Small shops in Hanoi, Vietnam
Most small companies first enter the global marketplace by accident. They get a call from someone in Mexico who needs to buy some equipment from them or someone from England orders your e-book online. In this stage of the game, the company isn’t focusing any of it’s marketing efforts overseas. Customers just stumble upon their business and decided to make a purchase.
The second stage is when a company decides to export their products to a foreign market. This may involves getting a distribution partner on the other end to take care of all the marketing activities.
At some point, exports are doing well in certain countries and the company decides that they want a presence in the international market. They may decide to open a subsidiary or branch in order to maximize market penetration. Products and services may be customized or localized to meet the needs of the foreign consumer.
The final stage is when the company truly reaches global status. At this point in the game, they are not only localizing products, they are thinking of their brand in terms of global penetration. Companies in this stage are household names throughout the world. Think Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Walmart, Carrefour, and other major corporations.
In the past, the cost of going global made these steps necessary.
Going Global Guerrilla Style!
Technology has revolutionized the process of taking your products and services to world markets. If you are familiar with Jay Conrad Levinson’s Guerrilla Marketing book, you know that marketing success can be achieved by using time, energy, and imagination instead of money. Today, I think we can add information and technology to that mix. In the case of exporting, smart marketers can now:
- Replace many costly and cumbersome distribution channels
- Facilitate distance sourcing of local talent
- Improve communication ability and reduce cost across vast distances
- Provide a digital showroom for products and services
- Customize & localize offerings based on location and behavioral data
- Include a platform for on-demand digital products and services
International marketing managers also leverage technology to do everything from market research to international promotions. At Aldeia, we can help you connect to the right resources, or manage the entire international marketing process for you.
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