Course 2005-2006 a.y.

Course Objectives

When passing from a purely local to a global arena of competition, companies from whatever industry need a solid theoretical background and a portofolio of technical tools to cope and succeed in an increasingly complex environment.

This course drives participants to analyse the main determinants of change in the international scenario of conduct: deregulation, hypercompetition, globalisation or, in some case, the growth of new forms of protectionism.

In the second part, the course focuses on the main strategic tools that a company may apply to have a better management of its international arena. Through these tools, proactive companies may try to build a first and rather solid base to establish their own long-term competitive advantage.

In the third part, operational tools, like the ones of marketing mix, are related to their day-by-day use on international markets.

The main objective of the course is to let students adopt an enlarged vision of the main pillars of conduct of the international scenario. Finally, the course provides students with the most relevant practical tools to manage international marketing policies and, as a consequence of that, to build an international marketing plan.

Course Content Summary

• Marketing in the era of globalisation.
• The international competition.
• The international firm: drivers of growth in global contexts.
• The role of attractiveness analyses when selecting international markets.
• Main tools of strategic marketing: macro and microsegmentation.
• International positioning issues.
• Entry strategies in foreign markets.
• Implementing marketing mix in international contexts (product, price, promotion and place issues).
• How to build the international marketing plan.

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

The exam is in written form.

Textbooks

• F. BRADLEY, International Marketing strategy, Prentice Hall, 2005, 5^th ed.
• Readings on International Marketing, EGEA, 2004.