Marketing - Intenational Brand Strategy

Effective Positioning Is Vital Element of International Brand Strategy
According to research, positioning is a category of marketing communication that has a significant responsibility in improving the desirability of international brand. This is achieved through transforming the physical features and insubstantial insights of a marketing offering in relation to the rivalry. It is vital to note that position is not determined by the appearance of the product or the sustenance that it pursues to stimulate. However, it is instead the insight or appearance that takes a distinct location in the mindset of the consumer; furthermore, positioning is a communication, comprising the establishment of a market mix, which creates the natural flow of information from market segmentation through target marketing. It is a form of developing a competitive position for an international brand and consequently improving its desirability. Positioning is mainly concerned with what an organization does to the prospective consumer and how the consumer perceives the organization. Effective positioning is a vital element in international brand strategy because a position arouses an image of the product concerned in the minds of the client (Schultz 2007, p. 23). It projects the idea that differentiates the brand from the competition and projects it as a product that can meet the needs and desires of international customer, whereby, an effective positioning offers a competitive edge to a brand that is trying to display its desirability to the target market.
Effective positioning is a vital element in international brand strategy because it promises the benefit the clients will get and develops the expectation that it has the solution to the problem of the consumer. The solution is always different from and better than the solution provided by the competitors. Positioning is thus, an incorporating notion. It acts as an umbrella that incorporates all things in international branding. When effectively targeted, single-minded, positioning affects everything that a brand does or stands for; it is not reinforced by advertising only, but by the wholeness of its promotional efforts (Smith, Gopalakrishna and Chatterjee 2006, 560). However, in case the expectations that are developed by the brand strategy are not met, the effectiveness or the reliability of these benefits may weaken speedily. Therefore, with these demonstrations, it shows that positioning is a vital element in international brand strategy.

An Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign for an International Brand
The advancement of marketing for an international brand has moved beyond traditional marketing to include consumer driven, interactive and social marketing. Multinational companies have realized the significant need for integrated marketing communicating (IMC) campaign in order to enable their brands to thrive in the global market effectively; hence achieving a competitive advantage. The increased competition in the global market have enabled companies to employ IMC approach; thus this approach is ushering in a new technology era where marketers blend communication messages across the media channels in order to communicate about brand experience. This is because brand raises awareness of goods and services and ultimately surges their sales, leading to great returns and income for the organization. Therefore, as a part of successful IMC for an international brand, multinational companies utilize social media, Internet, public relation and advertising through other media such as Televisions, radios and others in a cohesive manner to share the message about the international brand available in the global market.
For an effective campaign of international brand using IMC, various methods or elements are employed in the entire process. For instance, integrated marketing communication involves the foundation stage, which includes complete analysis of both the goods and the target market. Therefore, to achieve this, multinational companies include social media as a form of campaign of an international brand. Using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and many others, an organization is able to reach its target consumers internationally because a significant number of people (Fitzpatric 2005, p. 94). This is because the current world is undergoing an increasing technological advancement and very many people have access to social media such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter among others. Accordingly, the culture of an organization is also vital in the process of integrated marketing communication in the campaign of an international brand. The attributes of goods and services have to be aligned with the work culture of the organization. Thus, an organization is able to campaign for an international brand buy choosing the right method depending with its culture. For instance, it may choose to use public relation or direct marketing in the process of campaigning for an international brand.
The key to successful integration of international brand is the cohesiveness amidst diverse marketing messages, and understanding that marketing is all about interaction between a corporation and its potential consumers. Therefore, it is not prospective customers but rather the way a company blends and executes such campaigns to convey the message synergistically (Holm 2006, p. 27). However, the promotion of the international product depends on the size of the firm the strategic elements or IMC components that the company may want to use. For instance, the foundation of the company, which is based on the understanding of the brand and market, matters a lot. This involves understanding technology change, consumer attitude or behaviors, as well as, anticipates competitor movements. Another aspect that should be taken into consideration is the consumer experience, which includes the product experience, pricing and packing experience. These are vital because they signal a message to customers about the international brand in the market; thus contributing to increased sales. Brand focus such as logo brand message and corporate identity also are effective in communicating about the international brand available in the market.
Additionally, international brand campaign is improved through integrated marketing communication such as promotional instruments and communication tools . Research shows that brands are marketed through a significant number of marketing devices including trade advertisings, individual selling as well as sales campaigns. Furthermore, campaigning for an international brand includes variety communication methods inclusive of advertising and direct selling, as well as social media (Peltier, Schibrowsky and Schultz 2003, p. 94). Therefore, an effective integrated marketing communication system must comprise of the perfect incorporation of promotional devices and techniques that assist organizations to recognize suitable and effective approaches for communicating and creating association with consumers as well as other shareholders like workers, investors, interest teams, and the public as a whole.

Discuss why a company would launch a brand extension into an international market

To begin with, brand extension may be termed as the extension of a new product category normally under the main or parent brand. The brand name, from which its extensions are made, constitutes the parent brand. Studies reveal that extensions may take place under two state; banner names or product categories (McGrath 2005, p. 19). Various reasons as to why a company may opt to launch a brand extension into an international market, needs a more insight to ascertain the facts behind this. At the very beginning, the main advantages that push an organization to engage in brand extension include; brand extension creates a wave excitement in the market and trade, it meets new market demands, and finally it creates appearance, positive image. In that line, the main reasons that causes a company to introduce brand extension include the following; it saves the cost that may be involved in introducing new brands, this in turn reflects on the revenue returns. It is a channel, a company may use to bring new customers on board; it expands the market share right from the parent brand to the new sub brand.
Often times, customers associate new products with the quality perceived from the parent brand and therefore, this will be one way that increases the market share for the new product in an international market. Moreover, brand extension increase feedbacks concerning the parent brand; this enhances the image of the brand or the image is revived and it opens a get way for subsequent extension in the future to increase the market share. In addition, the main means through which a company may use to bring on board new customers, and therefore fulfill the need for explicit market coverage or francize, is brand extension in international markets. Additionally, brand extension increases trial and distribution chances for both core brand and new products (Ferdous 2008, p. 223). This is because; a customer interested in the core brand may be more likely get interested in trying the new product extended from the core brand. 
In conclusion, positioning is a group of marketing communication that has a noteworthy accountability in cultivating the popularity of international brand. This is achieved through changing the physical features and insubstantial intuitions of a marketing offering in relation to the competition. It is vibrant to note that, the form of the product or the sustenance that it pursues to stimulate does not determine positioning. The research had the aim of evaluating how positioning is an effective tool in international brand strategy. The information was thus provided in details concerning the issue of positioning in international brand strategy. In addition, the research discussed critically the integrated marketing communications campaigns of an international brand. From research, integrated marketing communication is the practice of combining all methods of brand promotion to motivate goods or services among the target market. In integrated marketing communication, all factors of marketing communication function together for raised transactions and supreme cost efficiency. The research noted that, methods such as advertising, individual promotions, direct selling, and social media are among the tools used in integrated marketing communications in campaigning for an international brand.