Marketing researches and strategy development in international market.

The expression “marketing research[8]” has a broad meaning and includes practically all aspects of marketing. In international business marketing researches are used by all types of companies for solving different problems: small business (Port Subs), large corporations (Chrysler), international organizations, specialized in technologies (Lotus), on-line shops (Peapod), politics in service industry (lawyers) and some non-profit-making organizations (municipal corporations, city administrations).

The essence of international marketing researches includes systematic preparations, analysis and interpretation of data concerning international trade of goods and services and their marketing strategies.

Methods which are used in marketing researches can be different: interrogations, supervisions, data base analysis, in-depth interview.

The main emphasis in marketing is made on meeting the requirements of consumers. To estimate such needs in order to satisfy them, marketing experts need information about buyers, competitors and other participants on market.

Just recently appeared several factors, which have expanded the necessity in gaining detailed-information. With companies development within an international framework grows also information need about different markets. The consumers now are more discriminating and sophisticated, so that marketing experts need more information about such things, how consumers respond to goods and marketing programs. Due to the fast change of marketing-environment, executives also need up-to-date information.

Tasks and objectives of marketing researches.

The main task is to estimate information needs and to provide the company with up-to-date, exact and reliable information.

We can see tasks and objectives of marketing researches in the explanation, which is given by the AMA: “Marketing research is the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information--information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications.”

The pursuance of the international marketing researches (international researches, which are made in a foreign country), multinational researches (in such countries, where the company already operates) is more complicate, than making local researches.

 

Steps of marketing research.

In international life the researches mean some activities and process, which consist of 6 steps. Each step has it’s own problem, the answer of which is necessary for marketing research.

On the first step marketing expert should define the goal of research, find out which information is important and how it could be used by decision taking. Problem definition includes the discussion with decision-makers, interviewing experts and review of secondary data.

The second step includes formulation of research’s frameworks, analytical models, supposals and determination of factors, which have influence on research plan. On this step the problem should be discussed with executives of client company, experts, studies of situation and simulation, review of secondary data.

The third step itemizes the progress of programs, needed for gaining information. Plan is required to shape a plan of testing of hypothesis, identify possible answers on questions and to understand, which information is essential to decision making. Such plan includes several points: review of secondary data, qualitative studies, acquisition of figures, scaling methods, plan of data analysis.

On the fourth step gaining information is made by staff upon condition of field operations. Data can be achieved with the help of interviewing, by mail and also with the help of internet. Proper selection, training, supervision and evaluation of employees, involved in field work help to minimize errors in data collection.

The fifth step (preparation and data analysis) includes editing, coding, decoding and data validation. Each questionnaire or observation form is checked, edited and if it is necessary, adjusted. Each answer is assigned numerical or letter codes. Data is decrypted and entered into computer. Verification gives an opportunity to ensure that the data from the original questionnaires are decoded accurately.

The sixth step (preparation of report and presentation) is the final step. The processes and results of international marketing researches conclude with a report. It can be prepared for the customers from different countries and in different languages. In this case, the researcher should prepare different versions of report for specific customers. They should be comparable, but can vary by their form. Guidelines of presentation should match cultural norms of each country. For example, the jokes which are popular in USA are not always appropriate in other countries. Most marketing decisions are taken on facts and figures, obtained during the research. But numbers must pass the test of logic, experience and intuition of decision-makers. For different countries there are different recommendations for the usage of obtained data. This is especially important in innovative recommendations or recommendations for conducting advertising campaigns.

 

The principles of the comprehensive study of foreign market.

 

A comprehensive study of foreign market consists of analysis of all factors, which determine market conditions: supply and demand for specific goods, competitiveness, prices, distribution, etc. It is the process of identification of market problems, gaining information about the foreign market in order to improve commercial-economic decisions on the creation, movement, sale and consumption of commercial products in this market.

By choosing a foreign market it is necessary to follow such principles as:

- Systematic – researches should be systematic conducted

- Consistency – researches should cover the entire foreign market and all structural hierarchy of market processes, their dynamics and relationships.

- Complexity – on the one hand it includes a set of actions and processes (collection, processing, data analysis), but on the other hand – an integrative approach to the studying of objectives.

- Consistency and commitment – the direction, extent and detailed-researches should be connected with tasks and goals of market activities

- the multiplicity of sources of information – flow of market information not only from one, but from several sources, this allows to have all possible data

- flexibility

- scientific accuracy

 

the importance of researches on the choice of foreign market increases with the extension od science, the evolution of social consciousness, with strengthening its socio-economic orientation. Solving a huge amount of marketing problems is carried with usage of various scientific technics and methods.