International Marketing

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

• 8. Decend work and economic growth

Objectives

This course aims to provide students with a framework for the development and implementation of international marketing programmes. Accordingly, students will learn relevant conceptual frameworks to tackle the five management decisions connected with the global marketing process: (1) whether to internationalise; (2) deciding which markets to enter; (3) deciding how to enter the foreign market; (4) designing the global marketing programme; and (5) implementing and coordinating the global marketing programme (Hollensen, 2012).

Learning outcomes

To analyze and evaluate the variables that affect a company's international marketing decisions, facilitating its participation in the global market.
To design, develop and implement marketing plans for companies that adapt their policy and strategy to international markets.

To analyze knowledge of the field and its contextualization in national and international settings.
To apply global strategies applicable to local markets, achieving the generation of global marketing concepts.
To explain the role of international marketing in the company.

Competencies

General skills

• Be able to make reasoned and coherent presentations.
• Be able to organise and plan.
• Be able to put basic knowledge of the profession into practice.
• Be able to use English effectively for academic and professional purposes.
• Be able to work in an international context.

Specific skills

• Be able to analyse and understand the operation of the market and its influence on the activities of a company.
• Be able to devise and implement business initiatives in global markets.
• Be able to devise and implement integrated marketing plans.
• Be able to learn and apply knowledge and skills to strategic marketing management.
• Understand and be able to convey the importance of an organisation's approach to the market and customer relations.

Basic skills

• Students can communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialists and non-specialists.

Core skills

• Interact in international and worldwide contexts to identify needs and and new contexts for knowledge transfer to current and emerging fields of professional development, with the ability to adapt to and independently manage professional and research processes.
• Use oral, written and audiovisual forms of communication, in one's own language and in foreign languages, with a high standard of use, form and content.

Content

1. Introduction to global marketing
2. Initiation of internationalization
3. Elements of competitive advantage
4. Political and economic environments
5. Sociocultural environment
6. Segmentation, targeting, and positioning
7. Market entry strategies
8. Brand and product decisions in global marketing
9. Pricing decisions
10. Cross-cultural negotiations
11. Global marketing channels and physical distribution
12. Global marketing communication decisions

Evaluation

Various elements are taken into account when determining the final grade. The assessment categories are the following:

• 30% Simulation game
  • 5% Preparation: Tutorial quizzes, before the simulation (individual)
  • 20% Performance in the simulation
    • 10% Logbook, during the simulation (in teams)
    • 10% Questionnaire, at the endo of the simulation (individual)
  • 5% Results obtained on the game (share value, in teams)
• 35% Cases analysis and presentation (in teams)
  • 10% Case study 1 (written)
  • 10% Case study 2 (written)
  • 10% Case study 3 (written)
  • 5% Case presentation (oral)
• 30% Exams about the textbooks (individual)
  • 10% Textbooks exam 1
  • 10% Textbooks exam 2
  • 10% Textbooks exam 3
• 5% Participation and attendance

The final course grade is the sum of the qualifications obtained in the previous evaluation activities. The activities are evaluated continuously, during the ordinary class period of classes, and may not be retaken.

Methodology

The course is primarily based on a combination of lectures, case studies, and a business game. In relation to lectures, they are inspired by the "flipped classroom" teaching strategy. After an introduction aimed at providing the theoretical knowledge needed, classes are intended to be practical. Students are required to read the chapters of the textbook related to the class, and to prepare tasks, prior to coming to class. Classes consist of a brief lecture by the instructor, to be followed by a discussion of the main topics, and the assigned task. Main points about the chapters and all doubts brought up by the students will be addressed by the instructor during the class.

Case study analysis, discussion and presentation is another type of teaching method used in the course. A case study is normally a description of a managerial situation that the student has to analyse in order to make recommendations and answer some specific questions. Approximately 10 cases will be analysed during the course.

Throughout the course, cases will be solved in multinational teams of four students. Teams will be self-selected to minimize the number of dysfunctional ones. Even so, a free rider may occasionally try to take advantage of other group members. To address a free rider problem, a group may fire one or more members until September 30th. After that date, group membership is permanent.

Almost every week, teams solve a case study. Before class, a written solution to each case of around two pages must be delivered online to the lecturer, who evaluates the analysis. Written solution to cases answer the questions posed at the end. It is highly advisable to visit websites of companies analysed in the cases, to increase and update information. During class time, cases are discussed in classroom.

Also, the students participate in a business game, a computerised simulation of a word-industry. It's composed of competing companies which manufacture and market consumer durable goods. The participants in this business game are grouped into teams of approximately four people and assume the role of managers of the respective companies. The teams cope with management and marketing problems, and formulate and implement strategies during ten simulated years. By doing this students learn through experience to take management decisions.

Additionally, short cases, role plays, and other learning activities take place, these are read, analysed, and discussed in class.

Bibliography

Key references

• Green, Mark C. & Keegan, Warren J. (2020). Global marketing (10 ed.). Pearson.
• Hollensen, Svend (2012). Essentials of Global Marketing (2 ed.). Pearson.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.