Market analysis

Discuss about the International Business for Website and Social Media Platforms.

Market analysis is an essential aspect for companies intended to enter the foreign market. Proper evaluation of the business environment provides the management with an insight of the appropriate business entry strategies. Australian National University is an institution willing to enter the international education market by offering studies in Japan. The management of the institution is expected to identify the educational environment of the nation for a successful entry in the country. According to Manganelli (2014) market analysis is performed by a company with the aim of adequately handling the risks of investment. The evaluation of risks and return of international business entry will assist Australian National University in identifying the strategic location to expand internationally. An effective market analysis is expected to consider market segmentation, targeting, market need, competition, barriers and regulations (Grant 2016). The market analysis provides a qualitative and quantitative evaluation which is necessary for a successful international business entry. The market analysis shows that there is a possibility of an increased number of Japanese students willing to study in ANU.

The market segmentation requires Australian National University to identify a strategic location to situate the institution. Proper market segmentation requires considering the potential consumers in the market for sustainable performance in the market (Hatheway, Kwan & Zheng 2017). Australian National University is supposed to be located in a place where there are a large number of people willing to study in the university. The focus on the area in Japan where there is a large number of people aged 15-25 makes it likely to be prospective for an education institution. Japan is a place where there is a high literacy level due to a large number of people willing to study. Therefore, a proper demographic location of Australian National University will assist the institution to acquire a large number of students in Japan.

The market targeting is performed by evaluating the market segment in the education sector. Proper evaluation of student’s educational needs makes it possible for Australian National University to develop an appropriate market of target that will be willing to use the services. The market targeting is supposed to consider the products and services offered by an organization for a sustainable flow in the targeted market (Pasandideh, Niaki & Keshavarzi 2017). It becomes possible to clear the unnecessary market segment to develop a targeted market to focus on for a sustainable flow in the industry. It is vital for an institution to forecast the demand level in the targeted market to develop a proper strategy for international business entry. It is possible for ANU to reach a large number of Japanese students by using an application, website and social media platforms. The application and website will assist the Japanese students to acquire the needed information of services offered by ANU. Social media will be a platform for marketing to enhance the number of students willing to use the ANU education services.

Segmentation

The knowledge about the educational market in Japan will assist Australian National University to develop products and services that will be widely accepted in the market. The evaluation of consumer needs helps a company to acquire a local and international competitive edge in the targeted market. The management is required to focus on the market needs in the targeted market for a steady flow of operations of the company in the targeted market. There has been a continuous increase in the number of students willing to study in Japan. According to JASSO (2018), the international students in Japan were 267,042 in 2017 which is 11.6% increase from 2016.  The focus on local and international students will make Australian National University acquire a high number of students through expansion of operations to Japan. The high number of students will lead to some people willing to study in Australian National University towards the achievement of the desired educational goals.

It is essential for an organization to analyse the competition in the market for a sustainable business entry. Competitor analysis assists a business in developing a production strategy that is aimed at developing unique products and services that are widely accepted in the market. The differentiation strategy is used in the international business entry to make the products and services widely accepted in the targeted market. Australian National University is required to analyse the top universities in Japan to develop a plan that will assist the institution to acquire a sustainable market share in the nation. According to Unirank (2018), the top universities in Japan are The University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Keio University, Waseda University, Tohoku University, Osaka University, University of Tsukuba, Nagoya University, Hokkaido University and Kyushu University.

The Japanese government is focused on promoting international trade through favourable rules and regulations. Trade rules in Japan are aimed at increasing foreign investment for a sustainable flow of the nation. Australian National University is supposed to identify the barriers in the nation towards a successful business entry in the market. According to Chen and Zhang (2018), it is essential for the management to analyse the entry cost in the market for the achievement of the desired production level.

An organization that is compliant with the set laws in the nation can acquire the desired market share. The analysis of the legal factor in business environment assists the organization to develop a proper plan to guarantee that there is a proper flow in the market. The management is required to develop an effective strategy by considering the external business environment in the nation (Moutinho& Vargas-Sanchez 2018). Australian National University analysing the legal aspect in Japan will provide a proper flow through complying with the higher education laws in the nation. There are a high number of Japanese students using e-learning technique making it possible for ANU to acquire a significant market share in the international education sector (Mext.go.jp, 2018). ANU will use the availability of e-learning platforms in increasing the performance in the education industry.  

Target market

Australian National University is required to focus on ensuring that there is an expansion of the institution in Japan. Proper marketing is necessary for a successful business entry in the foreign market through making the services know to the targeted market (Chernev 2018). The popularity of the products and services is used in increasing the sales volume and productivity in the market. Japan is a nation which has proper technological platforms which can be used by companies to increase the market share in the nation. The digital marketing strategies are aimed at capturing a large number of people using the internet towards a sustainable performance in the industry (Jarvinen & Karjaluoto 2015). The international marketing activities are supposed to evaluate the needs of the consumers for a smooth flow of operations. The management uses the analysis of the external business environment in developing a proper marketing strategy that will enhance the market share. The international marketing plans implemented are required to consider the factors evaluated in the market analysis for increased cooperation in the nation. The market analysis is necessary for a business to acquire a proper plan to develop appropriate strategies in the industry.

The digital marketing strategy used by an organization is expected to provide a strong online brand that will be accepted in a targeted region. Australian National University is expected to offer online services and online marketing to develop a strong online brand in the education sector. The ability to deal with the issues in the market assists the management in developing a plan that will assist to increase the number of people willing to use the products and services from the company (Chang 2016). In Japan, there has been an increase in the number of students talking online course which is an opportunity for Australian National University to enter the foreign market. The online courses require an institution to focus on a proper online marking strategy that will be widely accepted by the students in the region. The online university courses are highly favourable to the institution and the students as it is cost-efficient. People are willing to take the online courses to save time and money used while visiting classes to acquire university certificate. The quality of services makes it possible for the business to acquire the desired production level in the market. Australian National University focuses on courses that are highly acceptable in the local and international job markets. The courses from Australian National University are unique making it possible to acquire a high number of students in a foreign nation.

Market need

Australian National University focuses on social media marketing will assist to acquire a high number of people willing to use the institution. In Japan, the electronic and internet is highly accessible making it likely for a business to acquire an increased sales volume while using the social media marketing. The social media marketing plan is supposed to consider the targeted market in the market where the posts are supposed to capture the attention of the potential clients (Stelzner 2014). The ability to develop a proper social media marketing strategy is through the evaluation of the market needs. The productivity of an institution is enhanced through an increased number of followers in the social media. Australian National University is required to open social media handles for Japanese market towards a successful market entry. The social media handles of the company are expected to be active and interactive to offer required information about the institution. The posts by the company are required to focus on the uniqueness of the products and services provided by the company for an increased market share (Tiago & Verissimo 2014). The online platforms are used to capture a large number of audiences through to the high accessibility of the social media platforms. The ANU application and website will be used to increase the number of Japanese students using the institution. The application, website and social media platforms used by ANU will focus on providing detailed information to the targeted Japanese students. The high level of e-learning in Japan will assist in acquiring a significant market share from quality education services. The students in Japan are able to acquire desired technology to facilitate education due to the developed IT systems used in the education sector.

The evaluation of the consumer need and behaviour by Australian National University will assist to come up with a strong brand in the education sector. The positioning is used in ensuring that there are a large number of people willing to use the products and services offered by the company (Sheth & Sisodia 2015). The international marketing strategy is required to evaluate the cultural context of the nation for a sustainable flow in the market. According to Chernev (2018), the focus on the market mix is used by the management in coming up with a proper marketing strategy that will enhance productivity. The market mix components are products, price, place, and promotion. The products of Australian National University are required to satisfy the educational needs of the students in Japan. The price implemented is required to consider the cost of business entry and competitors’ prices. The place requires Australian National University to focus on a strategic positioning and online operations that will increase the number of students using the services. The promotion channels implemented are required to be mass media or digital media for a high production level (Parente & Strausbaugh-Hutchinson 2014). Australian National University focuses on marketing and proper positioning in Japan will assist in acquiring the desired students in the foreign nation. 

References

Chang, J.F. (2016). Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press.

Chen, Y. and Zhang, T. (2018). Entry and welfare in search markets. The Economic Journal, 128(608), pp.55-80.

Chernev, A. (2018). Strategic marketing management. Cerebellum Press.

Grant, R.M., 2016. Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley & Sons.

Hatheway, F., Kwan, A., and Zheng, H. (2017). An Empirical Analysis of Market Segmentation on US Equity Markets. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 52(6), pp.2399-2427.

Jarvinen, J. and Karjaluoto, H. (2015). The use of Web analytics for digital marketing performance measurement. Industrial Marketing Management, 50, pp.117-127.

JASSO. (2018). Result of an Annual Survey of International Students in Japan 2017. Retrieved from https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/about/statistics/intl_student_e/2017/index.html

Manganelli, B. (2014). Real Estate Investing: Market Analysis, Valuation Techniques, and Risk Management. London. Springer.

Mext.go.jp. (2018). MEXT : “Higher Education in Japan.” Retrieved from https://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/highered/title03/detail03/1374111.htm

Moutinho, L. and Vargas-Sanchez, A. eds. (2018). Strategic Management in Tourism, CABI Tourism Texts. Cabi.

Parente, D. and Strausbaugh-Hutchinson, K. (2014). Advertising campaign strategy: A guide to marketing communication plans. Cengage Learning.

Pasandideh, S.H.R., Niaki, S.T.A. and Keshavarzi, A.(2017). A two-echelon single-period inventory control problem with market strategies and customer satisfaction. Journal of Uncertain Systems, 11(1), pp.18-34.

Sheth, J.N., and Sisodia, R.S. (2015). Does marketing need reform? Fresh perspectives on the future. Routledge.

Stelzner, M. (2014). 2014 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. Social media examiner, pp.1-52.

Tiago, M.T.P.M.B. and Veríssimo, J.M.C.(2014). Digital marketing and social media: Why bother? Business Horizons, 57(6), pp.703-708.

Unirank. (2018). Top Universities in Japan | 2018 Japanese University Ranking. Retrieved from https://www.4icu.org/jp/