Sound global marketing decisions take months of research. They also include a high degree of internal planning and strategizing. The accounts considered in the strategies indicate where the organization would like to be in three years, target audiences, expenses and profit margins and, eventually, how to achieve the company's ultimate goals. Advanced planning provides a number of benefits:• Helps coordinate activities• Helps prepare for emergencies• Ensures business continuity• Integrates functions and activities• Assists in continuous review of operations. Although planning is an important part of any successful campaign, there are certain considerations that are essential to successfully launching a product domestically and globally. Some examples are identified in the following table: Domestic planning International planning 1. Single language and nationality 1. Multilingual/multinational/multicultural factors2. Relatively homogeneous market 2. Fragmented and diversified markets3. Data available, generally accurate and easy to collect 3. Data collection is an important task requiring significantly higher budgets and staff allocation4. Relatively unimportant political factors 4. Often vital political factors5. Relative freedom from government interference. 5. Participation in national economic plans; government influences business decisions6. Individual businesses have little effect on the environment 6. “Gravitational” distortion by large businesses7. Chauvinism helps 7. Chauvinism hinders8. Relatively stable business environment 8. Multiple environments, many of which are very unstable (but can be very profitable)9. Uniform financial climate 9. Variety of financial climates ranging from overly conservative to highly inflationary10 Single currency 10. Currencies differing in stability and real value11 Business “rules of the game” are mature and understood 11. Diverse, changing and unclear12 Management generally accustomed to sharing responsibilities and use of financial controls 12. Management often lacking autonomy and unfamiliar with budgets and controls (http://www.fao.org/docrep/W5973E/w5973e0h.htm) L One of the factors identified in the table above was political. Political factors are an important aspect to consider when controlling marketing decisions. The Iraq War has been portrayed in different ways by the media, both in the United States and around the world. National marketing decisions are fueled by the pro-American, pro-patriotism, and pro-military movements of the post-9/11 and Iraq War era. (Let me clarify that there is a huge difference between being pro-military and not pro-Iraq War.) Many marketing geniuses have taken the time to say "thank you to our nation's troops with military pricing specials and discounts. One of these companies was Ford Motor Corporation. Ford offered a military discount that matched the employee discount. It was announced in newspapers, on television and very visible on American military installations. However, this ad was based only on the continental United States. The decision not to broadcast it in European countries was based on the unpopularity of the Iraq War and, more importantly, President Bush's growing lack of support..