Marketing & the

Organization

Structure of a Business

Depending on their product(s) and the

market(s) they serve, companies may organize

or structure their marketing divisions in

different ways, such as by:

region

country

brand

method of distribution

a combination of the above

Regional Organization

Can be within a city, region or a

group of provinces.

The strength is that it allows a

company to respond quickly to

regional differences.

Example: McDonald’s

Regional Organization

Regional Organization

Example: McDonald’s menu varies across Canada, with

regional promotions used to create hype:

British Columbia: Chocolate Nanaimo Sundae—soft serve ice cream topped with

bits of Nanaimo bars (named after its birthplace).

Saskatchewan and Alberta: Western BBQ Burger– to represent cattle country

and the prairies.

Ontario: the Cottage Country Chicken sandwich—made with crispy chicken and

"smoky Muskoka sauce" to evoke the Canadian version of the Hamptons

Quebec: the Maple & Bacon Poutine, a nod to the province’s signature dish

East coast and the Maritimes: the McLobster—made with Atlantic lobster,

stuffed in a butter roll.

International

Organization

Sets up marketing and distribution centers in

foreign markets.

The staff in each of these centers is usually fluent

in the language of the host country and many are

native to the area (so they have a better

understanding of how to market to locals).

International

Organization Foreign offices (located in a country the same

as the market) analyze the buying habits and

customs of the local consumers and design a

marketing campaign that responds to those

variables.

Example: McDonald’s – offices in India, China,

United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, etc.

May also organize regionally: in India, there

may be offices in different provinces of the

country

Egypt

United Arab

Emirates

Netherlands

Kuwait

India

Brand Management Most common method of organizing marketing

activities.

Great for companies selling a variety of

products.

Brand Management One or more major brands is assigned to a

brand manager, who then develops a

marketing plan specifically for that brand.

Example: Procter and Gamble

Distribution Management

Organizes marketing activities around the ways

that the product or service will be delivered to

the customer.

Example: Pepsi, Doritos

Activity … Look up how an international product is marketed

differently in other countries (e.g., different

flavours, different packaging, different

advertisements)

Ideas include Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Doritos,

Starbucks, McDonald’s, Nike, etc.

Visit the following website. Then, look up one of

the big “parent companies” and list some brands it

owns:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36743.htm

Ideas include Proctor and Gamble (P&G),

Johnson and Johnson, The Coca-Cola Company,

PepsiCo, Unilever, Kraft, others?