Marketing Overseas

By: Shannon Crilley

      In today's world everything seems to be moving overseas and expanding at very fast rates. Companies grow larger and larger and most of that is due to marketing. According Hal Conick, an analyst from the American Marketing Association, he gives 5 tips on how marketing firms can make companies go global quickly and successfully.

1) Find the Best Fit- Every company has to find the right market to be successful in. Overseas, a lot of that is due to demographics and wether that countries economy is growing or sinking. Expanding a company overseas is extremely tricky because of this since it's not America. A different culture creates lot of different ways to succeed that might not be practiced in America.

2) Know the Market from Multiple Perspectives- Market research should always be used to understand the market from multiple perspectives. Being a stranger in a foreign land can be tricky enough but running a company in a foreign land is a whole new level. Gathering as many tips and perspectives from locals of that country can make a world of difference. Understanding the land and culture of the location of the business is always crucial and the broader the view the better.

3) Understanding Language and Cultural Differences- Similar to points 1 and 2, culture is a huge gateway to success in foreign lands. After all, the company is selling to the people of the foreign country and they need to understand what those consumers are in search of. It's the marketing teams job and responsibility to understand the culture differences in order to be successful and make profit and continue the companies growth.

4) Look for Technological Signs of Life- Finding out how easily accessible technology is and how often it is used in a given location can make or break a company overseas. Looking at a demographic, a company can find out how many citizens have cell phones or use internet and that is what they use to base their marketing techniques off of. If an area is very tech savvy the company will advertise online, if it is not then they may resort to older versions of marketing.

5) If There's Not Digital Option, Go Analog- Similar to point 4, technology is the most used popular form of advertising as of late, but if the area where the new company is getting built does not have Internet, for example, the marketing teams must result to older techniques such as focus group or surveys in oder to get an understanding of the market.

      In order for any company to be successful, wether it be in America or overseas, the marketing teams have to research the market and understand who they are selling to and more importantly where they are selling. Location is very important and that is why so many companies are expanded overseas to give themselves a greater market to sell to.


Conick, Hal. "5 Things To Do Before Marketing Your Business Overseas". American Marketing  Association. www.ama.org. Accessed 14 Mar 2017.