International Marketing

Introduction

Marketing across cultures around the world is increasingly becoming a thriving business with the fast-speed globalisation nowadays. The Four ‘Ps’ of marketing, namely product, price, place and promotion, include most of the elements of marketing decision-making. However, socio-cultural factors, in considering the combination of marketing strategies, will always run through them. Socio-cultural factors have a huge influence in people's concept of product and buying behavior. Lack of cultural awareness not only can lead to a decrease of product sales, but can even collapse the company’s whole international image. In this sense, understanding cultural differences plays an incredibly significant role in process of developing marketing strategies.

Starbucks's success is considered as a miracle. It has developed into more than 15,700 stores in around 43 countries worldwide from a small Seattle company approximately 15 years ago. Since the first Starbucks entered into Beijing, China in 1999, it has expanded into over 200 outlets in several big cities so far, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, etc.. With approximately 1.3 million population and tremendous ecomomic growth, China, after the United State, has become the second largest coffee-consuming country in the world. (‘Economy of China’, 2005). Though it has achieved huge success in China, starbucks also experienced a variety of obstacles during its rapid development, in particularly those resulting from cultural problems.

The purpose of this paper is to give a description of some relevant theories underlying cultural problems confronting Starbucks in China. My personal contribution to my small group will also be critically assessed in the last pa...

... middle of paper ...

...984). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Kluckhohn, C. (1951). Values and Value-orientations in the Theory of Action: An Exploration in Definition and Classification.Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Joseph, W.S., 2009. Cultural Adaptations:The past, present, and future. [online] Microsoft Office Live. Available at: http://josephslavinsky.com/CA.aspx [ Accessed 22 March 2010].

Labbrand Consulting Co., Ltd. 2009. Starbucks Goes Glocal in China.[online] Labbrand Consulting Co., Ltd. Available at: http://www.labbrand.com/brand-source/starbucks-goes-glocal-china [ Accessed 23 March 2010].

Lars, P., 2009. International Marketing [online] University of Southern California: Los Angeles. Available at: http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/international_marketing.html [ Accessed 21 March 2010].