This course will present various concepts and tools for analyzing Asian marketing strategies, and evaluating the Asian marketplace (competitors, external environment: cultural, economic, technological, political/legal, marketing opportunities, etc.). Specifically, the focus will be on evaluating and understanding Asian marketing strategies at regional as well as global level. By learning about both theory and practice, the student will obtain a good conceptual understanding of the field of marketing in Asia as well as become firmly grounded in the realities of the international marketplace.

The course aims to develop strategic thinking in an Asian marketing context and will give the students a chance to develop their verbal as well as written communications skills through the discussions of case studies and the presentation of selected topics of their choice. The students will acquire key concepts and tools necessary in order to build Asia-focused marketing strategies as well as the tools to solve marketing problems in an Asia-related context.

1. The students who pass this course should be able…

a) …to demonstrate a clear understanding into how to successfully conduct business in Asia.

b) …to understand how culture affects business decisions in Asia.

c) …to effectively use acquired tools for market research in Asian economies.

d) …to understand key obstacles in entering Asian markets.

e) …to understand how to formulate and assess entry strategies for emerging markets.

f) …to select the right marketing tool for the right market in order to successfully promote and sell your product and/or service in Asia.

g) …understand the effect of business models on marketing decisions in an Asia-related context.

h) …to learn the overall market dynamics in Asian countries.

In addition, although not explicitly taught in the course, students will develop their knowledge and skills in the following areas through case practice:

a) Nurture their “business acumen” by solving practical business problems in real world settings.

b) Challenge their understanding of ethical behavior in an unknown business environment.

c) Gain experience in working in a collaborative environment with all its (dis)advantages to successfully and timely “finish the job”.

Please note that the first and last session are mandatory. If you do not attend the first session, you will be de-registered from the course. In order to obtain a grade for the course, students must attend at least 80% of the course. An absence of 4 hours  is  permitted. 

The course utilizes a combination of interactive lectures, case discussions and group presentations. The majority of meeting are held in a seminar format. Consequently, attendance and participation in class discussions is critical to the success of the course and will determine your grade.

                                   Individual      Team

Participation                  5%             

Peer-Review                  5%

Case Analyses            40%

Case Presentation                             20%

Final Presentations                              30%

Participation includes class attendance and active involvement in class, including without limitation, asking related questions and contributing remarks showing your understanding of the topics being discussed. The quality of your contributions is what counts, not how often you raise your hand. Any unexcused absence will result in deduction of your participation grade.

Written assignments (here: Case Write-Ups):

Each student will submit 4 case analyses.

Group work (here: Case Presentation):

Each student will be involved in 2 group presentations; one group case presentation, and a final presentation.

Each group will present an assigned case study.

The case presentation will be followed by a Q&A and discussion session.

Final presentation:

Each group will present a comprehensive market analysis about an Asian company and one of its major products/brands in an Asian country of its choice.

At the end of the course, you will be asked to rate the contribution of the team members in your study group. Please download the “Peer-Rating” form from “Learn@WU”.

Case studies:

Case studies will be used for class discussion throughout the course. Student groups will be assigned to present one case:

By appointment (thomas.freudenreich@wu.ac.at)

Case studies can be ordered and purchased via the Institute of International Marketing Management (Ms Pamela Taylor),  pamela.taylor@wu.ac.at

This course is ideal for students who want to expand their know-how in the field of marketing, who want to learn the dos and don´ts of conducting business in Asia and for those who are keen on acquiring new business perspectives in general.