The Role of Marketing Research in Global Market Success
Oreos global success is often attributed to its ability to adapt marketing campaigns for different cultures. For example, in China, Oreo modified the sweetness of its cookies and launched an engaging social media campaign. However, not all brands have succeeded in this. Disney faced difficulties when they launched Disneyland Paris with strict American-style employee appearance rules, which clashed with French cultural values on individualism and privacy. Similarly, Mattel believed that Japanese girls would like Barbie just as American girls did, but this assumption failed due to cultural differences in perceptions of beauty and play.
Discussion Question: How can thorough market research, particularly understanding local cultural preferences, help companies avoid mistakes like those made by Mattel and Disney? Use the examples to explain which steps in the research process (problem definition, data collection, etc.) could have improved their outcomes.
