Marketing Program Standardization: The Experience of TNCs in Poland

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the rate of standardization of marketing programs in transnational corporations in the consumer goods market in Poland, which currently is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. An important research objective was to observe how Polish consumers adopt the marketing patterns and related lifestyles from countries of Western Europe and the USA. The empirical tests and data, collected in a sample survey of 35 transnational corporations and their 140 products, and using varied methods of statistical inference, allowed to formulate the following conclusions. The analyzed TNC's adopted a clear standardization strategy in the Polish market. Among the analyzed products, 2/3 of them have been entirely transferred from foreign markets into the Polish market. A detailed analysis has indicated that the standardization rate of product and its items in the FMCG market in Poland is high and very high, and significantly higher than the pricing and advertising strategy standardization rates. The product standardization rate in the Polish market has been slightly higher than the rate in the developed countries, yet the pricing standardization has been significantly lower. The standardization of advertising strategies showed similar features.

Global products marketing strategy of two European MNCs in Vietnam

“…Viewed from the alternative perspective, Standardization decreases the products' time to the market by reducing the time needed to adapt to local consumers' needs and wants (Schilke et al, 2009;Neff, 1999). Standardization enables firms to exploit superior products, services and operations in multiple markets without costly time delays (Sagan, 2016;Okazaki et al, 2007Okazaki et al, , 2006Taylor and Okazaki, 2006;Ozsomer and Simonin, 2004;Ozsomer and Prussia, 2000). MNCs are unlikely and in fact reluctant to adapt their global brands to the local market, even if the products being launched are of a consumer nature and the newly emerging market size is large, as is the case in this paper.…”

“…In addition, none of the countries directly bordering Vietnam offered any valuable input that provided a reference or even a hint of support for any particular preference of PMS. The difficulty of extending existing PMS recommendation from other countries to this unique market was apparent from the earliest discussion held within the boardrooms of MNCs who sought to enter it (Ansah, 2016;Guzman et al, 2016;Sagan, 2016;Rojas-Mendez et al, 2015;Gupta et al, 2014;Ruzzier and de Chernatony, 2013;Ruzzier and Petek, 2012;Lindh, 2009;Okazaki et al, 2007;Sustar, 2006;Cavusgil, 1996, 2002;Zou et al, 1997).…”