International Expansion
Elena Popova
Professor Steven Englehart
International Business Strategy
10/27/2013
Strayer University

1. Develop a revised international product life cycle plan
As the global economy continues to stumble, retailers are struggling to achieve growth domestically. While there are pockets of opportunity, many retail sectors in the United States are saturated and not expected to grow much, if at all. Growth may be heavily dependent on winning share from competitors, typically a taxing effort. Consequently, many retailers are looking beyond their borders for potential growth. Foreign markets offer attractive growth rates fueled by burgeoning middle classes, lower competitive intensity, and greater pricing flexibility. Additionally, a global presence may help retailers lessen their risk exposure to an economic downturn in any one market.
Every brand or product has its life cycle which spans from the time it is launched to the time it exits from the market. This cycle covers four stages, introduction, growth, maturity and decline. The life cycle of each and every brand or product is different, and different advertising strategies should be adopted at different stages to suit the marketing targets and market environment in order to achieve the best marketing results.
The first stage in a product’s life cycle is the introduction stageintroduction stageThe first stage of the product life cycle after a product is launched..
The introduction stage is the same as commercialization, or the last stage of the new product development process. Marketing costs are typically higher in this stage than in other stages. Communication (promotion) is needed to generate awareness of the product and persuade consumers to try it, and placement alternatives and supply chains are needed to deliver the product to the customers. Profits are often low in the