Topic > Important Considerations Before Engaging in International Business

Can an international marketer predict and prepare for the problems faced by companies expanding into a foreign country? Some of the problems Disney has faced include cultural differences, foreign currencies, language barriers, and poor assumptions. These problems exist because expanding a business into a foreign country and being successful involves a lot of preparation/research and risk. These issues can affect a company entirely. The existence of these problems is linked to trade barriers. As in this case study, many of them are expected and some of them are out of the hands of marketers. The sector responsible for many of these problems would be marketing. Unfortunately, a successful marketer must be forward-thinking and knowledgeable about the obstacles before entering a particular market/country. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Disney territory has expanded to Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. All three locations had different outcomes because they were approached with divergent strategies. First, as mentioned in the study, many Europeans did not understand the American way of financing the free market. Some key problems that Disney Land-Paris faced were related to huge cultural differences and poor assumptions. One issue I noticed while reading the study was the Paris location. Although the town and city were carefully chosen from over 200 locations, the park was close to other theme parks that were not part of Disney. In my opinion, a marketer must choose a place where the product, in this case the experience, is one of a kind. This means there should be no other options to try. Furthermore, it is known that the French prefer their own parks, their own products and even their own language over others. Therefore, the selection of France as a country is, in my opinion, risky and extremely difficult to market. Another cultural difference that was ignored in planning this growth plan was the purchase of streetcars. The lifestyle and cities in Europe are known for its sightseeing because it is worth walking and is designed to do so as a means of transportation. An international marketer should have predicted that Europeans are used to walking and even prefer to do so. In this case, the result was a huge financial problem. On the other hand, some key problems that Disney has faced are almost impossible to predict. As mentioned in the case study, Disney failed to see the Gulf War and the European recession. With war comes recession, with recession comes high interest rates, currency devaluation and severe holiday disruptions. Therefore, sometimes even a marketing expert cannot predict the problems that a company or country might face. After all, they cannot see the future. Other factors that have affected Disney include 9/11, the terrorist attacks in France, the collapse of tourism and the summer heat wave. Disney also faced a problem at Disneyland Paris with the alcohol ban. In a country like France, this is against the local culture. However, Disney managed to announce that pets will be allowed in the park. Disney has finally taken the French citizens' point of view on pets and implemented it. Another cultural difference that was not handled properly at Disneyland Paris was holiday customs. All these factors must be.