Country Notebook

The Country NotebookA Guide for Developing a Marketing Plan

The Country Notebook Outline I. Cultural Analysis II. Economic Analysis III. Market Audit and Competitive Market Analysis IV. Preliminary Marketing Plan

I. Cultural Analysis
Guideline I. II. III. IV. Introduction Brief discussion of the countrys relevant history Geographical setting Social institutions writing guide A. Family
a. Parental roles In earlier days, Parisian family consisted of a working father, a housewife mother and kids. Families have few children. Parents sought the assistance of extended/joint families for financial assistance. Work and Faith play an integral part in parental decision making. b. Marriage and courtship French have a practical approach towards marriage. It is not uncommon to see single parent raising their children. A parent could abandon their child just because they could not afford to raise them anymore .With passage of time and economics, women in Parisian households have taken up to work to support family and live independently.

B. Education
a. Primary Education: Primary Education or Enseignement Primaire is predominantly a public set up and is centrally controlled by Ministry of National Education. Schooling in France is mandatory as of age 6. b. Secondary Education: Secondary education also called as Enseignement Secondaire is divided into two stages i) Colleges which caters for the first four years of secondary education after Primary Education (Ages 11 14)

Lycees also called as Sixth Form College, provide the next three years of education (Ages 15 18) Once students complete secondary education, they can enroll for Baccalaureate.

ii)

c. Higher Education Higher education in France is organized in three levels / grades Licence and Licence Professionnelle (Bachelors Degree) Master (Master Degree) Doctorat (Doctorate) Higher education in France is divided between Grandes Ecoles , which admit the possessors of the level Baccalaureate + 2 years of validated study Public Universities, which admit "All" Baccalaureate possessors. C. Political system writing guide: France has a multi-party system, closely linked with the Indian Democratic Setup. No party is large enough to form a single government and French have predominantly gone with Coalition Government. In the past few years, France's government has alternated between two standard coalitions: Left - Consists of forces led by the Socialist Party and with minor partners (French Communist Party, Europe cologie & Left Radical Party) Right - Consists of forces led by Union for a Popular Movement with able support from the centrist Nouveau Centre Composition of National Government: For forming the national government, political parties comprise of sections divided into

One Person, wherein a party that has only one leading and commanding personality Major, wherein a party that does have a reasonable chance of leading a national government Significant Major, wherein a party wins a substantive number of seats in the National
Assembly (More than 3%), but does not have a reasonable chance of leading a national government Minor, wherein a party that makes less than 3% in national elections

D. Legal system writing guide France has a Civil Law in place with its history set up in the Code Civil drawn up in 1804 (Napolean Bonaparte). The Code Civil remains the cornerstone of French law to this day, though it has been updated and extended many times to take account of changing society. France has a dual system in place Public Law (Droit Public) Private Law (Droit Prive) In 2008, President Nicholas Sarkozy announced plans to further reform & streamline the French judiciary(Reduce the number of courts, Move court procedures towards a more adversarial system & to get rid of the system of avous in the courts of appeal).

E. Social organizations:
The modern social structure in France started in the late 1950s and is based on three distinct classes: The first and highest class is made up of the high level politicians, the wealthy families and the also powerful business owners. Following the higher class people, the middle-class group comprises two different types of white-collar jobs. Senior executives of companies and the groups in which the professional jobs are included which include high income and are more or less stable. The lower class comprises blue-collar jobs where many people are in food-service jobs or work in retail. The unemployment level and the low living standards are very common in this group. Due to the shift to industry, the number of blue-collar jobs has decreased and the workforce in the civil service section has steadily increased.

Social clubs: Some social clubs are organized around competitive games, such as chess and bridge. Other clubs are designed to encourage membership of certain social classes. Social activities club: Membership is limited or open to the general public. Most clubs have a limited membership based upon specific criteria, and limit the events to members to increase the security of the members, thus creating an increased sense of cameradery and belonging. Social activities clubs can be for profit or not for profit, and some are a mix of the two (a for-profit club with a non-profit charitable arm, for instance). The Inter-Varsity Club (IVC) is the biggest British non-profit club. Nongovernmental Organnizations and Other Associations: About half the people belong to a voluntary association, including political parties, and there are about 800,000 associations.

F.

Business customs and practices :

The Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP) is a set of rules on the issuance and use of letters of credit. The UCP is utilized by bankers and commercial parties in more than 175 countries in trade finance. Some 11-15% of international trade utilizes letters of credit, totaling over a trillion dollars (US) each year. Business Relationships & Communication French business behavior emphasizes courtesy and a degree of formality. Mutual trust and respect is required to get things done. Trust is earned through proper behavior. Creating a wide network of close personal business alliances is very important. It is always a good idea to learn a few key phrases, since it demonstrates an interest in a long-term relationship. The way a French person communicates is often predicated by their social status, education level, and which part of the country they were raised. In business, the French often appear extremely direct because they are not afraid of asking probing questions. Written communication is formal. Secretaries often schedule meetings and may be used to relay information from your French business colleagues. Business is hierarchical. Decisions are generally made at the top of the company. The French are often impressed with good debating skills that demonstrate an intellectual grasp of the situation and all the ramifications. The French are more receptive to a low-key, logical presentation that explains the advantages of a proposal in full. When an agreement is reached, the French may insist it be formalized in an extremely comprehensive, precisely worded contract.

V.

Religion and aesthetics

Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish1%, Muslim5%-10%, unaffiliated 4% Ethnic Make-up: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities Religion and other belief systems:

France has a number of religions and everybody is allowed to follow whatever religion they choose because it is a secular country and freedom of thought and religion are encouraged. The Republic is based on the principle of lacit that is of freedom of religion (including agnosticism and atheism). The majority of the people are Christian with 83-88% of the people practicing Roman Catholicism. Other religions prevalent are Protestantism, Judaism and Islam.

Catholic Religion in France: France has traditionally been a catholic country with approximately 80% of the population. The Protestant Religion in France: The Protestant Religion is represented by about one million French people in France, called Huguenots. Frances Protestants are located mainly in the south eastern part of the Massif Central, Jura and Alsace in northern France. The religion of Islam in France: Islam is the second largest religion in Europe. There are currently believed to be about five million Muslims in France. Many French Muslims of North African decent complain about harassment and discrimination at the hands of the police and employers. The Jewish religion in France: France has had a Jewish community since Roman times. Today there are estimated to be about 650,000 Jews in France, many of whom are recent immigrant who came from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia during the 1960s. Rituals and Holy Places: France was the site of many pilgrimages during the middle Ages. Most regions have historic churches that are visited regularly on holy days, with processions leading to them. Lourdes is one of the best known pilgrimage sites in the world. Located in the Pyrenees region in the southwest, it is visited by five million people each year.

VI.

Living conditions A. Diet and nutrition : The French eat rich foods, drink lots of wine and smoke. The French are not lazy about the little things. French people take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. In the French diet, fresh ingredients, locally-grown produce and quality ingredients are the norm. It is not typical to eat so much processed food there. So, they are so thin and fit. B. Housing: Paris is a well-organised and pleasant city. Accommodation is reasonably priced and relatively easy to find, public transport is cheap, plentiful and efficient, parking is well organized, the French are polite and helpful, and food shopping. Traffic is a major problem, and pollution levels are high, especially in summer. Facilities for cyclists are also excellent, with an extensive system of designated routes all over the city. There is a good choice of American and British schools for those who do not want to take advantage of the internationally recognised French system. C. Clothing: Business dress is understated and stylish. Men should wear dark-coloured, conservative business suits for the initial meeting. Women should wear either business suits or elegant dresses in soft colours. The French like the finer things in life. D. Recreation, sports, and other leisure activities : Few famous Parks: 1. Parc Andr Citroen (Arr 15)- Opened in 1992, on the site of the former Citron car factory, this is one of the largest parks

2. Base Rgionale de Plein Air et de Loisirs de Bois-Le-Roi (77) - This is a 75-hectare open-air park set between the banks of the river Seine and the forest of Fontainebleau. Bois-le-Roi has facilities for horse riding, tennis and golf all year round and archery, mountain biking, windsurfing, canoeing and kayaking during the summer months. There is also a restaurant, equipped meeting room, playing fields, climbing wall, swimming, beach volleyball, and sailing instruction.

General sport and leisure: Categories include Adventure Sports, Balloons & Paragliding, Cycling & Mountain Bikes & Rental, and Equestrian: Horses & Riding, Golf Clubs & Courses, Gyms & Fitness Classes, Public Swimming Pools, Sport & Country Clubs, Sport Associations, Sports Equipment & Sporting Goods, Tennis, Squash & Racquet Sports, Walking, and Hiking & Climbing. Sports activities in parks: There are a number of areas in Paris and the Ile-de-France that is dedicated to sports activities, and outdoor recreation.

Paris: Outdoor Recreation: Rollerblading, Ice Skating, Parks, Hiking & Walking, Bikes & Cycling, Water Sports: Boating & Yachting, Flying, Aviation & Aeronautics, Climbing and Golf. E. Social security: Government:
republic

The Social Security structure is managed on a paritary basis : each regional organization (Caisse) is managed by a board composed 50/50 of representatives of labor unions on one side, employers associations on the other side, with the State playing the role of a referee; the financial contribution of the patient is very limited and most of the funding is public. F. Health care: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Herbal Remedies, Nutrition, and the Feldenkrais Method of Movement Education by Paris Healing Arts. The Health system (Assurance Maladie) is based on the concept of providing a large amount of help for any medical need, and total help when it is serious : on the basis of a standard cost, medical care is reimbursed around 80%, medicine from 80% when corresponding to a real medical need to 40% for less needed and of course 0% for others ; standard cost for a doctor is 22 Euros (sometimes, they can charge 30 Euros or more: dpassement d'honoraires) ; serious illnesses, including those due to old age, are covered 100%. Practically speaking each person has a chip card (Carte Vitale) which is read by the doctor's or pharmacist's terminal and a 13-digit "numro de Scurit Sociale". The health system is a key-element of the French national identity : the "three best symbols of the French nation" are the flag, the health system and the Marseillaise Language A. Official language(s) : There are 75 languages in France that are officially recognized. French is the official language of the country. 24 of these languages are European. Rest of the languages include languages from the South American, South Asian and Caribbean regions. The policy of France ensures that the citizens of the country communicate in French. Other than French, many other languages spoken in France are quite popular. Some of the cross-border languages popular in France include Norman, Occitan Catalan, Dutch, Franco-Provenal, Basque and Picard. B. Spoken versus written language(s): Most of those who speak minority languages also speak French, as the minority languages are given no legal recognition. 3% of the population speaks German dialects, predominantly in the eastern provinces of Alsace-Lorraine and Moselle. Flemish is spoken by around 90,000 people in the northeast, which is 0.2% of the French population. Around 1m people near the Italian border, roughly 1.7% of the population, speaks Italian. Basque is spoken by 0.1% and mainly along the French-Spanish border. Catalan dialects are spoken in the French Pyrenees by around 260,000 people or 0.4% of the French population.The Celtic language, Breton, is spoken by 1.2% and mainly in the north west of France. In the South of France, over 7m speak Occitan dialects, representing 12% of the population of France, but these dialects have no official status. Nor too does Corsu, the dialect of the island of Corsica that is closely related to Tuscan and is spoken by 0.3%.Arabic, the third largest minority language, is spoken by around 1.7% of the population throughout the country. Other immigrant languages from the former French colonies include Kabyle and Antillean Creole. C. Dialects writing guide

VII.

VIII. IX. X.

Executive summary writing guide Sources of information Appendixes