The internet and international marketing: Is there a fit?

Abstract

This article critically examines the internet's limitations and roles in international marketing. Within the context of international marketing, applications of the internet can be conceptualized as either process- or product/service-based. Accordingly, the article examines two types of impediments to the internet's adoption and growth in international marketing: structural and functional. Structural issues deal with nations’ information technology infrastructures, as well as their languages, cultures, and legal frameworks. Functional impediments, on the other hand, involve marketing program and process issues, including data management and customer discontent. It is apparent from this analysis that the internet will play a much greater role in business-to-business marketing across national boundaries than it does in international consumer marketing, however, both structural and functional issues are unlikely to be resolved in the foreseeable future. As with other innovations that have impacted international marketing over time, the internet will gradually carve a niche for itself in the conduct of international transactions.