Diversity in Emerging Markets: The Case of Latin American & The Caribbean

Latin America and the Caribbean encompasses over 40 countries in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Cultural influences in this region include Africa, the native groups, India, as well as the former colonizers from Europe - the British, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Portuguese, making it one of the most diverse markets in the world. Country populations within the region are also varied and range from as small as St. Kitts & Nevis with a population of only 52,175 to as large as Brazil with a population of 207,353,391, according to the CIA World Factbook (2017). Despite lower incomes, the sheer size of this region cannot be ignored by marketers, as it numbers over 630 million people, according to the World Bank’s 2016 numbers, with millennials alone representing approximately thirty percent (30%) of this group. It should also be noted that economic growth in the region is projected to increase by an average of 2.7 percent by 2020, a marked improvement over previous years (Haughton, 2018). Given their close proximity to North America, this region has represented low hanging fruit for multinational corporations. However, with the varying sizes and populations, Latin America and the Caribbean present certain unique challenges to international marketers when developing marketing strategies for the region. This panel will discuss some key considerations for targeting such a diverse region. Discussions will revolve around the marketing challenge associated with global expansion to this region and will highlight three areas most pertinent to marketers responsible for their organizations’ success in the region

Confronting New Realities: Factors Impacting Adoption and Success of Online Marketing Education in the Caribbean

ABSTRACT COVID-19 was a watershed event in higher education as institutions at all levels were affected. Schools, colleges, and universities were forced to transition to remote or online instruction with varying levels of preparation. While most colleges and universities in the developed world were taken by surprise, they were not completely unprepared, as most institutions already had the infrastructure to facilitate online learning. In fact, some institutions were already offering online or hybrid courses of study. The developing world, and the Caribbean in particular, faced a different challenge. While institutions utilized learning management systems to deliver face-to-face classes, the facilitation of online courses was uncommon. Learning management systems were not equipped to manage facilitation of all courses offered, remote access to lab software had never been done, students did not have the requisite hardware, software or network access to fully participate in online classes. The learning curve was steep and both students and faculty had to adapt to the new realities fairly quickly. Fast forward to the present, three years into the global pandemic and the post-pandemic future is upon us. As more universities transition back to in-person learning, there are new challenges to navigate