Mazda's Polycentric Orientation Choices

This week, I chose to examine the principle of Polycentric Orientation, and how it affects the marketing decisions of companies when doing business in different countries.  The idea of Polycentric Orientation is when companies assume each country is its own unique market with its own unique set of values, cultures, and desires.  They utilize their knowledge about each country and make their marketing decisions accordingly.  On my way home from school today, I noticed a Mazda brand pickup, which I have never seen before in my life.  Even though Mazda is a popular car company in the United States, the Mazda BT-50 Pickup Truck has never been available in North America.  I began to wonder why this model was never offered in the United States, as pickup trucks are very popular there.  I think this decision can be attributed to the reputation that Mazda has in the US.  In my country, Mazda is usually viewed as more of a family/female car and I believe that this is why a pickup truck, which is a more masculine vehicle, has never been distributed.  In their American advertising campaigns, they stress fuel efficiency and safety, but in other parts of the world, they demonstrate their power capablities.  Somewhere along the line, Mazda's marketing team must have evaluated the United States and Chile using Polycentric Orientation, and viewed differences in the two markets.  Even though the company remains the same in the two countries, for some reason the brand resonates differently in the minds of the the two consumer groups.  The company marketing team must have made varying choices in their commercials and product designs to create a different brand image for each country group.   Thus, it is important to understand the specific ideals of each market group and use this information to make the most effective marketing decisions.