JUNE 2011

INTERNATIONAL MARKETING STRATEGY

ASSIGNMENT
You are required to focus on a specific Transnational Corporation (TNC). The
organisation could be selected from those comprising the latest ‘Fortune 500’,
‘Business Week Global 1000’. Note that the choice of a specific organisation should
be discussed with your lecturer.
You will need to conduct a detailed research assessment of the chosen organisation
with respect to its international activities in order to understand the international
decisions and strategies specific to that organisation.
The project will outline all of the firm's international activities but should focus upon a
single key geographical market or region. For example, you could look at:
• Coca-Cola, development of the market in Africa
• Danone, the French food and drinks firm, and its activities in China
• L'Oreal, the French cosmetics company and its entry to Thailand
• McDonalds, and its entry to the Indian market
• Nokia, and its activities in China
• Siemens, the German electrical engineering and electronics company, and its
operations in Brazil
• United Parcel Services of USA and its entry to the Chinese market
Before starting your assignment, you should ensure that the company you are
researching will provide you with information you need.
The project will comprise a report which addresses the following:

An introduction: background to the organisation’s development to

internationalisation:
a) A brief history of the organisation, its economic sector of operations, its
products/services offered, an analysis of its financial activities (at least five
years’ worth of data needed), and the nature of the industry it operates within
(a brief profile of its competitors).
b) An analysis of the choice of foreign markets (both domestic and international).
c) An understanding of the various environments in which the organisation
operates.

International Expansion Strategies of the organisation:

A detailed review of the organisation's activities in the chosen foreign environment
covering the following macro and micro areas of consideration:

1. Macro Environment Issues

Political environment
Economic environment
Socio-cultural environment
 Technological environment

continued overleaf
2. Micro Environment Issues
Competitive intensity
Marketing infrastructure
Customer characteristics

3. Company Issues
a) Competitive strategies
b) Diversification
c) Standardisation vs. adaptation
d) Organisational structure
e) Motivations for market entry
f) Modes of market entry
g) Performance (financial, market share penetration, etc.)
h) Short-, medium- and long-term strategies employed

4. Marketing Mix Strategies (The Four P's) utilised by the organisation

in the chosen foreign environment (compared and contrasted to how
they do business in the rest of the world – standardization vs.
adaptation):
a) Pricing (price/cost)
b) Distribution (place/channels)
c) Product management (product/competition)
d) Marketing communications (promotion/customer)

Conclusions: A clear and concise set of logical arguments based on your critical
analysis of the situation.

Recommendations: In accordance with the issues raised in the conclusions section,

a
detailed list of all points of concern that need to be addressed to improve the
organisations' own competitive position in the chosen foreign market. Moreover, all
recommendations should take into account both the organisations' nature as well as
the foreign environment of operation.

Plan-of-Action: A comprehensive list of concerns that need to be addressed for the

effective implementation of each and every recommendation offered.

NB. You may work in groups to conduct your research, but each student must
provide an
individual report.