Conducting international marketing research in the twenty‐first century

As businesses expand further and further in international markets, the role of timely and accurate marketing research to guide decision making becomes increasingly critical. Research to support international marketing decisions has evolved over the past four decades and must change even more to support firms in the twenty‐first century. There are four key areas where progress must be made. First, international marketing research efforts need to be more closely aligned with market growth opportunities outside the industrialized nations. Second, researchers must develop the capability to conduct and coordinate research that spans diverse research environments. Third, international marketing researchers need to develop new creative approaches to probe the cultural underpinnings of behavior. Finally, technological advances need to be incorporated into the research process in order to facilitate and expedite research conducted across the globe.