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Product and service adaptation. Marketing Policies. Same products sold everywhere the same way = (full) standardization = global strategy Adapt to local conditions = adaptation = multidomestic strategy. Benefits from Standardization. lower costs improved quality enhanced customer preference
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Marketing Policies • Same products sold everywhere the same way = (full) standardization = global strategy • Adapt to local conditions = adaptation = multidomestic strategy
Benefits from Standardization • lower costs • improved quality • enhanced customer preference • increased competitive leverage • global customers and suppliers
Lower Costs • Experience curve • Bargaining power • Economies of scale
Economies of Scale • in manufacturing • in research and development • in advertising • scale economies in advertising • media overlaps • pan-European events
Price/fit Tradeoff • Customers are willing to sacrifice perfect fit for price (Levitt 1983) • Italian washing machines • Japanese cars in US • but Whirlpool and Maytag in Europe
Improved quality • Enhanced customer preference • better service to global customers • greater recognition, authority, and credibility of the product/brand • increasingly the case as customers travel • Increased competitive leverage • prevents imitation • Greater bargaining power • Global customers and suppliers
Benefits of standardization are reduced by… • Transportation costs • Government barriers • Currency risk • Management costs • Intercountry taste differences
Benefits of standardization are reduced by government barriers • Tax discrimination • Foreign exchange risk • Trade barriers • Standards and regulations
Benefits of standardization are reduced by management costs • Increased coordination costs • Information loss • Loss of local motivation
Benefits of standardization are reduced by differences in consumer tastes Consumer taste homogeneity • Uniformity (same consumption patterns across countries) • Vs. Interpenetration (more common segments across countries)
Uniformity? • Emergence of global products • But still major differences across Europe for some products • cigarettes • Alcohol
Convergence? • Yes for some products, no for others
Annual per-capita cigarette consumption Country 1994 2004 Percentage Change Note: Consumption defined by duty-paid sales; actual consumption can be higher. Source: ERC Group
Less adaptation needed for producer than for consumer goods, yet still differences (earth moving equipment) • In general, any product/service transferred to a foreign country will be “reconstructed” locally “wine and cheese parties” melons in Japan
Whyat needs to be adapted? Marketing Adaptation Checklist 1. product/service 2. price 3. promotion 4. distribution
1. Why Product/Service adaptation? • Conditions of use (size, features) • population density, weather • Preferences (taste, smell) • Habits and values • social class, religion
Why product/service adaptation? (2) • Economic conditions • stage of development • degree of competition • Standards and regulations • admissible ingredients and techniques
2. Price Adaptations • product positioning (elasticity of demand) • competition • government regulation
Automobile Price Differences in the EU Source: European Commission
3. Promotion adaptations • Brand • Advertising
Global or Local Brand? • Cost of creating and maintaining global brand? • Scale economies in global brand? • Value association with global vs. local brand? • Cultural and legal hindrances with global brand?
Some Brands do not Transfer • Pschitt • Sissy • Toyota MR2 • Chevrolet Nova • American Motors Matador • Mitsubishi Pajero • Air • Mymorning Water • Creap • Clairol Mist Stick
European Firms Are Integrating Across the Continent Key: 7…Agree strongly … … … … … 1…Disagree strongly 3.5 3.4 2.8 2.6 2.6 1.9 European-based firms Subsidiaries of U.S.-based firms All firms
Country of Origin Effects Apparent country of origin affects reputation Germany = Robust France = Luxury Italy = Design Finland = Pure
Advertising • Response to advertising • Response to message • Media availability • Advertising restrictions
Response to Message • Silent language • color • numbers • symbols • Spoken language • perceptual gaps • encoding/decoding gaps
Seller in country A Buyer in country B Seller’s field of experience Sender Encoder Receiver Decoder Message Medium Culture Culture Choice of words Choice of symbols Meaning Choice of words Choice of symbols Understanding
Distribution • Channels • availability • cost • regulations
11,48 11,11 8,94 6,49 5,61 5,30 2,21 Russia UK France Brazil US India China Store Density per 1000 inhabitants
Top 5 Chains Share in Supermarkets – 2004 Canada 88% UK 74,30% 62% France US 45% Brazil 41,40% Russia 9% China 2% India 2%
Vending machines Japan: 1 for every 25 persons US: 1 for every 40 persons China: 1 for every 26,000 people
Three points to keep in mind • Price-Fit tradeoff • Core vs. peripheral standardization • Selective standardization
1. Price/fit Tradeoff Customers are willing to sacrifice perfect fit for price (Levitt 1983) • Italian washing machines • Japanese cars in US • but Whirlpool and Maytag in Europe
2. Product/service Core and Peripheral Elements McDonald’s • core: clean, family, fast • non-core: menus
McDonald’s Menu Adaptation • Norway: McLaks, grilled salmon sandwich with dill sauce on a whole-grain bun • Canada: Cheese vegetable, pepperoni and deluxe pizza • France: Wine • Uruguay: McHuevo, a hamburger with a poached egg on top, and McQueso, a toasted cheese sandwich • Netherlands: Groenteburger, vegetable burger • Germany: Frankfurters, tortellini and a cold four-course meal • Greece and Italy: Salad bar • Thailand: Samurai Pork Burger, marinated with teriyaki sauce, and palm-fruit sundae • Singapore: Vanilla ice cream swirled with chocolate and strawberry and spiced for Singaporean tastes • Philipines: McSpaghetti, a sweet tomato and meat sauce with frankfurter bits • Japan: Chicken Tatsuta sandwich, fried chicken spiced with soy sauce and ginger served with cabbage and mustard mayonaise
3. Optimal standardization almost never full standardization and varies... • across products • across elements of the marketing mix • across areas • across time
Standardized concept and execution No standardization 1 2 3 4 5 Standardization of the Marketing mix
Conclusion • One must search for the proper balance between full adaptation and full standardization • Decision must be on a case-by-case basis • Implementation difficulties should be taken into account