Five ingredients of international communication have been presented in this chapter:

• advertising
• public relations
• sales promotion
• direct marketing

As international marketers manage the various elements of the promotions mix in differing environmental conditions decisions must be made about what channels are to be used in the communication, the message, who is to execute or help execute the programme, and how the results of the communication plan are to be measured. The trend is towards greater harmonization of strategy, at the same time allowing for flexibility at the local level and early incorporation of local needs into the communication plans.

Hence an important decision for international marketers is whether the different elements of the communication should be standardized worldwide or localized. The main reasons for seeking standardization are as follows:

• Customers do not conform to national boundaries.
• The company is seeking to build an international brand image.
• Economies of scale can be achieved.
• The few high-quality creative ideas can be exploited as widely as possible.
• Special expertise can be developed and exploited.

However, some communication tools, especially personal selling, have to be localized to fit the conditions of individual markets. Another reason for the localization of the personal selling tool is that distribution channel members are normally located firmly within a country. Consequently, decisions concerning recruitment, training, motivation, and evaluation of salespeople have to be made at the local level.

The process of selecting agencies has also been considered. The requisite blend of local knowledge, cultural understanding, and management expertise across international markets is elusive. Too much centralization and standardization results in inappropriate marketing communications. A very important communication tool for the future is the Internet. Any company eager to take advantage of the Internet on a global scale must select a business model for its Internet ventures and estimate how information and transactions delivered through this new direct marketing medium will influence its existing distribution and communication system.