Question 1
The debate about standardization and adaptation for international markets has continuously attracted more attention from multinational companies for several years. The case of IKEA has however tried to help me in understanding the argument involving these two marketing strategies as applied in the international markets.
In global marketing strategy, standardization involves selling products or offering services which are similar, with the same advertising and promotional methods, pricing and location strategies in different countries of the world. On the other hand, adaptation involves selling products or providing services that have various features based on the different markets in varying nations to satisfy the human needs or wants considering their cultural differences (Spielmann & Delvert, 2014). It is upon the multinational companies to find an efficient way of employing these two global marketing strategies to ensure that they enjoy the benefits that accompany the combination of the two methods.
The IKEA case covers both standardization and adaptation strategies thus helping me to understand how the two ways work and the advantages related to them. The company has standardized some of its products in the marketing mix while it is still trying to adapt to different market requirements where necessary. For instance, the company shows how it offers uniform products by having 370 stores in 47 countries where we are told that the management has discovered the
The only way to avoid other furniture stores to imitate IKEA’s strategies is to keep it a secret from all but the highest executives , imitating the strategies of IKEA can lead to not having any competitive advantage , and in order to preserve a competitive advantage is to keep it hidden and to keep it a
This paper aims to demonstrate a detailed description of the elements of ‘IKEA’ company based on its famous name in the furniture industry.
Standardization, in case of international or multi-national businesses, broadly refers to the process of using the same strategies throughout the business operations in all of the markets. Adaptation, on the other hand, refers to the strategy of fine tuning the brand methods of a business and customizing them to suit each of the markets.
According to Levitt, the successful global corporation does not abjure customization or differentiation for the requirements of markets that differ in product preferences, spending patterns, shopping preferences, and institutional or legal arrangements. But the global corporation accepts and adjusts to these differences only reluctantly, only after relentlessly testing their
The article is divided into four parts. First part focuses on the traditional perspective on international marketing strategies focusing on the dichotomy between standardization and adaptation. The second part examines key assumptions underlying the philosophy of global standardization. The third part focuses on the constraints to implementation of global standardization. The last part of the article concludes on the bases of its review that a more general approach is suitable which incorporates various degrees of standardization or adaptation strategies. It is an important article as it concludes that an effective global marketing strategy does not guarantee the marketing of standardized products and global brands worldwide. It might work for some companies but cannot work for all.
When starting an internationalization process, companies must take into account that they will have to adapt their products and marketing process in order to get the attention of customers in the new market.
The success of the industry was the huge experiences in the product differentiation, cost leadership and retail market. IKEA unique concept is that furniture is sold in kits that are assembled by the customers at home. The company remains one of the world most successful multinational retailing firms, operating globally. This report will explains IKEA internal and external environment using PESTLE, PORTER FIVE FORCE AND SWOT. Furthermore IKEA globalisation and localisation strategy breakdown will be examined, CSR and ethic and recommendation will be also examined.
As the globalization opens many doors for sales, it also opens doors for more clients demand on the company 's products. This creates a new approach for managers to adapt new cultures and adopt new strategies to build what the client likes and dislikes in the global market. It is stated that the giant
IKEA is one of the largest multinational companies in the world dealing with several products. The company sells and designs furniture appliances and home accessories at an affordable price. Ikea has over three hundred stores worldwide enjoying the good name it has created for itself. While they are one of the most profitable furniture companies in the world there are significant challenges and threats that have been overcome and are still needed to be tackled.
The person responsible for all the strategic decisions made for IKEA and the influence he has on the culture and organization of the company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s leading beverage company, with markets in over 200 countries and over 1,100 brands under their portfolio. The company was founded in 1886 and is currently headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This paper seeks to explain the impact of globalization on the standardization versus adaptation decision using examples from the Coca-Cola Company’s performance and strategies since their inception as a company.
IKEA’s mission is to offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function, excellent quality and durability, at prices so low that the majority of people can afford to buy them. Founder Ingvar Kamprad’s innovative strategy was to design functional furniture that was easy and inexpensive to build, receive it disassembled at stores, and display it on the showroom floor with detailed explanation tickets, making salesperson assistance unnecessary.
The stores have restaurant, childcare facilities and plenty of parking. Customers can drop off their kids at the playroom and have delicious meal when they are tired. All of these not only provide customer with a comfortable shopping environment but also let them make an ‘IKEA trip’ and enjoy the fun of buying. Besides, IKEA’s distinctive show rooms help creating differentiation. Products are strategically placed in different small spaces like rooms which allow customers imaging this furniture in their own home. This makes everything looks more attractive.
The literature on international marketing presents a confrontation between two mainstream schools of thought regarding international marketing. The one supports the standardization approach and argues that multinational companies’ behavior should be uniform to minimize total costs and promote a global corporate image. The other argues for the need for adaptation to fit the unique dimensions of each local market. This research investigates companies’ practical level of adaptation and standardization in international markets. It identifies
In PEST analysis, we will look into what will be affect by the business environment. It includes political environment, economical environment, social environment and technological environment.