International Marketing: Developing Competencies and Approaches

Given the need for export led growth and the expanding global markets coupled with shrinking and saturated local/regional markets, this module focuses on developing student’s knowledge, skills and expertise in international markets and the international marketing effort, through the lens of both SMEs and MNEs. The module attempts to better understand the complexities of marketing internationally across borders, especially in a post Brexit environment.  The module provides contemporary understanding of the importance and role of international marketing to support the growth, development, and success of indigenous and international organisations in a global arena.

Aims

This module explores the complexity of forces that make up the environment for international marketers. In particular, it aims to understand the impact of these forces on the activities of business organizations, including SMEs, and the nature of the decisions that organizations must take if they are to survive and prosper in a dynamic turbulent global environment. This module enables students to gain an understanding of the important issues which affect marketing decisions in an international context. The module will focus on the regional, national, and international contexts.  The module will aim to develop critical thinking and interpretation of all marketing considerations especially in relation to strategically implementing and developing digital competencies and approaches.  

Learning Outcomes

A successful student will be able to show that he/she can:

K1 Describe and critically evaluate the regional, national, and global marketing environments, (social, economic, technological, political, and legal) within which an organization operates.

K2 Critically evaluate the key concepts and theories under-pinning global marketing.

K3 Critically evaluate the internal environment of the firm, and firm objectives, such as growth and international market entry to new markets.

K4 Analyse and evaluate the external effects the organizations decisions have on their stakeholders, competitors and the wider public.

The assessment strategy revolves around one coursework element.  This must be submitted online for monitoring of plagiarism using Turnitin. Please note this is an applied assignment involving two inter-related parts.  

You will be allocated a country and an SME by your seminar tutor. You then required to conduct a business environment audit relevant to international expansion to that country. You should conduct a PESTLE analysis for your allocated country, describe and evaluate those aspects of the environment (political, legal, economic, socio-cultural, technological, and environmental) in the potential global market that are relevant to and, have implications for, developing a marketing strategy.  The purpose of this evaluation is to identify potential market opportunities for the introduction of a new product/service. You will then be required to develop or select the allocated company’s product/service, with country of origin the UK, which you would consider has potential for expansion into this country, based on your PESTLE.  You will then develop a global marketing strategy to that country, for your UK based product/service. This will include (although not exclusively):

• Justifying the opportunity in the country for the product/service you will develop.  
• Provide an overview of the competitive landscape for the offering you are developing in your allocated country.
• Develop and design an outline international marketing strategy.  You will need to discuss the product and modifications (if any) to allow entry and market establishment, pricing decisions, effective promotional efforts to establish awareness and establish market presence, distribution choices and brand/name along with suggesting the key challenges to global expansion for the SME in this market.
• You will be required to ensure that the PESTLE and international marketing strategy are linked to justify your decisions and choices.