If there is anything that should be no surprise to people or companies that
want to operate globally, it is the necessity of preliminary research. And
due to the abundance of available sources, domestically as well as
internationally, research regarding potential markets should not be too much
of a hassle. That is, if you want to start with finding out the basics. It
becomes more complicated when you are out to obtain information regarding
specifics that may not have been examined yet.
The positive part of international marketing research is, that nowadays
there are many specialized organizations, small, mid-sized and large, that
specialize in gaining information about certain areas. You can access their
contact- and background information on the Internet, from government
sources, or from local Chambers of Commerce.
Most marketing books distinct research possibilities in primary and
secondary research. Primary research is conducted to fill specific
information needs. That means that an entirely new research plan has to be
developed and executed. The international marketer can decide to either
self-conduct this research, or outsource it to one of the earlier mentioned
consultants.
Many new international marketers do not see the need to develop a unique
research for their specific product. They therefore rely on the database of
these specialized research companies to obtain information that can at least
get them started. This is secondary research: the international marketer can
get along with existing information to find out what he or she needs.
Yet, before any decision regarding the type of research to choose, the
international marketer should consider the following questions:
1) What countries are potential candidates for my product?
2) How are these markets viewing products similar to mine?
3) How capable are these markets to become essential customers of my
product?
Only after answering these questions, can the international marketer focus
on facilities and the type of research necessary for the project at hand.
In the international marketing session that pertained to marketing research,
my students came up with the following important points that everyone should
be aware of: international marketer or not.
1. Learn the basic foundations of every culture you have an interest in. If
you want to penetrate a market, you better find out how they perceive your
product. It may be that they have entirely different applications for your
item. A funny example is the grasshopper: whereas this little creature is
considered a pest in the U.S., and therefore treated with pesticides, it is
a pet in some other countries, and even an appetizer in yet others!
2. If you want to be successful in any new market, you have to obtain
research information in the first place. This point has been extensively
elaborated upon in the earlier part of this article.
3. When gathering your research information: think about the audience you
want to reach, and how to best approach them. It might be a good idea to
start considering that right from the start. Do you want to cover the entire
consumer market for your product in a certain country, or do you prefer to
focus on a certain segment? In that case your research might have to be a
little more specific.
Although the points made in this article may seem straight forward to many a
reader, there are still too many businesses that go global without
performing any kind of prior examination. When these businesses fail, they
tend to blame their misfortune on anything but their lack of executing the
most basic acts. But now you, international marketer or not, knows better.
Right? Right!
Joan Marques, Burbank, October 2, 2003
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About the Author:
Joan Marques, holds an MBA, is a doctoral candidate in Organizational
Leadership, and a university instructor in Business and Management in
Burbank, California. You may visit her web site at www.joanmarques.com
Joan's manual "Feel Good About Yourself," a six part series to get you over
the bumps in life and onto success, can be purchased and downloaded at:
http://www.non-books.com/FeelGoodSeries.html
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