Foreign experience of strategic marketing management

The concept of "strategic marketing" has been used in the theory and practice of marketing relatively recently (in the late 80s - early 90s of the XX century).

Today, strategic marketing is an analytical process that determines the effectiveness of operational marketing, which characterizes the active side of marketing and is an active process with a short-term planning horizon. Operational marketing is directed, as a rule, to already existing markets and pursues the goal of obtaining a given sales volume by using tactical means of the marketing mix.

Modern marketing should be based on fast, flexible planning initiatives, in the center of which should always be the consumer. Initiative, ambitious companies are more likely focused on creating needs and meeting them, rather than simply responding to the need that has arisen. The speed and flexibility in making decisions, the need of which is realized by the overwhelming majority of managers participating in the study, for many companies are among the main landmarks. [23, c.152]

Profit as a zone of attention closes the list along with such notions as “brand” and “common sense”. Only 4.6% of Western marketers believe that building a brand is more important than creating a new product. Half of the working time of Japanese managers, including those responsible for marketing, is working with new products. It is not surprising that hundreds of new products appear on the market every month, starting with new car models and ending with edible soap bubbles.

Understanding your consumer and striving to satisfy his requirements to the maximum, however banal it may sound, is still true. This principle is one of the "whales" in Japanese marketing. The other two provisions concerning technology and marketing penetration into all the functional areas of the enterprise, obviously coincide with the generalizations of Japanese marketers, expressed in the words "initiative" and "speed."

In Japanese enterprises, despite the persisting bureaucratic management style, the entrepreneurial spirit is largely manifested, and marketing decisions are often made at the level of intuition. Thus, three basic principles emerge that are equally valued in both the marketing of Japan and the USA — unconditional priority for the consumer, information technologies that ensure speed, transparency and initiative, as well as creativity and entrepreneurial spirit in making marketing decisions. [24, p.219]

Just look at how Japanese companies formulate their mission in order to understand how socially responsible and consumer-oriented they are. From publicly available sources, such as the websites of Japanese companies or their advertising booklets, and without any special selection, the following was formed:

• 1.    International level Ajinomoto Group. The company's mission is as follows: “We strive to make our contribution to the improvement of healthy foods at the global level and thus make life better for all. Our philosophy: to live among people is to learn from people. ” Consider the corporate values of the Ajinomoto Group:

• 2.    Honda Motor Co., Ltd. The mission of the company is: “We are driven by a dream. As a global organization, we are committed to meeting the needs of consumers around the world, providing the highest quality products at a reasonable price. ” Consider the corporate values of HondaMotorCo., Ltd:

Respect. To perceive those with whom we work around the world as full partners.

Resources. Use effectively human, technological and material resources.

Sequence. With diligence to carry out to the end all the programs for which we undertake.

Corporate culture. To create a corporate culture in which each of us can serve society as a real citizen.

• -    contribution to the mobility of the individual and society;

• -    respect for people and the diversity of their needs;

• -    free and open corporate culture that encourages creation.

Next, we consider the mission and corporate values of companies at the russian level:

• 1.    Corona Electric Co., Ltd. The company's mission is as follows: “Our company cares for the precious Earth, working in harmony with the outside world. We strive to be useful to society by creating medical and scientific equipment. As part of the local community, we are responsible to it. ” Consider the corporate values of Corona Electric Co., Ltd:

• -    respect for the local communities in which we work;

• -    careful use of resources and energy;

• -    everything that we create should be convenient for users.

• 2.    Bourbon Corporation (produces pastry). The company's mission is as follows: “We strive to contribute to society by providing products and services that change with the mood and lifestyle of our consumers. We want to make people happy, thereby improving their physical and mental state. ” Consider the corporate values of Bourbon Corporation:

• -    working, serving the community;

• -    working, to realize themselves;

• -    to cooperate, but not to make concessions too much;

• -    integrate knowledge and experience;

• -    pursue the essence, discarding the vain;

• -    be original;

• -    be positive and initiative;

• -    do what we say.

In Table 1, we consider the mission and corporate values of companies operating at the local level.

Table 1. Missions of some Japanese companies and their corporate values

Company	Mission	Corporate Values
Local level Shoei Sangyo       Co. (manufactures measuring instruments, industrial    robots and          other equipment).	Yes,          the profession provides       an opportunity    to earn a living, but the real value of the profession in being able to be useful to others.	Important for us: To be a part of society as a living person, and not a simple consuming organism. To understand that without a consumer in our existence there would be no point. Always think about convenience for our business partners. Contribute to the development of the industry.
Clear          Co. (produces moisturizing wipes and provides rental services).	Our company dreams of growth. We go to our dream, creating and offering to rent comfortable and pleasant to	It is joyful to benefit people

use products.

The main criterion for evaluating activities for most large companies was market share. By analogy with medieval Japanese landowners, whose wealth was measured by the amount of land, the number of soldiers and servants, and not some monetary or material equivalents, companies sought to conquer a larger market share. Only recently has the approach changed somewhat. Many companies see growth opportunities in winning customer loyalty, rather than seeking to dominate the market, overwhelming competitors. [23, c.142]

Information technology in Japanese strategic marketing plays a huge role.

Operational collection of customer data in foreign firms is carried out in several way

Firstly, at the time of opening membership cards or point-cards, which are offered in the vast majority of cases providing a retail service. We are talking about retail trade in various formats, as well as services of banks, mail, car service, sports clubs, restaurants, hairdressing salons, video rentals, etc. When opening a membership card, the consumer fills in a standard form in which he is asked to indicate his name, gender, telephone, sometimes age , address and email.

Secondly, at the time of opening credit cards offered by large retail operators. In this case, more detailed information is collected, including marital status, place of work and income.

Thirdly, at the time of making major purchases and issuing guarantees for complex equipment that require filling out forms.

Fourth, in the form of questionnaires and postcards attached to some products, such as simple household appliances, cosmetics and jewelry. In this case, consumers are encouraged to fill out and submit their data with the promise of participation in the prize draw.

Fifth, at the time of registration for the use of a particular network resource.

Sixth, as a result of direct communication by phone, if the order system works through a call-center (call center or phone call center). This system, designed to receive and process customer telephone requests, consists of a physical envelope, such as: operator workplaces and equipment (telephones, automatic call distributors, computers), and software that supports routing systems, call completion.

Seventh, in the POS system (Point of Sale is an automated sales management system that includes specialized equipment: cash registers, printers, barcode scanners, receipt printers, credit card reading devices, etc., and IT management decision.

In modern retail, such systems are integrated into a single company information system. If the point-of-sale terminal is equipped appropriately, operational data on the flow of customers by gender, age, time and content of the on-line purchase go to a single information center where they are processed.

According to this principle, the most advanced Japanese convenience stores (retail format, also called “convenience store”, “neighborhood store”, “store around the corner”, “store near the house” work. The sales area is 200-500 square meters, limited assortment, but constantly demanded, consisting of products of daily consumption (bread, milk, eggs, etc.), products in packaging (long-term storage) and essential goods, including Seven Eleven, Lawson, Save On. [26, p.102].

The fullness of the analytic function and the data resulting from the output depend on the software solution and the number of modules built into the system. The tasks that a company can solve within the framework of CRM are not limited to collecting and analyzing data about customers and the company's relationship with them. This may be an analysis of the sales cycle by time and cost, which, in turn, allows you to optimize costs; identification of priority customers and the most profitable sales channels; identification of typical problem queries and optimization of response to them.

The CRM collaboration function is performed in several ways. The most common method is a questionnaire aimed at finding out the client’s attitude to the goods, services and the company itself. Questionnaires are either offered at the time of purchase, or are sent later, but always promise the buyer any encouragement, most often participation in the prize draw or sending trial copies of new products.

In addition, many Japanese companies are actively working with groups of key consumers loyal to the company's products. This can be a group of 50 to 300 of the most active clients, whose opinion on the existing or new products and services of the company is regularly polled by phone, email or in person. Moreover, such groups are created both from end users and in the B2B markets (short for business-to-business, that is, literally “business to business”, intercorporate business or business between enterprises).

The Japanese use traditional methods of collecting marketing information, but rely less on numbers and graphics, unlike their American counterparts. The main features of marketing research in Japan are as follows:

• -    orientation to first-hand information. Personal interviews are considered the most reliable method;

• -    rather intuitive, rather than scientific interpretation of the data;

• -    the prevalence of actual data over forecast.

In Japan, personal communication has always been given great importance. Although the Japanese youth is gradually breaking down the established traditions, many still prefer a personal meeting, not especially communicating by phone or the Internet, using them as a way to appoint it. In marketing research, this practice is far from an exception. Managers of production companies regularly visit enterprises that form distribution channels, and personally monitor the sales process and the behavior of buyers and sellers. Frequent visits and personal observations impede the occurrence of problems, since they allow one to personally observe what is happening between the seller and the buyer during the transaction, what requirements come from the consumer and how the staff reacts to them. Customers of research in specialized agencies are more likely to prefer personal interviews with consumers to the focus group method, if their financial capabilities allow. And the focus groups themselves are formed differently than is customary, say, in American practice. The reason for such preferences is in the national peculiarities. [24, c.143]

Thus, after conducting a study of foreign experience in strategic marketing management, it can be noted that marketing activities, strategic planning within the framework of the marketing strategy of an enterprise, in Western countries are mostly more focused on the real consumer than on the potential one.

For foreign enterprises, it is more important to know the opinion of the buyer who has already tried the product. This is explained by the general tendency of foreign firms to cover commercial risks with a large assortment of new products released to the market, when the potential of a particular model is estimated as a result of real sales. Instead of spending money on pre-market research, companies saturate the range and learn from real market experience. That is, the practice of testing the market before the goods enter the market, used in the CIS countries and in Tajikistan, is considered by foreign companies as a waste of time.