Premium Essay

Standardized and Localized Strategies and the Role of Culture in

In:

Submitted By ffejdelroy1
Words 5126
Pages 21
Standardized and Localized Strategies and the Role of Culture in
Marketing and Consumption

Delroy A. Jefferson

This paper is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for International Marketing

Doctorate of Business Administration
SMC University

Dr. Babu P. George

July 26, 2014

Abstract
The paper seeks to examine the arguments surrounding the issue of standardization versus localization as it highlights specific advantages and disadvantages of both as obtained from a review of the prevailing literature. It links cultural patterns with consumerism and seeks to outline an effective approach to market research for entry into international markets.
There are strong arguments for implementing standardization and localization but the literature seems to suggest that either strategy in its purest form represent polar extremes and most strategies consists of some elements of both whereby a middle ground is found.
Appropriately designed market research unearth local appeals and cultural patterns which play a crucial role in informing the international marketer of the best suited marketing strategy.
Keywords Multinational Corporation, Global Corporation, Standardization, Localization, Cultural pattern
Introduction
For several years there has been an interesting ongoing debate on the subject of what is the most suitable marketing strategy to be implemented; that of standardization across national markets as opposed to a strategy which espouses an adaptation to individual national markets. Levitt (1983) is frequently identified as a strong proponent of the market standardization of products. Opponents to this view have stated that the various barriers to standardization limits its usefulness and maintain that there are greater advantages associated with the adapting of products and marketing strategies to characteristics specific to

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

The Role of Standardization, Localization, Culture and Market Research in International Marketing Strategies

...Assignment : Research Paper 1-The Role of Standardization, Localization, Culture and Market Research in International Marketing Strategies Adamu Yushau Usumanu This Paper is Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the requirement for International Marketing Management course SMC University School of Management Dr. Babu P. George May 19 , 2014 Abstract The research paper discussed standardization and localization strategies, where standardization strategy refer to a common marketing program cutting across nations and marketing segments, while localization strategy seek to adapt products and marketing strategy to the specific characteristics of individual markets. The paper further identified the advantages and disadvantages of standardization and localization strategies in the context of international marketing. The role of cultural pattern in society and its effect on consumption were also discussed, where culture refer to a system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people. Cultural patterns exert a great influence on consumption in a social setting. The paper finally discussed the need for a business entity to carry out a research on differences in language culture, regulations governing marketing before entering a new international market. Key Words Marketing Strategy, Standardization, Localization,, International Marketing, Cultural Patterns, Marketing Mix, Market Research Introduction ...

Words: 3226 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Going Global, Acting Local - Communicating Global Brands to Global Markets

...MK0389 Word Count : 1997 Dead Line : 13/05/2013 Contents page Introduction 3 PART A: Promotion and Branding in Global World 3 Standardized and Localized Strategies 4 Case Study: Nike 5 Case Study: PizzaHut 5 Discussion 6 PART B: Future Environmental issue 6 Changing Social Trends 7 Case Study: Nike 7 Case Study: PizzaHut 8 Conclusion 8 Reference List 9 Introduction With the growing pace of globalization, companies’ marketing departments are faced with a substantial challenge of designing successful marketing strategies promoting their products and services (Keller, 2010). The ongoing academic debate has pointed out the tension between standardization and localization practices (e.g. Whatley, 2012). While the benefits frequently associated with the standardization practice revolve around the promotion of a single consistent message to the global market (Aaker, 1991), the localization paradigm emphasises the particular differences between individual markets and thereby the need to adapt marketing strategies to suit the needs of the local population (Gillespie, Jeanner & Hennessey, 2010). The aim of the presented paper is to critically investigate the promotion and branding strategies pursued by global organisations. The key focus is put on the examination of their relative effectiveness and two case studies are used to demonstrate the validity of the theoretical underpinning...

Words: 2785 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Marketing

...SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT TO DR. FRANCIS PIROH Explain The Differences Between A Standardized And Localized Strategy.   Which Are The Advantages And The Disadvantages Of Each One? Explain The Differences Between A Corporation With An Ethnocentric, Polycentric, And Geocentric Orientations. How The Concept Of Competitive Advantage Can Be Applied In International Marketing? This paper is submitted in the partial fulfilment of Marketing Management course By FRANCES GRACEY DADZIE March 2013   SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT TO DR. FRANCIS PIROH Explain The Differences Between A Standardized And Localized Strategy.   Which Are The Advantages And The Disadvantages Of Each One? Explain The Differences Between A Corporation With An Ethnocentric, Polycentric, And Geocentric Orientations. How The Concept Of Competitive Advantage Can Be Applied In International Marketing? This paper is submitted in the partial fulfilment of Marketing Management course By FRANCES GRACEY DADZIE March 2013 Standardization marketing strategy is typically applied to discussion of global businesses and a means to market a solution with uniform consistency throughout the marketing mix. This is an opposite approach to a localized strategy, under which multinational companies differentiate their product and adapt it to fit the unique needs of countries.Localization as defined by the business dictionary is where by a business operates in a number of countries, adjusts its products and practices...

Words: 2290 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Mtv Arabia

...developed a reputation for its ability to provide localized content without diluting what MTV stood for. However, the company faced the most challenging test in late 2007 with its launch of MTV Arabia in the Middle East, which some experts considered as the biggest launch in the channel’s history. While the market in the Middle East offered MTVN with huge opportunities due to its huge youth populace, MTV’s controversial content that was known for angering religious, political, and conservative communities could easily backfire in the conservative environment prevalent in the region. On the other hand, too much localization to suit the tastes of the region could dilute MTV’s global brand. The case discusses in detail the strategy adopted by MTVN to enter and expand in the Middle East and also the challenges faced by the channel. TEACHING OBJECTIVES & TARGET AUDIENCE The case will help the students to: • Understand the issues and challenges in entering and expanding operations in new markets which were culturally different from the organizations home/traditional/existing markets. • Understand the pros and cons of entering a new market with a standardized/adapted product to suit local preferences. • Analyze MTVN’s strategy in the Middle East, identify challenges and explore strategies that the channel could adopt in the future This case is meant for students of the MBA/MS level programs in the Business Strategy curriculum. The case is also suitable for...

Words: 4111 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Kj0Ij

...Directory Introduction P 2-3 Elaborate Topic P 4–5 Local Advertising P 6–25 Global Advertising P 26–36 Conclusion P36-39 Effective advertisement global or local? Advertisement, every time we turn on TV or radio, surf the Web, check the mail or drive to the supermarket, we are subjected to multiple, and sometimes simultaneous--advertising messages. With that kind of saturation, and the high cost of running an ad campaign, advertisers need to make their ads stand out. Of course, advertising needs to do more than get noticed. It needs to be focused, memorable and ultimately compelling enough to move customers to choose their product or service over all the others fighting for attention. Before we define an effective advertisement is global or local, we should know one thing first . what is the meaning of an effective advertisement? What is the factor to construct a successful advertisement ? effective advertising is advertising that changes the behavior of the consumer of that one thing and also effective advertising, is advertising that makes people feel a certain way about a brand mean it’s all about the brand and how people allow that brand to influence their lives, effective advertising is there is a lot of ways to measure advertising these days, but the over view of what makes an add effective is to people remember and they motivated by is it to the consumption...

Words: 5531 - Pages: 23

Premium Essay

Cross Cultural

...6.0 Culture and Marketing 6.1 Marketing in a cross-cultural environment As the largest Western European country, France is a nation that takes immense pride in its history and prominent culture. Such cultural identities play a crucial role in French business culture, where appropriate conduct, mutual trust and understanding are the key to an organizations success. There are some problem to adapt the product and marketing with the people in France. That is why some intercultural marketing approach is needed. Culture Culture Management Management Organizations Organizations Communication Communication Marketer within Cross-Border Market Marketer within Cross-Border Market Figure 6.1: Marketing in a cross-cultural environment Source: Browaeys & Price, 2011 (page 229) In a company, marketing is one of important things to make sure the production’s activities are always proceeding. In a textbook written by Browaeys & Price (2011) had stated that, Wall and Rees (2004) divide marketing activities as follows: 1. Market analysis with at least three elements, which are environment analysis, buyer behavior and market research 2. Marketing strategy. Once a market has been scanned using the above tools, the company has to develop a strategy to give meaning and direction to its marketing activities. The strategies that often used are market segmentation and marketing mix. However, these approaches are no longer suitable...

Words: 2498 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Bribery Scandal

...For this assignment our learning team discussed the Bribery Scandal at Siemens AG. As a group we analyzed the case and conducted additional research to answer critical questions in each key section. Supported by the course material and supplemental articles, the team compiled the research that discussed Internet technologies, affective technologies in management development strategies, global alliances and provided recommendations on cross border operations. Key issues Analysis of the Siemens case resulted in several key issues which explained the bribery scandal. Lack of leadership is the primary cause for the Siemens representatives convicted of bribery in 2007. The intention of the bribery was to ensure that Siemens obtained needed global contracts. The methodology offered supported no personal gain from this bribery and the organization gained contracts which negated a cause for an illegal act. In addition, Siemens was operated in countries where these acts were considered legal. There were no other documented strategies to obtain the contracts that did not include illegal activity (Deresky, 2011). Although managers were able to offer defenses against the allegations, the underlying issue in this case is poor leadership will result in multiple scandals. The leadership team within this organization took no responsibility from an international perspective to create an ethical environment and standards for their employees. There was no acknowledgement of illegal activity...

Words: 923 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Managing People

...internal environment of the firm which describes different factors of organizational structure, culture and leadership. After the analysis of internal factors the report then analyses the proposed development framework where the diversity of the organization, the selection criteria of the employees and the implementing the framework according to the company strategy is discussed. Finally the recommendations for future success of the firm are provided in the report. Global External Environment Political Environment In the legal industry different employment law, policies and regulation are practiced across different countries. In some of the countries the legal professional standards are self-regulated where the qualification and the requirements are defined as per the set standards. There may be some international trade and restrictions within the countries which restrict the foreign lawyers practicing in the countries. The organizations like WTO (World Trade Organization) are formed and designed to regulate the international trade between the countries which also include the legal services. {draw:frame} Social Environment The social factors which affect the legal industry are the people and their culture. As per the case study of Baker & McKenzie (B&M), the legal industry mainly consists of partners, associates and support staff. The culture and life...

Words: 2252 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

International Hrm Healic Case Study

... | CONTENTS Terms of references 3 Methods of investigation 3 Findings 3 Conclusions 17 Recommendations 17 Reference 18 Bibliography 18 Words: 3517 1.0 Terms of reference In order to complete International HRM unit task, a formal report has been requested. The task is to carry out an investigation and undertake a role of Management Consultant to look into the issues influencing movement of new plant to other locations and consider HR strategy for Haelec. Following subjects: cultural differences, implementing practices within different cultures, explanation what are the difference between integration and differentiation, managing people in international context and clarification of comparative and international HRM concepts....

Words: 3480 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Aaaa

...Slide 4. 1 Chapter 4 E-Environment David Chaffey, E-Business & E-Commerce Management, 5th Edition, © Marketing Insights Limited 2012 Slide 4. 2 Learning Outcomes • Identify the different elements of an organization macro-environment that impact on an organization‟s e-business and e-marketing strategy • Assess the impact of legal, privacy and ethical constraints or opportunities on a company • Assess the role of macro-economic factors such as economics, governmental e-business policies, taxation and legal constraints. David Chaffey, E-Business & E-Commerce Management, 5th Edition, © Marketing Insights Limited 2012 Slide 4. 3 Management Issues • What are the constraints such as legal issues placed by the e-environment on developing and implementing an e-business strategy? • How can trust and privacy be assured for the customer while seeking to achieve marketing objectives of customer acquisition and retention? • Assessment of the business relevance of technological innovation. David Chaffey, E-Business & E-Commerce Management, 5th Edition, © Marketing Insights Limited 2012 1 Slide 4. 4 Activity 4.1 Introduction to Social, Legal and Ethical Issues • List all the social, legal and ethical issues that the manager of a sell-side e-commerce website needs to consider to avoid damaging relationships with users of his or her site or which may leave the company facing prosecution. You can base your answer on issues which may concern...

Words: 2654 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Adv Personal Reflection

...International Advertising ADV 301 Personal Reflection Assessment Victoria luxford Personal Reflection Assessment –International Advertising Q1 Out line your top five key leanings that you have derived from undertaking ADV 301 International Advertising From the subject International I have obtained an array of new understandings in to not only advertising but other information that will become useful in my degree major marketing. 1) I discovered the differences between domestic and international advertising and how as a advertiser you need to be conscious of this when designing a campaign . Domestic | International | * More target specific * Differing media mediums * Local slang | * Languages * Symbols * Body language * Differing media mediums * Laws and regulations * Demographics | (Lecture 1 ADV 301) 2)When advertising internationally you must take on a series of factors when deciding to either standardize or change the advertisement . Factors such as the environmental factors : * Economic environment * Political environment * Legal/regulatory environment * Socio-cultural environment * Technological environment Are extremely important and must be taken into consideration in order fot the given advertisement or campaign to be successful. 3) Value= Total Benefit eg. Social acceptance Total Costs eg. Travel, time involved, parking fees, cost of product, opportunity and psychological 4) Advertising...

Words: 1290 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

6 It Decisions

...www.hbr.org Top executives often feel uncomfortable making hard choices about information technology. But when they abdicate responsibility, they set their companies up for wasted investments and missed opportunities. Six IT Decisions Your IT People Shouldn’t Make by Jeanne W. Ross and Peter Weill Reprint R0211F Top executives often feel uncomfortable making hard choices about information technology. But when they abdicate responsibility, they set their companies up for wasted investments and missed opportunities. Six IT Decisions Your IT People Shouldn’t Make by Jeanne W. Ross and Peter Weill COPYRIGHT © 2002 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. For several years now, we have observed the frustration—sometimes even exasperation— that many business executives feel toward information technology and their IT departments. Our center runs a seminar called “IT for the Non-IT Executive,” and the refrain among the more than 1,000 senior managers who have taken the course runs something like this: “What can I do? I don’t understand IT well enough to manage it in detail. And my IT people—although they work hard—don’t seem to understand the very real business problems I face.” Perhaps the complaint we hear most frequently from the executives—most of them CEOs, COOs, CFOs, or other high-ranking officers—is that they haven’t realized much business value from the high-priced technology they have installed. Meanwhile, the list of seemingly...

Words: 5461 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

English

...much knowledge should business units of a firm share with one another B MW is renowned as a highly innovative and technologically advanced MNC. It relies heavily on its event and exhibition (E&E) units to introduce and represent its brand to various stakeholders and consumer markets throughout the globe. At BMW, E&E units are located as sub-divisions of marketing units, and play a significant role in implementing marketing strategies and communication concerning event sponsoring, tradeshows and firm-owned events, thus representing an important part in integrating successfully marketing strategy and mix. E&E units have to balance standardization versus adaptation of marketing strategies and often form the essential corporate link between customers and the organization, and between existing internal knowledge and newly generated external knowledge. The successes of numerous new product campaigns and launches over the last three decades confirm the competence of their relatively small E&E workforce and external agencies. Although BMW's products are standardized to a large degree in all markets, E&E units in different countries and regions seem to apply different approaches to marketing those products. This case study looks at six E&E units located in Australia, China, France, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The main objective being to obtain a deeper understanding about the nature and depth of knowledge transfers between E&E units within BMW. ...

Words: 1687 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

International Business Strategy for Globalization

...Coca-Cola: International Business Strategy For Globalization Dr. Michael Ba Banutu-Gomez, Professor, Management and Entrepreneurship, William G. Rohrer College of Business Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to analyze the efficiency of global strategies. This paper identified six key strategies necessary for firms to be successful when expanding globally. These strategies include differentiation, marketing, distribution, collaborative strategies, labor and management strategies, and diversification. Within this analysis, we chose to focus on the Coca-Cola Company because they have proven successful in their international operations and are one of the most recognized brands in the world. We performed an in-depth review of how effectively or ineffectively Coca-Cola has used each of the six strategies. The paper focused on Coca-Cola's operations in the United States, China, Belarus, Peru, and Morocco. The author used electronic journals from the various countries to determine how effective Coca-Cola was in these countries. The paper revealed that Coca-Cola was very successful in implementing strategies regardless of the country. However, the author learned that CocaCola did not effectively utilize all of the strategies in each country. Key Words: Coca-Cola, International Business, Strategy, Globalization, International Marketing, Labor Relations, Distribution, Diversification, Management, Channels, Costs, Gains and Collaboration. INTRODUCTION...

Words: 9970 - Pages: 40

Premium Essay

Personal

...presented numerous opportunities and challenges for foreign firms there. Many large corporations have established a China centre to coordinate and control their operations in the country. As firms have increased their presence in China, their concerns are increasingly focused on implementing successful management practices and strategies. This article describes the challenges and difficulties that multinational companies faced in Chinese market. It analyses roles played by the human resource function in these China, culture differences, social environment and other factors. Keywords: Challenge, Multinationals, Chinese market 1. Introduction Over the last few decades, the process of globalization has created unprecedented opportunities for global business investment and trade. Many multinational companies are attempting to expand their business international by many entry strategies such as joint venture and subsidiary. While China, with over 1.3 billion population and 9.6 million square kilometers (China Popin, 2008) has become a valuable land for foreign multinational companies. They try to enter the Chinese market by using many different strategies. For example, Siemens set up its representative office in Beijing in 1982 (Fryxell, Butler, and Choi 2004); Coca Cola operated a wholly foreign-owned enterprise that produced beverage concentrate in Shanghai and is direct joint-venture partner in a similar facility in Tianjin (Weisert, 2001). Furthermore, China’s successfully accessed...

Words: 4851 - Pages: 20