• STRICTLY ONE PERSON PER GROUP IS PERMITTED TO SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT PART A AND PART B ON TURNITIN
Assignment Focus:
As part of this assignment, you will be required to write an International Marketing Plan for a real life company. You need to
take special care regarding the mission statement of the company and verify if Corporate Social Responsibility or concepts on
Sustainability are being followed. When writing the International Marketing Plan you will be required to access, analyse and take
decisive decisions in complex situation drawn from this real life setting, taking into consideration the sustainable, social and
ethical concepts of a firm.
Aim: The objective of this assignment is:
? To enable you to understand international marketing strategy and the elements of international marketing analysis,
including customer analysis, company analysis and competitor analysis.
? To assist you with evaluating the elements of the international marketing mix (product, pricing, promotion, and
distribution strategies)
? To enhance your problem solving techniques and decision making s******s by learning how to leverage strategic
international marketing analysis to inform tactical marketing mix decisions while allowing you to consider a
comprehensive framework for evaluating international marketing decisions and to create successful international
marketing planning initiatives.
? To expand your knowledge in the area of international marketing strategy while increasing your awareness of the
different strategic and tactical initiatives that are available
? To be able to identify and act on sustainable, social and ethical concepts required in international marketing planning.
A major and very important requirement is that you strongly link international marketing theories and concepts to the issues
identified for your case organisation. Theory provides the framework from which to look at and understand the assignment
question and to provide a perspective for examining the research data. The text and lectures provide the basic theory about
international marketing and the terms used such as an explanation of the international marketing environment and specifically
the macro-environment.
Students should aim to start thinking about the international marketing theory they have been learning and to begin using that
perspective to better understand specific Consumer Products organisations that are operating in the target country
marketplace.
Rationale: Students will gain knowledge about international marketing and also see that there is a wide range of information
available from a range of sources that can be used by organisations for analysis. In writing the report students will be able to
understand the concepts behind international marketing planning and the need to be coherent, concise, clear, well-argued, and
well-presented.
Case Setting for the International Marketing Plan
Company: Fewster’s Farm
Location: Muchea, Western Australia
website: http://ffhoney.com/
Product: Australian honey
OR
Company: Australian Honey Products
Location: Launceston, Tasmania
website: http://ozhoney.com.au/
Product: Australian honey
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Company Brief: The company’s requirements are set out in the document “Honey: International Marketing Plan Consultants’
Brief”.
The brief for the structure of the international marketing plan is set out in a separate document, entitled “Suggested Guidelines for Writing the
International Marketing Plan.”
Some important dimensions of group work
Group Size:
Groups of 4-5 work well in situations where experienced participants are engaged on a large and complex task - which is the situation proposed
here (Davis, 1993).
Group Composition:
Groups can be formed randomly, systematically or on a self-selected basis. Although there are conflicting views regarding the advisability of selfselected
groups I believe that this is an acceptable criterion on which to base the formation of the groups. Consequently, participants are free
to form their own groups. Notification of group membership will be via completion of Form 1/2, by (end of Session 2).
Scheduling:
While much of the work of the groups will of necessity be done outside of the class, I will nonetheless provide time for group meetings to take
place in class time. In-class group work will give me the opportunity of monitoring the work of the various groups and to diagnose areas of
general difficulty
Additionally, I will be available to the groups, and would expect to see each group regularly to discuss progress to date and to help resolve any
specific problems.
Moderation:
As in the real world, a team will no doubt assign different roles, responsibilities and deadlines to its various members, involving work on discrete
sub-tasks, either separately or as part of a sub-group and work to set deadlines, as others’ work may hinge on your contribution. This is entirely
proper. However, group members are expected to share equally in the work of their group and I will ask the groups to signify that this has in
fact been the case at the times they submit their various pieces of work for assessment (Forms 3 and 4).
In the event that there are difficulties in this regard, I reserve the right to moderate the marks awarded to individual members of the group. I
will use the information provided in the two required progress reports to effect this moderation, together with peer assessment information
collected at the time the reports are submitted. I have attached copies of the progress report and peer evaluation documents to the back of the
course outline and will explain their use more fully in the first class session. As a final point, I am anxious to avoid the occurrence of what is
termed “freeloading”, which happens when a participant deliberately chooses not to contribute fully and equitably to the work of the group.
Freeloading is completely unacceptable behaviour and will be penalized severely.
A group’s/participant’s overall grade for this component of assessment will be determined as follows:
Honey International Marketing Plan Consultant’s Brief:
The brief is divided into two parts.
Part A involves
Environmental and internal analysis
a) Statement of the name of the company for whom the plan is to be written, and the chosen country market.
Groups should submit to me the name of their chosen country market by Monday (end of Session 2).Form 1/2 is provided for this
purpose.
b) Product selection. One product category will be selected from the organisation’s portfolio of products. Based on this selection the
brief requires an assessment of 1, the choice between private label and branded product supply to the selected foreign market;
2. market demand (market analysis); 3. an assessment of the segmentation and positioning opportunities in the selected foreign
market; 4. an assessment of the size of the international market for the product and a forecast of future demand.
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c) Researching the internal and external environments of the company. (One important element of the foreign market environment is
national cuisine and its relevance to demand for the product). This research phase is essential since marketing decisions are only
ever as good as the information on which they are based (Tookey, 1964)1
. Thus, gathering valid, reliable and relevant information is
a critically important stage in the process of formulating effective international marketing strategies. I look forward to being
delighted by the excellence of the marketing research s******s that will be demonstrated by the groups in this regard. Further details
on the requirements of this section are to be found in the document “Suggested Guidelines for Writing the International Marketing
Plan.” Note: a formal statement of the organisation’s mission statement is required.
To assist in the research process a list of secondary information sources have been embedded in subject LMS. The site includes URL’s
for several high grade sources of secondary data, both macro-level and micro-level. Specifically, the World Bank Group web site
provides valuable macro level (country/regional) information that will be of value in the assessment of the economic, social, cultural,
political and legal environments. Equally, the country reports provided by Austrade are very good. They are also free.
For the record, all information sources must be properly referenced.
Again for the record, although descriptive summaries of the research findings have a place in the final report the greatest weight
will be given to the analysis of the information uncovered and its synthesis within the framework of the problem being addressed.
Statement of Problems and Opportunities
a) Synthesising and critically reviewing the findings set out in the above situation analysis, leading to a statement of the factors critical
to ensuring the organisation’s continued success (both domestically and internationally), together with an assessment of the extent
to which its existing capabilities/competencies will allow it to achieve the desired level of success, and the role of the selected
product in achieving this outcome. (Adopt a 2-3 year planning horizon for this and subsequent sections of the brief).
Market choice
b) To include a statement of the country you propose to penetrate/expand into and the product, together with supporting argument.
c) Rationale for choice of private (retailer) label OR branded product supply to the selected foreign market.
Part B involves
International Marketing Objectives
d) Developing actionable, realistic, measurable international marketing objectives, which are directly in line with the research findings.
To include both financial and non-financial objectives, together with supporting argument.
International Marketing Strategy
e) Developing a foreign market entry strategy for the targeted country. To include a statement as to the type of entry strategy (market
concentration or market penetration), together with supporting argument. Discuss the structure of the product market in the target
country and list names of target country importers/distributors/ major retailers.
International Marketing Program
f) Stating the proposed treatment of the components of the international marketing mix (product, price, promotion, place) necessary
to implement the desired international marketing strategy for the product in the target country. To include specific objectives for
the 4P’s (e.g., private label vs branded product recommendation; and a pricing recommendation for the product), an outline of the
related program (e.g., the pricing program for the product) and commentary on how these four international marketing mix
programs are integrated. Supporting evidence is also required, such as existing pricing practices in target country, and existing
private label supply.
Evaluation and Control
g) Stating the performance measures to be monitored in order to provide a means of evaluating the success or not of the marketing
program for the product in the target country.
Executive Summary
h) A synthesis of all the relevant background material and the various analyses into an executive summary, preparatory to presenting
the International Marketing Plan to your sponsoring organisation.
1 Tookey, D. "Factors Associated with Success in Exporting." Journal of Management Studies 20, no. 1 (1964): 48-66.
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Tips for completing this assignment
? Your lecturer will be looking for a quality international marketing plan that reflects and supports your understanding of the subject
matter. Please provide him with one.
? Ensure that your plan is lucid and consistent, is supported by international marketing theories and concepts and that all references
are cited in the body of your report.
? The research, analysis and presentation of your plan must demonstrate an understanding of the terminology used in the text and in
lectures and how the various forces/influences that impact an industry and an organisation.
? In a good assignment, you identify and analyse the main issues asked for in the requirements. Therefore, read the requirements
thoroughly.
? Your report will be appropriately referenced, and the information will be supported by the referenced sources of information used.
The lack of references will constitute an automatic fail.
? Write a clear and well-structured international marketing plan. Do not submit a glorified story about the organisation.
? Don’t reinvent the wheel and don’t attempt to exaggerate your international marketing knowledge by making your plan too complex
and difficult to follow.
? By all means look for ways to add more theory, concepts, details or information, but remember the KISS principle.
? Start early. Time has a habit of racing when assignments are due.
End note: I have used the term “product” throughout the specification of the brief. Participants may elect to focus on a “product line”, as long
as the scope remains manageable. Equally, participants may choose to study a service/service line offered by a company.
A suggested format for writing the marketing plan is outlined in the document “Suggested Guide for Writing the International Marketing Plan”.
I will outline the format for the group presentations in more detail, later in the course.