International and Domestic Marketing Comparison

University of PhoenixMKT 450/International MarketingJune 16, 2009IntroductionIn today's world, business is commonly acknowledged as international and the general expectation is for this to continue into the foreseeable future. As the world continues to venture into global markets, not limiting business transactions to domestic markets, it is important to understand the similarities and differences of conducting business in those markets. The success of businesses in domestic and international markets is dependent on the accuracy and thoroughness of the marketing within the respective markets. With that in mind, this paper will compare and contrast international and domestic marketing with the use of selected international country, Germany, versus the United States.

Domestic versus International MarketingAnalyzing domestic and international businesses within the private and public sectors, the most common objective is successfully to function in order to continue operations. Although they share the same ultimate goals, international and domestic marketing are quite different. Generally, nation-states differ in the following areas:•Unique governing systems•Laws and regulations•Currencies•Taxes and duties•CultureBusinesses venturing into the international market must understand such differences along with recognizing similarities in buyer behaviors as they differ from country to country.

German soldier's "Auf Wiedersehen" (LOC)

Germans at Princeton -- Weitzer - Lt. Reichenau - ...

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Specific to Germany, a successful business venture must fully comprehend the foreign environment in order to effectively market a product or service.

German vs. U.S. CultureOne of the most important factors that have a major impact on marketing in Germany is culture. Germany's culture includes a long history of musical talent and interest which has continued even in modern culture (ThinkQuest, 1999). Germany ranks as the 5th largest market globally in music record sales and is heavily influenced by television (ThinkQuest, 1999). Germany's television market encompasses over 34 million households and is by far the largest market in Europe (ThinkQuest, 1999). Television viewers have options for cable or satellite...