FindingtheRightInternationalMixInthesedaysofincreasingglobalintegration,thetaskmanyinternationalmarketsfaceisnotsomuchmarketentryasmanagingthemarketingmixindifferentnationalmarkets.Isitbettertostandardiseortoadaptitacrossdifferentmarkets?ConsumertastesincarsareverydifferentinNorthAmerica,theUK,Germany,Italy,Japan,andIndia.A“global”carthatdoesnothavecountry-specificdifferentiatingfeatureswillfail.Themanufacturer,therefore,hastofindthebalancebetweendesigningaseparatecarforeachmarket—whichwouldbeexorbitantlycostly—anddesigningonecarforallmarkets.Nissanwasapioneerinthisarea.Itreducedthenumberofdifferentchassisdesignsfrom40to8forcarsmeantfor75differentnationalmarkets.Somecompanies,however,dodevelopthesameproductforallmarketsregardlessofexistinglocalpreferences.CompaniessuchasKellogghavesucceededinchangingconsumptionpatterns.BreakfastcerealwasunknowninFrance20yearsago.Todayitiscommon.KelloggignoredtheresearchthatsaidcerealwouldnotsellinFrance.Incontrast,Coca-Colachangestheflavorofitssoftdrinktoconformtolocaltastes.CokeintheUStastesdifferentfromCokeintheUK,whichinturntastesdifferentfromCokeinIndia.Thusthereisaspectrumofnewproductdevelop0mentstrategies.Firmssometimescustomizeaproducttoeverymarket;atothertimestheyofferonestandardizedproducteverywhere,andsometimestheycompromiseandsettleinthemiddle.Newproductdevelopmentthatco-ordinateseffortsacrossnationalmarketsleadstobetterproductsandservices.Suchopportunitiesarenotnormallyavailabletoacompanythatoperatesonlyinonecountryorisonlyjustenteringanewcountry.TheadventoftheInternetandIntranethasthepotentialtoacceleratetheprocessofminingallmarketsforrelevantinformationandforfeaturesthatcanbeincludedinnewproducts.Unileverhasfourglobalresearchlaboratoriesthatdevelopproductsfortheirdifferentnationalmarketswhileprovidinginputsforglobalproducts.Thelaboratoriesco-ordinatetheireffortsbylookingatthepossibilitiesofmeldingproductideasarisingfromdifferentcountries.Motorola’ssoftwaredevelopmentestablishmentscoordinatetheireffortsinwor