Smart marketing, international style

Dinero Express and Electrolux

As I researched new examples for the new edition of my U.S. text (due out in April) and my European text (due out in June), I came across a number of interesting international examples of smart marketing. Dinero Express and Electrolux serve entirely different markets and their products are worlds apart but both understand good marketing.

Dinero Express. The Spanish bank BBVA is targeting immigrants with special Dinero Express branch offices that remain open 12 hours a day, 364 days a year, offering basic banking services plus affordable extras that this niche market needs, like making cheap international phone calls from the branch. BBVA is expanding in the Americas, as well. For more, look at: BBVA's web site and an International Herald Tribune story.

Electrolux. Sweden's Electrolux is targeting higher-value market segments by analyzing unmet consumer needs, measuring how well its current and proposed household appliances meet those needs, and using metrics to track new product development and introductions. Rather than rely solely on consumer surveys, it uses ethnographic research and then constructs personas representing the targeted segments to help staff members better visualize and understand their customers. For more, see this Business Week story.

Watch this space for additional examples of smart marketing in the coming weeks...