ASPECTS OF MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

Abstract

The article addresses current issues in developing marketing communication strategies for international markets. Its objective is to identify the specific features of marketing communications that a firm must consider when entering international or global markets. Regardless of which marketing concept serves as the basis for a specific business, each element of the marketing mix is important, and a marketing strategy will be effective only when all elements form a cohesive whole directed toward the same long-term goal. The communications component, however, is the most visible to consumers, competitors, and relevant audiences; therefore, it has a significant impact on corporate reputation and the ability to achieve long-term objectives. International markets, in turn, require adaptation of marketing communication strategies far more frequently than product or pricing strategies, since the quality of communication determines whether consumers with different backgrounds will accept the products and services of a foreign company. Whether a firm targets individual markets or regards the entire international market as a single global market will determine the approach to marketing communication strategies that must be applied. When entering a new market, a firm should examine not only economic and political factors, as well as the level of competition, but also the socio-cultural characteristics and the specifics of consumer behaviour in each selected market. Even when adopting a global marketing strategy, the firm faces the dilemma of standardization versus glocalization. Digitalization and market digitization, which were expected to minimize disparities between market segments, often instead intensify misunderstandings and enable the much faster spread of negative information about a company or brand. Consequently, the effects of communication errors are felt almost immediately. The result of this study is a set of recommendations for constructing a marketing communication strategy when entering international markets. These recommendations can be applied by domestic enterprises planning to enter international markets and conduct operations on a strategic basis.