1 What trends in health and tness provide opportunities for organisations in the international market?

1 What trends in health and fitness provide opportunities for organisations in the international market?

2 What are the impacts of terrorism on the opportunities for businesses in international markets?

Provide examples of these impacts.

3 How might global warming provide international opportunities for businesses？

IMEdge

Scenario

Social media and consumerism

Social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter have been at the forefront of providing international marketers with a unique platform for promoting their products and conducting research. While firms have embraced this digital revolution as part of interacting with consumers, the revolution has also brought about an increase in consumers’ awareness of their rights and the power they have to influence marketers. When Procter and Gamble (P&G) launched its first new baby’s nappy in 25 years using a high-technology Dry Max method and promising a thinner and more absorbent nappy, it did not expect a backlash from its loyal customers. But what began as a Facebook discussion by the mother of ‘baby Alexi’ sharing her complaints about her daughter developing skin complications resulted in a movement by other parents facing similar problems. This group of ‘angry’ parents began a campaign to force Procter and Gamble to revert back to its old nappies, calling other parents to boycott the new nappies.

Your task

The Procter and Gamble case was neither the beginning nor the end of consumers using social media to advocate a specific consumer cause. Using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and any other sources identify other examples of consumers using such media to run campaigns that have impacted on the strategies of international marketers. What is the potential impact of such actions on your selected example and on Procter and Gamble’s case? How should firms respond to such actions?