The Marketing Challenges of the Newly Independent Republics

Abstract

This article focuses on the entry of Central and Eastern European republics into the mainstream of global markets, which are highly competitive. For the new republics of the former East Bloc to gain significant market shares in global markets, their products and the marketing of those products must achieve world class standards in every respect. Using empirical evidence gathered from Finnish consumers from 1975 to 1990, this research addresses several fundamental questions including: How are products and marketing practices from the former USSR (and by inference the new republics) perceived by Finnish consumers? How have such perceptions changed over time, and how do they compare to their perceptions of Western competitors? Which marketing dimensions contribute most to product preferences of Finnish consumers, with respect to international alternatives? And finally, where should the new republics concentrate their future marketing efforts in order to improve their competitiveness? Results indicate that Finnish preferences are influenced most by “central product attributes” and “marketing practices satisfiers.”