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the individualistic nature of the Nike products and brand. Phrases such as
‘Asians lack muscle’ and ‘Asians lack the will to win’ were followed by

‘Stereotypes are made to be broken’ (Fonda and Gough, 2005). Nike did
not adapt its product offering or its individualistic stance but helped to
shape a whole generation within a collectivist culture that was ready for

change. The power of advertising, sponsorship and celebrity endorsement
helped to establish the brand in China and is now seen as the ‘coolest’

brand in Asia. Nike also managed to position its products at the high end
of the market as what it was selling was ‘status’. It cost Chinese consumers
nearly a month’s salary to buy a pair of trainers. This shows how a unique

position can command a very high price as it could not do this in its
domestic markets. Whatever the strategy, what organisations need to do

in the international market and domestic market, is to integrate its
communications strategy to accommodate different stakeholders and to
make sure that the strategy is consistent with ALL elements of the

marketing mix or the positioning of the product may be all wrong – Dasani
in the UK. The following unit considers international pricing and it is crucial

to get this element right.

End of Unit Summary

It was highlighted that the management of international communication

was concerned with exchanging information with different stakeholders
and not just the end consumer. Other important stakeholders included the

media, governments, pressure groups, suppliers, distributors, general
public, local communities and banks. Each stakeholder group is different
and each communication needs to be tailored to the appropriate audience.

This is a difficult process to manage as the message needs to be
interpreted in the intended way. It was also highlighted that it is essential

organisations develop a good, working relationship with employees and
agencies that it deals with as it is the agency that deals with business-to-
consumer messages in each country. The organisation needs to

determine whether to standardise communication across different