Page 255 - Foundations of Marketing

222 Part 3 | Customer Behavior and E-Marketing

order to see. Her invention consisted of a long arm with the amount of scraping of ice and snow needed by the
a rubber blade that was operated by hand from inside driver beforehand. Heated windshield-washing fluid also
the cab. By 1916, all passenger vehicles were fitted with sprays more consistently, helping to reach all parts of the
these manual windshield wipers; starting in the early windshield, and is more effective at dissolving dirt and
1920s, a variety of automatic systems began to appear. bugs. The manufacturing companies also claim that the
In 1936, the first windshield washer unit became avail- fluid will help windshield wipers last longer.
able as an option, adding another technological break- Many countries have long and cold winters, but
through in automotive technology. Russia instantly comes to mind as a potential global mar-
Flash forward to the present. Now, every vehicle utilizes ket. Evaluate Russia in terms of its environmental forces
windshield-washing fluids—usually consisting of a mixture for these manufacturers of windshield-washer fluid
of ethylene glycol, isoproponal, and water—that are reason- heaters. Based on approximately 275 motor vehicles per
ably effective at removing dirt, bugs, and other debris. The 1,000 people in the Russian population, what percentage
efficacy of windshield washing fluids decreases, however, of the market do you think that companies selling this
in cold weather. Indeed, in winter months, these fluids do product can capture (industry sales)? Which mode of
not spray properly and can sometimes even freeze. entry seems best for one of these manufacturers? They
Recently, a few companies have begun to manufacture are usually mid-sized companies with limited capital,
windshield-washing fluid heaters, which instantly heat the international experience, and knowledge. How much cus-
windshield-washing fluid to approximately 50 ° C ( 132 ° F ) tomization would a product like this require for Russia?
at the driver’s touch. The system comes in a kit, which 6. Develop your analytical and communication skills using
takes only 15 minutes to install. The first benefit, of the Role-Play Exercises online at
course, is that the heated windshield-washer fluid reduces www.cengagebrain.com.

Internet Exercise

FTD
Founded in 1910 as Florists’ Telegraph Delivery, FTD was flowers. Summarize the delivery and pricing information
the first company to offer a “flowers-by-wire” service. FTD that would apply to that country.
does not deliver flowers itself, but it depends on local flo- 2. Determine the cost of sending fresh-cut seasonal flowers
rists to do it. In 1994, FTD expanded its toll-free telephone- to Germany.
ordering service by establishing a website. Visit the site at 3. What are the benefits of this global distribution system
www.ftd.com . for sending flowers worldwide? What other consumer
products could be distributed globally through the
1. Click on “International” near the bottom of the web-
Internet?
page. Select a country to which you would like to send

When formulating marketing strategy, one of the issues 2. Using Figure 8.1 as a guide, determine the degree of
a company must consider is whether or not to pursue international involvement that is appropriate for your
international markets. Although international markets product and your company.
present increased marketing opportunities, they also 3. Discuss the concepts of customization and globalization
require more complex decisions when formulating mar- for your product when moving to international markets.
keting plans. To assist you in relating the information in Refer to Table 8.5 for guidance in your discussion.
this chapter to the development of your marketing plan,
The information obtained from these questions should
focus on the following:
assist you in developing various aspects of your market-
1. Review the environmental analysis that was completed ing plan. Develop your marketing plan online using the
in Chapter 3 . Extend the analysis for each of the seven Interactive Marketing Plan at
factors to include global markets. www.cengagebrain.com .

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