International companies have to consider the cultural, technological, economic, political and legal environments of the different countries they wish to enter. As we discussed in class, companies often make mistakes because they lack the appropriate level of cultural awareness (i.e. standards of behavior, language, lifestyles etc).

a.) Give an example of a company who made a cultural blunder.

b.) In general, what can companies do to better understand the culture of the country in which they wish to operate?

c.) As a business looking to expand into foreign markets, explain the options that would be available to the marketer in the area of product and promotion strategies (e.g. standardization, adaptation etc.). Which do you recommend and why?