It is recognised that in the “postmodern” era of marketing, even the assumptions and long standing tenets of marketing like the concepts of “consumer needs”, “consumer sovereignty”, “target markets” and “product/market processes” are being challenged. The emphasis is towards the emergence of the “customising consumer”, that is, the customer who takes elements of the market offerings and moulds a customised consumption experience out of these. Even further, post modernism, posts that the consumer who is the consumed, the ultimate marketable image, is also becoming liberated from the sole role of a consumer and is becoming a producer. This reveals itself in the desire for the consumer to become part of the marketing process and to experience immersion into “thematic settings” rather than merely to encounter products. So in consuming food products for example, it becomes not just a case of satisfying hunger needs, but also can be rendered as an image - producing act. In the post modern market place the product does not project images, it fills images. This is true in some foodstuffs. The consumption of “designer water” or “slimming foods” is a statement of a self image, not just a product consuming act.
• Acceptance of postmodern marketing affects discussions of products, pricing, advertising, distribution and
planning. However, given the fact that this textbook is primarily written with developing economies in mind,
where the environmental conditions, consumer sophistication and systems are not such that allow a quantum leap
to postmodernism, it is intended to mention the concept in passing. Further discussion on the topic is available
in the accompanying list of readings.
• When organisations develop into global marketing organisations, they usually evolve into this from a relatively
small export base. Some firms never get any further than the exporting stage. Marketing overseas can, therefore,
be anywhere on a continuum of “foreign” to “global”. It is well to note at this stage that the words “international”, “multinational” or “global” are now rather outdated descriptions. In fact “global” has replaced the other terms
to all intents and purposes. “Foreign” marketing means marketing in an environment different from the home
base, it’s basic form being “exporting”. Over time, this may evolve into an operating market rather than a
foreign market.
The four stages of global marketing are as follows:
• Stage one: Domestic in focus, with all activity concentrated in the home market. Whilst many organisations
can survive like this, for example raw milk marketing, solely domestically oriented organisations are probably
doomed to long term failure.
• Stage two: Home focus, but with exports (ethnocentric). Probably believes only in home values, but creates an
export division. Usually ripe for the taking by stage four organisations.
• Stage three: Stage two organisations which realise that they must adapt their marketing mixes to overseas
operations. The focus switches to multinational (polycentric) and adaption becomes paramount.
• Stage four: Global organisations which create value by extending products and programmes and focus on
serving emerging global markets (geocentric). This involves recognising that markets around the world consist
of similarities and differences and that it is possible to develop a global strategy based on similarities to obtain
scale economies, but also recognises and responds to cost effective differences. Its strategies are a combination
of extension, adaptation and creation. It is unpredictable in behaviour and always alert to opportunities.
