| Small businesses can feel greatly challenged if they | | | | music to each country. There are two main factors |
| are based in one country and selling to foreign clients | | | | that came in to play. |
| another country. An intimate understanding of your | | | | - Music is culturally different in each culture. |
| foreign clients will lead to more sales. How can you | | | | - MTV targets a younger audience and youth do not |
| get an accurate analysis of the demographics of your | | | | have the same lives in different cultures. |
| foreign markets? | | | | MTV realized early on that they needed to adapt |
| It is often hard to really get into the demographics | | | | their music to the culture in each country. This is |
| of your international markets. It can be hard to | | | | fairly easy to understand. |
| stretch yourself to fully understand cultural | | | | But what was interesting was that they realized that |
| differences and the consequences these differences | | | | in some countries the vast majority of households |
| may or may not have on your sales and marketing | | | | only had one television set. Therefore their television |
| strategies. | | | | shows would also have to be culturally acceptable to |
| This is also a factor which complicates a single | | | | other generations. If the older generations were |
| language markets made up of many different | | | | offended in any way, MTV would not be turned on. |
| cultures. You not only have one set of specific | | | | Demographics do need to studied and defined for |
| demographic characteristics. You can literally have | | | | each culture. Gaining insight into the differences in |
| dozens. | | | | demographics and it consequences on your product's |
| The best place to start is to determine specific | | | | foreign market is a very enriching experience. The |
| demographic information for each of your target | | | | value of this knowledge also lies in the potential |
| markets, and to move on from there. The process | | | | leverage for more foreign business opportunities. |
| actually gets easier the more cultures you learn to | | | | Fully understanding your international markets will |
| adapt to. Your company will get faster at | | | | show you the opportunities for your international |
| understanding how to adapt to each different culture. | | | | business growth. |
| An interesting example was how MTV adapted its | | | | |