MG628 International Marketing Management Assignment Sample

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1. Market Entry Strategy

For students seeking assignment helper in UK, this market entry analysis provides strategic insights. Option 1: Direct Arrangement with a Leading Supermarket Chain in Germany. Direct selling with a prominent supermarket firm in the German market presents a robust chance to build the physical market of Ujamaa Spice. It is also apt for Germany's grocery retail market which is dominated by supermarkets and rising demand for environmentally friendly and animal rights-friendly goods (Aaker, 2019). A perfect example is a chain such as Edeka; partnering with such companies would directly expose the new product to millions of customers.

Option 1: Direct Arrangement with a Leading Supermarket Chain in Germany

Direct selling with a prominent supermarket firm in the German market presents a robust chance to build the physical market of Ujamaa Spice. It is also apt for Germany’s grocery retail market which is dominated by supermarkets and rising demand for environmentally friendly and animal rights-friendly goods (Aaker, 2019). A perfect example is a chain such as Edeka; partnering with such companies would directly expose the new product to millions of customers.

Theory Application: Relationship Marketing Theory

Relation marketing theory focuses on the strategies for creating extended relationships with customer through an understanding of their needs and expectations. This theory coincides with Ujamaa Spice partnering with a supermarket since the company can benefit from the supermarket’s goodwill by improving the purchasing public’s confidence in the product. The following supermarket since they enjoy the credibility of institutional buyers in Germany would assist in the positioning of Ujamaa Spice Products as authentic and thereby as a brand. Further, other tie-up activities like in-store promotional, sampling, and loyalty schemes can strengthen customer relationships even more. This also meets the convenience-oriented demand of German consumers, who still prefer to shop physically to touch and feel the products. Placing the Ujamaa Spice products in supermarkets helps the customers to obtain their products from one shop without having to visit another store for groceries(Barnes & Pressey, 2020).

Challenges and Considerations

Although the direct arrangement has its advantages, it experiences certain problems. Gaining space in the best supermarkets involves a price, and Ujamaa Spice might compete with other spice companies. Furthermore, reliance on one supermarket group might greatly reduce its reach and networking opportunities with other stores and retailers altogether.

Option 2: Joint Venture with eBay and Amazon

Ujamaa Spice has a chance to penetrate the market in Germany with the assistance of eBay and Amazon, which can be viewed as its partners due to the current collaboration in the e-commerce market. The most popular websites such as Amazon in Germany characterize the sector because they offer broad coverage and efficient supply chain access.

Theory Application: Resource-Based View (RBV)

The Resource-Based View (RBV) theory postulates that competitive advantage arises from building a valuable resource and capability profile. Publicizing on behalf of eBay and Amazon enables Ujamaa Spice to confidently take advantage of their technological infrastructure, supply chain management, and customer understanding. These resources can be very useful in improving operations, cutting costs, and satisfying customer requirements. For example, both sites provide marketing features for businesses, which would allow Ujamaa Spice to market its products directly to those consumers who are most likely to be interested in them. This also complements Germany’s highly digitally connected population and consumer’s inclination towards e-commerce especially the young and the urban population(de Mooij, 2021).

Challenges and Considerations

However, certain limitations of this strategy must also be considered. Perhaps, it will experience some level of competition from other firms on these platforms because price sensitivity is relatively high and there is a broad range of similar products available in these markets. Moreover, the commission charges charged by the platforms may result in lower working margins hence the need to manage costs. There is also the issue of standardization, which is also important to avoid making Ujamaa Spice look like other similar products(Geert Hofstede Insights, 2020).

Recommendations

Based on the research and theoretical applications, the recommended option is Option 2: the development of a joint venture with eBay and Amazon. This option has the effect of achieving a large number of customers at once and is suitable for the German market whose society is used to buying and selling via the Internet at a relatively low cost. That being said, the potential for further development in the German market is greater for the online format since it presents flexibility in terms of choice of platforms, wider coverage, and increased focus on modern technology(Hall & Hall, 2021).

2. Global Trends and Their Application in the Local Environment

Trend 1: Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing

The aspect of sustainability plays a crucial role in the brand that Ujamaa Spice has adopted and developed to appeal to environmentally concerned consumers. International consumers’ interest in sustainably made products has increased due to the following statistics; 74% of consumers are willing to pay a premium price for sustainably produced products (Nielsen, 2023). In the German market, however, the aspect of sustainability is often important to the consumers. According to Statista, 60% of Germans look for products with sustainable origin (Hollebeek & Macky, 2019). Anxiety from German consumers is associated with Fair Trade certifications, and traceability of the supply chain, which makes Ujamaa Spice’s ethical positioning relevant.

Recommendation:

Intensify the marketing communication by stressing the ecological character of packaging and obtaining national Fair-Trade affiliation. Perform promotional campaigns related to sustainability on such social media as Instagram since Germany has a high level of using such platforms.

Trend 2: Health and Wellness

The increasing trend towards clean and healthy living in societies across the world is perfectly in tune with the USP of Ujamaa Spice – pure, premium spices. After the pandemic, 76% of consumers are mindful of health according to Euromonitor (2023). Currently, 40% of consumers in Germany consciously make a choice to eat healthy (Kang, Tang, & Fiore, 2021). There is an increasing trend in consuming foods with natural ingredients, which makes this positioning perfect for Ujamaa Spice.

Recommendation:

Introduce a “Wellness Spice” line in Germany; it will state ‘now with health benefits as part of the logo’. They should advertise this through live demonstrations within the stores and by engaging professional bodies in health to champion the product.

3. Country-Specific Communications

Social Media, Standardisation and Adaptation

Ujamaa Spice wants to extend its relationship with the German millennials who prefer consuming healthy, sustainable, and ethical products via social networks. As a result, it is crucial to achieve a reasonable degree of standardization together with the appropriateness of messages regarding cultural sensitivity with respect to the company’s identity.

Standardisation: Consistent Brand Identity

Global Sustained Messaging

Messages related to ethical sourcing and sustainable consumption are echoed globally and are familiar to consumers in Germany. Sustainment of all these important aspects guarantees the brand's integrity and solidifies Ujamaa Spice’s sustainability promise(Keller, 2020).

High-Quality Visual Content

The use of live visuals, which tastefully depict healthy spices and their application in tasty recipes can, however, retain its standard form. The use of images and videos can trigger consumers’ desire, making them relate to the value of a product easily(Kotler & Keller, 2022).

Cross-Platform Promotions

Social media advertising sales promotion-themed campaigns such as new product promotion, discount offers, or affiliation can be formatted similarly across the platforms. For example, engaging ‘Sustainably Spiced Life’ promotional campaign on YouTube, Instagram & Facebook at the international level will create brand synergy(Lovelock, Wirtz, & Chew, 2019).

Adaptation: Tailoring to the German Market

Messaging Adjustments

German consumers prefer to receive factual and transparent information. Difficult emotive claims on product superiority should therefore be avoided in the German market, favoring instead posts that give information on spice certifications like Fair Trade and organic certificates, as well as explanations on how spices such as ginger and cinnamon are sourced and the health benefits of the spices(Nunan & Di Domenico, 2020).

Platform Preferences

Although Facebook and Instagram are used globally, Germans indicated higher usage of professional sites like LinkedIn, and local sites like Xing. Ujamaa Spice should then use these platforms to post sustainability campaigns to suit German professionals who are conscious about the environment(Shams, Vrontis, & Weber, 2021).

Content Tone and Style

Following the low-context communication of the Germans (Hall 1976), social media posts should be simple and backed by facts. Posts should not be overly playful, or contain unclear statements, but use simple and direct language. For example, a post might read: “Domestic organic turmeric you can buy is not only free of pesticides but also farmed without damaging the environment and not cheapening and exploiting workers—our turmeric is Fair Trade(Usunier & Lee, 2020).”

Cultural Considerations in Social Media Marketing

Sustainability is one of the cultural values.

It should be also noted that sustainability is one of the main German traditions, which has been described in detail in Appendix Two. Marketing messages co-located on social media platforms should focus on the biodegradable packaging of Ujamaa Spice and the low-emission delivery options it adopts. Engaging influencers from Germany who practice sustainable living is good for achieving localization.

Emphasize Diet and Market Trends

Today’s Germans are endowed with millennials belonging to this age group who are always on the lookout for health-oriented content. Meeting the demand would entail making healthy recipe videos produced by YouTube nutritionists or chefs. The stories posted on Instagram could be educative and associate the spices with better health, stress, and immunity boosters.

Other Linguistic Features to Consider

Each text, however, requires German translations, and cultural idioms, proverbs, and graphic materials must be localized. For instance, the captions – such as Spices up your Lebensqualität (the quality of life) – contain cultural dimensions of health and lifestyle to make the ad messages relevant(Usunier & Lee, 2020).

Choice of Social Media Channels

YouTube

YouTube is very useful in presenting recipes, sustainability stories, and instructions. There is an untapped opportunity for the Ujamaa Spice to create a “Healthy Cooking with Ujamaa” spot with German chefs focusing on health and cultural cooking.

Instagram

In particular, since Instagram is largely visual, it is best suited to food-related popular content. Instagram could be utilized by Ujamaa Spice to create enticing Reels and Stories that will demonstrate how the spices should be used in traditional German recipes that they have improved on such as Kartoffelsuppe (potato soup).

Facebook

Some of the values that cannot be ignored include; Community; while it may not be as popular as before especially among young people social networking is very important for the site, especially for Facebook. A Facebook group in Germany where users of the Ujamaa Spice can share recipes, reviews, and sustainability tips will help build brand allegiance.

LinkedIn and Xing

To target a green-sensitive audience in Germany, LinkedIn and Xing are perfect. Relating articles about the firm’s principles in operation and support to Fair Trade can create trust with business-oriented audiences(Usunier & Lee, 2020).

Elements to Retain Across Markets

Sustainability as a Core Brand Value

Environmental issues continue to be of paramount interest all over the world. Social posts such as how Ujamaa Spice farms are sustainable, the packaging material they use, and how they fairly compensate farmers should not be different among markets.

User Generated Content (UGC) Campaign

Informing German consumers that they should narrate their experiences with Ujamaa Spice products is appropriate to the advanced social media culture. Such issues can be solved through a common UGC hashtag like #UjamaaWellness, enabling people to communicate while sharing their distinctive variations on recipes(Vredenburg, Kapitan, & Spry, 2022).

Interactive Content Formats

Instant polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions as CTA in Instagram Stories or Facebook can work in Germany and also exactly as globally. However, the questions should be related to the locality, for instance, which spices are preferable to be used in Germany-associated dishes.

Recommendations for Social Media Execution

Strategy	Description	Benefit
Collaborate with Local Influencers	Collaborate with German food bloggers, fitness, and sustainable lifestyle promoters, and influencers for genuine posts.	Establishes Credibility & reaches out to the right targeted audiences with trusted messengers.
Localized Campaigns for Key Events	Market Oktoberfest and the Christmas markets, demonstrating the possible uses of the product of Ujamaa Spice in conventional German meals.	Provides a better fitting with the local culture and raises brand awareness in moments of important local celebrations.
Data-Driven Social Media Insights	Employ metrics in measuring the level of engagement, preferences among the German market, and the success of campaigns (WARC, 2023).	Optimizes content strategies using actual information to enhance target audiences (Vredenburg, Kapitan, & Spry, 2022).

References

MG628 International Marketing Management Assignment Sample

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• Aaker, J. (2019). Building strong brands. London: Free Press.
• Barnes, S. J., & Pressey, A. D. (2020). Exploring digital transformation in retail: The role of customer engagement. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 54, 101952.
• de Mooij, M. (2021). Consumer behavior and culture: Consequences for global marketing and advertising (4th ed.). London: SAGE Publications.
• Geert Hofstede Insights. (2020). Germany: Country comparison. Retrieved from https://www.hofstede-insights.com
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• Keller, K. L. (2020). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
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• Lovelock, C., Wirtz, J., & Chew, P. (2019). Services marketing: People, technology, strategy (8th ed.). London: Pearson.
• Nunan, D., & Di Domenico, M. (2020). Big data in marketing: Theories and practical applications. European Journal of Marketing, 54(5), 845-873.
• Shams, S. R., Vrontis, D., & Weber, Y. (2021). Social media and consumer engagement: A cross-cultural perspective. Journal of Business Research, 126, 1-13.
• Usunier, J. C., & Lee, J. A. (2020). Marketing across cultures (8th ed.). Harlow: Pearson.
• Vredenburg, J., Kapitan, S., & Spry, A. (2022). Sustainable marketing strategies in emerging markets: A case study. Journal of Sustainable Marketing, 15(4), 345-367.
• WARC. (2023). Insights on global and local social media marketing strategies. Retrieved from https://www.warc.com