International Marketing of Sodashi

Running head: INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
International Marketing
Student’s name:
Name of the university:
Author’s note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Objectives........................................................................................................................................2
Market environment summary.........................................................................................................3
Competitor analysis: Porter’s five forces model:............................................................................5
Market readiness..............................................................................................................................8
Mode of entry..................................................................................................................................9
STPD Strategy...............................................................................................................................10
Segmentation.............................................................................................................................10
Targeting....................................................................................................................................12
Positioning strategy...................................................................................................................13
Differentiation............................................................................................................................13
Product strategy.............................................................................................................................14
Price strategy.................................................................................................................................15
Promotion strategy.........................................................................................................................15
Distribution strategy......................................................................................................................17
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................18
Appendix........................................................................................................................................23

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Introduction
A marketing plan is all about the document designed in order to present concise and
cohesive information and data regarding company's marketing objective to the personnel and
management and involved others who are associated in generating and carrying out the entire
business strategy of an organisational entity. It is worth mentioning that, the primary objective of
the marketing plan is to associate with the particular marketing objective of heightening business
growth within a proper set of time.
This study focuses on the development of marketing plan for the organisation Sodashi
which is a skincare brand that gleams with efficacy, goodness, purity and elegance. The
company was founded by Megan Larsen in the year 1999 in Western Australia and the company
has an absolute commitment to quality (Sodashi.com.au 2018). At the present time, the company
wants to enter Singapore market and hence, the study seeks to develop a marketing plan for the
aforementioned organisation by describing the marketing strategy and Sodashi to enter
Singapore.
Objectives
 To explore more botanical extracts to make the skin care products more powerful
 To establish the company as the most effective and exclusive spa location in Singapore
 To make a strong brand awareness amid the customers of Singapore
 To gain 3% profitability by the end of the year 2022 in Singapore
 To make a large customer base in Singapore

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For heightening business growth, Sodashi is going to enter the market of Singapore and
wants to create strong brand awareness amid the target customers of the market. One of the most
significant objectives of the company to use more ethically sourced natural products to be one of
the leading skincare the world. This objective will help Sodashi to employ more ethically-
sourced oils and plant actives to make the company world’s one of the leading skincare brands
Market environment summary
For gaining a significant understanding of the market environment of Singapore, it will
be beneficial to use PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental
factors) analysis as an effective tool.
Political factor:
As of the statement provided by PERC (Political and Economic Risk Consultancy), it can
be stated that Singapore has a lower impact on the new business and thereby, it is worth
mentioning that Singapore has the lowest political risks amid other Asia Pacific markets (Stubbs,
2017). For this peaceful political environment, the new business can penetrate easily in the
market.
Economic factor:
According to Negrusa et al. (2017), Singapore is vibrant free market and thereby, its per
capita income is the highest among the other ASEAN countries. The country shows a healthy
growth rate of GDP and the current GDP growth of the country is around 3.6%. As opined by
Tremewan (2018), the inflation rate of Singapore is around 0.4% and the unemployment rate is
very low (near about 2% as per the statistics of 2015). Apart from this, it can be stated that the

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average income is around the US $ 7,040 per household (as of statistics of 2015)
(Santandertrade.com 2018). However, the labour force in the aforementioned country is 3.66
million in the year 2017 and thereby, it can be stated that the new business can confront some
issues regarding labour shortage, rising labour costs and declining productivity. On the contrary,
Cardella & Seiler (2017) argued that Singapore is the world’s second ‘ease of doing business’
market (according to The World Bank). The skincare industry is growing in Singapore and
multi-tasking has become a hot topic during 2017. Further, the market for skin care products is
projected to grow to the US $ 7184.4 million in 2017 at a CAGR of 8.3% from 2012 to 2017
(Wei, Samiee & Lee 2014). Under the influence of Korean skincare brands, double-cleansing
and multi-tasking have become more common among the Singaporeans. It is worth mentioning
that, the cosmetic market in Singapore is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 5% from
now to till 2020.
Social factors:
Most of the women in Singapore are inclined towards Korean beauty products, culture
and trends. The next most popular beauty culture the Singaporean people look towards is
American beauty culture and trends, however, more women above 35 years look up to Japanese
beauty. The purchasing power of people is high in the aforementioned market.
Technological factors:
High broadband ownership rate and huge internet penetration rate makes the country
brilliant in equipment infrastructure and technology. According to Cardella & Seiler (2017), the
factors that influence the buying decisions of women on beauty products are online beauty
bloggers, online beauty-focused magazines and social e-commerce. In the manufacturing of the

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products; automation of various unskilled tasks allows the companies replace many of the human
production lines. Growing demand for the mobile technology allows the companies to increase
the business using mobile platform.
Legal and environmental factors:
The legal system in the aforementioned country is transparent and all the business
enterprises need to follow the legislation and the regulations. Corporate income tax is 17% in
Singapore (Santandertrade.com 2018). Patents Act 1995 in Singapore states that patent will be
secured for next 20 years of the business and Trademark Act 2005 also states that trademark of
the business will be secured 10 years (Lee, 2015). Foreign business can largely expect an
impartial trial from the Singapore Judicial system; especially the matters related to the business.
Free Trade Agreement allows the business to enjoy benefits of tariff concessions, exclusive
access to the certain sectors. However, the flexible legal settings support the economic growth
and business opportunities for new business ventures. Further, the people are becoming more
environment concern and thereby, the government of the country has banned the animal testing
for promoting any kind of product in the market. In case of making the organic products;
environmental issues include water, air and deforestation are associated with this.
Competitor analysis: Porter’s five forces model:
Industry rivalry:
In the Singapore market, there is a range of skincare brands and the brands have strong
rivalries among them. Ere Perez, Herbivore Botanicals and KORA Organics are some of the best
organic products sellers in Singapore. It is followed by Procter & Gamble with its popular brand
named SK-II. It is worth mentioning that, the brands are facing growing competition from the

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Korean products. As mentioned by Khuong & Duyen (2016), the fourth-ranked player in the
skincare industry is AmorePacific Singapore Pte Ltd viewing double-digit market value growth
as per the statistics of 2017. Therefore, the domestic competitors in skincare industry in
Singapore are high.
Treat of new entrants:
Anti-ageing products are popular amid the Singaporeans. Further, it can be stated that the
foam based cleansers and the face masks see the growing interests and they jump on the
bandwagon as per the new trends. Thereby, people have the tendency to buy new products if they
find it useful. Further, the barriers to enter the market are not strict and thereby, the threat of new
entrant is high.
The threat of substitute:
It is worth noting that, the threat of substitute in the market of Singapore is enormous as
the customers have a range of choices to select from. The target customers prefer to have the
Korean products and the American brands as their skincare products. Further, most the women
above 35 years prefer to have Japanese products and thereby, the threat of substitute is medium.
Bargaining power of suppliers:
In the skincare industry, suppliers play a pivotal role as the manufacturers of skincare
products need to have a constant supply of the natural plant and biological extracts, oil and other
products (Michalun & Dinardo 2014). In Singapore, Sodashi will not be able to get a range of
options to switch suppliers and thereby, cost of suppliers is medium.
Bargaining power of customers:

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The consumers of skin care products in Singapore are relatively more open and flexible
to squander a little ahead from their budget to the best and the exclusive products. The growth of
upper-middle-class people and high urbanisation plays a significant role in the buying decisions
of customers (Peltzer, Pengpid & James 2016). Further, being an international free port, the sales
in Singapore is getting higher by the tourists and thereby, most of the premium brands are
looking forward to expanding the business in the market. Thereby, the bargaining power of the
customers is high.
Competitors’ analysis
Competitors’ in the
market
Price Strengths USP
KORA Organics Price starts from $25  It provides
holistic health
products and it
launched
through the e-
commerce
sites.
 It provides
highly
concentrated
formula to
work on skin.
Organic, vegan and
cruelty-free
Powerful ingredients

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 It provides
skincare
products,
makeup, both
body and hair
and gifts
Herbivore Botanicals Price starts from $20  It is American
based
company and
it offers filler-
free products
 All ingredients
are
concentrated
The products are
without parabens,
chemicals, synthetics
and petroleum
The high brand value
in Singapore
Table 1: Competitors’ analysis of Sodashi
(Source: Self-developed)
Market readiness
SWOT analysis
Strengths:
Sodashi is a skincare brand in the Western Australian market and it gleams with
goodness, elegance, efficacy and purity. Further, it is worth mentioning that the products are

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incredibly effective and inconceivably gentle. The company focuses on unadulterated natural
elements (such as plant actives, oils and others)as the key ingredients. It can be stated that the
company sourced products ethically around the world for powerfully therapeutic and
regenerative qualities. Thereby, according to Kim & Hong (2017), Sodashi products and spa
treatments are effective and unparalleled in purity and performance.
Weakness:
Sodashi is facing a range of issues regarding the use of natural products. Most of the
people have the misconception that, natural skincare products do not work properly and thereby,
people are throwing the question how effective the natural skincare products are.
Opportunities:
Most of the women in Singapore are now tending towards spa treatment and thereby, the
opportunity lies on the fact that, incorporating potential Spa treatment in the business activity
will expand the market opportunities for the company (Heng et al. 2016).
Threats:
The competition is high in the market. People have a range of options for buying Korean,
American and Japanese products. The most leading company in the market of Singapore is P&G
and it consumes maximum market share amid the industry (Khuong & Duyen, 2016).
Mode of entry
Foreign Direct Investment

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Foreign direct investment is the investment in form of controlling business ownership in
one country by the entity based in another country (Speckbacher, Neumann & Hoffmann, 2015).
For penetrating the international market, it is essential for the business enterprises to select
proper mode of entry by considering the degree of risks, commitment, control and ROI. From
this perspective, the concerned organisation Sodashi can take the strategy of Foreign Direct
Invest (FDI) by involving in investment for making the manufacturing centre at Singapore.
Establishing the manufacturing centre in Singapore will be easier to expand the business in
Singapore as Sodashi will control the ownership of the business and it will be direct control.
Further, the company can upgrade the skincare product making factory in the aforementioned
market without just outsourcing from Australia. With the help of this strategy, the Sodashi
becomes able to start the construction of the factory of developing a range of products so that, it
will be helpful for the company to sell fresh products to the consumers and the customer base
will be enhanced potentially.
It can be stated that the foreign direct investment in Singapore is easier and thereby, FDI
strategy will help the company to sell the products and service in the target market by avoiding
import duties and other taxes easily (Michalun & Dinardo, 2014). The foreign direct investment
in Singapore can be provided in a nutshell.
STPD Strategy
Segmentation
Segmentation approach Consumer characteristics Justification
Geographic  Urban and suburban Sodashi will be able to
improve the customer base

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regions of Singapore
 People from
metropolitan cities of
the country
because of climatic change in
Singapore. Because of the
climatic change, Singaporeans
prefer to focus on skincare
especially in the summertime.
Demographic  Age: The products are
mainly meant for
young working
professionals, middle
age working women
and college goers (age
belong to 21- 55 years)
 Gender- mainly
women
 Well educated
The study shows that young
women and the middle age
working professionals want to
have clear and fresh skin.
Further, as opined by Cheng et
al. (2015), consumers of the
skin care products are well
educated
Psychographic  Health conscious
 Lifestyle:
Professionals, college
goers and other
outdoor as well as
indoor-oriented
customers
 The people who are
As opined by Heng et al.
(2016), people who are
concerned about their health
are likely to use natural
products.
Further, research states that
the outdoor-oriented women
are more likely to use the

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ambitious, concern
about their skin and
health and gregarious
natural products than that of
other chemical products
Behavioural  Seeks luxury products Sodashi can target the people
who are likely to use luxury
products in luxury locations.
Women in Singapore have the
tendency to buy expensive
products as they are more
concern about skincare.
Table 2: Market segmentation of Sodashi
(Source: Created by self)
Targeting
Primary target market:
For Sodashi, segments mainly identified on the basis of behavioural approach in which
people who seek to have luxury products are targeted. Further, people are becoming more
sophisticated and boosted by beauty products and thereby, the primary target market includes
mainly women who are health conscious and like to have natural products rather than chemical
products.
Secondary target market
In terms of secondary target market, the concerned organisation can target geographic
customer segmentation and psychographic segmentation in which the organisation targets the

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customers from urban and suburb regions and the customers who are young, college goers and
outdoor-oriented women.
Positioning strategy
Sodashi can position itself as the luxury brand as it promises to deliver excellent and high-
quality products to the customers. Further, the positioning statement of the company focuses on
World Wide Web users who enjoy finding right products to nourish skin, Sodashi is skincare
brand that provides a combination of extraordinary skin care services and luxury spa enjoyment.
Thereby, in a nutshell, the positioning strategy of the company includes
 Most innovative
 Advanced products and high quality
 The skincare brand in the world that has products in all segments of customer,
professional, luxury and pharmaceutical
Differentiation
Sodashi can differentiate the products on the basis of customer service differentiation and
quality different ion. This is because, in terms of quality differentiation, it can be stated that the
products delivered by the company are made from botanical extracts and intact vitamins, mineral
and other nutrients that provide the finest nourishment for the beautiful skin (Soto et al. 2018).
Further, in terms customer service differentiation, the core value of the company is delivering
wow through service and this strategy can succeed as the company will take the strategy of
delivering services by the next morning right after placing appointments for spa and skin care
treatments. Sodashi will take vertical differentiation as Sodashi is in the high-priced segment and

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the products will be a little different in country origin. Undifferentiated product ranges will be
sold in Singapore for a first few months.
Product strategy
Sodashi is a skincare brand in Australia and it offers high-quality natural skin care
products and spa treatment to the customers. Sodashi is the brand that offers pure nourishment
for the beautiful skin and thereby, it can be stated that the luxurious high-performance skin care
products are meticulously crafted by using proper and purest botanical extracts. As opined by
Lee (2015), the company believes that, creating skincare in its most significant, purest and
natural state by using botanical extracts that intact with all of the minerals, vitamins and other
nutrients can be the finest nourishment for all the beautiful skin. For this purpose, the company
sources all the natural ingredients ethically around the world so that, it becomes possible for the
company to provide regenerative and therapeutic qualities. One of the most powerful anti-ageing
treatments of Sodashi is to transform and reawaken the skin. Sodashi offers an intensive skin
transforming treatment for the purpose of correcting visible signs of ageing. Apart from this, one
of the exclusive offers provided by the company is luxurious spa treatment. It is worth noting
that, customers can experience luxurious Sodashi spa treatment at the company’s exclusive spa
locations. Further, it can be stated that Sodashi has a unique online tool that will put customers
on the road towards healthiest skin ever.
In Singapore, the concerned organisation Sodashi can take advantage of product
diversification. It will be beneficial for the company to improve the range of diverse products for
the Singaporeans so that, a huge number of customers can be attracted. Further, the main value
of the company to maintain quality products throughout the services and thereby, another

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significant product strategy for the company will be product modification. In this strategy, the
company becomes able to improve the quality of the products by adding more features. As
opined by Lee (2015), product modification is an attempt to increase the length of product
lifecycle by creating a small and large change of product to keep the customers interested in
products. Product modification strategy will help the company to enhance the market
opportunity for Sodashi.
Price strategy
In Singapore, Sodashi will consider price skimming strategy in the open market.
According to Rodan (2016), the brand image and the premium quality of products can be
generated through significant price skimming strategy. It is worth mentioning that, the price
skimming strategy is one where marketers initially set a high price for the products and the
services and then, they lower the price of the products over the time. From this perspective, it can
be stated that the consideration of the price skimming strategy will be beneficial and fruitful for
the company. This is because, with the help of this strategy, the company becomes able to
maintain the premium quality of the products and the services and the targeted upper middle
class and educated people can afford the services and the products delivered by the company
(Peltzer, Pengpid & James, 2016). Apart from this, it can be stated that, with the help of price
skimming strategy, the company can deliver the message that, all the products are extensively
made from natural ingredients and thereby, people can nourish their skin by using the products
and services of the company.

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Promotion strategy
For heightening business growth in terms financial profitability, it is essential for the
company to consider a significant promotional strategy to enhance consumer awareness. In this
regard, it will be beneficial for the company to use social media sites (Facebook, Instagram and
YouTube) as the promotional platform where the company can organise pre-launching programs
for the products and services offered by the company.
Activities Facebook
(5,400 likes)
Twitter
(2,900 followers)
Instagram
(13,400 followers)
Social media site
focus
Sharing news,
content, stories
Sharing posts Sharing images and
videos
Company’s brand
presence
Facebook business
pages
Twitter page Company page
Viral brand exposure Likes, comments,
shares of the posts and
instant replies of
queries
Retweets Likes, comments
Impact on website
traffic
Direct links of the
products and price on
Facebook
Direct links on
content page
Direct website link of
the products along
with products
Table 3: Social media marketing strategy of Sodashi in Singapore
(Source: Self-developed)

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Apart from this, it can be stated that Singaporeans are more likely to use the internet and
thereby, Sodashi can take the advantage of web-based promotional strategy such as PPC (pay per
click) strategy. As PPC drives big revenues for the company, thereby it becomes possible for the
organisation to reach greater portion of customers (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2016). The other
promotional strategy for the company includes
 Promotional posters
 Advertisement through television and film commercials
 Open spa for promoting the brand
 Selection of reputed brand ambassador
Distribution strategy
Selection of proper distribution strategy is essential for gaining business profitability. In
terms of distribution strategy, Sodashi will use selective distribution strategy in which the
company consider a selective number of distributors, wholesalers and retail outlets that cover a
specific geographical area. Selective distribution strategy is associated with selling the products
at selected outlets in specific locations (Basnyat & Chang, 2014). Sodashi mainly sells the
products in spa and they can take the same strategy in Singapore also. Based on the
transportation and logistics of the company, it will be beneficial for the company to use the
selective distribution strategy. Apart from this, it can be stated that the company targets to sell
the products in supermarket as well as hypermarket. Thereby, it will be beneficial for the
company to contract with an intermediary such as retail shops and distributors that will carry the
products to the end users. Further, the company might have its own salon widespread across
major cities for providing exclusive spa and other skincare treatment to the customers.

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Figure 1: Selective distribution strategy of Sodashi in Singapore
(Source: Self-developed)
Conclusion
From the above-held discussion, it can, therefore, be concluded that Singapore will be a
good selection for concerned organisation Sodashi. Hence, the study has provided significant
market entry strategy and another market process in order to provide a vivid understanding of the
different mode of business operations of Sodashi in the market of Singapore. Further, the study
has delivered insights of the market by using PESTLE analysis and this has helped the researcher
to select proper strategies for the company to expand its business into the market. This marketing
plan will help the company to nurture a significant understanding of how to expand into the
market of Singapore to enhance business opportunities effectively and efficiently.

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