International companies change their distribution channels and marketing messages based
on the country where they are located. Countries globally have diverse cultures and
differences that require a company to have local knowledge and structured planning.
International companies must know and work with the cultural differences within their
operations. a Distribution channels must adhere to the country's local, import, and export
laws. Companies are required to meet specified requirements and licenses for delivery.
Research must be done to know who you are marketing to and their product expectations.
Marketing messages will change to accommodate and attract the local culture, without
changing the brand integrity. Markets where products are becoming popular and sought
after can be marketed showing the benefit to the customers in the new international areas. a
Coca Cola has high demand all over the world. The company has had to change its product
and marketing to adapt to the different countries while keeping its brand image at the high
standard they have built. An example of the Coca Cola company adapting is in parts of
Africa where there is not a highly developed infrastructure. Coca Cola Company has been
able to solve this problem by distributing to vendors in small quantities due to many
vendors not having the finances to buy in bulk. Transportation was affected by locations,
and methods of transport were revised, such as canoes to reach remote areas. The warm and
humid climate in Africa is combated by solar-powered coolers. Glass bottles are used in
poverty-stricken places to generate recycling. Coca Cola Company markets to customers
that the savings of using recyclable glass are passed on to the customers and that the
customers are only paying for the cola and not the packaging. Coca Cola Company
successfully markets to different countries by building brand and sentiment with the culture
of each country.
One of the biggest challenges of global marketing is not only communicating a consistent
message and brand image, but developing a deep understanding of the cultural differences
that separate consumer markets from one another.
Fortunately for multinational corporations, internet analysis and tracking technologies have
grown more advanced, providing insights into customer behavior both online and offline.
Because of the existence of the Internet, people prefer to organize themselves into much
more concentrated groupings and in far higher concentrations than in offline environments.
Social networking websites and personalization features, for example, may provide useful
insights to corporate advertisers seeking to enter difficult-to-reach and international
audiences. Regardless of its size or visibility, a global brand must adjust its country
strategies to take into account placement and distribution in the marketing mix. For
example, not all cultures use or have access to vending machines. In the United States,
beverages are sold by the pallet via warehouse stores. However, in India, this is not an
option.
Companies like Unilever and Mondelez do tend to change up their distribution channels
based on the ever evolving technology. This is efficient and can be personalized to their
markets.
Unilever changes the distribution channel to target customers and ensure direct access
-Unilever also changes the distribution channels based on the efficiencies of the modern
technology
-Desired final price on the various household products also impact's on the companies
distribution channels
The examples of how International Company (Unilever) changes marketing messages;
-The adverts of Unilever are developed based on the culture of the Country
-Unilever different promotional mix based on the target country.
Changes distribution channel;
-Unilever changes the distribution channel to target customers and ensure direct access-
Unilever offers various consumer and household goods. The company have a more flexible
distribution channel that ensures direct access to the customers through the various
supermarkets, malls and other retail outlets globally.
-Unilever also changes the distribution channels based on the efficiencies of the modern
technology-development in the technology and other approaches have made the company to
develop a distribution channel that is more efficient and more personalized to the customers.
-Desired final price on the various household products also impact's on the companies
distribution channels -depending on the desired final price, Unilever may make changes to
the distribution channel intermediaries. This ensures affordable prices on its various brands
such as the Persil, Domestos, Lipton,Dove among others.
Changes marketing messages;
-The adverts of Unilever are developed based on the culture of the Country-advertising
messages for Unilever differs depending on the culture of the country to ensure the product
is more positioned to address the needs of a given culture and improve on the sales level.
-Unilever different promotional mix based on the target country-promotional mix would be
integrated in countries that have more digital customers such as the US,UK and India. This
differs from the intensive marketing strategies adopted in emerging markets.
The challenges can be both tied to communication and cultural differences, which are
mentioned in my 4 points above. Additionally, cultural differences can also be tied to
religious differences which can cause issues in the supply chain a few times a year. In my
industry as a transportation broker when i quote my clients on lanes, from the month of
November until mid Jan I have to take into account all the religious holidays and increase
the rate a bit, a lot of my drivers are not from the US and celebrate different religions
during these 3 months meaning my supply chain flow will be interumpted drastically until
its over. There are four main challenges when it comes to international distribution. First is
supply chain management. Every supply chain is inherently variable. When aspects of your
business are more comprehensive than the U.S., unpredictability can escalate. Natural
disasters, geopolitical turbulence, and even minor transportation difficulties can affect
global distribution. The second thing I can think of is Currency fluctuations. When
conducting business overseas, you should be prepared for oscillating costs you conduct
business overseas, and you should be prepared for prices to oscillate. Exchange rates
continually fluctuate due to supply and demand. We recommend ensuring currency
fluctuations are integrated into your company’s enterprise risk-management plan before
embarking on global distribution. The third thing I can think of is the preservation of
intellectual property. Intellectual property rights are less straightforward in other countries.
IP infringement can occur through many actions and, more often than not, result in severe
damage to your business. Last, compliance with international regulations and standards.
Quality standards and rules regarding imports, exports, safety, packaging, labeling, and
more differ around the world. Globalization is less of a trend and more of a necessity these
days. There is no denying that the most successful products in today’s economy are global
ones.
