International Marketing
Tips and Samples of Firm Interviews
Samples from Previous Classes:
Particularly, I would use funnel technique (begin the interviewing questions with broad ones, then down to
specific). See below.
Part A: General
Why is it important for Church's Chicken to seek international market?
Who is your target customer group for the international market?
Do you look for country that are appealed to westernizing the economy? previous successfull
experience in foreign markets?
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What special actions do you take to reach this target group?
Do you know that Department of Commerce and other government agencies offer free assistance for firms
to tap global markets? (e.g., www.export.gov ; www.ita.doc.gov )
Part B: Global Marketing Environment:
Because of the size of Puerto Rico, how does Churchs decide when the market is saturated? (Supply vs.
Demand)
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How is the demand measured for Puerto Rico?
Although Puerto Rico is a US territory, what culture differences do you find as obstacles to entering the
Puerto Rico market?
What employment challenges do you face with the local citizens of Puerto Rico? (i.e. labor unions, work
ethic, pay rate, holidays)
What legislation (local & federal) has to be taken into consideration if setting up a store in the US versus
Puerto Rico?
With regards to international trade, what difference so you note with trade tariffs, taxation laws when
dealing with a US territory versus US state or another country?
Does the local climate play a factor?
Part C: Global Marketing Strategy Development
What criteria do you use to find a location for a Church's Chicken store in Puerto Rico?
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Do you find domestic or industrial areas more attractive to locate a store?
What is the approximate ration of franchised to company owned stores in Puerto Rico?
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Is their a preference for Puerto Rico and why?
Do you deal with your suppliers in Puerto Rico the same as the US? (i.e. equipment for setting up stores,
daily operation supplies such as food)
What is Church?ˉs price strategy in Puerto Rico compared to the US?
Do you have any changes on the product line compared to the US?
How is quality control reinforced?
What promotions were successful for Church?ˉs in Puerto Rico?
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What considerations do you take into account?
IKEA SWOT Analysis
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Strengths
Strong international brand recognition built
upon a unique philosophy and low product
prices.
Solid sales performances since 1997.
Total control on design, pricing and supply
of product ranges globally.
A product portfolio that caters for most
consumer lifestyles, life stages and
budgets.
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Opportunities
Expansion into emerging markets in Asia
and Eastern Europe.
The development of premium lines.
An increase of sales via the development
of e-commerce sites in each country.
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Weaknesses
The retailer is still very much reliant on
Europe, with 82% of stores located in this
region.
Meeting customer expectations of service
not just price.
Lack of strategic direction.
Threats
Possible over saturation of the market.
Style and format may become
unfashionable over time.
Competitors are following suit by
introducing similar product ranges at low
prices.
Negative impact on sales of continued
depressed economic conditions in its core
European market.
Global competitors such as MFI, GUS and
Euromarket Designs
IKEA vs. Top Three Competitors:
Product
GUS
Self
Manufacturer
Products
no
Small
Electronics,
Jewelry, Toys,
Furniture,
Housewares
MFI
yes
Euromarket
Designs
no
IKEA
no
Home
Furniture,
Housewares
Household
Goods,
Furniture,
Accessories
Home
Furniture,
Housewares
Place
Promotion
Self
Assemble
Advertising
Stores
no
TV, Newspaper
Ads, Store
Sales,
Catalogue,
Internet
561 in 4
countries
no
TV, Newspaper
Ads, Store
Sales,
Catalogue,
Internet
Catalogue,
Internet, Store
Sales, Word of
Mouth
yes
TV, Newspaper
ads, Store
sales,
Catalogue,
Internet
yes
190
130 in 1
country
200 in 32
countries
Price
Internet Catalogue
yes
yes
Store
Financing
yes
Philosophy
"Low prices, more choice, less
hassle"
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
no
". . .help people live better lives in
their homes. We offer products at
unbeatable prices . . ."Low prices,
more choice, less hassle"
"Passion is the word that best
captures our fascination and
obsession with innovative, highquality design"
no
"To create well-designed,
functional home furnishings
available to as many people as
possible"
yes
yes
Strategy
Low
Low to
Mid
Mid to
High
Low to
Mid
IKEA Management Interview
Telephone Interview with Arnice Brown, Customer Service Manager, of the IKEA store in College Park,
Maryland.
QUESTION
Do you carry the same products in your store as
are carried in other U.S. stores?
ANSWER
No, each store carries a slightly different product
line. The differences in products that are carried in
each store differ primarily based on the store's size
as well as the geographic area. Each store carries
the same basic products, but larger stores will offer
larger product selections and more varieties of
products than the smaller stores.
Do you offer any customization of products
offered in your stores?
Yes, IKEA offers very limited customization. For
instance, furniture such as couches and chairs are
advertised in the catalog and in the stores in basic
colors. A customer can choose to custom-order a
couch to be in a different color than the standard
color. There is a limited choice of color choices
from which the customer must choose.
No, she does not know.
Do you know what IKEA executives look for in
determining where to expand?
Does each store advertise in the same manner?
Does the management of an individual store have
any flexibility in advertising?
Do the stores in the US have the same products
as other stores in other countries?
She had limited knowledge of this area, but said that
for the most part, all advertising was coordinated at
the corporate level. Each store has very limited
advertising flexibility, such as the ability to donate
small amounts of funds to local charities or youth
organizations.
For the most part, yes, the stores have the same
product offerings. However, there will be some
differences, similar to the differences that can be
evidenced between different stores in the U.S.