International Product Policy and Strategy

International product policies deal in what products an organisation offers to its foreign markets how where and where it is being offered the policies are determined by the same factors or considerations that are obtained in the home or domestic markets,  the factors includes :

i. Corporate objectives.
ii. The existence and need of the market.
iii. Available company resources.
iv. Nature of the product.
v. Universality of appeal
vi. Level of service required
vii. Branding possibilities
viii. Ease of production
ix. Environmental constraints such as physical and climatic factors, competition and regular institutions such as Nigeria's NAFDAC
x. Legislation which affects aesthetic design, product branding, packaging and labeling.

In the past when product orientation dominated the marketing landscape international marketers committed blunders that proved very costly ;

i. They ignored product decision taking by their subsidiary or affiliate managers and thoughts could not control or influence product policy outside the home country market.

ii. They also imposed product policy upon all affiliate companies on the assumption that what is right for customers in the home market must also be right for customers everywhere. Non of these positions could be explained or justified by profit maximization criteria.