SMEs are becoming increasingly important as they create jobs, create innovations and contribute significantly to national economies. SMEs can create opportunities for innovation in most part of the economy. They can drive economic growth and improve standard of living (Nahar, 1998b and 1998c). SMEs of emerging markets of Baltic Sea Region are facing intense competition in their domestic markets due to opening up of the markets, easy access to market information by enterprises around the world, improved telecommunications, logistics service and banking services and other factors. SMEs should rapidly participate in globalisation in order to survive and grow in the long run.

There is also intense competition in the global market place for capturing or increasing market share, it is no longer possible to make enough sales necessary for the survival of SMEs without effective global promotion (GP). Therefore, proactive GP is necessary to make sales and survive in the competitive and complex global market place. GP builds awareness of the enterprise's market offerings in the global market place, helps in signalling them to the target market, influences the buyer's attitude and behaviour and facilitates sale. It can enhance the image of the enterprise, its market offerings and its brand names. It helps to recruit agents, distributors, and customers.

Effective global promotion through the utilisation of conventional/traditional global promotion tools (i.e. international advertising, trade show and mission, international personal selling, etc.) is very expensive and is not affordable to most of the SMEs. It also requires long time and huge human resources to execute the conventional promotional campaigns.

The advent of effective and low cost ICT tools and services (e.g. e-mail, signature file, autoresponder, teleconferencing, electronic magazine, electronic press release, web, search engine), explosive global growth of internet; and increasingly more powerful information and communication technologies (ICTs) offered at lower costs, decrease of expenses to access to computer networks and decrease of telecommunication expenses, will have profound impacts on global electronic promotion (GEP refers to the promotion through computer based mediums utilising new ICTs in the global electronic environment) for market offerings (products and/or services).

Internet can be useful for marketing (Cronin, 1996a and 1996b; Ellsworth and Ellsworth, 1996; Hoffman and Novak, 1996; Vargo and Hunt, 1996; Vassos, 1996; Quelch and Klein, 1996; Nahar and Savolainen, 1997; Hamill and Gregory, 1997; Ghosh,1998; and Nahar, 1998a, 1998b and 1998d). Internet can eliminate barriers of distance, time and geography and can facilitate communication, co-ordination and collaboration (Nahar, 1998b and 1998c) and allow SMEs to participate in globalisation. Various internet tools can also be utilised for GP. These tools facilitate interactive interaction, advertisement and selling.

On-line promotion is far inexpensive comparing to traditional promotion, has the ability to reach the enterprise's customers on a global scale and customer acquisition is far less expensive from on-line promotion. The innovative uses of a variety of ICT tools in GP can provide immense benefits to SMEs and can help to expand in foreign markets. Currently the number of new multimedia medium users is in the range of several millions. It is expected that this number will continue to expand to hundreds of millions, making it the fastest growing medium in history. Leading global IT research firms have forecasted tremendous growth of new internet users as well as electronic commerce in the near future. This trend is increasing the opportunities for GEP.

New ICTs, especially different utilities of internet could revolutionise the global promotion. However, internet is a complex collection of several promotional utilities, as well as newer ones are coming relentlessly. They have vast potential for global promotion, at the same time it can waist time and money if they are used unsystematically. Large companies (e.g. Dell, Cisco Systems, Amazon) are becoming successful in their global promotion efforts.

Unfortunately, SMEs of emerging markets are failing to utilise these ICT tools for GP for several reasons. Firstly, there is currently no existing framework facilitates global promotion at a low cost through the use of computer based media. There has also been a limited amount of empirical research undertaken to determine how SMEs of emerging markets can execute GP. Secondly, limited knowledge and experience in the use of ICT tools for GP, difficulties in building trust, different cultures of internet community, rapid changes in ICTs and other factors are making it very difficult for SMEs to use ICT tools successfully for GP.

This research has been undertaken to fill our knowledge gap and develop the framework for global electronic promotion for SMEs of emerging markets. The main research problem of this study has been identified as how SMEs of emerging markets can promote GP more effectively and efficiently in order to become successful in globalisation.

The study began with a literature review of journals, conference proceedings, research reports, thesis and dissertations, monographs, reviews and books, and subsequent investigation of internet resources of leading research institutions, databases of journals, and homepages of ICT firms and innovative users of ICTs. The study then conducted interviews through e-mail, mailing lists and teleconferencing of many SMEs (e.g. Michael Richter Ltd., UK; Pronet Inc., USA; etc.) who are the leading ICTs users around the world. The study also interviewed few Estonian exporters (e.g. Lambda Grupp Oü). Through analysis, the study identified the potentials of ICTs in GP and developed a model for electronic GP process. The model and ideas are partially tested in practice by enterprises (ITS Ltd. in Bangladesh and Akisumi Ltd. in Finland) and these enterprises have achieved different benefits (see section 3.2). The main contribution of this study demonstrates how companies can be successful in GEP and overcome the lack of success in achieving benefits to date.

This paper is comprised of five major sections. The introduction is described in section 1. Section 2 presents the research findings which describes the conventional approach and tools and their substitute low cost ICT tools. Section 3 develops and implements the ICT-enabled model for global promotion in the context of SMEs. The advantages of this model are also described in this section. Section 4 exhibits the recommendations for effective GEP. In section 5 conclusions are drawn and implications of the research are discussed.


2. RESEARCH FINDINGS

2.1. Conventional/Traditional Approach

A review of the current literature and the empirical study suggest that SMEs of emerging markets are commonly utilising international direct mail, trade show and international personal selling as their global promotional tools. These tools allow target markets to become aware of market offerings from the enterprise, provide details about market offerings, ensure customer liking, ensure customer buying and locate agents and/or distributors.

International direct mail: Direct mail campaigns require extensive market research, in-depth planning of materials and highly systematic mailing (Czinkota and Ronkainen 1994). In this promotional technique, the enterprise identifies the target customer and sends personalised printed letters along with enterprise catalogues. The success of direct mail depends very much on the availability of the correct and timely information of potential customers. Generally, it is difficult to obtain the required information for direct mail if the target customers are outside of the North American and Western European markets.

Trade show: At a trade show, hundreds or even thousands of enterprises from different countries exhibit their market offerings. Immediate advantage of trade shows enterprises get exposure to foreign markets. The enterprise can quickly see if the product needs some modifications for the market, get the idea of pricing structure and can get a view of competition. Participation in trade shows requires a lot of logistical and other planning, for example, shipping products to the show, unpacking and installation efforts. After the show, the arrangements should be dismantled, packed and return freight arrangements should be made. These are very expensive and time consuming and in addition, specialised staff are needed in order to obtain benefits from the show.

International personal selling: In this case, the sales person travels to foreign country and presents market offerings to the potential customer in order to make sales. This method can be effective. Personal selling can be executed through the enterprises' own employees or through intermediaries. However, personal selling is very expensive, time consuming and requires high motivation and skills from the sales person. The sales person should have a high ability to adapt to the customers and to the situation. S(he) should have in-depth knowledge of the different aspects of foreign culture, including aesthetics, religion, education, languages, social organisation and political factors.

There are other conventional promotional tools (e.g. catalogue exhibition, international advertising, public relations, trade missions, etc.) which are also used in international promotional efforts. This study determines that conventional promotional tools have some limitations as well as being highly expensive when compared to electronic/on-line promotion. Table 1 shows the substitute ICT tools for conventional tools. This study focuses mainly on the key points of each ICT tool. There are several other high potential ICT tools as well.

2.2. High Potential Low Cost ICT Tools Relevant for Global Promotion

In order to systematically and effectively utilise the capacities of various ICTs in the GP process and obtain significant benefits, enterprises should first identify: the strengths of each ICT tool affordable for SMEs; potential arenas for the performance of GP activities and tasks. No attempt was made to analyse all existing ICTs worldwide, investigation has been restricted here to those which have the potential to make high contribution to the GP endeavour and affordable to SMEs. After selecting the ICTs the enterprise should systematically implement them for GP.


Table 1. Substitute Low Cost ICT Tools for Conventional Promotional Tools

Conventional promotional tools	IT tools for IEP
International direct mail	E-mail and video mail, Signature file
Trade show	Web, Electronic magazine/digest, Autoresponder, Electronic press release (EPR), Trade mailing list, mailing list and newsgroup, On-line services
International personal selling	Teleconferencing

E-mail and video mail: E-mail is the most used internet tool, allowing communication with people around the world. Communicating via e-mail is one of the most important marketing tools used in international business today (Nahar and Savolainen, 1997; and Nahar, 1998d). Several enterprises (hotmail, yahoo, juno, etc.) provide free e-mail accounts. Especially, when business executives are travelling abroad they can access to e-mails from any public internet terminal, internet Cafes or even a customer or associate's terminal in the world in a simple way, without having to configure software, pay for international phone calls, etc.

E-mail should be used with purpose and care in order to achieve benefits. It can be used for providing information of an enterprise's market offerings as well as for receiving customer feedback, orders and so on. E-mail eliminates telephone tag and costly long distance telephone charges, thereby expanding communication with global customers (Nahar, 1998d). Through market research enterprises can identify their potential customers. Enterprises can then delicately present special benefits to those prospective customers who are willing to receive the enterprises' e-mail. Enterprises can effectively communicate with those, who respond positively. Effective and intensive e-mail communication can make foreign customers aware of market offerings, deliver information, make audiences feel comfortable with market offerings, make sales and perform follow up services. Enterprises should not abuse e-mail, as it does not suit internet culture.

The empirical research identifies that modern ICTs can bring digital video technology to today's e-mail communications at a very low cost. They allow users to produce their own video mails. Good quality and short digital movies with audio in ultra-compressed files can be transferred with e-mail messages through the internet around the world. They work with all commonly used e-mail software. They also have the capacities to facilitate live video teleconferencing with customers. They enable the creation of personalised e-mail messages that enhance the quality of business communications. No special software or hardware is needed for recipients to playback messages, as any e-mail recipient with a sound card-equipped PC can view a video mail message created with modern ICTs. Video e-mail can work with a slow internet connection. Enterprises can send video clips about a new market offering to prospective foreign customers or present a new product to an enterprise's web site. They can record and send business proposals and presentations in multimedia format, it can give an edge over ordinary mail and e-mail.

Signature file: Few SMEs (e.g. Reynolds International Trade, http://www.netside.com/~lreynold) are using signature files very effectively. Signature file is a small block of text that enterprises can add at the end of their e-mail messages or articles. Most e-mail programs can automatically add a signature file to their messages (Nahar and Savolainen, 1997). While almost all types of ads are prohibited in most newsgroups and mailing lists, the use of a signature file is acceptable virtually everywhere.

The constant presence of a signature file with an e-mail or article can work as an advertisement for the enterprise. It can be 4-5 lines and should contain a web address, contact details (e-mail address, phone and fax number) and information about uniqueness of the enterprises market offerings. A signature file will stimulate people to contact and do business with the enterprise (Nahar and Savolainen, 1997). Unnecessarily long signature file can be annoying. The enterprises should post to such places if they have something of substance to contribute. This shows respect for the group members and purpose, and is far more likely to gain the credibility that will draw people to do business with them. Also enterprises should not exaggerate promises made signature files.

Web: An SME has the possibilities to simultaneously reach customers around the world at minimum costs through its web pages. Several companies (e.g. GeoCities, Tripod, Hypermart) offer free web site spaces for individuals and enterprises, SMEs have the possibilities to put their home pages in those web hosting services. The quality of their services are not as good as the private web hosting services. Simple web site hosting at an internet service provider may cost $20-40 for 10Mbytes of hosting (disk space)/ month. Web sites can provide ease of navigation and access to enterprise market offerings. The language content and visuality can be developed considering the local culture.

The detailed web page could be in English; there could be information for the market offerings and its benefits, risk free buying, an order form, a feed back form, and the e-mail address, telephone, fax number of the enterprise. The web could be updated regularly and the information organised for easy location. Integration of the enterprise's marketing strategy and overall business strategy with the web is also possible (Nahar and Savolainen, 1997). A web rich in high quality information relevant to market offerings could be constructed. Such information is important for the customers.

There are several millions of web pages, enterprises are failing to differentiate and present their sites on the desktop of the customers as well as it is hard for customer to identify the web site for the

appropriate supplier. One solution is the submission of the web pages to overseas search engines and indexes. In addition, the use of electronic promotional tools, for example, intelligent software agents, mailing lists, electronic magazines will make aware of the market offerings to the customers.

Electronic magazine/digest: Popular electronic magazines/digests (e.g. international business list digest of the Association for International Business, http://www.earthone.com; I-sales digest of Multimedia Marketing Group, http://www.mmgco.com; ISBC Scuttlebutt digest from International Small Business Consortium, http://www.isbc.com/) offer low cost advertising and some of them have several thousands of business professional subscribers around the world. An enterprise can put advertisements as well as can publish articles related to its topic. SMEs are putting their advertisements (e.g. Michael Richter Ltd., http://www.t-online.de/home/M.Richter/door.htm), giving advice (Danex Export Marketing, http://www.danex-exm.dk) through these digests and publishing articles (Pronet inc., http://www.profnet.org) in these digests. By doing these, they are creating awareness around the world and expanding their businesses globally. SMEs add their web site and/or autoresponder addresses in the advertisements so that target customers can get additional information according to their requirements and convenience, SMEs add very attractive signature file when the are advising through the digests. Also by starting a weekly e-zine in the enterprise's area of expertise and making it available to the potential customers, general public will encourage people reading of the enterprise's advertisement and create awareness of the enterprise and its market offerings. There are simple affordable tools available for managing e-zines.

Autoresponder: SMEs (e.g. Pronet inc., http://www.profnet.org) are extensively and effectively using their autoresponders to expand their businesses globally. An autoresponder is an agent software that runs through an e-mail programs designed to automatically respond to any e-mail message sent to it with a pre-determined response (Nahar and Savolainen, 1997). An interested person sends an e-mail message to the autoresponder address, and it sends them back a file, via e-mail, usually within a minute or two. It then forwards the e-mail message to the person who owns the autoresponder. Autoresponder is very low cost (as low as $5 a month from http://www.mailback.com) and it increases productivity, allows communication with people who do not have web site access and are limited to e-mail alone.

There are minor disadvantages in using autoresponders. They make almost impossible to personalise each response. Enterprises should tell their prospects that they are requesting information from their autoresponder in their advertisement which tells them that they are going to get immediate information from their autoresponder. When they start marketing with autoresponders their e-mail address can be collected by the spider software used by those who collect and sell e-mail address. Promoting autoresponders is important if one is to have success with them. Promotions include: mentioning autoresponders in signature files; inclusion in posts to various newsgroups and mailing lists; and promotion via classified advertisements, news articles, etc. SMEs can utilise autoresponders to respond 24 hours per day to enquiries with any information in the languages of targeted countries. Enterprise documentation, catalogues, sales letters, price lists, ordering information, payment method, etc. can be stored as an autoresponder form, prospective customers can send a blank e-mail and get the specific document at his/her e-mail box at once. The enterprise can capture the e-mail addresses of enquiries.

Electronic press release (EPR): The empirical research identifies that one of the best techniques to promote enterprises' market offering is EPR. EPRs are announcements about specific topics that are of interest for their informational value to the readers of the publication. Electronic press releases are free of charge thereby differing from paid advertisements. The internet and video mail have enabled easier and faster distribution of enterprises' press releases to web magazines, newsgroups, archives, radios, televisions, newspapers, and magazines around the world and the lists of the places for target distribution are available on the web.

If enterprises would like to have a professional service write and submit their press release, enterprises can professionally handle this service. These enterprises have thousands of contacts in several countries. For example, NewsLink is the American Journalism Review's comprehensive listing of worldwide news media. Enterprises can select the types of media they want to reach, go to their sites and decide whether it would be appropriate to send them the enterprises' press release. They can find links to on-line publications at the Electronic Newsstand. Most of these sites have instructions for submitting press releases. ICTs are fostering new approaches to public relations. Alternatively, someone from the target market who is already involved in electronic public relations can be selected who can send the public release regular basis.

Trade mailing lists, mailing lists and news group: Posting to trade mailing lists (e.g. TreadeNet World Service mailing list, Global Market Place mailing list, Europe Business mailing list) spread the selling message all over the world without any expense and increase the buyer's response rate (Nahar and Savolainen, 1997). Posting buy/sell offers to trade sites of WWW (e.g. cyberus, commerce2000, digilead) exposes the offer to buyers all over the world. Mailing lists are also free of cost, simple, quick and effective.

The enterprises can connect with hundreds or thousands of people who share a common interest, and they can do it all through e-mail. Since e-mail is a common denominator regardless of what type of internet connection they have, mailing lists often have members from on-line services or bulletin boards that they would not be able to reach through a newsgroup, server, or other means. All mailing list postings are automatically sent to an SME e-mail address, accessible each time one checks their mail. This is simpler than having to navigate to a newsgroup each time one wants to check on reactions to their last posting.

Someone from the target market can represent the enterprise in a local mailing list and post in the mailing list on behalf of the enterprise and professionally draw attention to the enterprise web site. Some members of these mailing lists might detect the promotional aspect of a post that is made. These people are quite offended and make it known how offended they are by advertisers. The professional on-line marketer needs to be very careful when dealing with mailing lists, (s)he should provide answers to problems at the same time promote enterprise.

Generally, in a moderated newsgroup a very educated, sophisticated and creative group of professionals tend to be the posters. The subject matter of the threads tend to be of a much deeper business level than mailing lists. The variety of subject matter of threads is higher than most mailing lists. The volume of different threads running at the same time is higher than most mailing lists. If inaccurate information is posted to a newsgroup, it is contradicted very quickly. Actual commerce transactions can occur from newsgroups participation. One should observe and understand the culture of the newsgroups for some time before posting to them. They can include their signature files in the posts to various newsgroups, if they can make useful contribution or offer helpful articles free.

On-line services: There are several on-line services such as Netscape, MSN, AOL, Prodigy, CompuServe, Web site Malls, which have sections for creating the classified ads. Most of these services are free (such as A-Adpage, Canada Super Mall), however, some services charge a fee (such as CompuServe and Prodigy). If enterprises can offer something free through the classified ads, for example, articles or a newsletter, then customers become more attracted to their ads.

Teleconferencing: Teleconferencing allows the enterprise to have real-time chat or asynchronous, threaded discussions with potential and present customers around the world. This adds value to the enterprise market offering and enhance customer loyalty. In addition, advertisements for example, simple formatted hot-linked, clickable images can be displayed within chat. Text, multimedia and program files can be attached to the messages posted to a conference.

This teleconferencing requires moderate hardware and software facilities to launch teleconferencing and visitors need only their regular browser. One can remotely manage teleconferencing from any place of the world. An enterprise can boost its credibility and visibility through conducting conference with global audiences. It can also conduct conference for the audience of various specific forums.

There are several other ICT tools (e.g. extranet, multimedia web, electronic exhibition, webcasting, banner advertising, CD-ROM and DVD, etc.) which are effective, but relatively expensive for SMEs.


3. DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING THE MODEL OF ICT-ENABLED GP PROCESS

3.1. ICT-enabled Global Promotion Process Model

A review of the current literature and the empirical research suggest that global electronic promotion can radically change the way promotion is done and can create high impact. The enterprise should examine its scope (supplying capacity, availability of fund for promotion, etc.), determine goals from the promotion (i.e. a certain level of web site visitors and prospects who send in their email addresses, or who call the enterprise for more information, a certain volume of sales), arrange international logistics facilities and other required facilities. It should be taken into consideration that certain market offerings are best promoted on-line, others may need substantial amount of promotion in printed publications. The enterprise should develop a unique differentiation strategy through all its on-line promotional activities which will give the customers the perception that the enterprise is different in a way that is important to the customers. Then the enterprise should develop information reach web site. The enterprise should submit manually for the top search engines and automatically using software robots for the others. The enterprise should resubmit the site after 2-3 months, this will make the site in the top positions among other sites. The enterprise should install the auto- responders including various information. The enterprise should develop a corporate media kit to send to those enterprises who request for in-depth information. This kit will contain information about: ownership, biographies, history, main market offering and their unique benefits, method of doing business, client profiles, news releases, membership of different organisations. This information should be sent electronically as well as professionally written and well printed.

This study contends that to make GP more efficient and effective it should be considered and executed as a process. The GP in an electronic environment can be conceptualised as a process of six interlinked and overlapping activities (Nahar, 1998d) as can be seen in Figure 1. The model is suitable for promoting market offerings (products and/or services) globally. The ICTs should be implemented at least in two stages, it will be cheaper for the enterprise and will be easier to implement. At the first stage, it could utilise integrated and systematically few ICTs tools and network services (e-mail, web, signature file, mailing list, trade mailing list, newsgroup, electronic magazine, electronic press release, teleconferencing). The whole promotional campaigns of first stage can be implemented within two months. The enterprise should train the marketer to utilise the model effectively and efficiently as well as to make some adjustments according to the scope of the enterprise and the particular market to be promoted. For high levels of success in visitor traffic it requires almost spending double on promotion what one spends on developing the web site. The person in charge of web site promotion needs to be very flexible in terms of the various techniques which have been mentioned earlier. S/he needs to measure what works best and change the promotional plan accordingly.

When the first stage is implemented successfully it should then implement some of the advanced ICT tools and network services (extranet, multimedia web, electronic exhibition, webcasting, banner advertising, CD-ROM, DVD and video conferencing).

In this section ICTs for the first stage have been integrated and systematically executed.

Figure 1. ICT-enabled global promotion process

3.1.1. Making foreign customers aware of the market offerings

Through international market research the enterprise should identify potential customers in the target markets. Nowadays professional market researchers are offering international market research services through the internet at a low cost. The enterprise should send 2-3 emails one after another at intervals to identified enterprises with the goal being to generate interests of market offerings. As all the enterprises are not yet internet oriented, therefore, same message should be sent by fax or post to rest prospective customers.

At the same time through electronic magazines and digests the enterprise should intensively promote its enterprise web address, autoresponder, signature file around the world. This will encourage customers to collect required information from autoresponder as well as from web site.

Putting advertisements, providing advises, and publishing articles in e-zines and digests, launching a highly informative rich web site, posting problem solving messages to newsgroups and mailing lists, leading teleconferencing, arranging public releases, posting buy/sell offers to trade sites of WWW and trade mailing lists, adding signature files to messages and articles, putting classified advertisements on network services as well as adding web site URL/e-mail address to conventional advertisements and press releases, envelops, letterheads, brochures, catalogues and business cards, can spread the market offerings and enterprise information to target markets and can create high awareness.


3.1.2. Delivering important details of the market offerings

The enterprise can send information of media kit through e-mail as well as by normal mail to those prospects who request additional information. Customers can obtain detailed information of the benefits and features of market offerings, the enterprise, etc. by forwarding e-mails to autoresponders and visiting web site at their convenience. In the case of very customised information needs, the enterprise can participate in teleconferencing with the potential customers.

3. 1.3. Making an audience comfortable with market offerings

After completion of the second step, the enterprise can remind the customers through e-mail of the unique capacities for customer satisfaction provided by the enterprises' market offerings. At the same time, the enterprise can participate in teleconferencing with the potential customers and through questioning and answering methods, can show that the offerings satisfy customers needs. After observing electronic press releases customer may have more positive attitudes towards the enterprise. Also the enterprise should register itself with various organisations, for example with World Trade Center, Dun and Bradstreet etc. in order to enhance its trust to foreign customers.

3.1.4. Confirmation of market offerings are preferable in open competition situations

The enterprise can inform the potential customers how the market offerings' features, price, delivery, etc. are superior than the competing market offerings through e-mail and teleconferencing.

3.1.5. Making sales from the market offerings

The enterprise can exhibit the unique benefits of the market offerings through e-mail and stimulate the desire for buying, ask for the order through teleconferencing or and also deal with customer objection and negotiate.

3.1.6. Post sales communication

Following the sale, the enterprise should ask the buyer whether the market offerings have satisfied their needs, whether any problem has arisen from the transaction, etc. through e-mail. This will increase the peace of mind of the buyer and (s)he can be sure that (s)he made the right buying decision. Providing additional information and problem solving advice by autoresponder and teleconferencing can increase customer loyalty. These follow up communications will bring bigger business for the enterprise. The enterprise should make evaluation of its promotion. A cost per sale analysis is in order and quite useful in comparing on-line with traditional promotion. If promotional goal is not met, there are many factors to consider: initial goals, budget, media habit of target customers, etc.

Second Stage: After evaluating the results of the first stage, the enterprise can start implementing some of the tools from extranet, multimedia web, electronic exhibition, webcasting, banner advertising, CD-ROM, DVD and video mail. The enterprise can translate its web pages into Russian, German, Spanish, French and Chinese in the future and put links with local search engines and directories.

Launching a highly informative rich multimedia web and multimedia webcasting, arranging electronic exhibitions, putting banner advertisements will increase the awareness of the enterprise and its market offering. Customers can obtain in-depth information of market offering from CD-ROM and DVD which is delivered by the enterprise. Enterprises can provide additional information and presentations through video mail.

The enterprise can remind the customers through video mail of the unique capacities for customer satisfaction provided by the enterprises' market offerings as well as enterprise can participate in video conferencing. Using video mail, software agent, teleconferencing and video conferencing the enterprise can better inform the potential customers of the superior features, price, deliver, etc. in relation to the competitors' market offerings. Video mail and video conferencing allow improved exhibiting of the unique benefits of the market offerings to stimulate the desire for buying, to ask for the order, to deal with customer objections and to negotiate. Video conferencing, CD-ROM, DVD and extranet can help in problem solving and provide additional information.

3.2. Advantages of the ICT-enabled Global Promotion Model

The ICT-enabled GP model has a very high effect on an enterprise's performance in on-line promotion of market offerings. Testing of the model by enterprises of a developing country (ITS Ltd. in Bangladesh) and an industrialised country (Akisumi Ltd. in Finland) shows that it can allow SMEs to access to foreign markets rapidly and facilitate globalisation as well as provide some of the following benefits.

1. Increases awareness of the enterprise and its products and/or services substantially in the foreign markets.
2. Enables the exhibition of products globally 24 hours everyday and throughout the year.
3. Facilitates one to one intensive communication.
4. Improves the attitudes towards the enterprises products and/or services.
5. Generates rapidly many leads around the world.
6. Makes sales faster and easier, as a result sales increase rapidly.
7. Decreases promotional expenses and enables aggressive promotion globally.
8. Allows the enterprise to develop product positioning in each segment in the foreign market.
9. Improves market share and market position in foreign market.
10. Facilitates rapid problem solving for customers.
11. Builds brand loyalty.
12. Establishes the image of the enterprise and its brands in the foreign market.

1. Opens up new markets around the world.

The conceptual model explicitly exhibits the required action sequence as well as the corresponding relationships between actions. This can be very useful for SMEs in their globalisation process.


4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE GEP

The empirical findings show that there are very high possibilities for SMEs to become victimised by the associated risks of GEP. In order to become successful in GEP and gain competitive advantages in a highly competitive global environment, SMEs should (Nahar, 1998d):

1. Identify their target audience through effective international market research. SMEs should also do on-going international market research as the present global business environment has become highly complex with rapid and unexpected changes occurring often.
2. Identify problems and risks in the inception stage of GEP process and make plans to eliminate problems and reduce the risks.
3. Develop a web site which is user friendly in locating the required information, rich in contents, fewer in graphics and culturally friendly. Links should be established and promoted intensively on and off-line.
4. Combine many ICT tools and use them integratedly, innovatively, systematically and intensively every day.
5. Focus on understanding customers' specific requirements and communicate such understanding to customers through all ICT tools.
6. Frequently provide problem solving advice to those newsgroups, mailing lists, I-digests, teleconferencing, etc. where the enterprises' potential and present customers are located in order to increase visibility and to build credibility.
7. Offer informative articles through autoresponders, publishing in e-magazines, storing at web sites and other locations to develop the credibility and establish the enterprises as experts.
8. Enclose their URLs, e-mail addresses, autoresponders to business cards, letterheads, envelopes, brochures, catalogues, and magazine advertisements.
9. Register themselves with various organisations, for example with World Trade Centre, Dun and Bradstreet etc. and arrange payment mechanism through world leading financial transaction firms.
10. Focus on communicating risk free buying, secure payment, secure privacy and develop brand name credibility.

The list is not exhaustive. The managers must try to adapt tactics and strategies to deal with a constantly changing environment.


5. CONCLUSIONS

The business environment is intensely competitive and complex, mainly due to opening up of the markets, therefore, SMEs are facing competition in their domestic markets. Studying the possibilities of ICT-enabled GP for rapid globalisation is important in the light of various factors.

Through literature review of printed and electronic materials and in-depth interviews, we identified the functions of various conventional GP tools in the stages of the customer's buying process, identified the unique strengths of variety of ICT tools, then developed a model of ICT-enabled GP for SMEs.

This study argues that SMEs have the possibility to execute GEP more efficiently and effectively and export and/or sell products and/or services successfully to several countries through six presented activities at a low cost and in a high speed fashion. Empirical tests suggest that the ICT-enabled GP model can provide the following benefits:

1. facilitation of worldwide exhibition 24 hours and 365 days per year;
2. increasement in the awareness of the enterprise and its products and/or services;
3. facilitation of worldwide collaboration with customers;
4. generation of leads around the world rapidly;
5. facilitation of easier and faster sales;
6. decreasement in expenses of GP;
7. enhancement in the capacity to do promotion globally;
8. enhancement of brand loyalty;
9. establishment of image of the enterprise, its brands; and
10. easement of foreign market entry.

Governments in the emerging markets are arranging conventional exhibitions, providing conventional export promotion training to SMEs in an effort to start and/or increase exporting. The test results show that the GEP process model is effective and efficient. Governments can train SMEs to utilise the GEP process model for rapid and successful promotion globally.

This study contends that utilising new ICTs, complex conventional GP can be almost replaced by less complex ICT-enabled GP which can facilitate globalisation. ICT-enabled GP will uncover new areas of research. It will be an important research area, as it currently offers and will continue to offer high benefits and innovatively utilises global computer networking.


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