International marketing is the application of marketing in cultures or environments different from one's own . It is about working with realities that are foreign to the usual environment and that, therefore, require attention to multiple factors that can affect the introduction and demand of products .
It should be noted that marketing is the discipline that, through the study of the behavior of markets and consumers, attempts to encourage demand and increase trade . Marketing experts establish various strategies for the commercial management of companies with the intention of building customer loyalty.
The adjective international , on the other hand, refers to what belongs to or relates to two or more countries , to nations other than its own, or to what has transcended national borders.
International marketing techniques
A pillar of commercial success is the production of goods that satisfy consumer needs. In the international market, marketing experts must be clear about what these needs are and the way in which producers can satisfy them.
One of the basic tactics of international marketing, therefore, is foreign market research . Having gone through this initial stage, the product to be introduced can be designed and developed and the corresponding tests carried out before the official launch.
If these marketing strategies are successful, producers can develop in international trade and export their products. International marketing has to be in charge of analyzing how to retain its consumers.
Differences with national marketing
Beyond merely geographical issues, there are several differences between international and national (also called domestic ) marketing. Firstly, language barriers make it practically impossible to find a name that generates the same impact in all parts of the world. But the difficulty does not simply lie in linguistic issues, but rather the weight of the culture and history of each country is often an imposing wall that considerably affects the success of a certain article in certain countries.
Although we leave aside the terms and expressions that do not have a translation in certain languages, some words have a very special meaning as a result of certain historical issues; For example, if a company dedicated to the creation of board games tries to market a children's product called "Tsunami" in Thailand or Japan , it will surely find a less than favorable response, while it could be very successful in South American countries that do not have to bear the memory of millions of victims of a catastrophe of this type in their memory.
On the other hand is gestural language , whose differences at an international level are usually ignored by many people. The same gesture that in one country expresses satisfaction, in another can mean total disappointment or even a threat. The same happens with posture and facial expressions : when carrying out an international marketing campaign, it is essential to know all these issues to maximize effectiveness and avoid misunderstandings , which can lead a good product to failure.
International marketing and risk diversification
Among the benefits of targeting the international market is risk diversification , a concept that refers to not placing all the expectations of a company's success only in one country.
No matter how well a business starts, it is likely to encounter a large number of obstacles throughout its life, and some of them may be related to cultural issues; For this reason, relying on different markets can be a very wise decision. Furthermore, the enrichment of dealing with an international audience often leads to greater innovation.