Firms that compete in the global marketplace typically face two types of competitive pressures: pressures for cost reductions and pressures to be locally responsive. These two pressures place conflicting demands on a firm. Responding to pressures for cost reductions requires that a firm try to minimize its unit costs. But responding to pressures to be locally responsive requires that a firm differentiate its product offering and marketing strategy from country to country in an effort to accommodate the diverse demands. Because differentiation across countries can involve significant duplication and a lack of product standardization, it may raise costs. So how do differences in the strength of those pressures affect a firm's choice of strategy? In this video, I will introduce four major international strategies to you.