Global Marketing and R&D - Lecture Notes 11

Chapter 18 Global Marketing and R&D Marketing Mix The choices the firm offers to its targeted market Comprised of: 1) 2) 3) 4) Product attributes Distribution strategy Communication strategy Pricing strategy Though the world is moving towards global markets, global standardization is not possible because:     Cultural differences among nations Economic differences among nations Trade barriers Differences in product and technical standards Market Segmentation Identifying distinct groups of consumers whose purchasing behavior differs from others in important ways Markets can be segmented by     Geography Demography Socio-cultural factors Psychological factors 2 key market segmentation issues 1) The differences between countries in the structure of market segments A. May have to develop a unique marketing mix to appeal to a certain segment in a given country B. The existence of segments that transcend national borders a. When segments transcend national borders, a global strategy is possible  A product is like a bundle of attributes  Products sell well when their attributes match consumer needs o If consumer needs were the same everywhere, a firm could sell the same product worldwide  But, consumer needs depend on 1) Culture a. Tradition, social structure, language, religion, education 2) Level of Economic Development a. Consumers in highly developed countries tend to demand a lot of extra performance attributes b. Consumers in less developed nations tend to prefer more basic products 3) Product and Technical Standards a. National differences can force firms to customize the marketing mix Distribution Strategy The means the firm chooses for delivering the product to the consumer 4 main differences in distribution systems 1) Retail Concentration A) Concentrated or fragmented i. A few retailers supply most of the market a. Common in developed countries B) Fragmented retail system i. There are many retailers, no one of which has a major share of the market a. Common in developing countries 2) Channel Length The number of intermediaries between the producer and the consumer A) Short channel i. When the producer sells directly to the consumer a. Common with concentrated systems B) Long channel i. When the producer sells through an important agent, a wholesaler, and a retailer a. Common with fragmented retail systems 3) Channel Exclusivity How difficult it is for outsiders to access (Japan’s system is very exclusive) 4) Channel Quality The expertise, competencies, and skills of established retailers in a nation, and their ability to sell and support the products of international businesses A) Good in most developed countries, but variable in emerging markets and less developed countries B) Firms may have to devote considerable resources to upgrading channel quality  When price is important, a shorter channel is better o Each intermediary in a channel adds its own markup to the product  When the retail sector is very fragmented, a long channel can be beneficial o Economizes on selling costs o Can offer access to exclusive channels Communication Strategy How a firm communicates with customers depends partly on the choice of channel Communication Channels available to a firm include:     Direct Selling Sales Promotion Direct Marketing Advertising The effectiveness of a firm’s international communication can be jeopardized by: 1) Cultural Barriers a. It can be difficult to communicate messages across cultures i. A message that means one thing in one country may mean something quite different in another ii. Firms needs to develop cross-cultural literacy, and use local input when developing marketing messages 2) Source and Country of Origin Effects a. Source Effects occur when the receiver of the messages evaluates the message on the basis or image of the sender i. Can counter negative source effects by deemphasizing their foreign origins ii. Country of Origin Effects The extent to which the place of manufacturing influences product evaluations 3) Noise Levels a. The amount of other messages competing for a potential consumer’s attention i. In highly developed countries, noise is very high ii. In developing countries, noise levels tend to be lower Firms have to choose between 2 types of communication strategies 1) A Push Strategy emphasizes personnel selling 2) A Pull Strategy emphasizes mass media advertising The choice between strategies depends on 1) Product type and consumer sophistication a. A pull strategy works well for firms in consumer goods selling to a large market segment b. A push strategy works well for industrial products 2) Channel Length a. A pull strategy works better with longer distribution channels 3) Media Availability a. A pull strategy relies on access to advertising media b. A push strategy may be better when media is not easily available In General:  A push strategy is better  For industrial products and/or complex new products  When distribution channels are short  When few print or electronic media are available  A pull strategy is better  For consumer goods products  When distribution channels are long  When sufficient print and electronic media are available to carry the marketing message Standardized advertising makes sense when:  It has significant economic advantages  Creative talent is scarce and one large effort to develop a campaign will be more successful than numerous smaller efforts  Brand names are global Standardized advertising does not make sense when:  Cultural differences among nations are significant  Advertising regulations limit standardized advertising  Some firms standardize parts of a campaign to capture the benefits of global standardization, but customize others to respond to local cultural and legal environments Firms need to consider 1) Price Discrimination 2) Strategic Pricing 3) Regulations that affect pricing decision Price Discrimination Occurs when firms charge consumers in different countries different prices for the same product For price discrimination to work  Must be able to keep national markets separate  Countries must have different price elasticity of demand Price Elasticity of Demand A measure of the responsiveness of demand for a product to changes in price  Demand is elastic when a small change in price produces a large change in demand  Demand is inelastic when a large change in price produces only a small change in demand  Typically, price elasticity is greater in countries with lower income levels and larger numbers of competitors Strategic Pricing has 3 aspects 1) Predatory Pricing a. Use profit gained in one market to support aggressive pricing designed to drive competitors out in another market i. After competitors have left, the firm will raise prices and earn high profits 2) Multi-Point Pricing a. A firm’s pricing strategy in one market may have an impact on a rival’s pricing strategy in another market i. Managers should centrally monitor pricing decisions 3) Experience Curve Pricing a. Price low worldwide in an attempt to build global sales volume as rapidly as possible, even if this means taking large losses initially i. Firms that are further along the experience curve have a cost advantage relative to firms further up the curve A firm’s ability to set prices may be limited by 1) Antidumping Regulations a. Dumping occurs when a firm sells a product for a price that is less than the cost of producing it i. Antidumping rules set a floor under export prices and limit a firm’s ability to pursue strategic pricing 2) Competition Policy a. Most industrialized nations have regulations designed to promote competition and restrict monopoly practices b. Can limit the prices that a firm can charge   Standardization versus customization is not an all or nothing concept Most firms standardize some things and customize others Where should R&D be located?  New product ideas come from the interactions of scientific research, demand conditions, and competitive conditions  The rate of new product development is greater in countries where  More money is spent on basic and applied research and development  Demand is strong  Consumers are affluent  Competition is intense  Since new product development has a high failure rate, new product development efforts should involve close coordination between R&D, marketing, and production Integration will ensure that:     Customer needs drive product development New products are designed for ease of manufacture Development costs are kept in check Time to market is minimized  Cross-functional integration is facilitated by cross-functional product development teams Effective Cross Functional Teams Should:      Be led by a heavyweight project manager with status in the organization Include members from all the critical functional areas Have members located together Establish clear goals Develop an effective conflict resolution process  To adequately commercialize new technologies, firms need to integrate R&D and marketing To successfully commercialize new technologies, firms may need to develop different versions for different countries 