Description

Assignment Brief

As part of the formal assessment for the programme you are required to submit an International Marketing assignment. Please refer to your Student Handbook for full details of the programme assessment scheme and general information on preparing and submitting assignments.

Learning Outcomes:

After completing the module you should be able to:
1. Identify and analyse trends within the marketing environment.

2. Assess the effectiveness of various tools for gathering marketing information. 3. Critically analyse the main approaches to international marketing.

4. Identify and critically analyse information needed to establish and implement effective global marketing decisions, policies and strategies.

5. Develop, evaluate and justify appropriate international marketing strategies for a mix of different economies and organisations.

6. Critically evaluate the appropriateness of e-business strategies

7. Responsible Global Citizenship: Understand global issues and their place in a globalised economy, ethical decision-making and accountability. Adopt self- awareness, openness and sensitivity to diversity in culture.

Your assignment should include: a title page containing your student number, the module name, the submission deadline and a word count; the appendices if relevant; and a reference list in Arden University (AU) Harvard format. You should address all the elements of the assignment task listed below. Please note that tutors will use the assessment criteria set out below in assessing your work.

Maximum word count: 5000 words
Please note that exceeding the word count will result in a reduction in grade

proportionate to the number of words used in excess of the permitted limit.

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Assignment Task

Background

In your role as an International Marketing Consultant you have been approached by the owner of a small business selling custom-made folding guitars: Miles Ahead Guitars (note: this is a fictitious company). The owner has grown the company through providing an innovative solution for travelling musicians who wish to take their guitar on their travels without having to carry an oversized case. Their guitars fold and can be stored into a supplied case that measures 60x30x15cm.

They currently have sales of £1.2m per annum (or the equivalent in your country’s currency). The company realizes that there are opportunities to grow their business by expanding to overseas countries but require some expert advice before deciding where to expand and how. Because of your relevant marketing knowledge, you have been approached by the owner to help the company with the following:

Task 1

In your role as an International Marketing Consultant select two potential, contrasting overseas markets and discuss the differences likely to be encountered in expanding from the home market. One of these should be a developing market. For this you are required to conduct a PESTEL analysis. Comment on how you have gathered the material to inform your choices and highlight the key trends in the marketing environment using appropriate theory and academic models, for example Porter’s Five Forces.

Learning Outcomes: 1 and 2 (20% of the total grade) Word Guide: 1000 words

Task 2

In critically analysing the main approaches to expanding Miles Ahead Guitars’ international business, you are required to evaluate three different market entry strategies they might consider utilising. Recommend one and justify why this is their best opportunity.

Learning Outcomes: 3, 4 and 5 (40% of the total grade) Word Guide: 2000 words

Task 3

Develop a full marketing plan for Miles Ahead Guitars - using both traditional and digital marketing tools - for one of the markets discussed in Q1. In addition, you should comment on the strategies you will employ to optimise the organisation’s stance on global citizenship and ethical behaviour.

Learning Outcomes: 5, 6 and 7 (40% of the total grade) Word Guide: 2000 words

Formative Feedback
You have the opportunity to submit a one page executive summary of your

assignment to receive formative feedback.

The feedback is designed to help you develop areas of your work and it helps you develop your skills as an independent learner.

Your work must be submitted to the module tutor no later than two weeks prior to the submission deadline. This is to allow time for you to reflect on the feedback and draft your final submission.

Formative feedback will not be given to work submitted after the above date.

Guidelines:
You MUST underpin your analysis and evaluation of the key issues with appropriate and wide ranging academic research and ensure this is referenced using the AU Harvard system.

The My Study Skills Area on iLearn contains useful resources relating to referencing.

You must use the AU Harvard Referencing method in your assignment. Additional notes:

Students are required to indicate the exact word count on the title page of the assessment.

The word count excludes the title page, tables, figures, diagrams, footnotes, reference list and appendices. Where assessment questions have been reprinted from the assessment brief these will also be excluded from the word count. ALL other printed words ARE included in the word count See ‘Word Count Policy’ on the homepage of this module for more information.

Submission Guidance

Assignments submitted late will not be accepted and will be marked as a 0% fail.

Your assessment should be submitted as a single Word (MS Word) or PDF file. For more information please see the “Guide to Submitting an Assignment” document available on the module page on iLearn.