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Mgr Thi Ngan Dam
ORCID: 0009-0008-1925-9529

Master of International Business graduated from Poznań University of Economics and Business. She is a business practitioner in the area of marketing. She has been employed in the department of Human Resources at GSK. Her research interests are the consumer behaviours of market entities, new trends in consumption, and research into multinational companies' strategies in national and international markets.

 
DOI: 10.33226/1231-7853.2023.10.3
JEL: M31, F23, L25

The article aims to identify the consumers' perception of marketing standardization and adaptation activities deployed by multinational companies in a foreign market with a high national identity. This is analysed on the example of a fast-food chain of McDonald's in Vietnam. This paper evaluates these tactics in terms of satisfying consumer demands and the perceptions of Vietnamese consumers towards the marketing mix implementation of the company. The analysis is based on focus group interviews, observations, and online surveys conducted in Vietnam. The findings provide empirical evidence that international marketers should balance between standardization and adaptation in the marketing strategy. In countries of high national identity it is important to emphasize the company's global distinguishing features, but at the same time to show respect for local culture, including local food taste and consumer behaviour. The case of McDonald's provides recommendations for multinational companies to expand their operations and achieve their strategic goals in Vietnam.

Keywords: standardization; adaptation; international marketing; fast food industry; consumers' perception