BAD 351: International Marketing
Course Syllabus
Fall 2009
Al Rosenbloom
email:arosenbloom@dom.edu
Office FA 207
Office Hours:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 9:00-10:30AM M/W/F
Also by appointment
There are no national
frontiers to learning.
Japanese Proverb
Course Overview
You have
probably heard the phrase “global village.” This phrase embodies the reality
that the physical and perceptual distances which have historically separated
people have now shrunk. Individuals living anywhere in the world now can
communicate and interact with one another as never before. Because we can
freely, continually and personally talk and see each other, this us the feel of
living in a village, albeit a global one.
International
marketing managers also operate in this global village. For the international
marketing manager, the global village provides tremendous opportunity – and
challenge. Understanding the latter leads to success in the
former. Thus, our central focus this semester is to understand the world
as the savvy international marketing manager comprehends it. This will not be
easy. Global markets are at once
competitive, volatile, transitory, diverse, dispersed
and, yes, also profitable. This is what makes international marketing fun!
Throughout
the course, we will build on our existing marketing knowledge. Marketing
functions (e.g., segmenting, positioning, targeting, developing a marketing
mix, understanding consumer behavior) are all universal. Our learning challenge
will be to understand how all
marketing functions change in the context of international marketplaces.
Central to the successful adaptation of marketing in foreign markets is the
understanding of culture. How savvy international marketing managers use their
understanding of local, regional and global culture will be a course theme.
Global
market opportunities present themselves in many forms. One, new, challenging
opportunity is to market goods and services to the world’s poor. Poverty is not a barrier to innovative,
creative marketing managers. We will
study, in-depth, current efforts to market to these low income consumers, who
are now collectively termed base of the pyramid consumers.
To
effectively tap emerging markets, like the base of the pyramid, international
marketing managers engage in critical thinking.
They conduct market assessments, define market segments, anticipate
competitor’s global moves and evaluate the success or failure of their own
marketing actions. Case studies of what real-world firms have actually done in
the global marketplace will sharpen our own critical thinking skills. Cases
will be a central, important part of class – both in their analysis and in
their preparation.
Course Connections
As noted
above, the study of international marketing gives us the opportunity to use
knowledge from many Dominican courses. Arts and science courses are very
useful, since they provide the framework within which to understand and shape
global marketing activities. Our class, then, is a logical place to apply
knowledge about world history, culture, religion, philosophy, geography,
literature, sociology, anthropology, law and political science. Our class is
also the place to bring apply knowledge gained in many business classes:
introduction to marketing, finance, operations, etc.
Our
course supports the broad goals of the Brennan School of Business to:
1) Appreciate the
ethical foundation of effective long-run business decisions and promote social
responsibility in managerial decision making – this will be accomplished
through case analysis and the course focus on base of the pyramid consumers;
2) Communicate
effectively in written and verbal forms – this will be achieved through
class participation and case writing;
3) Utilize
technology and electronic learning effectively – this will be achieved
through the continuous use of Blackboard in the course; though the use of Powerpoint presentations and access to databases;
4) Become critical
thinkers – this will be accomplished through class discussion and case
analysis.
BAD 250 is a prerequisite for this
course.
Course objectives
By
semester’s end, students will be able to
1)
Analyze the trade-offs between standardized and localized
global marketing programs
2)
Illustrate the importance of cultural understanding in
global marketing
3)
Compare the risks and rewards associated with different
market entry strategies
4)
Conduct a country/market opportunity analysis
5)
Make the business case for targeting base-of-the-pyramid
consumers
Textbook
Lascu, D-N. (2008).
International Marketing. 3rd Ed.
I have
chosen this textbook for us for several reasons: It is current; it’s brief;
it’s complete; and it’s visual. These
aspects make it the right textbook for us.
Course Assignments
|
Case
analysis |
20% |
|
Student
case writing activity -- Base of the
Pyramid |
35% |
|
Kellogg’s
Corn Flakes Product Packaging Comparison |
15% |
|
Understanding
Culture through Children’s Books |
15% |
|
Class
Participation |
15% |
|
TOTAL |
100% |
Course
Calendar (Subject to Change)
|
Our
class beginning on |
|
Assignment
due |
|
September
2 |
Class
Introductions/Overview |
|
|
September
7 |
Labor
Day (Monday) |
|
|
September
14 |
Chapter
1: Scope, Concepts and Drivers of International Marketing |
C4GPTC
– Sept. 15 (T) Biodiesel
in Dr.
Kathleen Robbins, Director, Clean Energy, |
|
September
21 |
Chapter
2: Overview of the International Marketing Environment |
Blackboard
Discussion: Case:
Wal-Mart in |
|
September
28 |
Chapter
5: Cultural Influences on International Marketing |
Understanding
Culture through Children’s Books |
|
October
5 |
Case
Writing Assignment |
C4GPTC
– Oct. 7 (W) The
Power of Commerce for Social Good Breakfast
keynote: Michael Strong, Be the Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious
Capitalists Can Solve All the World's Problems Luncheon
Keynote: Alex Counts, President and
|
|
October
12 |
Chapter
6: International Market Research |
|
|
October
19 |
Chapter
7: International Strategic Planning |
Case ( |
|
October
26 |
Chapter
8: Expansion Strategies and Entry Mode
Selection |
|
|
November
2 |
Chapter
9: Products & Services: Branding Decisions in International Marketing Case:
Li-Ning |
|
|
November
9 |
Chapter
10: Managing International Distribution Operations and Logistics |
Kellogg’s
Corn Flakes Packaging Comparison |
|
November
16 |
Chapter
13: International Promotional Mix & Advertising Strategies |
Blackboard
Discussions |
|
November
23 |
Thanksgiving
Chapter
16: International Pricing |
|
|
November
30 |
Consultation |
C4GPTC
– Dec. 2 (W) Global
Health Issues in Lisa
Bakker,
|
|
December
7 |
|
Base-of-the-Pyramid
Cases |
|
December
14 |
Exam
Week |
|