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Internationalization Strategies

There are two well-known market entry strategies. The Waterfall Strategy where each market will be entered step by step and the Sprinkler Strategy where a company enters all suitable markets at the same time.

Waterfall Strategy, Sprinkler Strategy
 Waterfall StrategySprinkler Strategy
AdvantagesLower cost of resourcesExploitation of (short) product life cycles for successor product generations and high development costs
Lower riskCreation of market barriers for competitors (e.g. image advantage, exchange costs)
Smoothes revenues (product life cycles)Exploitation of economies of scale
Coordination of interdependencies between country markets 
DisadvantagesPremature termination of the program if little success in initial phasesHigh use of resources and risk
Entry of competition (product imitations)Concentration of revenues
 Coordination efforts for interdependencies between country markets
Source: Backhaus/Büschken/Voeth (2003): Internationales Marketing, Stuttgart, p. 173