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Global Marketing

3 Global Marketing Practices for Success

Global marketing strategies are essential for international growth and expansion. Companies should conduct proper market research to ensure that their products will be successful in certain regions. Here are the some of the best practices for overall global marketing strategies to keep in consideration when expanding internationally:

1. Keep in mind that customer behavior differs in different countries.

With each country comes new cultures and traditions that may vary from country to country. By keeping in mind the different customer behaviors, companies will be able to successfully adjust and market their products to the locals of that region. For example, Starbucks is the largest coffee chain in the world, serving more than 15,000 locations in the US alone (Bennett, 2021). However, Starbucks failed in Australia, closing two-thirds of its 90 stores in 2008 (Lukashevich, 2020). This was due to differing consumer behaviors. Starbucks’s original success was that it introduced European coffee culture to a country without this culture, and due to Australia’s already rich coffee culture, Starbucks did not have the appeal that it does in other countries. Should Starbucks have chosen to continue its expansion in a market more receptive to Starbucks’ product offerings, such as Japan and the United Kingdom. In Japan, Starbucks was the first coffee shop of its kind, and provided higher quality coffee than other local coffee shops in the area (Milner, 2022). This made it extremely popular in Japan, and allowed it to grow throughout the country.

2. Make sure to alter a product to fit the needs of the new market.

Not every country is looking for the American experience in new businesses. Dunkin Donuts was receptive to that fact, and wanted to integrate more local tastes to their donuts internationally. For example, Dunkin Donuts China serves a dried pork and seaweed doughnut, which appeals to the Chinese market’s taste preferences for salty and sweet flavors (Shaffer, 2022). Dunkin’s South Korean locations sell kimchi-stuffed savory donuts, which cater to Koreans’ preferences for spiciness in their foods. By incorporating local cultures and tastes into their menu, Dunkin Donuts is able to bring an appealing donut to different countries worldwide, which are beloved by their respective regional customers.

Dunkin’ Donuts Peru Pistachio Rainbow doughnut

3. Find promotions and trends that will work in international markets.

Capitalizing on a popular advertising campaign can make a brand stand out significantly, especially when the theme is internationally appealing. HARIBO, a German confectionery company that created the first gummy bear in 1922, has had one of the most well-known advertising campaigns globally with its “Kids’ Voices” campaign, which began in the United Kingdom. In these advertisements, adults sitting around a boardroom are discussing HARIBO gummy bears, but rather than hearing adult voices, we hear the voices of children. 

The entertainment factor of this advertisement is globally appealing, which allowed the campaign to spread internationally, with original ads running in nearly twenty countries across the globe in 2020 (PR Newswire, 2020). In the video below, the same concept was applied to cater to the Japanese audience, as it had been applied to the United States in 2017.

These commercials cater to HARIBO’s mission to “inspire moments of childlike happiness through [their] sweet treats” (HARIBO, n.d.). By actually bringing out the children in the adults in these advertisements, HARIBO was able to run a successful, globally well-known advertising campaign that continues to run today.

Sources:

Bennett, P. (2021, September 29). 10 of the best coffee chains across the US. Insider. Retrieved from https://www.insider.com/best-fast-food-restaurants-that-have-coffee-in-the-us

Frequently asked questions about haribo. HARIBO. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.haribo.com/en-us/about-us/faq#:~:text=HARIBO’s%20mission%20is%20to%20inspire,re%20just%20that%2C%20a%20treat.

Haribo unveils brand-new “Kids’ voices” AD and Sweepstakes. Haribo Unveils Brand-New “Kids’ Voices” Ad And Sweepstakes. (2020, December 7). Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/haribo-unveils-brand-new-kids-voices-ad-and-sweepstakes-301186964.html

Lukashevich, S. (2021, May 10). Why have Starbucks failed in Australia but succeeded in China? LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-starbucks-failed-australia-succeeded-china-stanislav-lukashevich-/

Milner, R. (2022, March 16). Starbucks in Japan: Why they are so popular & why you should visit. VOYAPON. Retrieved from https://voyapon.com/starbucks-in-japan/

Shaffer, J. (2022, February 25). Surprising menu items Dunkin’ donuts serve around the world. Taste of Home. Retrieved from https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/surprising-menu-items-at-dunkin-donuts-around-the-world/