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Thinking "Global" in global terms
Final exams are around the corner and another semester
is about to end. And this week in college the curriculum in my marketing
management class is centered on global marketing and the new, global economy
(which of course is primarily knowledge-based). Undeniably, my students
were quick to point out that the catalyst, which is "shrinking"
the world and giving new meaning to the expression "the global marketplace,"
is certainly the Internet.
When we develop an online business we quickly realize that we're no longer
subjected to the traditional limitations of location, communication and
market cycles. The Internet offers new opportunities and new tools that
were once nonexistent in the brick-and-mortar world. However, while global
marketing in the traditional sense requires a lot of planning, resources
and time, and since online marketing cuts a lot of that fat, many tend
to think that no careful thought is required when going "virtual."
Not entirely so -- and here's why.
Of course market entry barriers have been lowered due to the emergence
of the web, but there remains certain things we need to carefully investigate,
take into account and plan when we do go online. If one's target market
is primarily North American, the need for such strategic thinking may
not be so evident at first. And oftentimes, such a need is easily ignored.
But down the road things may change. And the web *is* a fertile ground
for change.
More than likely, over time an online business will encounter a new set
of challenges of which its owners may have never thought. Things like
taxes, laws, cultures, politics, tariffs and so on, from another country
in which one wants to conduct business, can harm a business if not properly
researched. And to discuss these at length would require several textbooks.
For now, let's stick to the topic of marketing in a global, Internet-related
context.
Every country has its own unique set of advertising laws, customs and
values. Since I'm not a lawyer I can only guess that going online is not
a problem unless business is conducted in a country in which one breaks
any of its regulations. (In fact, new legal precedents are being set almost
each day.)
Moreover, certain marketing approaches may not necessarily break any
laws but may be considered unethical or outright insulting to a specific
culture. Admittedly, it would be quite a challenge (and expensive) for
a small business to adapt one's marketing. So the basics would certainly
be to take a careful look at one's target market and the potential growth
of one's online business.
How can one's online marketing be considered unethical let alone insulting?
A friend once told me that, in Singapore, chewing gum in public is forbidden.
So would marketing a new brand of chewing gum online, and selling it to
the Singapore market, break any laws? Maybe. Maybe not. In other countries,
I've been told that showing a woman's bare legs, above the kneecaps (and
no more), can be considered as pornography. And pornography in some Asian
countries, namely Japan, is exceedingly legislated.
Here are more examples. Would http://www.pigfarmer.com/,
a site selling pork, do well in Muslim populated countries? Would http://www.fcuk.com/,
which really stands for "First Consultants UK," do well in purist
countries? (In fact, the site is actually being disputed in the High Court
of England and Wales. The domain name is also being disputed by French
fashion chain "French Connection UK," which was also charged
by the UK authorities recently because one of its storefronts displayed
the acronym "FCUK.")
These are things to consider. Arguably, some of these examples are quite
extreme. And attempting to follow every single law, in every single country,
is impractical and next to impossible. But the most common errors committed
by newly globalized businesses are translations (or the lack thereof)
of their advertising, which have drove some companies to the brink of
bankruptcy.
Here are some true yet funny examples. Read the bad marketing translations
at http://wopr.caltech.edu/~mph/humor/archive1/msg00187.html.
In fact, some of these well-known blunders are pulled right from college
textbooks on marketing, and I've them in my marketing classes.
While these may bring a chuckle or two, it is nonetheless important to
ensure one's online marketing appeals to a global market -- if one wishes
to serve the global market. Online a company has definitely entered the
"global marketplace," even though it may only conduct its business
in, say, North America. In the very least for a North American business,
Spanish (for Americans) and French (for Canadians) -- including language,
culture and customs -- should be considered, even when no translations
are made and the international language of business, being English, is
used.
But it's food for thought, anyway. Let me ask you, how does your product
name, advertising or website copy sound to or in another language?
About the author
Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter and consultant dedicated
to turning sales messages into powerful magnets. Get a free copy of
his book, "The 10 Commandments of Power Positioning," when
you subscribe to his free monthly ezine, "The Profit Pill."
See http://SuccessDoctor.com/
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