Marketing

Purpose

In this project, you will consider the major challenges in marketing products abroad.  You will read a case scenario.  Consider the different product offerings and through research, use of case scenario facts and course material, select products, promotion and a specific brand.

In this project, you will develop critical thinking and research skills.

Outcomes You Will Meet by Completing This Project

· apply fundamental knowledge of global business to the domestic environment

· apply fundamental knowledge of functional business disciplines to the global business environment

· analyze the viability of starting and maintaining businesses in the global environment in order to inform decision making

· research, analyze, and evaluate global business variables, and effectively communicate their implications

NOTE:  All submitted work is to be your original work. You may not use any work from another student, the Internet or an online clearinghouse.  You are expected to understand the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy, and know that it is your responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources as specified in the APA Publication Manual, 6th Ed. (Students are held accountable for in-text citations and an associated reference list only). 

Read the following case scenario

Sarah wants to prepare the marketing plan prior to moving to Japan. She knows the importance of having the four P’s in the analysis – price, product, place, and promotion. She has started the plan by researching Tokyo and prices for Micro Bike’s current product line that the Lapins are considering offering at the new branch. The Lapins are waiting on Sarah’s suggestions to confirm production for the expansion.

Initial Facts:

Micro Bike is a motor scooter/bike company based in Buckhead, Georgia.  The company makes foldable “green” motor scooters for inner city use. While sales have been rising in the US, the market size and population density is significantly lower than what exists in Asia.  Mark and Jessica Lapin are the owners of Micro Bike.  They have been studying growth trends for the industry because of an increase in online orders.  Currently, the business has gross sales of $3.2 million.  Sales projections for 2017 are $4.9 million.  The owner’s think that sales may exceed the projections as online orders have doubled in the past three months.  Micro Bike’s e-commerce sales are comprises of about 45% of total sales and continue to grow.

Additional Facts:

The company has decided to start a dealer owned dealership in Tokyo Japan. The company makes the following foldable scooters and bikes which they plan to sell initially. 

They are:

Model 1:  
Micro Bike Sit and Go: One passenger scooter with battery will retails for $699 US (799,999 JPY). It costs $255 to make. It weighs 35lbs; range is 18 miles; and travels at 15mph.

Model 2:  Micro Bike 100 Bolt: Foldable electric scooter: recharges on USB battery $899 US (101,800 JPY). It costs $275 to make. It weighs 30 lbs., goes 14mph, range is 16mph before charge; Rechargeable 36V 30-cell Lithium-ion Battery.

Model 3:  Micro Bike 100 Eco friendly power Retails for $ 575 US (65,999 JPY). It costs $235 to make. It weighs 27lbs, goes 12mph and has a range of 14 miles before charge. Rechargeable Lithium ion battery.

Model 4:  Micro Bike Sporty: Foldable Electric before recharge, retails for $1875 US (212,320 JPY) and costs $315 to make. It weighs under 30lbs. Goes 12mph and has a range of 35 miles. Rechargeable Lithium ion battery.

Model 5:  Micro Bike Mobility: 3-part easy folding, range of 12 miles, 14mph. Lightest part weighs 27 lbs. total weight is 102lbs. It will sell for $2375 US (268,920 JPY), Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery.

 (All information on Micro Bikes taken from Google website)

The bikes come in a variety of colors and designs.

All of the bikes are electric assisted and require no Japanese license with the exception of the Micro Sit and Go model. 

The company also plans to sell accessories like helmets, batteries, baskets and cases (except mobility model).

Based on the current exporting expenses including taxes on internet sales, an additional average cost per vehicle of $175 must be include in the price.

Instructions

In this assignment, you will help Sarah complete a four P’s analysis of the Motor Scooter business in Tokyo by discussing the concepts of product selection and promotion. Then, you will select the best products for Micro Bike to sell in Tokyo and explain how to promote the products.  In addition, Sarah wants to determine the best branding for the product so she will need help with branding.

Write an Introduction

Create the introductory paragraph.  The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of the paper and tells a reader the main points covered in the paper.  To help you know how to write an introduction, view this website to learn how to write an introductory paragraph:  

http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/intro.html

Using the course material, case facts and additional research, select the right products, promotion and brand for Micro Bike.

· Identify those products of the Micro Bike line that will sell best in the target market and explain why. Be sure to include in the discussion the importance of proper product selection to market success.

· How should the product(s) be promoted? (Media, points of sale etc.)  Discuss the best source of promotion for the Micro Bike products being offered and explain why.  Be sure to include in the discussion the importance of proper promotion source selection to market success.

· What brand should be used?  If available, use clip art or illustrations of your own to illustrate potential ideas.  Explain and support the reasoning for the selection of the brand. Be sure to include in the discussion the importance of proper brand selection to market success.

Write a Summary Paragraph

Write the summary paragraph. A summary paragraph restates the main topics of the paper.  Make sure to leave a reader with a sense that the paper is complete.  The summary paragraph is the last paragraph of a paper and does not need a heading.

Review the Paper

Read the paper to ensure all required elements are present.  Use the grading rubric to ensure that you gain the most points possible for this assignment.

Proofread the paper for spelling and grammatical issues, and third person writing. 

· Read the paper aloud as a first measure;

· Use the spell and grammar check in Word as a second measure;

· Have someone who has excellent English skills to proof the paper;

· Consider submitting the paper to the Effective Writing Center (EWC).  The EWC will provide 4-6 areas that may need improvement.

Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder (The assignment submitted to the Assignment Folder will be considered a student’s final product and therefore ready for grading by the instructor.  It is incumbent upon the student to verify the assignment is the correct submission.  No exceptions will be considered by the instructor).

===========================

How to Set Up the Paper 

Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is double-spaced, 12-point font.  The final product will be between 4-6 pages in length excluding the title page and reference page.  Write clearly and concisely.

The body of the paper should consist of a heading for each required element. 

APA and writing are a focus of this paper and should be executed with the utmost attention to detail.  Should you need help in any these areas of APA or writing, please refer to the APA module located in the content area of the course or ask the professor for guidance.  

Use the grading rubric and instructions as guides. Be sure to cover all that is asked of you in the assignment and do so in a way that will guide the professor into giving a high grade.  Finally, all work that you submit for this project should be your own. Remember your pledge to uphold academic integrity in all work that you prepare and submit.

Requirements for the Assignment

Before you begin writing the paper, you will read the following requirements that will help you meet the writing and APA requirements. 

· Read the grading rubric for the assignment.  Use the grading rubric while writing the paper to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade.

· Third person writing is required.  Third person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person writing).  If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link:  

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person

.

· Contractions are not used in business writing, so you are expected NOT to use contractions in writing this assignment. 

· You are expected to paraphrase and NOT use direct quotes.  You are expected to paraphrase, which can be learned by reviewing this link:   

https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html

.

· You are responsible for APA only for in-text citations and a reference list. 

· The expectation is that you provide a robust use of the course readings to support ideas, reasoning and conclusions.  

· You may not use books as source material. 

· When using a source document, the expectation is that the information is cited and referenced with a page or paragraph number.   Note that a reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa.