Global manufacturing: creating the balance between local and global markets

For several years, the domestic markets of manufacturing organizations have started to reach maturity and companies have sought to expand their international operations in order to grow. This has meant that there has been an increasing emphasis on the debate on whether companies should remain global or localize their marketing mix, and to what extent each element should be adapted or standardized. The paper aims to explore the degree to which manufacturing organizations need to standardize or adapt elements of their marketing mix. It demonstrates how a balance can be created between global and local approaches.

The paper defines the key concepts of adaptation and standardization and outlines contrasting viewpoints in the literature. It uses existing frameworks as a basis for analysis. The use of case study examples that demonstrate both international brand failures and brand successes shed light on balancing local and global markets.

The paper provides insight into the different approaches that manufacturing organizations can follow when expanding into international markets. The paper argues against the statement “manufacturing organizations are either mindlessly global or hopelessly local” and demonstrate that manufacturing organizations can successfully combine a global and local approach if they carefully choose the elements that they adapt or standardize.

This paper is based on previous research between manufacturing companies operating in Europe and the Middle East. It is therefore vocationally original. It is of value to manufacturing companies, which need to understand how they can balance global and local markets.