Case2

Lingyu Yang
MKTG 1110
Instructor: Paul Carringer
June 26, 2015
Case Assignment Two: Mary Kay, Inc.
Question 1: Is Mary Kay an international firm, a multinational firm, or a transnational firm based on its marketing strategy? Why?
To tell a company is an international firm, a transnational firm or a multinational firm, the first thing to look at is the company’s marketing strategy. If the company is an international firm, it applies its domestic marketing strategy in other countries in which it does business; if the company is a transnational firm, it utilizes a global marketing strategy – employs the practice of standardizing marketing activities when there are cultural similarities and adapting them when cultures differ; if the company is a multinational firm, like Mary Kay, it utilizes a multi-domestic marketing strategy and involves different product variations, brand names, and advertising programs as countries where it does business.
For example, when entering the Chinese market, Mary Kay realized that unlike the market in America where makeup products are welcomed, Chinese market will be more willing to accept skin care products. Also, because of different appreciation of the beauty between America and China, and be more specific, Chinese admires lighter skin while American prefers tan, Mary Kay adjusts its product line and message and provides whitening products and skin care products such as skin cream, anti-aging cream, and whitening creams. A similar situation happened in Japanese market as well. According to the article “Mary Kay Cosmetics: Asian Market Entry” (Quelch, John A., June 2009), finding typical Japanese woman’s skin care regimen involved a seven-stage process as opposed to three steps in the United States, and white skin is associated with beauty, class and privilege, Mary Kay established relationship with an ingredient supplier and a private-label manufacturer and tailored its major products to wet and dry foundation cake and whitening...