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Step 1: Develop a Marketing Strategy

INBOX: 1 New Message

Subject:  Marketing Strategy First Step

From:      Gustavo da Silva, Senior VP

To:           You

Hi,

I wanted to provide a follow-up to my request with the client and get you started on your report.

The first step in crafting an international business plan to enter your selected country is to create a marketing plan.

Develop a six- to seven-page marketing strategy for the industry in which your client organization belongs. Your marketing strategy should incorporate the components described here (and in Steps 2–3).

To develop your marketing strategy, identify and assess the following components:

· your organization's main competitors in the country

· market and segment growth over the next three years

· market and segment profitability over the next three years

· underlying costs and cost structure

· distribution systems channels and distribution and supply chain strategy

All the best,

Gus

When you have addressed these components in your marketing strategy, continue to the next step, where you will assess the characteristics of your client organization's potential customers in the selected country.

Step 2: Assess the Characteristics of Your Client Organization’s Potential Customers in the Selected Country

As you continue developing your marketing strategy, the next step is to make recommendations to Gustavo on particular aspects of the client organization's marketing strategy that would be tailored to the selected country's market. Specifically, address the following components:

· marketing mix in the country

· promotional practices

· pricing strategy

· branding and branding strategies

When you have assessed the characteristics of your client's potential customers in the selected country, continue to the next step, where you will assess your client organization's use of web networks and social media for e-marketing.

Step 3: Assess Your Client Organization’s Use of Web Networks and Social Media for E-Marketing

Gustavo sends a few text messages to you in between his now routine international flights.

In this step, you will assess your client organization's use of web networks and social media for e-marketing, given the unique ways in which computers, smartphones, the internet, and social media are used among the country's consumers. As you undertake this assessment, read more about the following topics:

· management, strategies, tools, and practices in e-marketing

· crafting a digital marketing strategy

· key elements of web analytics

· customer relationship management (CRM)

· social CRM

Evaluate the client’s e-marketing strategy from the viewpoint of its effectiveness in the selected country.

Submit your marketing strategy (Steps 1–3) in the dropbox in the final step of this project for feedback. This will be used to write your final Project 5 Report. Use the feedback you receive to improve the final graded deliverable. In the next step, you will consider the client’s financial projections and the accounting standards in the selected country.  

 

Step 4: Make Financial Projections and Evaluate Accounting Standards in the Selected Country

As you may recall from your meeting with Gustavo, he wants your estimate of the time frame needed for the client to break even:

· Prepare market share estimates for your client organization’s product in the selected country and revenue forecasts for the next three years.

· Provide justification for your projections, such as prior industry performance in terms of unit sales, market size, and profit margins in the country.

· Estimate the time frame needed for the client to break even.

Read more about financial break-even analysis as you make your estimates.

Next, assess any financial and accounting challenges by answering the following questions:

· Examine the financial statements of competitors in the selected country. Are there any differences in terms of language, currency, or the type of statements (income statement, balance sheet, financial statement format, extent of footnote disclosures, and the underlying GAAP [generally accepted accounting principles]) between your client organization's reports in the United States and the reports required by law in the selected country? Review The Role of Similar Accounting Standards in Cross-Border Mergers and Accounting Conventions and Standards for assistance.

· How is the reporting of your client organization's financial results affected by the accounting standards in the selected country?

After you have made three-year financial projections and examined accounting standards associated with entering the new country, continue to the next step, where you will address governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues.

Step 5: Address Governance and CSR Issues

As you continue developing your business plan, address your client organization's governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues by answering the following questions:

· How do your client organization's governance and accountability and code of conduct or ethics address risks such as bribery and corruption? Search for Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index online and make recommendations for changes to the code, if needed, for operations in the selected country.

· Do your client organization's corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies in the United States address local community interests, stakeholders' concerns, and supplier relationships? Make recommendations for CSR changes to the program in the selected country, if needed.

When you have addressed these governance and CSR issues, continue to the next step, where you will address strategy implementation.

Step 6: Prepare Strategy Implementation Plan

The next step is to specify the major factors to be tracked for strategy implementation using the four perspectives of the balanced scorecard: learning and growth perspective, business process perspective, customer perspective, and financial perspective.

Next, you will combine your marketing strategy and your financial, governance, and implementation analysis into a final report.

Step 7: Complete Your Final Report

INBOX: 1 New Message

Subject:    Final Report Deliverable

From:        Gustavo da Silva, Senior VP

To:             You

It’s been a pleasure working with you on this project. I’m looking forward to seeing the final deliverable.

The report should be 10–12 pages, excluding cover page, executive summary, reference list, and appendices. Any tables, graphs, and figures should be included as appendices. Your report should have one-inch margins and be double spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font. In-text citations and references should abide by APA format. The report should be organized using headings and subheadings to improve its readability.

Your final international business plan should include the components outlined in the Project 5 Report template.

Congrats!

Gus

 

Your final report should include key findings in marketing strategy (Steps 1–3) and financial value and strategy implementation (Steps 4–6 ). It should also include an executive summary.

Submit your final report to the dropbox located in the final step of this project.