14.6: Configuring the Market Mix

Question 1

Why might a firm vary its marketing mix from country to country?

Answer 1

A firm may vary its marketing mix to account for local differences in culture, economic conditions, competitive conditions, product and technical standards, distribution systems, government regulations, communication strategy, and pricing strategy.

Question 2

How does McDonald’s illustrate the balance between standardization and customization in international marketing?

Answer 2

While McDonald’s is known for its standardized product offering worldwide, it adapts certain aspects like distribution strategy to suit local conditions, such as car accessibility in North America versus pedestrian traffic in densely populated areas like Japan and Great Britain.

Question 3

What opportunities exist for standardization in the marketing mix?

Answer 3

There are opportunities for standardizing certain elements such as the core product attributes and advertising messages to realize cost economies, while other aspects like distribution and pricing may be customized for different national markets.

Question 4

What factors should be evaluated to configure the marketing mix?

Answer 4

Factors include

product strategy (core, adoption, management, branding),

distribution strategy (channels, wholesale, retail),

communication strategy (advertising, publicity, media, social media, sales promotion),

and pricing strategy (value, demand, costs, retail price).

Question 5

What role do regulatory factors play in international marketing?

Answer 5

Regulatory factors such as trade tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and other regulatory influences can affect a firm’s ability to standardize its marketing mix and determine prices in international market segments.