The world is a small place thanks to the Internet, but there are still plenty of differences between people by nations. Those differences often translate into global and domestic marketing problems.
Some companies use a one-size-fits-all marketing approach. This approach is doomed to fail because what people in one culture like, another those in another nation abhor.
Using market segmentation to determine values, concerns, and attitudes of target market members requires market research specific to each nation and groups of people within each nation.
Global and Domestic Marketing: Use Different Strategies For Different Nations
The market segment of the United States is dependent on many different factors, ranging from the demographics of the public to what the public needs, want and will buy. But information about USA publics doesn't apply in different nations.
The United States is known as a melting pot, and that means marketing to different cultures within one nation. That's hard enough, but when it must be done across borders, it gets even harder.
Global and Domestic Marketing: Demographic Characteristics Vary By Nation and Culture
In addition, many market segmentation criteria change from nation to nation. For example, generations are influenced by cultural and historical events they experience. Some of those events may be similar across nations, but they are not experienced the same.
The World War II generation in the USA was influenced by the second world war just like most people in the Western world. However, the influence of Pearl Harbor on the USA WWII generation was greater than for those in the rest of the world.
So building a marketing campaign on USA characteristics will not be effective in other nations.
Global and Domestic Marketing: People From Different Nations Think Differently
Psychographic characteristics also differ by nations. For one reason, culture, morals, values and attitudes are learned within a society. Different nations develop different social pressures and expectations. They teach different values and attitudes within families and schools.
Every nation's culture differs so what is valued, expected, desired, and feared vary by nation.
For example, it was once common for USA Caucasian families to teach their children that African or Black Americans were inferior and should be treated as such. Some organizations like the Klu Klux Klan even regularly practiced murdering and torturing Blacks and got away with it. And this was after World War I when the Nazis were considered abhorrent for their racial hatred.
So psychographic characteristics like attitudes, values, and concerns change drastically across borders.
Global and Domestic Marketing: Buying Behaviors Differ
Because each nation's economy is based and distributed differently, what people can afford and what they value enough to spend their money on changes across nations.
But spending preferences go beyond people's ability to buy. It is closely tied to culture, social pressure, ideas of success and many other nationally specific characteristics.
For example, people buy even the most basic needs according to buying habits within their nations. Many buy groceries daily from local "farmer's markets."
Here in the USA, we don't want to spend that much time buying groceries. We buy fast food on the way to and from work, or we buy food that has to be processed to last weekly or monthly.
I'm sure that many European residents are appalled by our over-processed food and would never consider serving it to their families.
So if we differ so much on something as basic as food, just think how our other buying habits differ.
Global and Domestic Marketing: Conclusion
Developing a marketing campaign for the people in one nation and trying to transfer that campaign to another nation doesn't work.
International marketing demands that a unique marketing program be created for each nation and that marketers know characteristics of the people in each nation.
But the sad truth is that little nation-specific information about people's characteristics is being developed. And much of what is developed remains proprietary. If we are to improve every nation's ability to advance economically, we must accumulate and share this information. Only then will global and domestic marketing provide equal chances of success.
Some companies use a one-size-fits-all marketing approach. This approach is doomed to fail because what people in one culture like, another those in another nation abhor.
Using market segmentation to determine values, concerns, and attitudes of target market members requires market research specific to each nation and groups of people within each nation.
Global and Domestic Marketing: Use Different Strategies For Different Nations
The market segment of the United States is dependent on many different factors, ranging from the demographics of the public to what the public needs, want and will buy. But information about USA publics doesn't apply in different nations.
The United States is known as a melting pot, and that means marketing to different cultures within one nation. That's hard enough, but when it must be done across borders, it gets even harder.
Global and Domestic Marketing: Demographic Characteristics Vary By Nation and Culture
In addition, many market segmentation criteria change from nation to nation. For example, generations are influenced by cultural and historical events they experience. Some of those events may be similar across nations, but they are not experienced the same.
The World War II generation in the USA was influenced by the second world war just like most people in the Western world. However, the influence of Pearl Harbor on the USA WWII generation was greater than for those in the rest of the world.
So building a marketing campaign on USA characteristics will not be effective in other nations.
Global and Domestic Marketing: People From Different Nations Think Differently
Psychographic characteristics also differ by nations. For one reason, culture, morals, values and attitudes are learned within a society. Different nations develop different social pressures and expectations. They teach different values and attitudes within families and schools.
Every nation's culture differs so what is valued, expected, desired, and feared vary by nation.
For example, it was once common for USA Caucasian families to teach their children that African or Black Americans were inferior and should be treated as such. Some organizations like the Klu Klux Klan even regularly practiced murdering and torturing Blacks and got away with it. And this was after World War I when the Nazis were considered abhorrent for their racial hatred.
So psychographic characteristics like attitudes, values, and concerns change drastically across borders.
Global and Domestic Marketing: Buying Behaviors Differ
Because each nation's economy is based and distributed differently, what people can afford and what they value enough to spend their money on changes across nations.
But spending preferences go beyond people's ability to buy. It is closely tied to culture, social pressure, ideas of success and many other nationally specific characteristics.
For example, people buy even the most basic needs according to buying habits within their nations. Many buy groceries daily from local "farmer's markets."
Here in the USA, we don't want to spend that much time buying groceries. We buy fast food on the way to and from work, or we buy food that has to be processed to last weekly or monthly.
I'm sure that many European residents are appalled by our over-processed food and would never consider serving it to their families.
So if we differ so much on something as basic as food, just think how our other buying habits differ.
Global and Domestic Marketing: Conclusion
Developing a marketing campaign for the people in one nation and trying to transfer that campaign to another nation doesn't work.
International marketing demands that a unique marketing program be created for each nation and that marketers know characteristics of the people in each nation.
But the sad truth is that little nation-specific information about people's characteristics is being developed. And much of what is developed remains proprietary. If we are to improve every nation's ability to advance economically, we must accumulate and share this information. Only then will global and domestic marketing provide equal chances of success.
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