Identifying Foreign Market
Identifying Market Opportunities Through Marketing Information Systems And Research
Having looked at the major elements in the international marketing environment, this section is concerned with identifying market opportunities. For many agricultural products which are exported from African countries much of this involves the use of "outsiders" - agents, for example, who know the foreign market opportunities. The Kenyan horticultural industry was developed partly because of the Asians who had left Kenya and settled in Britain asking their Kenyan relatives to send produce to the UK. In Zimbabwe, the export flower industry is heavily dependent on agents and contacts in the Netherlands who know the system. However, as organisations mature in their international stance, more global opportunities will be sought out. Whilst SADC or PTA may offer export opportunities, these are not substantial markets. Nearly 80% of Zimbabwe's exports are with South Africa and Europe, where major volumes can be obtained. However, as seen earlier, these markets may change with changing political stances, so it may be that Zimbabwe has to look further afield. This will involve uncertainty because the more unfamiliar the new opportunities sought, the greater the perceived risk of success.
Chapter Objectives
The objectives of this chapter are:
• To give an understanding of the way a global information system can help reduce uncertainty in decision making
• To describe the process of global marketing research
• To show the problems associated with conducting global marketing research.
Structure Of The Chapter
The chapter starts with identifying the types and categories of information which are useful in marketing decision making on a global scale and discusses the two main ways of getting information by surveillance or by research. Details are given on some of the sources of information available to marketers. The chapter then describes in some detail the process of global marketing
Having looked at the major elements in the international marketing environment, this section is concerned with identifying market opportunities. For many agricultural products which are exported from African countries much of this involves the use of "outsiders" - agents, for example, who know the foreign market opportunities. The Kenyan horticultural industry was developed partly because of the Asians who had left Kenya and settled in Britain asking their Kenyan relatives to send produce to the UK. In Zimbabwe, the export flower industry is heavily dependent on agents and contacts in the Netherlands who know the system. However, as organisations mature in their international stance, more global opportunities will be sought out. Whilst SADC or PTA may offer export opportunities, these are not substantial markets. Nearly 80% of Zimbabwe's exports are with South Africa and Europe, where major volumes can be obtained. However, as seen earlier, these markets may change with changing political stances, so it may be that Zimbabwe has to look further afield. This will involve uncertainty because the more unfamiliar the new opportunities sought, the greater the perceived risk of success.
Chapter Objectives
The objectives of this chapter are:
• To give an understanding of the way a global information system can help reduce uncertainty in decision making
• To describe the process of global marketing research
• To show the problems associated with conducting global marketing research.
Structure Of The Chapter
The chapter starts with identifying the types and categories of information which are useful in marketing decision making on a global scale and discusses the two main ways of getting information by surveillance or by research. Details are given on some of the sources of information available to marketers. The chapter then describes in some detail the process of global marketing