One of the lessons drawn from the article is that business and marketing trends in the developing world are rapidly changing. Consumers in these countries have become more sophisticated and powerful than before. This is particularly true as information, knowledge, and enlightenment proliferates in the developing world amidst increasing globalization. International and cultural differences are no longer an obstacle to the growth of global brands. Firms and executives have the growth of the Internet as well as information technology to thank for these new beneficial trends. The face of marketing has changed as well. Television is no longer the first screen for many advertisement viewers. With the increasing population of people using tablets and smartphones, marketers have now turned to digital marketing trends such as social media marketing.
Marketing skills are different when marketing locally and when doing so internationally. A local marketer has fewer demands in terms of skills other than the basics that all marketers have. Conversely, a global marketer has to maintain the logic of an international brand. Expatriate marketers cannot simply impose ready-made promotional strategies in new international markets. They require skills to conduct market research in new destinations, and then convert their findings into actionable marketing strategies. An international marketer also needs to be conversant with the laws of their international destinations while a local one does not. Moreover, an international experience is a skill set that is unique to a global marketer compared to a local one.
For a successful career in global marketing, an individual should have a set of special skills apart from the basic skills for marketers. They should be culturally savvy and sensitive; as global workers they need to appreciate other cultures. As foreigners, they also need to be culturally and intellectually versatile because they need to fit in and adapt. International marketers have a sharp commercial instinct since the goal of their marketing efforts is to earn a return on their investment. Most importantly, a global marketer should communicate effectively since this ensures a flawless flow of information amongst all the stakeholders involved in international marketing endeavors.