Marketing (MKTG) 414

Overview

MKTG 414 looks into the business activities related to planning, pricing, promoting, and directing the flow of a company’s products and services to foreign markets. A critical step in the process of going international is recognizing that while international marketers should aim for marketing standardization (by adopting the global marketing orientation philosophy), business practices in general and marketing strategies and programs in particular should still be embedded in every host country’s social, economic, cultural, political, and geographical environments. In other words, to be successful in international markets, it is imperative to have a deep understanding of every host country’s customs, values, policies, and institutions and to design marketing activities accordingly. Additionally, an international company should be aware of any other international agreements and institutions that affect trade between its home country and its targeted foreign markets. From this perspective, international marketing should be viewed as an integrated discipline that combines several other disciplines: economics, anthropology, cultural studies, history, demographics, languages, law, statistics, geography, and international trade.

By building on several disciplines, this course will provide you with useful knowledge that can help you become an effective international marketer. The course will not prepare you to become an expert in any of the disciplines listed above; instead, it will stimulate your intellectual curiosity about various critical issues and provide you with analytical frameworks that are necessary for understanding different cultural environments in global markets and assessing global marketing opportunities.

The course also offers you ample knowledge for developing and implementing global marketing strategies. At the end of this course, you should be able to help an organization answer two questions: Which international markets should we enter? and How do we enter international markets? These key questions summarize the formulation of an international marketing strategy.

Outline

• Lesson 1: Introduction to International Marketing
• Lesson 2: International Marketing Planning, Organizing, and Control
• Lesson 3: Market Research in the International Environment
• Lesson 4: Global Trade and Integration
• Lesson 5: Culture in International Markets
• Lesson 6: Country Selection and Entry Strategies
• Lesson 7: Market Segmentation and Positioning
• Lesson 8: Product and Brand Marketing
• Lesson 9: Product Standardization and Adaptation
• Lesson 10: International Distribution Channels
• Lesson 11: Integrated Marketing Communications
• Lesson 12: Sales Promotion and Public Relations
• Lesson 13: Pricing for International Markets

Evaluation

Your final grade in MKTG 414: International Marketing and Exporting will be based on your performance on a term project, five learning forums, and a final examination.

To receive credit for this course, you must

• submit the term project report
• participate in all five learning forums
• receive at least 50% on the final examination
• achieve a minimum overall course grade of D (50 percent)

The weighting of each assessment activity is indicated in the table below.

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

Digital course materials

Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:

Baack, D. W., Czarnecka, B., & Baack, D. (2019). International Marketing (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications Inc. ISBN 978-1-5063-8921-9 (hardcover); 978-1-5063-8922-6 (paperback).

Other Resources

All other learning resources will be available online.

Challenge for credit

Overview

The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.

Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Evaluation

To receive credit for the MKTG 414 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent)on the examination.

Online Exam

Important links

• Academic advising
• Program planning
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