Abstract:

Standardization verses adaptation of marketing strategies has always been in question and is considered to be one of the most sensitive and ambiguous issues for many MNCs. The standardization school of thought believes that the world market is becoming a homogeneous place and standardized approach can generate numerous advantages. Contradicting the standardization school of thought, the believers of adaptation approach argue that the differences across boundaries stimulates the MNCs to customize their business strategies to meet successfully the requirements of the host country. It may become imperative for the MNCs to respond to the national differences. What is equally debatable is the degree of adaption or standardization of each element of marketing- mix (product, price, place and promotion). The purpose of this study is to gauge the level of standardization or customization practiced by the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) MNCs while marketing their products in the UAE. The results of the study revealed that the FMCG MNCs in UAE neither pursued a pure standardization nor a pure customization as a single approach to market their product in the UAE instead they prefer to implement a mixed strategy.