Marketing Adaptations by American Multinational Corporations in South America

The extent of international marketing mix adaptations by American MNCs has been an unresolved issue despite numerous commentaries and articles. A major contributor to this state has been the paucity of empirical research on this issue. An investigation was undertaken to assess the extent of adaptations in twenty-three marketing mix elements in fifty-eight MNCs operating in South America. The results show that the MNCs adapt their pricing and promotion elements the most and their product and distribution elements the least. Also, the MNCs make obligatory adaptations in the developing countries of South America rather than discretionary adaptations.