ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETING, INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION

Revolution in technology such as new fibre-optic and satellite technologies bring new economics of global
communication and the outstanding final mile connections. Popularity of the Internet has grown and its function has
changed from protection to marketable application.

Marketplace has changed more in the past five years than in the past ten. Consumers have changed beyond
recognition and their behavior is become more complicated. Their media lifestyles are different and become more
outspoken.

Search engine optimization, audio, video, social media and RSS are just a few of the terms that are becoming a vital
part of appropriate marketing strategies.

A movement in consumers view and behavior has required managers to leave outdated advertising methods and learn
how to use these mentioned tools to keep customers.

Most of those companies implement their strategies with social media marketing which is one new tactic based on
the "flavor of the day”. Some of the Internet tools are:

 Email is an electronic mailbox which can send and receive message, and increase delivering speed, reduce
mailing cost and also increase and improve customer relationship.
 Mailing list is a good tool to be in touch with members or customers through E-mail. Actually, in this mailing
list there is information about group of people who are interested in the organization activities, products and
services and have active action with organization receive e-mail by subscribing to the list.
 Newsgroup can be used to get required information for marketing research and to promote a business. This
tool provides ability for net user to post their messages for public view.
 The World Wide Web (also known as the Web, WWW or W3) is a system of Internet servers through which
several Internet protocols can be accessed using a single interface.
 Online Payment -

E-BUSINESS, E-MARKETING, E-COMMERCE

• E-Business type website may not usually directly sell or retail products or services online but offers a list of
products for sale, such as a Property Estate Agency or Retailer of products to the general public.

• E-Marketing refers to the moving of marketing strategies to a computerized and networked environment such
as Internet. Companies distribute, promote, announce, and pricing their products and services to the target
market through internet or wireless digital tools

• E-commerce refers to buying and selling the products or services through internet and covers business to
business and business to consumers markets.

Dell.com- is a pioneer in electronic commerce (E-Commerce), leading the industry as one of the first companies to
allow its customers to custom configure and purchase computers online. Now Dell extends this functionality all the
way to any organization’s ERP system for true B2B commerce. Dell’s e-commerce business has been a poster child for
the benefits of online sales. Launched as a static page in 1994, Dell.com took the plunge into e-commerce shortly
thereafter, and by 1997 was the first company to record a million dollars in online sales.

ISSUES IN MARKETING VIA INTERNET

 As millions of internet users access Internet every day, so Copyright and proprietary information can be
threatened by computer hackers and many viruses.
 Another risk concerning to internet security is the financial contracts that occur over the network. On the
other hand, statistics show that the Internet crime rate in on the deceasing rate due to increasing the Internet
security.
 Structural constraints like computer literacy, language, culture, ownership of PC’s decrease effectiveness of
Internet-based international marketing strategies.
  Cultural challenges are the common issues in international business especially through Internet. Cultures of
differences must be taken into account when marketing is through the Web.
 International Law is another subject which leads to take action authorities. Other regulations sometimes will
reduce the reputation of Internet as a free marketplace.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

Environmental factors play important role in international marketing. They can have both positive and negative effects
on international marketing strategy.

Focusing on the marketing efforts to change the branding tactics of a company to reflect a more environmentally
friendly strategy may lead to success in some countries, it may well be an ineffective tactic in others.

The attitude of consumers in the region towards environmental impact must be first and foremost analyzed before a
company launches an extensive rebranding campaign that focuses on the green approach of the company in their
operations. It means standardization of marketing strategies can be counter-productive in the long run for any global
business.

‘Going green’ is the new trend in international marketing.

Samsung refrigerators marketed as environmentally safe.

Hotels like Leela, Orchid and Taj claim that they provide services which are environmentally safe.

If a company manufacture a product that does not hold well when constantly subjected to periods of high heat,
company might want to consider that carefully before marketing it internationally to such places as Saudi Arabia.

Green Marketing – A New Trend in International Marketing

Green marketing is not only the promotion of products with environmental characteristics but defines a broad concept
which includes activities like product modification, changes in the production process or in packaging as well. As
society becomes more concerned with the sustainability and natural environment, businesses have begun to modify
their behavior and appearance in an attempt to address society’s “new” concerns.

The green marketing mix

 Product: A producer should offer ecological products which not only must not contaminate the environment
but should protect it and even liquidate existing environmental damages.
 Price: Prices for such products may be a little higher than conventional alternatives. But target groups like for
example LOHAS are willing to pay extra for green products.
 Place: A distribution logistics is of crucial importance; main focus is on ecological packaging. Marketing local
and seasonal products e.g. vegetables from regional farms is easier to be marketed “green” than products
imported.
 Promotion: A communication with the market should put stress on environmental aspects, for example that
the company possesses a CP certificate or is ISO 14000 certified. This may be publicized to improve a firm’s
image. Furthermore, the fact that a company spends expenditures on environmental protection should be
advertised. Third, sponsoring the natural environment is also very important. And last but not least, ecological
products will probably require special sales promotions.

Additional social marketing "P's" that are used in this process are:

 Publics: Effective Social Marketing knows its audience, and can appeal to multiple groups of people. "Public"
is the external and internal groups involved in the program. External publics include the target audience,
secondary audiences, policymakers, and gatekeepers, while the internal publics are those who are involved in
some way with either approval or implementation of the program.
 Partnership: Most social change issues, including "green" initiatives, are too complex for one person or group
to handle. Associating with other groups and initiatives to team up strengthens the chance of efficacy.
  Policy: Social marketing programs can do well in motivating individual behavior change, but that is difficult to
sustain unless the environment they're in supports that change for the long run. Often, policy change is
needed, and media advocacy programs can be an effective complement to a social marketing program.
 Purse Strings: How much will this strategic effort cost? Who is funding the effort?

ETHICS IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETING

There are two philosophical trends in ethics: the utilitarian approach and the deontological approach.

Based on the utilitarian approach, the manager will try to achieve the highest positive value or the smallest negative
value for the persons affected, therefore relating the notion of ethics to the consequences of action.

By contrast, the deontological approach is mostly based on the work of the philosopher Emmanuel Kant who does not
take so much the consequences of action into consideration but the way in which the act is performed, meaning that
the end does not justify the means.

Some of the ethical dilemmas one should pay attention to are bribery and corruption, counterfeiting and piracy.

Ethical relativism - Ethical problems have in turn defined the concept of ethical relativism in relation to the fact that
different cultures have different values and norms. By ethical relativism one should understand that there are no moral
absolutes such as absolute right and wrong, but instead, right and wrong are relative according to everyone’s
perception.

The process of globalization brought the need for addressing the importance of ethics in international marketing. The
aim of the MNCs is to achieve profitability in international markets which sometimes results in unethical marketing
behaviour.

The formation of consumer organizations help consumers make better choices in the marketplace and reduce some
unethical business marketing behaviour such as deceptive pricing or manipulative advertising activities.

Government Regulation - Legislation also plays an important part in raising consumer expectations of ethical
marketing behaviour. Through establishing specific laws and regulations, governments are trying to use legal
approaches to protect consumer’s long-term equity. For example, a government may require businesses to disclose
detailed information about products - particularly in areas where safety or public health is an issue. A good example
would be the international food manufacturers and marketers such as McDonalds who had to state clearly the
nutritional content of their products.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the responsibility of an organization for the impacts of its decisions and
activities on society, the environment and its own prosperity, known as the “triple bottom line” of people, planet and
profit.

Ethical marketing serves to help establish long-term relationships with customers, develop company goodwill and
reinforce the brand equity. One negative example would be the famous sportswear brand “Nike” that has suffered
public condemns because they used child labor to manufacture their products. A positive example would be “The Body
Shop”, which gained appreciation by opposing to animal experimentation and supporting social issues.

Factors that influence ethical behavior

 Stakeholder Forces
 Consumerism
 Government Regulation
 Rising Concept of CSR
 Increased influence of International organisation
 Environmentalism