Convergence and Divergence: Developing a Semiglobal Marketing Strategy

Many markets are converging, as communications and logistic networks become more integrated and firms from all parts of the world are expanding operations on a global scale. At the same time, other markets are becoming more diverse, and marketers are increasingly encountering economic and cultural heterogeneity. The authors examine the implications of these trends and the extent to which they necessitate rethinking and refocusing global marketing strategy. First, they examine the perspective of global marketing strategy as an evolutionary process. Next, they divide markets into five major spheres, examining the economic and cultural diversity of markets in each. Next, they discuss the resultant need to develop and implement different strategies for markets in each of these spheres. Some conclusions are drawn relating to the difficulties involved in developing a coherent strategy in international markets. The authors advocate developing a semiglobal marketing strategy, which involves following different directions in different parts of the world, resulting in greater autonomy at the local level.