Chapter 7:	Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning			Poorna Pal, MS MBA Ph.D. Glendale Community College Phone: (818)240-1000 x 5517 ppal@glendale.edu Office: SG-152 Office Hours: MWTTh: 3.15 - 5.15 PM (SG-152) or by appointment with your questions
		Overview Lecture Outline	Discussion Questions Test Your Knowledge
	Overview The global cosmetics giants’ worldwide success is a convincing example of the power of skillful global market segmentation and targeting.   Market segmentation represents an effort to identify and categorize groups of customers and countries according to common characteristics. Targeting is the process of evaluating the segments and focusing marketing efforts on a country, region, or group of people that has significant potential to respond. Such targeting reflects the reality that a company should identify those consumers it can reach most effectively, efficiently, and profitably. Finally, proper positioning is required to differentiate the product or brand in the minds of target customers.  Global markets can be segmented according to buyer category (e.g., consumer, enterprise, and government), gender, age, and a number of other criteria.			Chapter Overviews, Outlines and Sample Questions Introduction to Global Marketing The Global Economic Environment Regional Market Characteristics and Preferential Trade Agreements Social and Cultural Environments The Political, Legal, and Regulatory Environments Global Information Systems and Market Research Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning Importing, Exporting, and Sourcing Global Market Entry Strategies: Licensing, Investment, and Strategic Alliances Brand and Product Decisions In Global Marketing Pricing Decisions Global Marketing Channels and Physical Distribution Global Marketing Communications Decisions I: Advertising and Public Relations Global Marketing Communications Decisions II: Sales Promotion, Personal Selling, Special Forms of Marketing Communication Digital Revolution Strategic Elements of Competitive Advantage Leadership, Organization, and Corporate Social Responsibility
	Market segmentation and targeting are two separate but closely related activities. These activities serve as the link between market needs and wants and specific decisions on the part of company management to develop products that meet the specific needs of one or more segments. Segmentation, targeting, and positioning are all examined in this chapter.

Lecture Outline

GLOBAL MARKET SEGMENTATION

• Global market segmentation has been defined as the process of identifying specific segments – whether they be country or individual consumer groups-  of potential customers with homogeneous attributes who exhibit similar responses to a marketing mix. Professor Theodore Levitt advanced the thesis that consumers in different countries seek variety, and new segments will emerge in multiple national markets (e.g., Ethnic food such as pizza is in demand worldwide). Levitt suggested that this trend, known variously as the pluralization of consumption and segment simultaneity, provides an opportunity for marketers to pursue one or more segments on a global scale.

• Global market segmentation is based on the premise that companies should attempt to identify consumers in different countries who share similar needs and desires.  However, the fact that significant numbers of pizza-loving consumers are found in many countries, they are not eating the exact same thing (e.g., Dominos in France, serves pizza with goat cheese and strips of port fat know as lardoons. In Taiwan, toppings include squid, crab, shrimp, and pineapple).

• A. Coskun Samli has developed a useful approach to global market segmentation that compares and contrast  “conventional” versus “unconventional wisdom” . (Table 7-1). For example, conventional wisdom might assume that, consumers in Europe and Latin America are interested in World Cup while those in America are not.  Unconventional wisdom would note that the “global jock” segment exists in many countries, including the United States.
   

  
   

• Global marketers must decide to pursue a standardized or adapted marketing mix is required to best serve those wants and needs.  By performing market segmentation, marketers can generate the insights need to devise the most effective approach.

• The process of market segmentation begins with the choice of one or more variables to use as a basis for grouping customers. Common variables include demographics (including income and population), psychographics (values, attitudes, and lifestyles), behavioral characteristics, and benefits. It is also possible to cluster different national markets in terms of their environments – for example - the presence or absence of government regulation in a particular industry – to establish groupings.

• Demographic Segmentation

  • Demographic segmentation is based on measurable characteristics of populations: income, population size, age distribution, gender, education, and occupation.

  • A number of global demographic trends – fewer married couples, smaller family size, changing roles of women, higher incomes and living standards, for example- have contributed to the emergence of global market segments.

  • Several key demographic facts and trends from around the world:

  1. Asia has 500 million consumers 16 and under.
  2. India has the youngest demographic profile among the world’s large nations.  More than half its population is younger than 25; the number of young people below the age of 14 is greater than the entire U.S. population.
  3. A widening age gap exists between the older population in the West and the working age population in developing countries.
  4. In the EU, the number of consumers aged 16-and-under is rapidly approaching the number of consumers 60 and older.
  5. Half of Japan’s population will be age 50 or older by 2025
  6. By 2030, 20 percent of the U.S. population – 70 million Americans – will be 65 years old versus 13 percent (36 million) today.
  7. America’s three main ethnic groups- African/Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans – represent a combined annual buying power of $ 1 Trillion.
  8. The United States is home to 28.4 million foreign-born residents with a combined income of $ 233 billion.

  • Statistics such as these can provide valuable insights to marketers who are scanning the globe for opportunities.Managers at global companies must be alert to the possibility that marketing strategies will have to be adjusted in response to the aging of the population and other demographic trends.Demographic changes can create opportunities for marketing innovations (e.g., France’s Carrefour began hypermarkets in 1963 based on a demographic shift).
     

• Segmenting Global Markets by Income and Population
   

  • When a company charts a plan for global market expansion, it often finds that income is a valuable segmentation variable.  After all, a market consists of those who are willing and able to buy. For low cost items such as soft drinks and candy, population is often a more valuable segmentation variable than income. For a vast range of industrial and consumer products offered in global markets today, income is a valuable and important macro indicator of market potential.

• What percentage of the world’s population lives in the Triad countries?

Two-thirds of the worlds GNI is generated by the Triad; only 12 percent of the world’s population is located in the Triad countries.  

The concentration of wealth in a handful of industrialized countries has significant implications for global marketers.  After segmenting in terms of a single demographic variable – income- a company can reach the most affluent markets by targeting fewer than 20 nations; half the EU, North America, and Japan. But by doing so, however, the marketers are not reaching almost 90 percent of the world’s population!

GNI and other income measures converted to dollars should be calculated according to purchasing power or through direct comparisons of actual prices for a given product. (Table 7-2).

For example, while the U.S. ranks eight  in per capita income; only Norway and Luxembourg's surpass its standard of living – as measured by what money can buy .

Because the U.S. market is enormous (about $14 trillion in national income, a population that passed 300 million in 2006), non-U.S. companies target U.S. consumers.

Despite comparable per capita incomes, other industrialized countries are small in terms of total annual income (Table 7-3).

In Sweden, for example, per capita GNI is $48,000; however, Sweden’s smaller population- 9 million- means that in relative terms, its market is limited.

Differences between income and standard of living are more pronounced in less-developed countries (for example, a visit to a mud house in Tanzania will reveal many of the things that an annual per capita income of $410  can buy: an iron bed frame, a corrugated metal roof, beer and soft drinks, bicycles).

What Tanzania’s per capita income does not reflect is the fact that instead of utility bills, Tanzanians have the local well and the sun. Instead of nursing homes, tradition and custom ensure that families will take care of the elderly at home. Instead of expensive doctors and hospitals, villagers utilize the services of witch doctors and healers.

In industrialize countries, a significant portion of national income is the value of goods and services that would be free in a poor country. Thus, the standard of living in low- and lower –middle-income countries is often higher than the income data might suggest; in other words, the actual purchasing power of the local currency may be higher than that implied by exchange values. 

Because of high real income growth and low population growth, China could become a leading economic power. (Table 7-3).

In 2007, the 10 most populous countries in the world accounted for 47 percent of the world income: the 5 most populous accounted for 36 percent.

Although, population is less concentrated than income, but pattern of concentration still exists; the ten most populous countries account for 60 percent of the world's population (Table 7-4).

Concentrated income in the high-income and large-population countries means that a company can be global by targeting buyers in ten or fewer countries.

World population is now approximately 6.5 billion; at the present rate of growth will reach 12 billion by mid-century.

 

As mentioned, for low-priced products, population is more important than income for market potential (e.g., P&G targets China, because millions of  Chinese can spend 14 cents for a pouch of shampoo and other personal-care products ).

McDonald’s shows the significance of both income and population (e.g., 80% of McDonald’s restaurants are located in nine countries, which generate 75% of the company’s total revenues).

In rapidly growing economies, marketers must take care when using income, population, and other macro-level data during the segmentation process. Using averages alone, it is possible to underestimate a market’s potential; fast-growing higher-income segments are present inside countries like China and India (e.g., an estimated 100 million Indians are “upper-middle-class,” with average incomes of over $1,400).

The lesson is to guard from being blinded by averages and do not assume homogeneity.

Age Segmentation

• Who are the global teens?

One global segment based on demographics is global teens – young people between the ages of 12 and 19. Teens, by virtue of their shared interest in fashion, music, and a youthful lifestyle, exhibit consumption behavior that is remarkably consistent across borders.

Young consumers may not yet have conformed to cultural norms; indeed, they may be rebelling against them.  This fact, combined with shared universal wants, needs, and desires, make it possible to reach the global teen segment with a unified marketing program. This segment is attractive in both terms of its size( about 1.3 billion) and its multi-billion-dollar purchasing power.

The global telecommunications revolution is a critical driving force behind the emergence of this segment. Global media such as MTV and the Internet are perfect vehicles for reaching this segment.

Another global segment is the global elite: affluent consumers who are well traveled and have the money to spend on prestigious products with an image of exclusivity.

Although,, this segment is often associated with older individuals who have accumulated wealth over the course of a long career, it also includes movie stars, musicians, eliate athletes, entrepreneurs, and others who have achieved great financial success at a relative young age.

 This segment’s needs and wants are spread over various product categories: durable goods (luxury automobiles such as Mercedes Benz), nondurables (upscale beverages such as Grey Goose vodka), and financial services (American Express Platinum cards).

Gender Segmentation

For obvious reason, segmenting by gender is an approach that makes sense for many companies.  Less obvious is the need to ensure that opportunities for sharpening the focus on the needs and wants of one gender are not unnoticed.

Although some companies – fashion designers and cosmetic companies, for example – market primarily or exclusively to women, others offer different product lines for both genders (e.g., Nike believes its global women’s business will see growth).

In Europe, Levi Strauss is taking a similar approach. In 2003, the company opened its first boutique for young women, Levi's for Girls, in Paris.

Psychographic Segmentation

Psychographic segmentation involves grouping people in terms of their attitudes, values, and lifestyles.

Data are obtained from questionnaires that require respondents to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with a series of statements.

Psychographics is associated with SRI International, a market research organization whose original VALS and updated VALS 2 analyses of consumers are widely known.

Finland’s Nokia relies heavily on psychographic segmentation of mobile phone users; its most important segments are “poseurs,” “trendsetters,” “social contact seekers,” and “highfliers.” By carefully studying these segments and tailoring products to each, Nokia has captured 40 percent of the world’s market for mobile communication devices.

Porsche AG, the German sports car maker, turned to psychographics after experiencing a world-wide sales decline from 50,000 units in 1986 to about 14,000 in 1993.  A psychographic student showed that, Porsche buyers could be divided into several distinct categories.  Top Guns, Proud Patrons, and Fantasists.  Porsche’s U.S. sales improved nearly 50 percent after a new advertising camping was lauched .

Honda’s recent experience in Europe demonstrated the potential value of using psychographic segmentation to supplement the use of more traditional variable such as demographics.

People of the same age don’t necessarily have the same attitudes.  Sometimes it is preferable to market to a mind-set rather than a particular age group; in such an instance, psychographic studies can help markets arrive at a deeper understanding of consumer behavior than is possible with traditional segmentation variables such as demographics.

Such understanding comes at a price; psychographic market profiles are available from a number of different sources; companies may pay thousands of dollars to use these studies.

A  research team at D'arcy Massius Benton & Bowles (DMBB) focused on Europe and produced a 15-country study entitled “The Euroconsumer: Marketing Myth or Cultural Certainty?”

The researchers identified four lifestyle groups:

Successful Idealists: Comprising from 5 percent to 20 percent of the population, this segment consist of persons who have achieved professional and material success while maintaining commitment to abstract or socially responsible ideals.

Affluent Materialists: These status-conscious “up-and-comers” –many of whom are business professionals- use conspicuous consumption to communicate their success to others.

Comfortable Belongers: Comprising one-fourth to one-half of a country’s population, this group, like Global Scan’s Adaptears and Traditionals, is conservative and most comfortable with the familiar. Belongers are content with the comforts of home, family, friends, and community.

Disaffected Survivors: Lacking power and affluence, this segment harbors little hope for upward mobility and tends to be either resentful or resigned.

The segmentation and targeting approach used by a company can vary from country to country.

Behavior Segmentation

Behavior segmentation focuses on whether or not people buy and use a product, as well as how often and how much they use or consume.

Consumers are categorized in terms of usage rates: heavy, medium, light, and non-user.

Consumers are also segmented in terms of user status: potential users, non-users, ex-users, regulars, first-timers, and users of competitors’ products.

• What is the 80/20 rule and why is it applicable to market segmentation?

Marketers sometimes refer to the 80/20 rule (also known as the law of disproportionality or Pareto’s Law) suggests that 80 percent of a company’s revenues or profits are accounted for by 20 percent of their products or customers.

Benefit Segmentation                                       

·         What is benefit segmentation?

Global benefit segmentation focuses on the numerator of the value equation: the B in V = B/P.

This approach is based on marketers’ superior understanding of the problem a product a product solves, the benefit it offers, or the issue it addresses, regardless of geography.

Food marketers are finding success creating products that can help parents create nutritious family meals with a minimal investment of time.  As consumers care about whitening, sensitive teeth, gum disease, and other oral care issues, marketers are developing new toothpaste brands suited to the different sets of perceived needs.

Ethnic Segmentation

• What are the three major ethnic segments in the U.S.?

In many countries, the population includes ethnic groups of significant size.  In the United States, for example, there are three major ethnic segments: African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans. Each segment shows great diversity and can be further subdivided.  For example: Asian Americans include Thais, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese, each of who speaks a different language.

The Hispanic American segment is comprised of more than 40 million people, representing about 14 percent of the population and $560 billion in annual buying power. As a group, Hispanic Americans are hard working and exhibit a strong family and religious orientation.  In addition, consider the following:

• Mexican households in California have an after-tax income of $100 billion, half the total of all
• The number of Hispanic teens is projected to swell from 12 percent of the U.S. teen population to 18 percent in the next decade.

From a marketing point of view, these groups offer great opportunity. Companies in a variety of industry sectors, including food and beverages, consumer durables, and leisure and financial services, are recognizing the need to include these segments when preparing marketing programs for the United States.

From 1999 through 2000, new-vehicle registrations by Hispanics in the United States grow 20 percent, twice the overall national growth rate. 

New segmentation approached are being developed in response to today’s rapidly changing business environment.  For example, the widespread adoption of the Internet and other new technologies creates a great deal of commonality among global consumers.  These consumer subcultures are comprise of people whose similar outlooks and aspirations create a shared mindset that transcends languages or national differences.

ASSESSING MARKET POTENTIAL AND CHOOSING TARGET MARKETS OR SEGMENTS

After segmenting the market by one or more of the criteria just discussed, the next step is to assess the attractiveness of the identified segments.

It is at this stage that global marketers should be mindful of several potential pitfalls associated with the market segmentation process.

1. There is a tendency to overstate the size and short-term attractiveness of individual country markets, especially when estimates are based primarily on demographic data such as income and population.
2. There is a tendency to target a country because shareholders or competitors exert pressure on management not to “miss out” on a strategic opportunity.
3. There is a danger that management’s network of contacts will emerge as a primary criterion for targeting. The result can be market entry based on convenience rather than rigorous market analysis.

With these pitfalls in mind, marketers can utilize three basic criteria for assessing opportunity in global target markets:

• Current size of the segment and anticipated growth potential
• Potential competition
• Feasibility and compatibility.

Current Segment Size and Growth Potential

Is the market segment currently large enough to make a profit? If the answer is “no” today, does it have significant growth potential to make it attractive in terms of a company’s long-term strategy?

Consider these facts about India:

·         India is the world’s fastest growing cell phone market. The industry is expanding at an annual rate of 50%.

·         About 1.3 million cars are sold each year in India.

·         60 million middle-class Indian men and women earn more than $275 per month.

As noted earlier, one of the advantages of targeting a market segment globally is that, while the segment in a single-country might be small, even a narrow segment can be served profitably if the segment exists in several countries. In the case of a huge country market such as India or China, segment size and growth potential may be assessed in a different manner.

From the perspective of a consumer packaged goods company, for example, low incomes and the absence of a distribution infrastructure offset the fact that 75 percent of India’s population lives in rural areas.  The appropriate decision may be to target urban areas only.

Potential Competition

A market segment or country market characterized by strong competition may be a segment to avoid.  However, if the competition is vulnerable in terms of price or quality, the newcomer can make inroads.

Over the past several decades, for example, Japanese companies in a variety of industries targeted the U.S. market despite the presence of entrenched domestic market leaders.

Honda first created the market for small-displacement dirt bikes. Canon outflanked Xerox by offering compact desktop copiers; however, Acer failed to make headway in a U.S. market dominated by such strong brand names such as Dell.

Feasibility and Compatibility

If a market segment is judged to be large enough, and if strong competitors are either absent or deemed to be vulnerable, then the final consideration is whether a company can and should target that market.

The feasibility of targeting a particular segment can be negatively impacted by various factors.   For example, significant regulatory hurdles may be present that limit market access. A company may also encounter cultural barriers. Other marketing issues may arise such as in India, it takes 3 – 5 years to build a distribution system for many consumer products.

Mangers must decide who well  a company’s products fits the country market in question- or as noted- if the company does not currently offer a suitable product, can it develop one?  To make this decision, a marketers must consider several criteria:

·         Will adaptation be required? If so, is this economically justifiable in terms of the expected sales volume?

·         Will import restrictions, high tariffs, or a strong home country currency drive up the price of the product in the target market currency and effectively dampen demand?

·         Is it advisable to source locally? In many cases, reaching global market segments requires considerable expenditures for distribution and travel by company personnel. Would it make sense to source products in the country for export elsewhere in the region?

Finally, it is important to address the question of whether targeting a particular segment is compatible with the company’s overall goals, its brand image, or established sources of competitive advantage.

A Framework for Selecting Target Markets

As one can infer from this discussion, it would be extremely useful to have formal tools or frameworks available when assessing emerging country markets.

Table 7-7 presents a market selection framework that incorporates some of the elements just discussed. Using China, Russia, and Mexico as potential country target markets, the table shows the countries arranged in declining rank by market size. Initially, China seems to hold the greatest potential, based on size. However, the competitive advantage of our hypothetical firm is .07 in China, .10 in Russia, and .20 in Mexico. Multiplying the market size and competitive advantage index yields a market potential of 7 in China, 5 in Russia, and 4 in Mexico.

The next stage in the analysis requires an assessment of the various market access considerations.  In Table 7-7 all these conditions or terms are reduced to an index number of terms of access.  However, the “market access considerations” are more favorable in Mexico than in Russia. Multiplying the market potential by the terms of access index suggests that Mexico holds greater export potential than China or Russia.

Global expert David Arnold has developed a framework that is based on a “bottom-up” analysis, beginning at the product level.

• What is a product-market?

The term product-market can be used to describe a market defined by a product category; in the automotive industry, for example, phrases such as “luxury car market” or “SUV market” refer to specific product-markets.

Phrases such as “the Russian market” or “the Indian market” refer to country markets.

As shown in Figure 7-2, Arnold’s framework incorporates two core concepts: marketing model drives and enabling conditions.  Marketing model drivers are key elements or factors required for a business to take root and grow in a particular country market environment. The drivers may differ depending on whether a company serves consumer or industrial markets.

• Define enabling conditions.

Enabling conditions are structural market characteristics whose presence or absence can determine whether the marketing model can succeed. For example, in India, refrigeration is not widely available in shops and market food stalls.

The third step is to weigh the estimated costs associated with entering and serving the market.

The issue of timing is often framed in terms of the quest for first-mover advantage. The conventional wisdom says that the first company to enter a market has the best chance of becoming the market leader.

• What is a first-mover disadvantage?

The first company to enter a market often makes substantial investments in marketing only to find that a late-arriving competitor reaps some of the benefits.  There is ample evidence that late entrants into global markets can also achieve success. One way they do this is by benchmarking established companies and then outmaneuvering them, first locally then globally.

Late mover can also succeed by developing innovative business models.

One way to determine the marketing model drivers and enabling conditions is to create a product-market profile.

The profile should address the following basic questions:

1. Who buys our product or brand?

2. Who does not buy our product or brand?

3. What need or function does our product serve? Does our product or brand address that need?

4. Is there a market need that is not being met by current product/brand offerings?

5. What problem does our product solve?

6. What are customers currently buying to satisfy the need and/or solve the problem for which our product is targeted?

7. What price are they paying for the product they are currently buying?

8. When is our product purchased?

9. Where is our product purchased?

PRODUCT-MARKET DECISIONS

• How can a company review current and potential product offerings in terms of suitability for the country market or segment?

The next step in assessing market segments is a company review of current and potential product offerings in terms of their suitability for the country market or segment.

This assessment can be performed by creating a product-market grid that maps markets as horizontal rows on a spreadsheet and products as vertical columns. Each cell represents the possible intersection of a product and a market segment.

Table 7-8 shows the 2008 product-grid for Lexus.

TARGET MARKET STRATEGY OPTIONS

After evaluating the identified segments in terms of the three criteria presented, a decision is made whether to pursue a particular opportunity or not.

If the decision is made to proceed, an appropriate targeting strategy must be developed.

There are three basic categories of target marketing strategies:

1. Standardized marketing
2. Concentrated marketing
3. Differentiated marketing.

Standardized Global Marketing

Standardized global marketing is analogous to mass marketing in a single country. it involves creating the same marketing mix for a broad mass market of potential buyers.

Standardized global marketing is also known as undifferentiated target marketing. In addition, that mass market is served with a marketing mix of standardized elements. Product adaptation is minimized. Intensive distribution ensures that the product is available in the maximum number of retail outlets.

The appeal of standardized global marketing is clear: lower production costs; the same is true of standardized global communications.  

Concentrated Global Marketing

The second global marketing strategy, concentrated target marketing, involves devising a marketing mix to reach a niche.

A niche is simply a single segment of the global market.

Concentrated targeting is also the strategy employed by the hidden champions of global marketing: companies unknown to most people that have succeeded by serving a niche market that exists in many countries. These companies define their markets narrowly and strive for global depth rather than national breadth.  For example is Germany’s Winterhalter, a hidden champion in the dishwasher market, who focuses exclusively on dishwashers and water conditioners for hotels and restaurants.

Differentiated Global Marketing

The third target marketing strategy, differentiated global marketing, represents a more ambitious approach than concentrated target marketing. Also known as multisegment marketing, this approach entails targeting two or more distinct market segments with multiple marketing mix offerings.

This strategy allows a company to achieve wider market coverage. For example, in the sport utility vehicle segment, Rover has a $68,000 Range Rover at the high end of the market. A scaled-down version, the Land Rover Discovery, competes directly with the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

POSITIONING

The term positioning  is attributed to marketing gurus, Al Ries and Jack Trout, who first introduced it in 1969. Positioning refers to the act of differentiating a brand in customers’ minds in relation to competitors in terms of attributes and benefits that the brand does and does not offer.

Put differently, positioning is the process of developing strategies for “staking out turf” or “filling a slot” in the mind of target customers.

Positioning is frequently used in conjunction with segmentation variables and targeting strategies.

Marketers have utilized a number of general positioning strategies. These include positioning by attribute or benefit, quality and price, use or user, and competitor.

Recent research has identified three additional positioning strategies that are particularly useful in global marketing: global consumer culture positioning, local consumer culture positioning, and foreign consumer culture positioning.

Attribute or Benefit

A frequently used positioning strategy exploits a particular product attribute, benefit, or feature.

Economy, reliability, and durability are frequently used attribute/benefit positions (e.g., Volvo is known for solid construction that offers safety in the event of a crash).

In global marketing, it may be important to communicate that a brand is imported. This approach is known as foreign consumer culture positioning (FCCP) (e.g., Visa).

Quality and Price

This strategy runs from high fashion/quality and high price to good value (rather than “low quality”) at a reasonable price.

Quality and price are used in conjunction with benefit/attribute positioning.

Marketers sometimes use the phrase “transformation advertising” to describe advertising that seeks to change the experience of buying and using a product – the benefit – to justify a higher price.

Use or User

Another positioning strategy represents how a product is used or associates the brand with a user or class of users. For example, Max Factor makeup is positioned as “the makeup that makeup artists use.”

Competition

Implicit or explicit reference to competitors can provide the basis for an effective positioning strategy.

Global, Foreign, and Local Consumer Culture Positioning

• What is GCCP?

Global consumer culture positioning (GCCP) is defined as a strategy that identifies the brand as a symbol of a particular global culture or segment.

It has proven to be an effective strategy for communicating with global teens, cosmopolitan elites, globe-trotting laptop warriors who consider themselves members of a “transnational commerce culture,” and other groups.

For example, Sony’s “My First Sony” line is positioned as the electronics brand for youngsters around the globe with discerning parents. Heineken’s strong brand equity around the globe can be attributed in good measure to a GCCP strategy that reinforces consumers’ cosmopolitan self-image.

Certain categories of products lend themselves especially well to GCCP. High-tech and high-touch products are both associated with high levels of customer involvement and by a shared “language” among users. High-tech products are sophisticated, technologically complex, and / or difficult to explain or understand. 

High-touch products, are generally energized by emotional motives rather than rational ones. Consumers may feel an emotional or spiritual connection with high-touch products, the performance of which is evaluated  in subjective, aesthetic terms rather than objective, technical terms. Consumption of high-touch products may represent an act of personal indulgence, reflect the user’s actual or ideal self-image, or reinforce interpersonal relationships.

A brand’s GCCP can be reinforced by the careful selection of the thematic, verbal, or visual components that are incorporated into advertising and other communications. For marketers seeking to establish a high-touch GCCP, leisure, romance, and materialism are three themes that cross borders well. By contrast, professionalism and experience are advertising themes that work well for high-tech products such as global financial services.

In some instances, products may be positioned globally in a “bipolar” fashion as both high tech and high touch. This approach can be used when products satisfy buyer’s rational criteria while evoking an emotional response.  (Apple positions its products on the basis of both performance and design).

To the extent that English is the primary language of international business, mass media, and the Internet, one can make the case that English signifies modernism and a cosmopolitan outlook. Therefore, the use of English in advertising and labeling throughout the world is another way to achieve GCCP. Benetton’s tag line “United Colors of Benetton” appears in English in all of the company’s advertising.

Another way to reinforce a GCCP is to use brand symbols that cannot be interpreted as associated with a specific country culture. Examples include the Nike swoosh, and the Mercedes-Benz star.

A second option is foreign consumer culture positioning (FCCP) associates the brand’s users, use occasions, or production origins with a foreign country or culture.

Foster’s Brewing Group’s U.S. advertising proudly trumpets the brand’s national origin; print ads feature the tag line “Foster’s. Australian for beer.” The “American-ness” of Levi jeans, Marlboro cigarettes, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles enhances their appeal to cosmopolitans around the world and offers opportunities for FCCP.

Local consumer culture positioning (LCCP) is a strategy that associates the brand with local cultural meanings, reflects the local culture’s norms, portrays the brand as consumed by local people in the national culture, or depicts the product as locally produced for local consumers.

A long-running campaign for Foster’s Brewing Group’s U.S. advertising proudly trumpeted the brand’s national origin. “How to speak Australian”.

Discussion Questions

Test your knowledge