Export marketing strategies of a developing country: An exploratory study of the main challenges and success factors for Chilean food exporters

Chile is becoming an important food exporter worldwide. The Chilean food industry has been growing consistently during the last decade reaching almost US$8 billion, which represents 25% of total Chilean exports in 2004. The main objective of this study is to analyze the Chilean salmon, wine, and fruit export industry, and to understand the marketing strategies that have led this food industry to increased performance. For this investigation, a qualitative methodology was applied, including interviews with experts and analysis of secondary information. The results show that marketing has contributed to food exports through an emphasis on product quality, product diversification, and foreign promotions. However, there are still several challenges for food exporters. Positioning the image of Chile in foreign markets, understanding more in depth consumers of diverse nations, and adequate channels of distribution are issues that still need to be addressed by marketers in order to become one of the top 10 food exporters of the world.