Study Guide

Objectives (course unit)

This course contains themes related to strategic market entry. It focuses on the utilization of information and data collection/analysis to optimize networking and effectively increase customer attraction from appropriate target segments.

After completing the course, students will be able to:
- Analyze a company's internal level of readiness and its importance for entering the market of products and services
- Identify and select target markets, while assessing factors (threats, opportunities) for market entry
- Use tools related to the assessment of business opportunities and analyze their benefits
- Create a marketing strategy based on analysis of data and other accumulated information
- Test and collect feedback pertaining to demand vs. supply: customer’s attraction towards a company’s solution
- Build networks to support the aforementioned activities
- Plan, develop, and launch corrective actions to meet customer desire and engagement by utilizing appropriate networks

Content (course unit)

- Concepts and contents related to marketing strategy
- Product features, benefits and value creation
- Customer segmentation
- Customer-related research and its analysis
- Utilization of different analytical tools in placing on the market
- Developing a marketing strategy
- Testing the outcome on the marketplace, collecting feedback, re-designing service, re-writing and -testing operational plan

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student:
- Has a basic understanding of the company's internal readiness to enter the market of products and services.
- Identifies the factors influencing demand, threats and opportunities in the selected market.
- Identifies customer target groups
- Develops a marketing strategy
- Tests the strategy in the marketplace
- There are minimal attempts at analyzing processes and information to make strategic decisions for improvement.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student:
- Acknowledges the company's internal readiness to enter the market of products and services
- Chooses and justifies the target market
- Identifies the factors influencing demand, threats and opportunities in the selected market
- Identifies and justifies the most important customer target groups based on information
- Combines and applies the information obtained appropriately, using it in the content and conclusions of the marketing strategy;
- Examines his/her own conclusions and their usefulness, risks, effects on the company's growth and internationalization
- Utilizes different tools in various stages in the formation of marketing strategy
- Develops a marketing strategy that includes analyzes and information
- Tests the strategy in the marketplace by utilizing appropriate networks
- Collects customer feedback, designs service accordingly, re-writes and tests a new strategy

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

The student:
- Analyzes the importance of the company's internal readiness to enter the market of products and services
- Chooses and justifies the target market
- Identifies the factors influencing demand, threats and opportunities in the selected market
- Identifies and justifies the most important customer target groups based on information
- Combines and applies the information obtained appropriately, using it in the content and conclusions of the marketing strategy
- Critically examines his/her own conclusions and their usefulness, risks, effects on the company's growth and internationalization
- Utilizes and evaluates various tools in various stages in the formation of marketing strategy
- Develops a marketing strategy on the basis of analyzes and information
- Tests the strategy in the marketplace by utilizing appropriate networks
- Collects and analyses customer feedback, designs service accordingly, re-writes and tests a new strategy successfully

Exam schedules

Weekly exams in different forms (assignments, games, reports, or other) will be announced in class.

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment scale 1-5 requires full participation & completion and submission of assignments given in teaching.
Methods and objects: Personal reflection, Peer feedback, Teacher - Learning Objectives, Individual/Company-case
The grade of the course is formed as follows:Independent / Business assignment 50%, interaction situations 20%, otherstasks and activity 30%

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

- Lectures in the real classroom
- Independent studies based on provided materials
- Strategic market entry simulation assignments and practice individually and with partners

Learning materials

Materials will be uploaded to the course Moodle page weekly.

Shared learning material in Moodle Presentations Articles Videos
Library for data collection (methods and links)
Models for process planning, implementation and evaluation.
Your own notes and remarks

Student workload

One study credit= 27 hours
5 credit class = 135 hours
24 hours of contact teaching
111 hours of individual work and group exerises

Practical training and working life cooperation

The guest speakers might be visiting during class time.
Strategic market entry assignments and practice individually and with partners. Practical training focuses on the utilization of information and data collection/analysis to optimize networking and effectively increase customer attraction from appropriate target segments.

International connections

The assignments might be international (subjerct to student's abilities and networks)

Assessment criteria - satisfactory (1-2) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student:
- Has a basic understanding of the company's internal readiness to enter the market of products and services.
- Identifies the factors influencing demand, threats and opportunities in the selected market.
- Identifies customer target groups
- Develops a marketing strategy
- Tests the strategy in the marketplace
- There are minimal attempts at analyzing processes and information to make strategic decisions for improvement.

Assessment criteria - good (3-4) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student:
- Acknowledges the company's internal readiness to enter the market of products and services
- Chooses and justifies the target market
- Identifies the factors influencing demand, threats and opportunities in the selected market
- Identifies and justifies the most important customer target groups based on information
- Combines and applies the information obtained appropriately, using it in the content and conclusions of the marketing strategy;
- Examines his/her own conclusions and their usefulness, risks, effects on the company's growth and internationalization
- Utilizes different tools in various stages in the formation of marketing strategy
- Develops a marketing strategy that includes analyzes and information
- Tests the strategy in the marketplace by utilizing appropriate networks
- Collects customer feedback, designs service accordingly, re-writes and tests a new strategy

Assessment criteria - excellent (5) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

The student:
- Analyzes the importance of the company's internal readiness to enter the market of products and services
- Chooses and justifies the target market
- Identifies the factors influencing demand, threats and opportunities in the selected market
- Identifies and justifies the most important customer target groups based on information
- Combines and applies the information obtained appropriately, using it in the content and conclusions of the marketing strategy
- Critically examines his/her own conclusions and their usefulness, risks, effects on the company's growth and internationalization
- Utilizes and evaluates various tools in various stages in the formation of marketing strategy
- Develops a marketing strategy on the basis of analyzes and information
- Tests the strategy in the marketplace by utilizing appropriate networks
- Collects and analyses customer feedback, designs service accordingly, re-writes and tests a new strategy successfully