The Global Marketing Mix - Internationalisation - Global Marketing

Core business idea: Global marketing mix choice during internationalization

Organizations entering foreign markets must decide the degree to which the marketing mix is standardized vs adapted. This decision is tightly linked to the wider internationalization process, which includes:

• Market selection (which foreign markets to enter)
• Entry mode decision (how to enter)
• Defining the global marketing mix (the 4 Ps / 7 Ps for services)

What “standardization” vs “adaptation” means

• Complete standardization: replicate the home-market marketing mix exactly (product, distribution/place, pricing, promotion).
• Complete adaptation: change the marketing mix fully for the foreign market.
• In practice, firms usually choose a hybrid approach: standardize some elements, adapt others.

Frameworks / decision logic emphasized (factor-based evaluation)

While the video doesn’t name formal models (e.g., SWOT/OKRs), it uses a factor-based playbook for deciding standardization vs adaptation.

Factors supporting standardization (or partial standardization)

• Market globalization

  • If customer needs/values are similar across countries, less adaptation is needed.
  • Implication: keep more consistent elements of the marketing mix; avoid heavy changes.

• Industry globalization

  • Especially when firms have high R&D costs → standardize to recover costs faster and scale volume across countries quickly.

• Globalization of competitors

  • If large competitors already operate globally with standardized approaches, new entrants should match standardization in key areas.

• Internal capabilities / competitive advantage

  • If the firm’s advantage is operational excellence that can transfer abroad, standardize processes that enable fast response.
  • Implication: standardize sales and data collection processes to build scalable execution.

Factors supporting adaptation

• Local market conditions

  • Sociocultural, economic, political differences → adapt the marketing mix to fit local needs.

• Local competition presence

  • When local competitors are strong, tailor parts of the marketing mix to compete effectively.

• Legal/regulatory differences

  • Major legal differences push adaptation (the video notes EU similarities but flags Brexit as a future change risk).

• Service-dominant offerings

  • If a foreign market requires more local staff involvement in delivering the service, adaptation is more likely.
  • (The example is product-focused, so this is less relevant there.)

Concrete case example: “French cakes” entering the UK

Home-market setup (France) described via marketing mix elements

• Product
  • French cakes/desserts, made in modern facilities, frozen after production
• Distribution (Place)
  • sold to catering companies, restaurants, and cafes across France
• Pricing
  • discount system with lower prices at higher volume orders
• Promotion
  • promotional activities, key account management, trade shows, and in-store point-of-sale materials

If they copied France exactly into the UK

That would be complete standardization of the marketing mix.

If they changed everything for the UK

That would be complete adaptation.

Recommended hybrid strategy (business execution outputs)

Standardize (recommended elements):

• Place & promotion
  • Standardize parts of these elements to compete with international players and align with large restaurant chains’ purchasing processes.
• Sales processes
  • Standardize key account management and some data collection processes
  • Goal: enable stronger distributor relationships and respond faster to market trends.

Adapt (recommended elements):

• Product
  • Adapt cakes/desserts to match UK sociocultural and economic needs.
• Price
  • Adjust price levels for local conditions.
• Promotion
  • Modify promotional activities to better fit local customer needs.
• Approach to smaller independent restaurants
  • Adapt tactics for segments that rely more on local competition (tailor execution for independents vs chains).

Key takeaway (operational logic)

Use a factor-driven evaluation to decide where standardization increases efficiency/speed and where adaptation is necessary for local fit and competitiveness.

The video frames this as part of a structured pipeline in internationalization: after selecting markets and deciding entry mode, firms define a global marketing mix using standardization/adaptation trade-offs.

Key presenters / sources

• Presenter: Tina Wade
• Further reading: Global Marketing (7th edition) by Sven Hollinsson