It seems an overwhelming number of Brits won’t move abroad until they have a job lined up in their new country.
Latest research by the Office for National Statistics reveals that 40% of British expats chose to leave the UK only if there was a guaranteed job waiting for them – compared to 16% who were looking for work.
This is great news for international recruiters and other expat marketers, as it pinpoints Brits who haven’t yet left the country as a massive target market.
For the media-hungry expat, portable devices like iPads and Kindles are a godsend. But if expats are clearly a perfect demographic, why is it so difficult for us to access the content from abroad and why are we subjected to such irrelevant marketing?
For example, the other day I tried to download a game to my PSP (PlayStation Portable) device. I’m an English expat living in Spain, so I tried to use the Spanish PlayStation Store to make the purchase. However, there was no option to download an English-language game, it automatically assumed that because I was based in Spain that Spanish was my first language and I’d only be interested in Spanish products.
With more than 200 million expats worldwide, International and local schools may already have students from all around the world. Embracing this diversity can be a powerful marketing tool.
School Choice International helps expat families to select the right schools for their children. With a database of schools, curriculum, and some 100 consultants worldwide in 50 key locations, the company promises parents to find schools that fit their children’s needs.
Given it’s a new year we at Expat Marketing are looking ahead to major issues marketers will face over the next 12 months.
For private medical insurers there are plenty: a likely decline in the effectiveness of traditional display advertising, greater consumer focus on prices and, lastly, a need to more clearly differentiate their brands from the competition.
It used to be health insurance companies could basically throw up display ads and wait for customers to come to them–obviously that’s no longer true.
In recent years expats have been moving abroad for different reasons (and under different financial circumstances) than they have traditionally. Many are migrating to escape economic hardship rather than retire in the sun, for example.
Stuart Smith, Managing Director of Max Media International, talks about how this demographic shift impacts media planners, and offers some media planning tips.
More parents than ever before are looking to send their kids to international schools. Hence enrollment numbers and fee income will rise hand-in-hand over the next few years.
Nicholas Brummitt, Managing Director of ISC Worldwide, says this is the result of increased demand not only from expat families, but also wealthy locals looking to ensure their kids get the best possible education.
He talks to Expat Marketing about how schools and countries are preparing for this growth, as well as what it’s worth.
Expat media is ringing in 2012 by boldly going where it’s never been before: the radio.
David Gregerson, CEO of Overseas Radio, says expats are tired of reading information all the time, and would actually prefer hearing it firsthand. So far he’s seen plenty of interest–more than 400 professionals have applied to host programs.
Expats around the world are still feeling the pinch from the global financial crisis – which means luxury cars are probably the last things on their wish lists. Or are they?
Recent research suggests that high-end car sales could see a rise in the coming year, with wealthy expats being a large percentage of the owners. Countries in Asia and Africa have seen a dramatic increase in car sales in 2011, prompting luxury car brands to step up their presence overseas.
When it comes to Christmas sales everyone fixates on retail.
At it first glance, this industry seems to be dominated by a few big names. Research from overseas shipping website Forward2me found Amazon UK the #1 for expat shoppers, followed by H&M UK and John Lewis. Expats gravitate to these familiar brands for much of their Christmas shopping, often through simple internet searches.
Fortunately, expats’ specific needs offer potential for niche-retailers as well. And there are other holiday niches ripe with potential, many of them service related.
Millions of expats around the globe travel home for the holidays. But only a fraction purchase international travel or medical insurance. This is a both a major liability for expats (who could face huge medical bills in an emergency) and a missed opportunity for international insurers.
Adrian Shaw, founder of the insurance aggregator Expat Compare, explains the lack of consumer awareness and what insurers can do to tap the market’s potential.