MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

Global Marketing Communications

Global Marketing Communications

Communication is the fourth and final decision to be made about the global marketing programme. The role of communication in global marketing is related to that in home country operations: to communicate with customers so as to provide information that buyers need to make purchasing decisions. Although the communication mix carries information of interest to the customer, in the end it is designed to persuade the customer to buy a product - at the present time or in the future. To communicate with and influence customers, several tools are available. Advertising is usually the most visible component of the promotion mix, but personal selling, exhibitions, sales promotions, publicity (public relations) and direct marketing (including the Internet) are also part of a viable international promotion mix. One important strategic consideration is whether to standardize worldwide or to adapt the promotion mix to the environment of each country. Another consideration is the availability of media, which varies around the world.

Analysis Of The Relevant Aspects Of The Two Countries' Macro And Micro Market Environments

Global marketing communications is still an part of significance to organisations operating in international and national markets. This paper employs China and the USA to compare and contrast their macro and micro market environments, similarities and differences and how the current marketing communications activity and required brand message / image / positioning are communicated focusing on food services in both countries. It also recommendations for how the marketing communications activity and required brand message / image / positioning need to be adapted to China and the USA international market.

China

Richer and busier consumers turn to consumer foodservice more regularly. China consumers benefited from their country's strong economic growth from the 1980s onwards, with this filtering down in the form of increasing affluence. This was accompanied by a number of consumer trends, with many migrating to cities in search of stronger career prospects. Overall, urbanisation rose from 36% of the population in 2000 to 47% by 2009. Economic growth consequently brought with it rising urbanisation, larger city sizes and longer working hours. (Bennett 2005, 12)

2009 and the global economic downturn brought with it a sense of financial insecurity for many, with China seeing deflation in the year and exports dropping by 16% in current value terms. However, China's growth proved resilient to external economic pressures, with the country achieving an impressive 9% real GDP growth for the year as a whole. 2010 meanwhile saw an even stronger economic performance, with real GDP growth of over 10%. This heralded resurgence in consumer confidence, particularly as many employers in China's coastal cities dramatically increased salaries in early-2010 in response to rising demand for skilled workers.

Consumers increasingly concerned by food safety. There were numerous food safety scandals in China during the review period, with these resulting in growing consumer and government concern. This resulted in a number of pieces of new legislation. In October 2007, the government introduced new laws aiming to standardise and monitor food ...