Thoughts on regional marketing comparisons (theory and results)

1 replies
Greetings!

I would like to know what you think about the differences in marketing on-line to 1st and 3rd world countries?

I ask because I am currently marketing agricultural equipment on-line across the globe and I see important differences in the regional psychology. What works with farmers in the US does not connect with farmers in Pakistan as a real example. Major differences in responses seem to be related to where they fall in the world-tier and I'm looking for new methods to meet and adjust for these difference, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.

Examples

In the United States my clients value practicality and price over brand name and, it seems more and more that they are reducing their concern about the longevity of a product. I find this understandable because of the sheer volume of international brands entering the market in nearly all sectors and the ensuing price wars develop. This, to me, also explains their loosening concern for a products life-span because a price competition between two brands today can just as easily lead to two new brands competing for an even better price tomorrow. Ultimately, the deciding factor for American clients seems to be: "Can it work for me right now and how much time have I bought - a mentality that seems to be reflected everywhere in the West currently.

In Pakistan where the demand for our product is very strong and the ability to afford it is not, my clients value economy over nearly everything else. When asking about the life-span of a product, if it is over 5-10 years they have been known to tell us that it is too expensive, before they have even heard pricing. I have seen this in a number of Asian counties as well. They do not think long term and perhaps this is because they cannot afford to. I would like to believe that you cannot afford not to think long term but I am not from a developing country. In Asia people tend to be more communal, the distribution of wealth is smaller and there is less desire to stand out than there is in the west. Another symptom of this is that people are rarely willing to be the first in their area to have such a product. The deciding factor for Pakistani clients seems to be "Does the benefit far outweigh the price and will I be the only one receiving this benefit" - which often, can be problematic.

Now, I want to know if you guys have experienced these psychological and cultural differences? If you have, how did you approach them? How did you overcome them? What are some strong methods you have seen for marketing in Developing Countries?

I appreciate your ideas and observations.
#comparisons #marketing #regional #results #theory #thoughts
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    • Profile picture of the author DiThomaso
      Interesting OP

      I guess this isn't exactly a standard marketing question but if you wanted to completely break it down I would say

      First, you need to separate your target market from from the general consumer (but don't forget to group them with resellers and things like that)

      Second, take a look at what your target market roughly makes in terms of spendable income (will give you an idea of what they can afford)

      Third, you mentioned the shortsightedness of some Asian markets which I can relate to, having worked in Asia for the past 8 years, the markets here run off of insecurity. This makes it difficult to get your "early innovators" as Simon Sinek called them because insecurity means reactive demand. Keep this in mind when you create your marketing campaign. The customers need to feel left behind, that will get you your financial commitments.

      This ends up going into economics rather than marketing (though, they're basically the why/how partnership of money making studies) but when talking about marketing in Asian countries, and this is the hardest part for Western companies, you must be able to put yourself in their position. Try your best to look at what they are looking at and feel the pressure from where they feel the pressure. That will give you an idea of what they are looking for in terms of solutions and help you structure your approach.

      Interesting topic anyway. I lost my acct and remade just so I can post
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