International Market Research

Skills & Resources

Mark Bodnarmbodnar@sfu.ca

A quick tasteBaan Khamlangchay Care Centre

in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Image credit: Desert News: http://m.deseretnews.com/photo/765644521?nm=1

A quick tasteBaan Khamlangchay Care Centre

in Chiang Mai, ThailandBest countries to try something similar?

(For both facility location and target market)Criteria?Sources?

[Great starting place]

Contrasting “good” sourcesCompare Soft Drinks in China

in Marketline report via Business Source and in Passport GMID

Differences in numbers?Differences in analysis?

Why? Which one is right?

Business InformationBig

nameanalys

isBelow + analysis

Aggregated information + gaps filled with primary research

Aggregated and incomplete information

Dispersed and incomplete information

$$$

Business Info - Issues$$$ analysis+ analysis

+ primary research

Aggregated

Dispersed

Varying definitionsVarying qualityGaps

Issues below, plus…Methodology

Issues below, plus…Expertise ExperienceTrack record

Issues below (again)

Lateral Thinking #1Coming up with good questions

If you were researching the market for soft drinks in China,

what would you need to look for?

Consumers / Competitors / Economy?

Lateral Thinking #2Filling in the gaps with inferences & estimates

If you were researching the distribution system for soft drinks in

China, and couldn’t find anything…

what else could you search for that might help you make an estimate?

Lateral Thinking #3Making new connections with seemingly

unconnected information

Rising disposable incomes + Dropping mobile phone manufacturing costs + Existing infrastructure problems = Leapfrogging to mobile phones in India

See also: In India, a push for acceptance when the grandparents move out (G&M)

PracticeFrom your readings:

BBC: The city in love with cars even though its air is toxic - www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35323124 Questions: 1. Does this article give you any clues that might be useful if you were planning to market a sustainable product/service/idea in India?

2. How about if you were just looking for ideas of sustainability issues on which you could focus?

ResourcesDeep and broad info needed?

•Books and eBooks! Samples… o Cultural entrepreneurship in Africao Sustainability in the global city : myth and practiceo Diversifying retail and distribution in Thailand o Handbook of Islamic marketingo Scaling up business solutions to social problems : a practical guide for s

ocial and corporate entrepreneurs

o Africa rising : how 900 million African consumers offer more than you think

o India by design : the pursuit of luxury and fashion

•Start with our International Market Research guide for subject term search suggestions

ResourcesSkills for survival when viewing hundreds of

resources?

•Have filters ready: oWhat countries does the resource cover?oWhat questions does it answer?oWhat is surprising about it?

•Start with our International Market Research

& Sustainable Business Resources guides

Questions?

• Chat

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• In person