Product adaptation

Product adaptation involves changing the product to meet local conditions or wants. For example, Finnish cell phone maker Nokia customizes its cell phones for every major market. To meet the needs of less-affluent consumers in large developing countries such as India, China, and Kenya, the company has created full-featured but rugged and low-cost phones especially designed for harsher living conditions. For instance, it developed dustproof keypads-crucial in dry, hot countries with many unpaved roads. Some phones have built-in radio antennas for areas where radio is the main source of entertainment. Thanks to such adaptation, Nokia commands a whopping 62.3 percent share of the market in Africa and the Middle East, 48.5 percent in Eastern Europe, and 41.8 percent in Asia.