Thesis Assignment
PROBLEM ORIENTATION
iGina is an international-minded agency, with six nationalities (excluding freelancer agency team) that works with international audiences in the Netherlands. Due to this international setting, iGina is internationally inclined and has plans to expand to other countries within the next few years. The desire to expand to other countries is also as a result of the business development strategy that the company is currently working on. In 2017, the company received a small grant called the "RVO Voucher" for individual coaching from the Dutch government that paid for a consultant to explore and prepare for international growth as the business was deemed an ideal candidate for international growth.
The team had several meetings with a consultant after receiving the grant in order to develop a plan to kick-start the project. However, no concrete plans were made and the company decided to focus on other aspects of their business development. There was no previous research into the subject at that time but the company has decided it is time for them to pursue this area of business development. Some theories that are related to international market expansion and can help to further understand the subject include a country selection process and a market entry strategy.
PROBLEM DEFINITION
In order for iGina to expand to other countries, the company will first have to conduct in-depth research about which countries to expand to and how to go about the expansion. For this reason, the graduation research by the student will provide the company insight into the necessary strategies and processes to follow in the case of international market expansion. The purpose of the research is to provide the company with recommendations that will be useful in decision making to facilitate a successful expansion to other suitable countries.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
The research objective is to give recommendations to Gina Dunn, owner of iGinaMarketing before the 31st of Oc-tober, 2018 as advice on the implementation of an international market expansion plan dealing with how to select potential countries to expand to and entry strategies for these countries.
By providing an overview of the company's readiness for international expansion, the selection process of the new markets to enter, the strategies to use in entering these new markets as well as the involved risks which will have to be taken into consideration.
MAIN QUESTION AND SUB QUESTIONS
Which top 5 European countries would be most suitable for iGina to expand to and which strategies will be most applicable for entering these selected countries?
Sub questions:
Theoretical:
1. Which international expansion model is most applicable for the research assignment?
2. What theory on international market entry modes is relevant for this research assignment?
Empirical:
3. With the aid of an internal analysis, how ready is iGina for international expansion?
3.1 What are iGina's competencies and how can they be applied internationally?
3.2 What is the budget for iGina's international expansion project?
4. What are external factors for the country selection process?
5. Who are the main competitors for iGina?
5.1 Who are the target customers of iGina's competitors and in which way do they reach them?
5.2 Which competitors have engaged successfully in internationalization?
6. What criteria do (prospective) customers use in the selection of a branding agency?
7. In which way can industry trends influence iGina's decision to expand internationally?
Analytical:
8. Based on the referenced SWOT analysis, what strategic options can be drawn?
9. What are the risks iGina is likely to face with regards to new market entry?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Download:- Version-GA-Proposal.rar