Assignment
Synopsis:
The Wendy's Company (Wendy's) is one of America's most iconic fast food chains. Founded by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, it is currently the third-largest hamburger chain in the United States.
Wendy's has a strong presence in the United States, but not in foreign markets, despite a long history of international expansion. Wendy's first foray into global markets occurred in 1976, when the company opened a restaurant in Canada. Since then, Wendy's has opened restaurants in many foreign countries including Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Indonesia, Greece, Turkey, Guatemala, and Italy. Wendy's has at times struggled in the global arena, with failed ventures in Argentina, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Singapore. While Wendy's is operating in 32 countries, it has only 637 restaurants operating outside of the United States.
This case deals with the international expansion plans of a fast food giant. Wendy's international presence is poor, and growth in domestic markets is difficult to achieve as fast food is no longer growing in the United States. Further, the company faces fierce competition from competitors in both the fast food industry and the fast-casual dinning industry. However, there is high growth potential in a number of international markets. In May 2018, the company's chief executive officer, Todd A. Penegor, needs to determine which foreign market(s) to target as well as
Case Discussion Questions:
a) What impact (if any) could Wendy's prior failures in international markets have on its current expansion effort?
b) What challenges or issues might Wendy's face in making a significant expansion into Africa?
c) Using the marketing mix (i.e., product, price, place, promotion), determine what changes Wendy's might have to make to its operations if it opens restaurants in the foreign markets highlighted in the case.
d) Imagine that Wendy's will open 1000 restaurants in a foreign market(s). Which foreign market(s) would you suggest it enter, and how many restaurants would you suggest it open in each market?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
o The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
o The response also includes 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.
o Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.