.

Kellogg’s is no stranger to international marketing: the products are manufactured in 18 countries and sold in over 180. Despite a high-profile launch and a frenzy of marketing activity, the first breakfast cereals it marketed were an initial failure in India.

There was little appetite for breakfast cereals in India in the early nineties, although milk was a regular part of the Indian diet, so Kellogg’s needed to establish a market for the products if it wanted to win over the Indian consumer.

Following a big media launch effort, initial sales seemed promising but it emerged that consumers were buying the product as a novelty but not repeat purchasing.

Most analysts conclude that the brand was overconfident and overlooked many critical cultural insights that would explain why the market wasn’t ready for the breakfast cereals offered. It also seems that the pricing was far too high to be a regular grocery purchase, explaining the lack of repeat sales.

The Indian palette is considered by many to be a challenging one to crack. Indians were accustomed to boiling their milk and consuming it hot and sweetened.

One key hurdle for Kellogg’s to overcome was persuading the Indian consumer to consume milk cold rather than hot when eating breakfast cereals.

When Kellogg’s initially launched into the Indian market it was with crispy flakes that would go soggy when consumed with hot milk. When Indians tried the unsweetened breakfast flakes with cold milk, they couldn’t get the sugar they added to dissolve properly.

This may explain why Kellogg’s later enjoyed better success with Frosties, which come ready-sweetened with dissolvable sugars which sweeten the milk when it is added to the bowl.

Indian consumers accustomed to gut-busting breakfast staples such as buttery fried parathas or deep fried vadas found breakfast cereals somewhat insubstantial when eaten as a substitute for India’s more familiar breakfast items.

A bland bowl of cereal flakes also failed to match the variety of foods often eaten at breakfast time, or the habit of eating more flavoursome foods such as chutneys and pickles with various morning staples.

Indian breakfasts tend towards spicy and hot; by offering a dish that was bland, sweet and cold Kellogg’s was proposing the exact opposite of expectations at this time in the day. Essentially Kellogg’s offered a product that failed to match local breakfast habits and expectations – and at twice the price of local competitors.

Other critics of the initial launch also thought that Kellogg’s trod on a few toes with marketing campaigns implying the traditional Indian breakfast was not nutritionally sound.

A revised strategy

Kellogg’s initially launched in India with corn flakes, wheat flakes and basmati rice flakes, none of which were especially successful. When Kellogg’s launched Frosties (sweet, sugar-coated flakes) in 1997, even the company was surprised by their success.

Kellogg’s reduced the price of their products and began to offer a wider range of product sizes to appeal to different customers. Individual packs were especially popular. Messaging was also changed, to reposition the cereals as a fun choice rather than just a nutritious one.

This approach may have been successful than the brand’s previous attempt to imply that the traditional Indian breakfast was not nutritious – marketing messaging which may have made the Indian housewife rather indignant. The products were no longer positioned as premium products, in order to make them a regular rather than a one-off buy.

The brand also localised its branding and advertising approach to make it more acceptable. Gone was the familiar cockerel, and advertising campaigns using local faces such as a yoga instructor and Kathakali dancer attributing their vigour to a Kellogg’s diet. Accompaniments such as curd and pistachio, which suited the local palate, were suggested.

Kellogg’s took the decision to localise its flavourings, and chose brand names to appeal to the Indian public such as ‘shakti’ (‘power’) when selling products fortified with iron. These days, cornflakes are offered with mango and banana puree to suit local tastes.

Although the brand presently enjoys a colossal 70% market share, it now has to defend from rivals the market it has created. Logistically Kellogg’s is well invested in this territory. All raw materials, including packaging, is sourced in India, and the main plant is located close to the largest market; all of which minimises costs.

Using a network of agents, the brand has established a distribution network including storage facilities. Overheads are minimised by giving distributors large responsibility for sales. In 2010 the market growth was at 20% but following a change in leadership it is thought to be closer to 30%.

Kellogg’s remains significantly pricier than local rivals such as Bagrry’s, whose website and logo are breathtakingly similar to Kellogg’s. Larger multinationals including Dr Oetker and PepsiCo are also muscling in on the market. Kellogg’s India is defending its market share by expanding its distribution network by 50%.

It’s arguable that only a massive brand like Kellogg’s was capable of cracking the Indian market, given the amount of market creation and habit changing that was required.

What’s generally agreed is that Kellogg’s was too confident when it entered the market and didn’t do enough research on local tastes and habits before plunging in. Whilst the company has now turned its performance around, it has done so by trying new things but above all by localising its offering and message to suit the market.

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Amazon: A Maze Through China - An International Marketing Case Study

Hanane Goubil Follow

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Advertising and Promotion Management | Business Analytics | E-Commerce

Abstract (300 words maximum)

Amazon is an e-commerce technology company best known for its fast delivering time and for being one of the tops of the big four technology companies in the United States. Despite its success in the U.S. and several countries abroad, it has struggled to succeed in China since 2004 where Alibaba and JD.com control 82% of the market. This is due to Amazon failing to compete with Alibaba and neglecting to acclimatize their online offers to appease Chinese customers’ preferences. An example of this is that Alibaba has its own payment system called Alipay, while Amazon had yet to include its own and unique payment system in China. Another example is something as small-scale as Amazon’s website. Alibaba's and JD websites are bright, colorful that incorporate a collection of ads, while Amazon’s is simple and minimalistic -- a design that appeases American preference (Martin, 2019). Overall, this gives Alibaba and JD an increased and extensive apprehension of Chinese local tastes. Following, China’s e-commerce industry is amongst the largest in the world with $1.935 trillion in revenue (Williams 2019). However, Amazon has recently had to shut down its distribution centers in China due to being unprofitable and stagnant. (Dastin, 2019). Another reason for Amazon's downfall in China was due to numerous government regulations placed on them, from a limit on cloud services to taxes (Essays, 2018). This Case Study explores the challenges that Amazon faced in competing against Alibaba and JD.com in China and why it could not replicate its success in the United States.

Keywords: Amazon, China, Asia, Competition, Alibaba, Profit, Case Study, Emerging Markets, International Marketing

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10 Marketing Case Study Examples: Learn How to Master Them in Your Campaigns

There are millions of blog posts, articles, and videos across the internet that try to give you advice about marketing. According to Google, at least 7,050,000 unique content pieces include the phrase “marketing tips.”

But with plenty of outdated and filler content creation to just build out a website, it’s hard to find applicable advice that actually works online.

In this article, you’ll learn from marketing case study examples that demonstrate what it takes to master channels like social media, email marketing , and PPC, as well as how to use case studies in your own campaigns.

Don’t rely on empty words. Learn powerful marketing best practices that are backed up with examples and data.

What is a marketing case study?

In marketing, a case study is an in-depth study of the effectiveness of a certain tool, tactic, or strategy. It focuses on measurable outcomes, like an increase in sales, visitors, or production hours.

Typically, it includes a few key elements:

• Introduction to the customer/client
• The problem the client needed to solve (should align with problems prospective clients also need to solve)
• The solution (and context of why your company/software was the right fit)
• Data from before and after implementing the solution

In a sense, a case study documents the journey of working with your company. And it gives potential future customers a reason to trust your company.

What are the different types of case studies in marketing?

In marketing, three main types of case studies are commonly used:

1. Third-person or client case studies: These highlight the experience of a specific client working with your company or using your product.

2. Explanatory case studies: These case studies explore the impact of a phenomenon or tactic, such as the company’s marketing strategy, and how it impacted its growth. In this case, it’s not based on first-hand experience, but rather observation and inference.

3. Implementation case studies: An implementation case study takes the average client case study a bit further, focusing on the actual implementation and covering it in detail.

You can also divide the case studies further by the type of medium they use — video or text.

And in 2024, video case studies are becoming more and more popular. Many companies even use them as remarketing ads to address potential objections.

Why should you use case studies?

Case studies are a powerful way to prove that your products or services work, showcase your expertise, and build trust with potential customers.

It’s a way to transition away from just “telling” your customers and instead start “showing” them through examples. There’s a reason the old copywriting maxim goes, “Show, don’t tell.”

Consumers’ trust in companies to tell the truth in advertising materials is lower than ever. In 2020, only 14% of consumers said they trust advertising to be honest about a product or service.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t generate trust with your company’s website.

Consumers trust third-party reviews, testimonials, and data. In fact, 91% of 18–34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

So you need social proof. And client case studies — especially those that interview the current clients — are the best of both worlds. You get to highlight data while getting powerful social proof that shows that your product works.

When just adding a simple customer testimonial to your website can increase conversion rates by up to 34% , imagine what a detailed, compelling case study can do.

1. Email marketing case study: Your Therapy Source

If you think that email is a marketing medium of the past, think again. At ActiveCampaign, we have hundreds of recent case studies that prove the opposite.

For example, Your Therapy Source receives a 2000% return on investment (ROI) from our campaigns simply by taking advantage of basic marketing automation .

In particular, a basic abandoned cart email represents around 30% of all revenue generated by automations.

With ActiveCampaign, that’s incredibly easy to set up. You can take advantage of our integrations with key e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce , Shopify , and more.

Because the case study goes into detail about exactly how the company achieved the results, it’s a combination of an implementation case study and a regular third-person case study.

2. Instagram marketing case study: Converse

If you look at all the top Instagram accounts in clothing, Converse has a much higher engagement rate than its competitors.

At 1.79%, their social media posts have an organic engagement rate over 15 times higher than Nike.

Why is that?

Let’s take a closer look at how they achieve these numbers:

When looking at Converse’s top Instagram posts, you quickly notice a trend. Collaborations with influential creators and artists — lately Tyler, the Creator — get a different level of engagement.

The post promoting their new collaboration shoe got over 183,000 likes in a few weeks. Converse even took it a step further and produced a short film with Tyler.

If you want to reach a wider number of people, combining audiences is a great strategy.

This is an example of an explanatory case study.

First, we worked backward from Converse’s powerful Instagram results. Then, we identified tactics that contribute to their high levels of engagement.

Because we didn’t work directly with Converse, and we’re only observing as an outsider, this is an explanatory case study.

3. Content marketing case study: porch.com

Fractl is a content marketing agency that worked with porch.com for over a year to earn 931 unique domain links, 23,000 monthly organic visits, and more.

The case study focuses on results over method — that means it’s a typical third-person case study.

They’re showcasing the results the company generated for a specific outside client without getting into the how-to.

These types of case studies are most useful for persuading hesitant potential customers to get on board. Showing that you’ve generated results for similar companies or people in the past is the best way to prove your skill set.

Depending on your target audience, going into detail with an implementation case study may be a better option.

4. SEO case study: Zapier study by Ryan Berg

This in-depth case study by Ryan Berg is a perfect example of how you can use explanatory case studies in your marketing.

It breaks down Zapier’s SEO strategy and how they created over 25,000 unique landing pages to improve their search rankings for different search terms.

Zapier’s main strategy revolves around targeting relevant long-tail keywords like “app A + app B integration.” That’s the key they used to generate serious organic traffic over the long term.

By breaking down industry leaders and how they rose to success, you can borrow some of their brand power and credibility.

You can use these kinds of case studies if your current clients don’t allow you to go into detail about the tactics you use to grow their online presence.

These case studies demonstrate to potential clients that you know what you’re talking about and have the expertise needed to help them succeed in their industry.

5. PPC case study: Google Ads and Saraf Furniture

When it comes to pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, Google was one of the earliest innovators. And in 2021, it’s still the largest digital advertiser globally, with $146.92 billion in ad revenue in 2020.

You might not think they need any more credibility, but Google still uses case studies, especially in emerging markets like India.

This case study shows how Google Ads helped Saraf Furniture generate 10 times more inbound leads each month and hire 1,500 new carpenters as a result.

Without going into details about the methods, it’s another typical third-person case study designed to build trust.

6. Video marketing case study: L’Oréal and YouTube

In this case study, various members of L’Oréal’s global marketing team break down exactly how they used YouTube ads to launch a new product.

As a result of the campaign, they were able to establish their new product as the No. 2 in its category and earn 34% of all mass sales across a network of online retailers.

The case study breaks down how they used YouTube for different stages — from awareness to loyalty. It’s another example of a third-person implementation case study.

7. Remarketing case study: AdRoll and Yoga Democracy

AdRoll is a remarketing platform that tracks your visitors and lets you show them targeted ads across the internet.

Their case study with Yoga Democracy perfectly showcases the power of the platform.

Look at these highlights:

• 200% increase in conversions
• 50% reduction in CPA
• 19% of total revenue attributed to AdRoll

These are metrics you’d love to show any potential customer. The case study goes into detail about how they built an effective remarketing campaign, including cart recovery emails and ads.

Because of the detail, you can classify this as an implementation case study.

8. Influencer marketing case study: Trend and WarbyParker

This influencer marketing case study from Warby Parker and Trend showcases how you can use influencer marketing even with a limited budget.

The “Wearing Warby” campaign was centered around showcasing influencers wearing Warby Parker glasses in their everyday life.

From mundane tasks like eating breakfast to artists creating a new masterpiece — it showcased Warby Parker’s products in use and made the brand more approachable for influencers’ followers.

This is another third-person case study, as it doesn’t go into much detail beyond the results.

9. Customer experience case study: App Annie and Coca-Cola

In this case study, Greg Chambers, the director of innovation for Coca-Cola, explains what App Annie brings to the table.

Instead of specific numbers and metrics, it focuses on the big-picture benefits that App Annie has on Coca-Cola’s customer experience.

The video interview format is also perfect for driving trust with potential customers.

Again, this is a typical third-person case study that you see a lot in the marketing world.

10. SaaS case study: Asana and Carta

Of course, it’s not just agencies and advertising platforms that need to master the use of case studies in digital marketing.

Let’s explore an example of a case study outside the marketing industry, in this case specifically for B2B marketers.

Asana is a project management platform that helps companies make their workflows more efficient.

It’s a good example of a case study that focuses more on the lived experience and less on the metrics.

This is a third-person case study that is closer to a client interview or testimonial, which is a good option if it’s hard to quantify improvements with metrics.

Best practices: How to use case studies in your own marketing campaigns

In this section, you’ll learn best practices to help you maximize the value of case studies in your own marketing campaigns.

Let’s look at four steps you can take to effectively use case studies.

Include a dedicated case study/customer stories page on your website

Most companies with a successful online presence have one of these pages. Emulate the top competitors in your industry by creating an improved version of their pages.

You can also add a case studies section to your resources page or blog.

Build CTAs into your case study pages

The chances are low that a random Googler will make it to your case studies. Most likely, it’s someone who thinks they might need your product.

So don’t be afraid to include calls to action throughout your case study pages.

Share case studies as part of your email marketing campaigns

Email marketing is hands-down the best channel for nurturing potential needs . That means you should always use case studies and customer success stories in your campaigns.

But it’s important that it doesn’t feel too promotional. Instead, share the unique steps they took to ensure success to deliver value, not just pitch.

Use case study video ads to overcome objections

When you’re thinking about buying a product, it’s easy to talk yourself out of it.

“It’s too expensive.” “It won’t work for me.” There are a lot of excuses and objections out there.

A case study video can be a powerful tool to overcome these objections in potential buyers.

Don’t overlook case studies when you’re planning your next marketing campaign. Towards the bottom end of the funnel, in stages like decision and action, they’re a powerful marketing tool.

When used right, case studies will help you fill your sales pipeline and provide your sales team with qualified leads.

Hopefully, the examples in this article taught you how you can use case studies in social media, email, and content marketing strategy to further your business goals.

You should also have learned how to use case studies to sell your company’s expertise.

If you want to grow your business, it’s crucial to learn from the people who have gone before you. In marketing, trying to learn all principles from scratch through trial and error would be a costly mistake.

If you’re ready to take advantage of marketing automation and email marketing tools that help similar businesses generate ROIs of 20x or higher, start your ActiveCampaign trial today .

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Case Study of International marketing

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International marketing failures: Lessons from big brands

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Have you ever had one of those facepalm moments when a seemingly brilliant marketing strategy goes hilariously awry? Trust me, you're not alone. 

Even the bigwigs, the brands we've come to recognize as giants in the world of international marketing , have had their fair share of "Oops, we didn't see that coming!" moments. 

From Mercedes Benz's naming hiccup in China to KFC's rather... "cannibalistic" translation, these tales of international marketing missteps are not just entertaining but chock-full of lessons for all of us. 

So, grab your favorite beverage, get comfy, and let's dive into these epic international marketing mistakes and see what golden nuggets of wisdom we can unearth together!

Main takeaways from this article:

Cultural sensitivity is crucial in global marketing; brands that understand and respect local cultures excel in international markets. Following are a few examples of international marketing failures:

Mercedes Benz in China: The mispronounced brand name sounded like "rush to die."

BMW's ad, showing Al Ain Football Club members distracted by a BMW engine during the Emirati anthem, faced backlash and was replaced due to perceived disrespect..

Parker Pens' slogan mistranslated in Spanish resulted in the unintended message, "It won't leak in your pocket and get you pregnant."

Pampers in Japan: Stork imagery on packaging confused customers unfamiliar with Western folklore.

HSBC Bank: Slogan "Assume Nothing" translated in some markets to "Do Nothing."

KFC in China: Slogan "Finger Lickin' Good" mistranslated as "Eat Your Fingers Off."

Ford in Brazil: The "Ford Pinto" name had an embarrassing slang connotation in the local language.

Best practices for international marketing include engaging local experts and consultants, providing continuous cultural training for marketing teams, conducting regular feedback and market testing, and maintaining flexibility and adaptability in marketing strategies.

The importance of cultural sensitivity in marketing

When we talk about marketing, especially on a global scale , understanding and respecting these cultural nuances isn't just a "nice-to-have" – it's an absolute must!

Imagine trying to sell an ice cream brand in Alaska during the dead of winter without taking into account local preferences or conditions. Sounds like a chilly disaster, right?

Now, let's flip the coin. When brands genuinely invest time and effort into understanding a culture, they can create campaigns that resonate deeply, almost magically, with their audience. 

It's like they're saying, "Hey, we get you," and who doesn't like feeling understood? This cultural sensitivity not only boosts brand loyalty but also paves the way for higher sales and a stronger brand image. It's a win-win!

Case studies: Notable international marketing blunders

Ready for some jaw-dropping tales from the marketing frontlines? These stories are more than just amusing anecdotes; they're real-life lessons on what NOT to do in the global arena. Let's dive in!

1. Mercedes Benz in China

Picture this: You're one of the world's most renowned luxury car brands, and you decide to make your grand entrance into the booming Chinese market. Exciting times, right? Well, Mercedes Benz sure thought so, until they hit a major linguistic roadblock.

Mercedes Benz stepped onto Chinese shores with a brand name that, when pronounced, sounded eerily close to "rush to die". Not exactly the message you want to send when you're in the business of selling high-end, reliable vehicles.

This wasn't a case of someone playing a prank; it was a genuine oversight in linguistics. When localizing the brand name for the Chinese market, Mercedes might've skipped the crucial step of checking how it would sound to the native ear.

As much as it might've given some people a chuckle, this story drives home a super important point for all of us in the marketing world: always, ALWAYS double-check (or even triple-check) your brand's name, slogan, or any linguistic element when moving into a new market. Hiring local experts or linguists, or using the right translation tools can save you from making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

2. BMW in the Middle East

Ever been so thrilled with an idea that you just ran with it, only to realize later that maybe, just maybe, you should’ve paused for a second thought? Well, that's what happened with BMW in the Middle East.

German car manufacturer BMW faced backlash for an advertisement that showed members of Al Ain Football Club halting the Emirati national anthem upon hearing a BMW engine, drawing their attention. Emiratis viewed this as a sign of disrespect to their national anthem. Despite BMW's efforts to clarify, they had to replace the ad with a more appropriate version.

In their zest to showcase the power and lure of their vehicles, BMW might've missed doing their homework. The primary reason appears to be a lack of understanding or appreciation of the cultural significance of the Emirati national anthem. Many cultures hold their national symbols, including anthems, in high regard, and any perceived disrespect can lead to significant backlash.

Here's a golden nugget: Always ensure your marketing content aligns with local norms and values. Comprehensive local market research, consulting with regional experts, and testing advertisements with local audiences can prevent such blunders. Assumptions or generalizations about foreign markets can lead to costly mistakes, both financially and in terms of brand reputation.

3. Parker Pens in Spain

Ah, the perfect pen that "never leaks in your pocket'. However, this global giant had a bit of a marketing hiccup in the Spanish market - a classic example of 'lost in translation'.

There was an uncomfortable moment when Parker Pens' slogan, 'It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you,' was translated for Spanish-speaking countries. Apparently, 'embarazada' doesn't translate to 'embarrassed'. The translated copy read, 'It won't leak in your pocket and get you pregnant'.

Sometimes, in the quest to be unique and groundbreaking, brands might inadvertently overlook language nuances. That's precisely what happened here, jeopardizing the brand's image. Parker Pens' oversight wasn’t malicious; it was just unaware.

This one's a biggie for all of us in the marketing world: if you are looking to expand internationally , always be keenly aware of language nuances in the regions you're marketing to. It's not just about avoiding backlash; it's about showing respect and understanding for the people you want to connect with.

4. Pampers in Japan

Let's journey to Japan, the land of cherry blossoms, sushi, and… confusion over storks? Yep, that's right! Our next story involves Pampers, and it's a classic case of "lost in translation," but not in the way you might think.

Blunder: Pampers, wanting to bring their global charm to Japan, featured the age-old stork imagery on their packaging. You know, the story where storks deliver babies? But there was a slight hiccup: many Japanese customers were left scratching their heads, wondering why there was a bird on a diaper pack.

Cause: Turns out, the Western story of storks bringing babies isn't a universal one. In Japan, this particular folklore isn't well-known, leading to confusion and a disconnect between the brand and its target audience.

Lesson: This quirky tale serves up a hearty lesson for all of us: Just because a symbol or story is universally accepted in one culture doesn't mean it translates everywhere. It's vital to rethink marketing materials and possibly adapt symbols to align with local myths, beliefs, and stories.

5. HSBC Bank

Banks and financial institutions thrive on trust, right? Well, imagine the surprise (and chuckles) when HSBC, a banking giant, ended up giving some rather unexpected advice to its customers in certain markets.

HSBC wanted to convey reliability with their catchphrase "Assume Nothing". A commendable message, except that in some markets, this got translated to "Do Nothing". Oops! Not exactly the kind of advice you'd expect from your bank.

This wasn't a case of a mischievous translator having a bit of fun. It was a genuine oversight where the nuances of language led to a phrase that had a completely different meaning than intended. So, they eventually changed the slogan translation to "The world's private bank".

It's crystal clear, isn't it? When crafting global campaigns , the precision of marketing translation isn't just a detail; it's the cornerstone. It's crucial to ensure that the essence of a message remains intact across languages and cultures. Sometimes, it's not just about the direct translation of words but understanding and conveying the underlying sentiments.

6. KFC in China

Who doesn’t love some good ol’ KFC? Well, the folks in China surely do, but they were in for a slight shock when the American fast-food chain tried to bring their iconic slogan to the Chinese market.

Ah, "Finger Lickin' Good", a phrase that has made many of us crave those crispy chicken pieces! But when it hit China, it turned into something more like "Eat Your Fingers Off". Talk about a culinary misunderstanding!

This wasn’t about using Google Translate and hoping for the best. It was an honest effort that overlooked the intricacies and nuances of the Chinese language, resulting in a phrase that was more macabre than mouthwatering.

If there’s one thing to take away from KFC’s crispy conundrum, it’s this: always seek local expertise when translating brand messages. Sometimes, it’s not about the words, but the cultural and linguistic essence they carry. A native touch can be the difference between a marketing win and a translation tragedy.

7. Ford in Brazil

Buckle up, because this next tale is quite the ride. We're shifting gears to Brazil, where the automobile giant Ford had a, let's just say, slightly "embarrassing" naming hiccup.

Ready to make a roaring entrance in the Brazilian market, Ford introduced the "Ford Pinto". Sounds innocuous, right? Well, not exactly. To the locals, the name Pinto evoked chuckles and raised eyebrows, as it resembled a local slang term (pinu) for male genitals. Definitely not the powerful image Ford was going for!

This wasn't a case of someone pulling a prank in the naming department. It was a genuine oversight stemming from a lack of thorough local market research. Ford might've been keen on global consistency, but this name was a definite miss in Brazil.

The Ford Pinto saga is a stark reminder (with a hint of humor) of the importance of comprehensive international market research before any product launch. It's not just about understanding the local language but also the colloquialisms, nuances, and even the slang. It goes to show that sometimes, a name is more than just a name; it carries weight, meaning, and yes, occasionally, unintended humor.

Best practices for successful international marketing

Alright, after traversing the rollercoaster of international marketing blunders, it's only fitting we pivot towards the guiding lights — the best practices . If you’re looking to make waves in the global arena without getting swept away, here are some tried-and-true strategies to keep your ship steady:

1. Engaging local experts and consultants

Remember the linguistic hurdles faced by the likes of Mercedes and KFC? That’s where local mavens come into play. They’re not just experts in the language but understand the cultural undertones, colloquialisms, and local humor. Teaming up with them can help brands steer clear of blunders and craft messages that resonate deeply with the local audience .

2. Continuous cultural training for marketing teams

Culture isn't static; it evolves. And so should our understanding of it. Brands looking to thrive in international waters should invest in regular cultural training for their teams. This ensures that everyone, from strategists to creatives, approaches their tasks with a nuanced understanding of the target market's cultural fabric.

3. Regular feedback and market testing

Think of this as your early warning system. Before going full throttle with a campaign, test the waters. Get feedback from a diverse group within the target market. This helps in identifying potential red flags and refining the message. It’s like having a focus group tell you, “Eh, maybe not that slogan?” before it’s plastered on billboards.

4. Flexibility and adaptability in strategy

In the world of international marketing, rigidity is the enemy. Markets change, sentiments shift, and brands need to be agile enough to adapt. Whether it’s tweaking a marketing message, redesigning a product, or rethinking a campaign, the ability to pivot is invaluable. It’s all about listening, learning, and being ready to change course when needed.

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Whether you're an entrepreneur, a creative spirit, or a global brand, we've got the localized touch to make your offerings resonate. Dive into the world of seamless global marketing with Gelato.

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