Future directions in international marketing : the decade ahead

There are a number of future trends in international marketing that will manifest themselves more fully in the decade ahead. These include ethnic and economic groupings replacing the nation state as a segmentation variable, the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations replacing the triad nations (North America, Europe and japan) as international growth locations, the disappearance of economic rationalism, an increasing focus on the negative impacts of globalization and an increasing questioning of the relevance of Western-derived theories and practices in international marketing for forging profitable links with the growth markets in the developing world. To illustrate these trends, the chapter focuses on one of the greatest opportunities for growth in international marketing. It is an opportunity that hitherto has been largely ignored and involves two-thirds of the world's population, that is, the market at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). The techniques that will be needed to successfully engage with this market will be explored in detail and illustrated by recent research conducted in Zimbabwe.