國際營銷人員的任務
 

介紹
 

在我們逐步發展的全球社會，一些企業公司不能總是幻想著自己國內的市場總是能夠頑強的生存下去。因此，企業也要選擇海外市場。這就使得國際營銷人員的任務更加的復雜和困難了，他必須要把握兩級控制的不確定性而不僅只是單一的方面。除了國內環境的不可控因素外，他也得處理每個外來國家獨特的不可控因素，盡管研究的過程和方法基本上是相同的，無論是應用在約翰內斯堡，莫桑比克或南非特蘭斯凱。國際市場營銷的研究主要涉及兩個額外的并發癥:

1,信息交流需要跨越文化障礙。

2.研究工具所應用的環境通常與國外市場不同。
 

我們可以將我們的研究要求劃分為三個不同的領域：

大致上是對于國家，領域，市場

對于未來的預測，預期通過經濟，消費者的信息，在特定的市場/國家行業的發展趨勢。

準確的市場信息，產品開發，推廣，分銷和定價決策。
 

Tasks Of The International Marketer

 

Introduction 

 

In our increasingly global society, many companies cannot afford to live with the illusion that their domestic markets will always be strong. Therefore, companies choose to market overseas as well. This then makes the international marketer’s task more complicated as he now has to deal with two levels of uncontrollable uncertainty instead of one. Besides the uncontrollable elements of the domestic environment, he has to deal with each foreign country’s unique uncontrollable factors as well. 

 

Although the research process and methods are basically the same whether applied in Johannesburg, Mozambique or Transkei, International marketing research involves two additional complications: 

1. Information will need to be communicated across cultural boundaries. 

2. The environments within which the research tools are applied are often different in foreign markets. 

 

We can divide our research required, into 3 areas: 

• General – regarding the country, area, market 

• Information regarding future forecasts anticipated through economic, consumer, 

industry trends within particular markets/countries. 

• Precise market information, to develop the product, promotion, distribution or pricing decisions. 

An extensive scope is needed for foreign research, due to higher levels of uncertainty associated with it. A country’s political stability, cultural attributes, and geographical characteristics, are not ordinary types of information gathered for the domestic market, but are essential for a sound assessment of foreign markets. #p#分頁標題#e#

 

The following are a few complications warranting an in-depth investigation and understanding, so as to increase foreign market trade, instead of decreasing demand unintentionally. 

 

Secondary Data 

 

In many countries, there has been extensive research and data collection conducted for many years already, such as America, Japan. Unfortunately there are just as many countries who have only initiated data collection recently. Organizations such as United Nations and other private/public groups, fund the collection of information to offset the lack of inclusive data. 

Even with the extensive amount of data that’s been collected, one of the major hiccups is its availability to other countries. Detailed data such as number of whole salers, retailers, manufacturers, facilitating services, are unavailable for many parts of the world. Data on population and income are also mostly unavailable. If required, marketers need to initiate their own research or rely on private sources. 
 

Even when the data is available, the researcher needs to be fluent in the language it’s provided in or have a native speaker of the appropriate language on the team. 

Our next concern relating to available data, is how reliable are they? Official statistics are sometimes too optimistic or unreliable in reporting relevant economic data regarding their countries. This is done so as to seek advantages or hide failures by falsifying statistical reports. 
 

Comparability of available data is a shortcoming faced by foreign marketers. In countries such as the United States, various sources of reliable statistics on business indicators are readily available as well as frequently updated. Other countries may have data which is long outdated or collected infrequently. Further more, even though some countries are now collecting data on a frequent basis, there is no historical series with which they can compare their recent data. 
 

Another problem can be the way in which the data was collected and reported. Too often data is reported in different categories or categories much too broad to be of specific value. 

We need to be able to validate the secondary data that is considered for usage. We can do this by asking the following: 

•Who collected the data (Would there be any reason for purposely misrepresenting 

the facts?) 

• For what purpose was the data initially collected? 

• How (by what methodology) was the data collected? 

• Are the data internally consistent and logical in the light of known data sources or 

market factors? 

 

Projections for U.S. Consumer e-Commerce (in billions) #p#分頁標題#e#

1999 2003 

Jupiter Communications 14.9 78 

Cyber Dialogue 19.2 65.6 

eMarketer 19.4 104.7 

University of Tennessee 19.8 140.2 

Forester Research 20.2 143 

Dataquest 20.5 147 

The Yankee Group 24.2 125.6 

IDC 24.2 75 

Simba 25.7 106.5 

 

Below is an example of E-Commence projections. What numbers will we use? How valid is this? 

 

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Where no data is available or the secondary data is inadequate, is it necessary to collect primary data(data specifically collected for the job at hand). 

 

Problems of gathering Primary data 

 

Most problems in collecting primary data stem from cultural differences amongst countries. This can be an inability for respondents to communicate their opinions or inadequacies in question translation. 

Willingness to respond - due to cultural differences. 

Incorrect sampling in field surveys. The result of lack of adequate demographic data and available lists from which to draw meaningful samples. In many countries, telephone directories, census, street maps, and even economic characteristics of the population aren’t available. The methods of survey (mail, telephone, internet, personal interviews, etc) used are also limited due to under-developed countries not all having access to telephones, internet, or a reliable mail service. In Sri Lanka, less than 5% of the residents have landlines. In Nicaragua, delays of weeks in delivery are not unusual and expected returns are low because a letter can only be mailed at a post office. 

The most universal survey research problem in foreign countries is the language barrier. Differences in idiom, pronunciation, exact translation can cause misinterpretation from both the researcher and respondent. 

Literacy poses yet another problem. In some countries with low literacy rates, written questionnaires are simply useless. 

 

Multicultural Research 

 

This category covers a wide range of considerations, many of which can—if misunderstood or unanticipated—significantly undermine a business's marketing efforts.These include literacy rates, education levels, language, religion, ethics, social values, and social organization. The ability of a country's people to read and write has a direct influence on the development of the economy—and on marketing strategy planning. "The degree of literacy affects the way information is delivered—which in marketing means promotion. Attitudes based on religious beliefs or cultural norms often shape marketing choices in fundamental ways as well. As Hiam and Schewe noted,"cultures differ in their values and attitudes toward work, success, clothing, food, music, sex, status, honesty, the rights of others, and much else." They observed that even business practices can vary tremendously from people to people. For instance, haggling is never done by the Dutch, often by Brazilians, and always by the Chinese. The company that does not take the time to make itself aware of these differences runs the risk of putting together an international marketing venture that can fail at any number of points. #p#分頁標題#e#

 

The Successful International Marketing Researcher 

 

To cope with these various problems encountered in foreign markets, the researcher should have the following talents: 

 

• A high degree of cultural understanding in markets to be researched. 

• A creative talent, to adapt various research methods where necessary. 

• A doubtful attitude in handling primary and secondary data. E.G. it might be 

necessary to check a newspaper pressrun over a period of time to get accurate circulation figures. Where data are suspect, triangulation through the use of multiple research methods is crucial. 

 

The Effects Of The Internet On Marketing Research 

 

It is impossible to keep up with the worldwide growth in Internet usage. We know that there are more than 900 million users in more than 200 countries. 

A survey of marketing researcher professionals suggests that the most important influences on the industry is the Internet and Globalization. 

There are at least 8 different uses for the Internet in international research: 

Online surveys and buyer panels – incentives are included in participation here, and use of different questions can be used based on previous answers. (An excellent ‘branching’ capability) 

Online focus groups – The use of bulletin boards. 

Web visitor tracking – Servers can automatically track and time visitors travel through websites. 

Advertising measurement – Servers track links to other sites and assess their usefulness. 

Customer identification systems – this is where you track website visits and purchases over time, creating a ‘virtual panal’. 

E-mail marketing lists – customers can be asked to sign up on emailing lists to receive future direct marketing efforts 

Embedded research – where you can search for information on products, services, comparisons of products, maintaining customer brand relationships 

Observational research – Chat lines, blogs, personal websites 

 

As the internet grows, more types of research will become feasible. Surveys in multiple languages can be produced quickly, as well as making methods of collecting more flexible across countries. The ability to access volumes of secondary data is much easier, and in most cases, more current. Email and web-based data collection methods are attractive to researchers particularly in international marketing, because of low costs and fast response rates. 

 

Source: Expanded from Sheehan and McMillan (1999, p.51) #p#分頁標題#e#

 

Websites provide information free, or for a nominal price. 

The ability of conducting primary research is an exciting aspect of international research. 

 

Downfalls 

 

Privacy is and will continue to be a matter of personal and legal consideration. A vexing challenge will be the cross-cultural concerns about privacy and the enlistment of co-operative consumer and customer groups. 

A significant disadvantage of e-mail surveys relates to confidentiality of the participants in the survey. Mail surveys give respondents the choice of being anonymous, whereas emails identify you. 

 

Bibliography 

 

Book References 

Cateora P.R, Graham J.L. (2008) International Marketing, 13th Edition. New York, McGraw-Hill Irwin. 

 

Internet Resources 

Going Global, by Christopher “Kit” Lisle ([email protected] ), viewed 16 March 2008, www.acclaropartners.com 

 

Research Using Secondary Data Sources,viewed on 14 March 2008, http://www.steppingstones.ca/artman/publish/article_60.shtml 

 

Ethical problems encountered by U.S. small businesses in international marketing, viewed on 14 March 2008, http://www.allbusiness.com/ethical-problems/3150832-1.html. 

 

Deciding to go International, written by Asim Khan, CEO,( [email protected] ) viewed on 14 March 2008。