Nike's Marketing Function

Introduction: The marketing function will face a number of new and dynamic challenges in the 21st century. One of the defining qualities of a 21st century marketer is that he or she must be sensitive to cultural differences in new markets in order to be successful. A marketing manager must be able understand both consumer preferences, and understand how to develop the appropriate tools and techniques to successfully promote their company's products and services to customers. Marketers will need to develop better ways of targeting specific target markets with targeted promotional campaigns that extol the benefits of the product or service being advertised, and they must do so in a way that validates the cultural norms, values, and beliefs of their target audience. The most successful marketing managers handling foreign marketing will be the marketing professionals that understand customer needs, determine the appropriate media for reaching them, constantly evaluate the effectiveness of advertising and promotional campaigns, and regularly gather information to ensure that the message does not cause any unintentional insult. Marketing managers must:

Develop a respect for cultural diversity

Avoid ethnocentrism when planning marketing programs in foreign market

Work diligently to address the unique needs of customers in foreign markets

Reject the idea that a good marketing concept can be transferred from one culture to another and be equally successful in each

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