OceanBite Foods (OBF) is an Irish manufacturer of plant-based seafood alternatives, including “tuna-style” spreads and frozen “fish” fillets made from peas and seaweed. OBF’s domestic market is becoming saturated and two large European food businesses have recently launched similar products. OBF’s directors are considering international market development by entering Japan and Norway within the next 18 months.

Japan has a large seafood market and a growing number of younger consumers interested in sustainability. However, market research suggests that Japanese customers expect subtle flavours, small portion sizes and detailed packaging information. Food labelling rules are strict and most supermarket chains prefer to work with local distributors. Norway has high average incomes, strong environmental awareness and well-developed supermarket distribution. However, it also has established local seafood producers and many consumers are sceptical about highly processed foods.

The operations director wants OBF to use a standardized global marketing strategy: the same products, English brand name and “Save the oceans” advertising campaign in both countries. This would reduce packaging, production and promotion costs. The marketing director argues that OBF should adapt flavours, packaging and promotional messages for each country and work with local influencers and retailers, even though this would delay entry and increase costs.

Maya Meals (MM) is a UK manufacturer of chilled plant-based ready meals. In the UK, MM uses humorous advertising, English-only packaging and large family-sized packs. UK sales growth has slowed, so MM is considering international marketing in Germany and Japan.

MM's operations director wants a standardized global marketing strategy to protect the brand and reduce costs. The marketing director wants to adapt the product names, packaging sizes, recipes and social media promotion to local customer preferences.

Table 1 gives MM's first-year forecasts for entering Germany and Japan.

SunTrail Energy (STE) is a South African manufacturer of portable solar chargers used by hikers, campers and small businesses in areas with unreliable electricity supply. STE currently sells mainly in South Africa through outdoor equipment retailers and online platforms. Its production facility has spare capacity, and managers believe international marketing could help STE increase output and reduce average costs.

STE is considering entering Kenya and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In Kenya, demand for affordable solar products is growing, but customers are price-sensitive and distribution outside major cities can be unreliable. Some counties require foreign businesses to work with local agents. In the UAE, consumers have higher average incomes and outdoor leisure tourism is growing, but international brands already dominate the market and promotional costs are high. The UAE also has strict certification requirements for electrical products.

STE would initially export from South Africa. The finance director is concerned about exchange rate movements and the cost of meeting different product certification rules. The marketing director argues that international expansion would reduce STE’s dependence on South Africa and strengthen its brand. However, the operations manager warns that longer supply chains, after-sales service problems and different customer expectations may damage STE’s reputation.

MysaCare (MC) is a Danish business that designs wearable monitoring devices and a mobile app for elderly people living independently. The devices alert family members or care providers if the user falls, misses medication or shows unusual activity patterns. MC sells successfully in Denmark and Sweden, where customers trust digital health technology and local care providers recommend the product.

MC wants to enter Singapore, where the population is ageing and many families are willing to pay for technology that helps elderly relatives remain at home. However, Singapore has strict data protection rules, high customer expectations for technical support and a culturally diverse population speaking several languages. Some families may be concerned that monitoring devices reduce personal contact with elderly relatives. Hospitals and private care providers strongly influence purchasing decisions.

MC is considering an international joint venture with CareLink, a well-established Singaporean private healthcare provider. CareLink has relationships with hospitals, knowledge of local regulations and a multilingual customer service team. However, CareLink wants the app to use its own brand name alongside MC’s, and it wants significant influence over pricing and promotional messages. MC’s founder is worried about loss of control and possible damage to MC’s brand if service quality is inconsistent. An alternative would be for MC to enter Singapore through direct online sales from Denmark, supported by a small outsourced technical support team.

AquaSense (AS) is a US manufacturer of smart home water filters. AS has strong brand awareness in the United States, but most sales are now replacement purchases. AS is considering entering Brazil, where demand for water filtration products is growing in large cities.

AS is considering two international market entry methods:

• Option 1: direct exporting from the US to Brazilian retailers
• Option 2: an international joint venture with LimpaLar (LL), a Brazilian household appliance business with an established distribution network

Table 2 gives forecast data for the first year of selling in Brazil.

NordPlay (NP) is a Swedish subscription-based educational technology business. Its app teaches coding to children aged 8 to 14. NP currently sells only in Scandinavia using e-commerce app stores and online promotion. Domestic growth is slowing, and NP is considering operating internationally in Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

NP's directors believe that international marketing offers market development and economies of scale. However, teachers in both countries have requested local-language content, culturally appropriate examples and local customer support. Data protection regulations also differ from Sweden.

Table 3 gives first-year forecasts for two international marketing strategies.

AwaWear (AW)

Read the resources and answer the questions that follow.

Resource 1 — Background of the social enterprise

AwaWear (AW) is a Kenyan social enterprise that designs and manufactures reusable period underwear. Its mission is to reduce period poverty and plastic waste. AW sells at low prices to schools and health charities in Kenya and reinvests surpluses into free menstrual health workshops. AW has a strong ethical brand, but its managers have limited experience of selling outside East Africa.

AW is considering international marketing for the first time. Two possible target markets are Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In both countries, AW would sell through e-commerce and selected health retailers. AW’s directors are debating whether to use a standardized global campaign based on the message “dignity without waste” or to adapt product packaging, promotion and distribution for each country.

Resource 2 — Selected international market information for AW

A table compares Sweden and the UAE using indicators including estimated annual demand, average disposable income, cultural sensitivity of advertising, preferred online payment methods, regulatory approval time and forecast first-year marketing adaptation cost.

Resource 3 — Social-media statistic

AW’s short video showing its workshop programme reached 3.8 million views globally in one month. However, 62% of comments from outside Kenya asked whether the product was “medically approved” or “culturally appropriate”.

Resource 4 — Extract from an interview with AW’s founder

“Our product can support girls and reduce waste anywhere, but we cannot assume that the way we discuss menstruation in Kenya will be acceptable everywhere. If we enter the wrong way, we could damage trust in our social mission.”

BrightBridge Learning (BBL)

Read the resources and answer the questions that follow.

Resource 1 — Background of the social enterprise

BrightBridge Learning (BBL) is a social enterprise based in the Philippines. It produces low-cost solar-powered learning tablets loaded with offline educational content for children in areas with unreliable internet access. For every tablet sold to a private school, BBL donates one year of free software updates to a community learning centre. BBL’s main customers are schools, NGOs and local government education departments.

BBL has grown rapidly in the Philippines and is considering international expansion into Peru and Ghana. Managers believe BBL’s product has a universal social purpose, but they are uncertain about the best market entry method. Options include indirect exporting through education equipment distributors, an international joint venture with a local NGO, or foreign direct investment through a small overseas service and training office.

Resource 2 — Comparison of possible market entry methods

A table compares indirect exporting, an international joint venture and foreign direct investment for BBL using indicators including start-up cost, speed of entry, control over customer training, access to local education decision-makers, risk of brand inconsistency and exposure to political or legal risk.

Resource 3 — Extract from a pilot project report

In a six-month pilot in Peru, teachers praised the tablets but requested Spanish and Quechua content, local examples in science lessons and face-to-face teacher training. In Ghana, a charity partner reported that after-sales repair support was more important than price for many schools.

Resource 4 — Quotation from BBL’s operations manager

“If we simply ship tablets abroad, we can grow quickly. But our social impact depends on teachers using them well and communities being able to repair them.”

FairPlate Foods (FPF)

Read the resources and answer the questions that follow.

Resource 1 — Background of the social enterprise

FairPlate Foods (FPF) is a social enterprise in Denmark that produces frozen plant-based meals using vegetables that supermarkets reject because of their appearance. FPF’s mission is to reduce food waste and provide affordable healthy meals. In Denmark, FPF sells to supermarkets and donates meals to food banks when monthly sales targets are met.

FPF is considering international expansion into South Korea. The directors believe South Korea offers growth because of rising interest in convenient healthy meals, but they are concerned about cultural preferences, local competitors, import requirements and the environmental criticism of shipping frozen products long distances. FPF is considering two broad options: exporting frozen meals from Denmark through a South Korean distributor, or creating an international joint venture with a South Korean food manufacturer to adapt and produce meals locally.

Resource 2 — South Korea market information

A table shows selected information for FPF, including forecast demand for plant-based frozen meals, number of major local competitors, estimated import duties and cold-chain transport cost, expected cost of adapting recipes and packaging, and forecast percentage of consumers preferring locally produced food.

Resource 3 — Social-media statistic

When FPF posted a Korean-language advertisement translated from its Danish campaign, engagement was high but 48% of negative comments said the meals looked “too foreign” or questioned the carbon footprint of importing frozen food.

Resource 4 — Quotation from FPF’s marketing director

“Our brand is built on sustainability and affordability. If international expansion makes us look wasteful or expensive, we will lose the trust that made FPF successful.”