Working as part of a team, students will complete a Market Entry Strategy Project. Each team will:

• Select a country as a possible new market for a new video game system, the M-Box by MES-Sim Corporation.
• Research and analyze that country.
• Recommend whether the market should be developed, or not, by MES-Sim Corporation.

This project has four distinct parts. Teams will work one section at a time in the sequence and according to the schedule outlined below. Draft Versions of each Part will be submitted to the professor as a Check-in; the professor will not mark the Check-Ins but will provide feedback. Teams can therefore improve the Draft before submitting the Final Version of the Report at the end of the course for marking.

The Final Market Entry Strategy Report shall:

• Include an Executive Summary, introduction, and conclusion, as well as results of the four project components (outlined below).
• Be a maximum of 25 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt font.
• Be formatted to be consistent with APA style format.

1. Marketing Intelligence Report (MIR) The Check-in for this section is 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 4 (3-4 pages).

The MIR requires teams to gather current, or the most recently available, data on the markets people, economy, government, and technological status from online sources.

2. Business Environment Analysis Report (BEAR) The Check-in for this section is 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 6 (3-4 pages).

In the BEAR, students will analyze the business environment in the market. Students should remember that this is about developing a market in the selected country, not going there to have fun as a tourist. Therefore, your work should not include data that is not directly relevant to the goal of deciding whether the market should be developed or not. Data that would be relevant could include, but may not necessarily be limited to, the following items:

• Political and regulatory stability Students will need to describe and discuss the political and regulatory system with reference to their stability and receptivity to international business, including foreign investment.
• Legal system Students will need to describe and discuss the kind of legal system that exists there. The following questions are typically important in such a discussion - Is the legal system transparent and independent? Is it fair and objective? Does it protect intellectual property, foreign investments, etc.?
• Business customs and practice Students will need to describe and discuss the business customs and practices that exist there. The following questions are typically important in such a discussion - What role do ethics, corruption, and respect of law play? How are environmental concerns and human rights issues addressed?
• Religion and culture Students will need to describe and discuss the cultures that play a significant role in the country, specifically how these cultures might impact international business.
• Economic analysis of key indicators
  • Demographics
  • GNP/GDP
  • Major sectors and industries
  • Currency, interest, and inflation rates
  • International Trade patterns
  • Labour Force

3. Report on Opportunities for Market Entry (ROME) The Check-in for this section is 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 8 (3-4 pages).

The ROME builds upon the BEAR and asks students to assess the import and export prospects for MES-Sim regarding the target market. The critical issue here is whether MES-Sim can effectively conduct international trade activities with the target market as a new base of operations? Therefore, the ROME builds on the BEAR and requires a significant amount of analysis to develop recommendations.

4. Market Entry Strategy Assignment (MESA) The Check-in for this section is 11:00 p.m. on Sunday of Unit 10 (3-4 pages).

Teams will be required to develop a market entry strategy for the M-Box and MES-Sim in the selected market. This could include, but may not necessarily be limited to, the following items:

• Transportation and telecommunications infrastructure
• Methods of distribution within the country
• Points of sale issues

The MESA builds upon the ROME and BEAR and requires a significant amount of analysis to develop recommendations.