Question

Topic: Other

Marketing For A Company That Doesn't Know What Marketing Is!

Posted by Anonymous on 7/26/2004 at 10:58 PM ET 250 Points
I am about to start Marketing for a Chinese firm which wants to attract foreign customers and create partnerships with companies overseas. The good thing is they don't have a english website and are planning to develop one.

When I sat down and presented to them my plan the director didn't understand fully due to english being their second language.

After discussing further they really didn't understand what their customer wanted and also they wanted someone just to setup relationships and partnerships with foreign companies. In other words business development and sales.

I feel that if I don't have input in regards to the website design and marketing to attract overseas customers I feel that the professional image will not help me promote their services. I am also afraid they will not understand what I am trying to do.

Has anybody had similar problems with clients? What ways or ideas can I use to convince or outline to the company that they need to develop marketing tools to help in the selling process?

Another issue is ROI. How do I develop some idea of ROI when I have no previous data or really know the market potential?

I also know that they set up a new recruitment company which cost them $70,000US for a year with no return. I am sure I can spend 1/5th of this and get some sort of return.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 7/27/2004 at 3:23 AM Accepted
    Anthony,

    Wanting someone to setup relationships and partnerships with foriegn companies doesn't surprise me. Relationships are part of the general business model for growing a company in China, so trying to export this model shouldn't be a big surprise.

    You do have a large challenge in front of you - basically you are trying to change the way business has been done in China. I do agree that the changes are needed for China to be able to do business with the rest of the world, but don't envy the challenge in front of you.

    Perhaps the route to go would be to talk in terms of what foreign companies look for - that they would want to see a quality web site in English, etc.

    A second route (aimed specifically at having a say in the english language items, like the web site) would be to find a way to be the one who handles the translations into english. At the same time you are providing the translation services, you can also have a say in how things are worded.
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