Syllabus

Title
0656 Global Marketing Strategy B
Instructors
Univ.Prof. Dr. Marius Lüdicke
Contact details
Type
PI
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
09/01/23 to 09/29/23
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
This class is only offered in winter semesters.
Subject(s) Master Programs
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Thursday 10/05/23 09:00 AM - 12:30 PM TC.4.01
Thursday 10/12/23 09:00 AM - 12:30 PM TC.4.01
Thursday 10/19/23 09:00 AM - 12:30 PM TC.4.01
Monday 10/23/23 01:00 PM - 04:30 PM D5.0.002
Thursday 11/09/23 09:00 AM - 12:30 PM TC.4.01
Thursday 11/16/23 09:00 AM - 12:30 PM TC.4.01
Thursday 11/23/23 09:00 AM - 12:30 PM TC.1.02
Contents

The course provides an overview of the most important strategic decisions to be taken in a global marketing context. The approach is managerial, interdisciplinary, and strategic. Managerial in that it looks at global marketing tasks through the lens of marketing managers. Interdisciplinary in that global marketing decisions require a clear understanding of the interface between marketing and other functional areas. And strategic, in that marketing strategy cannot be developed without an appreciation of business strategy and competitive advantage.

The course will begin with an in-depth review of contemporary opportunities, challenges, and risks of globalization. It will then explore international growth opportunities and market assessment methods. Subsequently, the class addresses the need to balance local responsiveness and global synergies and takes a closer look at the impact of culture on marketing-mix decisions. The attention then shifts to branding, positioning, and the impact of digitalization on global marketing. Throughout the course, special attention will be paid to matters of sustainability and emerging technologies, as well as equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Learning outcomes

The course aims to develop strategic thinking in a global marketing context. Students will learn key concepts and tools used in global marketing management practice and how to apply them to make well-informed global marketing decisions.

The course also provides students with opportunities to sharpen their analytical and communication skills through case study discussions and interactions with guest speakers.

Attendance requirements

Attendance in the first session is mandatory. Students that do not attend the first session will be de-registered from the course.

To obtain a grade for the course, students must attend at least 80% of the sessions. An absence of 4 hours (1 session) is permitted but may impact the participation score.

Teaching/learning method(s)

The course utilizes a combination of interactive lectures, case discussions, interactions with global marketing professionals and practical exercises. Therefore, attendance and participation in class discussions is critical to the success of the course and will determine students’ grade.

Students must carefully prepare read the assigned chapters, articles, etc. prior to the session for which they are assigned to ensure a lively class discussion.

Assessment

1 Group Papers on Case Studies

up to 40 points

2 Results from Individual Multiple-Choice Test

up to 30 points

3 Peer Evaluation (10% group performance + 10%  

   case presentation)

up to 20 points

4 Individual Contribution to Class Discussions

up to 10 points

Readings

Please log in with your WU account to use all functionalities of read!t. For off-campus access to our licensed electronic resources, remember to activate your VPN connection connection. In case you encounter any technical problems or have questions regarding read!t, please feel free to contact the library at readinglists@wu.ac.at.

Availability of lecturer(s)
  • Personal meetings are possible after all classes.
  • For an appointment, please contact Ms. Taylor (imm@wu.ac.at).
  • For administrative matters please contact our teaching assistant, Mr. Maximilian Ken Stein - maximilian.ken.stein@wu.ac.at
  •  
Other

Course Materials

            1. Course Text:

Schlegelmilch, Bodo B. (2022). Global Marketing Strategy - An Executive Digest (Second Edition), Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.

The book is available in hardcover and as eBook. The latter is free of charge within the WU Internet domain: Global Marketing Strategy | SpringerLink

          2. Case Studies:

In order to participate in the course and to avoid copyright infringement, all students must individually purchase the case studies.

          3. Lecture Slides and further Materials:

Lecture slides and further materials will be made available via WU’s Canvas learning platform.

 

The Use of AI

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as Open AI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard or Microsoft’s AI-powered Bing for various aspects of their study is explicitly encouraged. Students shall keep in mind that these tools are not yet fully reliable and often return false results presented with great “confidence”. 

Students must declare if and how they have used AI for their coursework. Reflecting on students’ use of AI will be subject to class discussion and best practices will be shared.

The following is a list of ways in which AI can be leveraged. The list was created by https://chat.openai.com/ (chat GBP 3) and was slightly edited.

 

  1. Research and Information Gathering: AI-powered tools like search engines, digital libraries, and academic databases can help students efficiently find relevant research materials, scholarly articles, and credible sources to support their coursework.
  2. Writing Assistance: AI-based writing tools provide grammar and spell-checking, sentence structure suggestions, and vocabulary enhancements.
  3. Data Analysis and Visualization: AI techniques enable students to analyze large datasets, identify patterns, and create effective visualizations.
  4. Language Learning and Translation: AI-powered language learning platforms aid in studying foreign languages and offer instant translation assistance.
  5. Virtual Simulations and Experiments: AI-driven virtual simulations allow practical learning experiences, applying theoretical concepts in real-world scenarios.

Useful, state-of-the-art AI tools for different applications can be found here: https://theresanaiforthat.com/

 

Unit details
Unit Date Contents
1 05.10.2023

LECTURE:

Marketing in a Global Economy

In this introductory session, we first provide an overview of the module, including its main goals, sessions, and assessment modes. We also briefly discuss how to analyze case studies.

Then we define core concepts such as global, marketing, strategy, management, and brands. The remainder of the session is dedicated to understanding the global economy, that is, the playing field of global marketers. We will take a close look at key globalization concepts and international market dynamics and discuss what they entail for global marketers.

DELIVERABLES:

  • None

READINGS:

  • Schlegelmilch, Bodo B. (2022). Global Marketing Strategy – An Executive Digest – Chapter 1 & 2.

                   Schlegelmilch, Bodo B.:A Note on Case Analysis

2 12.10.2023

LECTURE & CASE DISCUSSION:

Entering Foreign Markets

We will discuss how to assess the attractiveness of different geographic markets and to choose the best available market entry option for each country. During the second part of the lecture, we will deepen our understanding of this topic by discussing our first case.

DELIVERABLES:

  • Address the following question in your case analysis: “How can Zotter increase their sales in the Chinese market?”
  • Submit your case analysis (or slide deck if you are presenting) until 7pm on the day before the lecture.
  • Submit your peer evaluation for the presenting groups until 7pm at the day of the lecture.

REQUIRED READING:

  • Schlegelmilch, B.B. (2022). Global Marketing Strategy – An Executive Digest – Chapter 3 & 5.

                  Case Study 1: “Zotter: Creating a Market in China”12.10.2023

3 19.10.2023

LECTURE & GUEST LECTURE:

Managing a Global Marketing Mix

We discuss how the international marketing-mix is shaped by environmental variables, especially culture. Cost considerations tend to push firms towards standardizing their product and service offers, but cultural and environmental conditions often require local adaption of the marketing-mix. Marketers need to strike the right balance between standardization and adaptation. In the second part of the lecture, we discuss practical aspects of global vs. local marketing with our guest lecturer.

DELIVERABLES:

  • None

REQUIRED READING:

  • Schlegelmilch, B.B. (2022). Global Marketing Strategy – An Executive Digest – Chapter 4 & 6

                   Please familiarize yourself with our guest lecturer and their company

4
5 23.10.2023

LECTURE & CASE DISCUSSION:

Managing Global Brands

We focus on positioning and managing brands in global markets. Aligning brand perceptions across national boundaries and successfully positioning a brand versus international and local competitors are key challenges for marketing managers. During the second part of the session, we take this discussion to the case study.

DELIVERABLES:

  • Address the following question in your case analysis: How should La Roche-Posay leverage, or adjust, its trusted medical expert, problem-solver brand image to better reach and engage health-conscious consumers around the globe? How can they leverage digital and social media to achieve this goal?
  • Submit your case analysis (or slide deck if you are presenting) until 7pm on the day before the lecture.
  • Submit your peer evaluation for the presenting groups until 7pm at the day of the lecture.    

REQUIRED READING:

  • Schlegelmilch, B.B. (2022). Global Marketing Strategy – An Executive Digest – Chapter 6 & 7

                   Case Study 2: “La Roche-Posay: Growing L’Oréal’s Active Cosmetic Brand”

6 09.11.2023

LECTURE & GUEST LECTURE:

Running Global Digital Campaigns

The reach and cultural influence of digital media have expanded dramatically during the past decade, and there is no end of its growth in sight. Consumers around the world are using media in different ways and for different purposes, redefining the ways they collect information and buy products and services. For companies, digitalization has opened a whole range of new tools that are revolutionizing their marketing. However, digital marketing is not as global as one might expect. During the second part of the session, we discuss practical aspects of global digital marketing with our guest lecturer.

DELIVERABLES:

  • None

REQUIRED READING:

  • Schlegelmilch, B.B. (2022). Global Marketing Strategy – An Executive Digest – Chapter 10 & 11

                   Please familiarize yourself with our guest lecturer and their company

7 16.11.2023

LECTURE + CASE STUDY:

The Road Ahead for Global Marketing

We will identify which trends are likely to shape global marketing during the next 10 years. During the second part of the session, we will focus on the case study to discuss the challenges of commercial brands that have “purpose” in the DNA and want to expand globally to maximize their impact.

DELIVERABLES:

  • Address the following question in your case analysis: How should GMG go about entering the Austrian market?
  • Submit your case analysis (or slide deck if you are presenting) until 7pm on the day before the lecture.
  • Submit your peer evaluation of the presenting groups until 7pm at the day of the lecture.
  • Submit your peer evaluation for the members of your own study group until 7pm at the day of the lecture.

REQUIRED READING:

  • Schlegelmilch, B.B. (2016). Global Marketing Strategy – An Executive Digest – Chapter 13 & 14.

                   Case Study 3:Green Mondays: Flexitarianism, Innovation, and Endorsement”

8 23.11.2023

FINAL QUIZ:

The final quiz takes place in form of a multiple-choice test. The questions will be based on the textbook as well as topics discussed in class. This session will be for both tracks.

9

* Lecture content may be rescheduled depending on the availability of guest lecturers

 

Last edited: 2023-10-01



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