INTERNATIONAL MARKETING CONCEPTS

Companies venturing into international marketing have to decide which of the following plans they
want to implement in the host country:
1. Ethnocentric
2. Polycentric
3. Region-centric
4. Geocentric
Ethnocentric plans take into account only the host countrys cultural ambience, while polycentric
plans consider the cultural values of both the host country and the home country. Region-centric plans
consider the culture only of the region in which the company is operating and a geocentric view takes
the cultural ethos of the geographic coverage the company plans to have.

GOING INTERNATIONAL
Companies need to operate within a general environment framework as follows:
1. Demographic
2. Social
3. Cultural
4. Political
5. Legal
6. Macroeconomic
7. Technology
8. Global
These factors need to be studied, assessed, screened and monitored in the context of the host
country for correct planning of marketing strategies.

Demographic Factors

Demographic data like population dispersion in towns and villages, income levels of families, sex
ratios and affi liations to religious groups are available through the census of the host country. Shifts of
population from villages to towns, from small towns to metro towns provide business opportunities,
which no marketer can afford to miss. For a start, shifts in population indicate a need for low-cost
housing, clothing, transportation, eateries and the like.