International marketing at the bottom of the pyramid

International marketers have been turning increasingly to markets in developing countries as markets in developed countries reach saturation point. Generally they target the wealthy elite and the expanding middle class in such countries. Rarely do they target the masses in these countries who account for 65% of the world’s population. It will be argued that a different mindset will be necessary to tap the potential offered by this group who are termed ‘Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP). A standardised ‘western’ marketing mix offering will not work with this group whose circumstances require a highly customised approach. Buyers at the BOP behave differently not only from their counterparts in developed country markets but also from the upper and middle-income customers in their own societies. This is illustrated by a study undertaken in Thailand into the perceived need by local marketing executives to modify their approach when directing communication to customers at the lower income strata as compared with those at the upper and middle income levels. The conclusion of the paper is that managers cannot tap the BOP sector by a modified global approach and must create a totally new approach