Marketing in Western Europe: A Monolith or a Multidimensional Market?

SUMMARY Europe is emerging as an important internal market. As such, it offers tremendous opportunities and challenges for companies wanting to explore trade and investment possibilities. It is pointed out that Europe is the largest regional market in the world where the highest trade takes place among the member states of the European Union. On May 1st, 2004, the European Union was enlarged to 25 member countries which now offer major opportunities for firms of all sizes providing products and services to the consumers of some 450 million people. In order to capitalize on these vast market and business opportunities, companies must fully understand the changing macro environmental and consumer/organizational buyer behavior trends and take appropriate actions. In this fast changing Euro market, increasingly more pro-active marketing approaches must be undertaken for the attainment of better results.