Going global Going global for an organization is not as simple as it seems. International marketing is an important factor in helping organizations globalize and become globally competitive. According to Cateora, Gilly, and Graham (2013), “international marketing is the performance of business activities designed to plan, price, promote, and direct the flow of the company's goods and services to users' consumers in more than a country for profit.” (p. 10). International marketing strategies and their effectiveness contribute to the expansion of an organization. Additionally, the main objectives of a marketing manager are to reduce risks and capitalize on profits. Global expansion has become a tactical imperative for almost every large organization, and marketers have a lot of work to do in developing, monitoring, and modifying these strategies. Harley Davidson is no stranger when it comes to dabbling in international sales. Global Recession With the emergence of the subprime crisis, the U.S. economy began to slide into a recession in 2007. The slowdown in the U.S. housing market turned into a global financial problem. crisis. The slowdown appeared in mid-2007 and its effects were felt in September 2008. As Sharma (2009) points out, "August and September 2008 will long be remembered as the economic tsunami in Wall Street” (p. 171). ). The mortgage finance industry collapsed and several government-backed companies found themselves overwhelmed by massive amounts of defaulted loans. The issue of subprime mortgages has turned into an economic nightmare for the entire world. Many secured mortgages involved foreign investors hoping to capitalize on the fast-growing mortgage sector...... middle of paper ...... two wheels: cars. Bloomberg News. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-18/harley-davidson-finds-milwaukee-beats-china-as-leisure-motorcycle-market.htmlMiller, m. (2013). Harley-Davidson is refining itself and preparing for global expansion. Cannel brand. Retrieved from http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2013/11/05/Harley-Davidson-International-110513.aspxMiller, P. (2012). Harley-Davidson in China. China Business Review. Retrieved from http://www.chinabusinessreview.com/harley-davidson-in-china/Sharma, SD (2009). A political economy of the subprime collapse in the United States. Economic Analysis and Policy, 39(2), 171-190. Retrieved from http://www.eap-journal.com/archive/v39_i2_00-sharma.pdfWinegar, D. (nd). Customers and competition. Retrieved from https://stonybrook.digication.com/dillon_raymond_winegar/Customers_and_Competitors_Executive_Summary1