Marketing

Marketing is one of the broadest fields, covering the design and development of a product throughout its evolution into the market. As the globalization of markets continues, businesses of all types need to stay current with trends that impact their ability to sell products and services. An enormous amount of specialized information is needed to make good decisions about product design, packaging, promotion, distribution, pricing and sales techniques in each country.

As an international marketing professional, you will provide this information to facilitate entry into foreign markets. You must be able to identify economic, political, social, and demographic trends within each targeted country, and the implications of these trends for your firm’s existing and future marketing strategies.

Majors: Marketing, Business and/or relevant experience; an M.B.A. is required for higher positions

Careers in Marketing

International Business Development Manager

You will be responsible for discovering foreign markets for your company’s products and for developing and executing market entry strategies. Market entry includes forming partnerships and alliances, arranging acquisitions and mergers and negotiating distribution agreements.

Key to Success: You will need a detailed understanding of the international trade environment, including its legal, economic, financial, regulatory, political and cultural aspects. Strong interpersonal skills are required, as well as a good understanding of how to conduct negotiations and achieve results through persuasion and diplomacy.
Average Annual Salary: $115,000

International Marketing Manager

The international marketing manager is responsible for developing foreign markets and managing the company’s marketing activities. You will create a marketing strategy to enter new markets, relying heavily on consumer research to make sure your product or service will be successful.

Key to Success: A broad understanding of the international trade environment, as well as a detailed knowledge of the marketing environment in the target markets. You must be able to analyze consumer and buyer behavior, competitor strengths and weaknesses, and financial and regulatory institutions.
Average Annual Salary: $124,000

Foreign Market Researcher

All great strategies are based on solid research and as a foreign market researcher you will conduct analyses that break the market down into component categories. There are many aspects to a local market, and you must consider buyer characteristics and needs, competitor strengths and weaknesses, market access issues, distribution mechanisms, regulatory structures and the business environment.

Key to Success: The ability to sort through a large amount of data and pick the most impactful insights that will help shape the marketing strategy is the most important characteristic. Researchers must know where to find information concerning foreign markets and possess the analytical skills needed to synthesize conclusions from a large number of information sources.
Average Annual Salary: $62,000

Product Designer

Consumer and buyer preferences vary according to need and region and it’s the task of the product designer to create customized products for foreign markets. This may be as simple as adding spices to a food product for Latin America or as complex as redesigning engineering specifications to meet mandatory technical standards in Russia. You’ll need to consider differences in both consumer tastes and regulatory requirements. Conforming to local regulations concerning product quality, design, labeling, and packaging is another important part of your job.

Key to Success: You should pursue a degree in engineering or design, supplemented by some business training and experience as a design assistant. From there, your creativity and passion for innovative solutions will help you succeed in this role.
Average Annual Salary: $75,000

International Marketing Representative

In this role you will concept and execute strategies for developing foreign markets, gathering information by participating in trade shows and meeting with business executives, government officials, officers of industry associations, and prospective partners. Your focus is on promotion, advertising, trade show participation, incoming trade missions, and other events that develop the market in general, as opposed to pursuing individual sales.

Key to Success: You are a self-starter who can work alone in a market far from home while also participating as part of an international team. You need strong interpersonal communications skills since you will be the company’s face in the local market, and you must convey a positive image of the firm and its products or services. Because you will also interact with regulatory officials and officers of local industry or trade associations, the impression you make can be a key element in the company’s market entry strategy.
Average Annual Salary: $45,000