International Marketing – Selected Issues

optional courses

The aim of the course is to allow participants to acquire in depth knowledge of marketing activities of firms operating on diverse foreign markets in key, selected areas of international marketing. Principal concepts, theories , operating formats as well as strategies are investigated from a theoretical as well as practical/applied point of view through class presentations and a discussion follow up.

1/ Understanding and exploring the basic concepts and scope of marketing, relationship marketing and international/global marketing

2/Understanding the global marketing environment. Challenges for global marketing managers.

a/The social and cultural environments. Theoretical models of culture classifications. Role of religion, language and communication. Marketing implications of adapting to social and cultural environments.

b/The political, legal and regulatory environments. Market entry risk, legal and ethical issues.

3/Form and substance of company response to global market opportunities. Ethnocentric, polycentric, regiocentric and geocentric orientations.

4/Segmentation, targeting , positioning and repositioning on foreign markets.

a/Assessing market potential and choosing target country markets and segments

b/Product decisions. Standardized, concentrated and differentiated marketing

c/Positioning criteria

5/Motives and drivers of foreign market entry and subsequent expansion: their relative importance and classifications.

6/Foreign market entry and expansion strategies: determinants of degree of commitment , resource allocation and the time sequence factor.

7/Product and brand decisions in foreign markets.

a/Basic product concepts

b/Extend, adapt, create: strategic alternatives in international marketing

c/Basic branding strategies in foreign markets

d/Assessing brand equity. Different approaches and valuations.

e/Assessing the role of the country of origin effect (COE). Components of COE. Strategy determinants based on COE.

8/Pricing decisions for international markets. Pricing objectives and strategies. Incoterms. Gray market goods. Price escalation.

9/International marketing distribution channels and international logistics.

a/Using different distribution channels in the same market.

b/International retailing. Analysis of the world top 250 retailers.

c/Logistics management.

10/International promotion strategies. Standardizing or adapting personal selling, advertising , sales promotion , public relations and publicity, and direct marketing.

11/Strategic components of competitive advantage today.

Basic textbook: Mark C. Green, Warren J. Keegan. Global Marketing. Tenth edition. Pearson, London 2020.

Reports and articles from academic periodicals on issues specified in the syllabus

Internet web sites

Students acquire in depth knowledge of international marketing, especially focused on marketing in a single foreign market. They also acquire enhanced knowledge concerning firm internationalization, which is at the core of international marketing, as well as the multidimensional effects of foreign cultures on customer behavior. Such knowledge includes also methods, forms and criteria of: a/ adapting foreign firm product offerings to the social and cultural specificity of a given foreign market and/or geographic region, or b/following a strategy of marketing mix standardization and globalization, leading to the convergence of customer preferences and behavior. S2A_W02_W03_W04_W05.

Students know and understand theories such as R. Vernon’s international product life cycle theory, T. Levitt’s theory of globalization of markets and its critical review of Y. Wind, as well as the country of origin concept and price escalation phenomenon.

Students have enhanced knowledge about the methods and scope of marketing research allowing for creating and implementing marketing strategies on foreign markets of countries at different levels of economic and socio cultural development. S2A_W06_W07_W08.

Students are able to search for and identify information about determinants of customer behavior on foreign markets and strategies and offerings of foreign sellers. Students are able to analyze data from the viewpoint of various theories and theoretical concepts in order to determine the scope of implementing and adapting appropriate international marketing strategies and concrete marketing tools. S2A_U02 _U03_U06_U08_U09.

Students acquire the skills of implementing tasks in a professional manner, i.e. relating them to international marketing knowledge and knowledge of marketing as such.

S2A_K01.

Students are able to participate in the preparation of components or complete marketing strategy projects on foreign markets and can anticipate their multidimensional economic and social consequences. S2A_K05.

Students are able to think and act with an entrepreneurial mindset.S2A_K07.

Participant presentations in class (50% of final grade) plus end of term essay on assigned topic (50% of final grade).