Abstract:

International marketing strategies and styles vary widely from the marketing of almost identical brands through to the meeting of similar consumer needs across several countries via radically differing mixes of product, communication variables and price. Similarly, companies involved in marketing products or services in more than one country take many forms, ranging from home- based exporters through to multi-national concerns with operating subsidiaries in a number of countries. The most significant international businesses tend to be in this latter category and a key factor is the division of the various aspects of marketing policy making between the head or regional offices and the local operations. With such variations in strategy and structure it is not surprising that information needs are similarly diverse. It can be helpful to classify the main areas of research input as contributing to 1) market; 2) strategy or; 3) problem orientation.