US Brands Abroad: An Empirical Study of Global Branding

Abstract

The topic of internationally standardised branding has been widely debated in the marketing literature. However, no studies have empirically examined the actual extent of international brand penetration and standardisation. Based on a survey of US brand managers of consumer products, this study found that while some 66 per cent of the responding brands are used abroad and most are internationally standardised, approximately 80 per cent of sales still come from the US market. Overseas, US brands generate most of their sales in culturally similar markets, specifically Canada and the United Kingdom.