The internet’s first role is the delivery and collection of timely information about products and services. We will have a look at the realistic role that the internet might play in assisting firms to reach their international marketing objectives. There are two types of impediments to the internet’s adoption and growth in international marketing: structural and functional. Structural issues are likely to have greater impact on consumer internet marketing than on business-to-business marketing. Functional issues are likely to have a greater influence on consumer marketing because businesses are easier to identify, segment, and reach. Functional issuesA distinction can be made in the use of the internet: a passive use and an active use. The passive mode is used when the company recognizes the importance of having a presence on the web. The company will offer products, services, contact opportunity and other information that can be used by the consumer. Much more complex is the active use of the internet. It demands the identification of its appropriate role in the firm’s global strategic marketing plan. One functional issue is the market segmentation that should be chosen by the company. At this moment the mass marketing via the internet can not be pursued yet since there are still some limitations at this moment. A limitation is that the public access to the internet is still limited. Prospects are declaring that, when correctly applied, the internet is quickly adopted by the target audience and grows rapidly. Another limitation is that there is no programming per se to attract the individual surfer on the internet. However, the internet is well-suited for relatively homogeneous products that enjoy a broad appeal. Second, advertising has been the most natural and perhaps best developed use of the internet to date. The internet can be viewed as a mulitmedium, so it should be treated with the same principles as other a...
