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Winning the Export War: British, Japanese and West German Exporters' Strategy Compared
Author(s) -
Williamson Peter J.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
british journal of management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.407
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1467-8551
pISSN - 1045-3172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8551.1990.tb00008.x
Subject(s) - german , market penetration , volatility (finance) , distribution (mathematics) , business , product (mathematics) , market share , economics , commerce , marketing , financial economics , archaeology , history , mathematical analysis , geometry , mathematics
SUMMARY A comparison of pricing policies, price and volume volatility, and investment in distribution, sales and marketing systems across 462 product categories identifies important differences in the strategies of British, Japanese and West German exporters towards the US market. The impact of these strategic choices on the evolution of market share is tested. The results suggest that many British manufacturers' export strategy has been dominated by UK supply and demand considerations. A large proportion of British exports are therefore confined to niches where sensitivity to price fluctuations and ‘stop‐start’ supply is low and local distribution support is less important. Products where ‘pull marketing’ dominates are the key exception. Japanese exporters have invested heavily in US distribution and channel support, combined with a policy of stable US prices, aiding long term penetration. West German exporters have built share on technological advantage and direct sales support supplied from Germany to a limited number of customers.