Global Marketing Issues Report: Leadership, Ethics, Digital Era

This report provides an in-depth analysis of global marketing issues, focusing on leadership, ethics, and the digital environment. It begins with an examination of leadership's role in organizations, ethics, and corporate social responsibility, drawing on research and articles to highlight their importance in gaining a competitive advantage. The report then delves into global marketing and the digital environment, discussing the impact of digital transformation on customer interactions and business strategies, including the rise of social media marketing. The report references articles that discuss the challenges and solutions for marketing in a digital era, including the importance of ethical practices and the influence of social media on consumer behavior. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and reflecting on the module's content, emphasizing the need for adaptability and innovation in the face of rapid technological advancements and changing consumer preferences.

GLOBAL MARKETING ISSUES

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction......................................................................................................................1
1.1 Initial Expectation.........................................................................................................1
2.0 Topic Engagement and Reflection......................................................................................1
2.1 WEEK 24 Leadership, Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility.................................1
2.1.1 Topic Engagement....................................................................................................... 2
2.1.2 Article Reflection...........................................................................................................2
2.2 WEEK 25 Global Marketing and the Digital Environment................................................3
2.2.1 Topic Engagement....................................................................................................... 4
2.2.2 Article Reflection...........................................................................................................4
2.3 WEEK 26 Innovative Technology and Social Media........................................................5
2.3.1 Topic Engagement....................................................................................................... 6
2.3.2 Article Reflection...........................................................................................................6
3.0 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................... 8
3.1 Final Conclusion..............................................................................................................8
GIBBS module.......................................................................................................................8
3.2 Module Reflection............................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................ 1

1.0Introduction
1.1 Initial Expectation
Initial expectation of the report is to evaluate the importance of leadership and CSR
activities at the work place. In order to gain the competitive advantage management has to
get good command on leadership at work place by which they are able to sustain in the
market (Albrecht.et al.2015). A leader with strong leadership ability will be a role model to
their employees, leader who is able to effectively achieve some good result or achievement
gains the trust and admiration of their employees, and inadvertently changes their values,
beliefs, behaviour and attitudes, for mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery (Delery and
Roumpi, 2017).
2.0 Topic Engagement and Reflection
2.1 WEEK 24 Leadership, Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
Last week lecture discussion was about leadership role in an organisations, ethics and
community social responsibilities. We studied carefully how important the role of a leader can
positively or negatively affect the organisations; we further discussed how leaders should
influence changes and connects with people (Grint, 2007). An exceptional leadership
individual is required for a brand to be successful globally and these individual leaders must
have global vision, tap into every member of organisation talent, energy and sensitivity to
local needs. Personal the most important idea leader in this ever changing and innovative
world must be willing to change, must be flexible, creative, open-minded, must be an
excellent listener and relentlessly adaptable (Ganta and Manukonda, 2014). In my further
research it was stated that Leadership is a kind of power where one person has the ability to
influence or change the values, beliefs, behaviour and attitudes of another person (Hao and
Yazdanifard, 2015). This statement is also supported by, who states that leaders who
possess strong leadership have the strength to influence others to achieve the goals and
objectives of the organization.
In conclusion, effective leadership is essential in current ever changing and innovative
business environment. I found this topic interesting and motivating and i believe that my
knowledge and skills have increased after I did some research on digital environment in
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global marketing (Northouse, 2017). My knowledge of digital transformation has been
significantly expanded as a result of last week lecture.
2.1.1 Topic Engagement
This topic facilitates the businesses to easily identify the aim of leadership in global
market by which they are able to gain the competitive advantage. We are living in a digital
age where digital transformation is the current topic for discussion all around and very well
suited to decide the business-agenda of companies worldwide (Blanchard, 2015). In fact, a
study conducted by Accenture strategy in 2016 concluded that for successful change
programs strong and consistent leadership capabilities are required at all levels of
organisation while the lowest performing change programs have leadership only at the top
(Seto and Sarros, 2016).
2.1.2 Article Reflection
My inference from the article ‘An entrepreneurial and capabilities perspective on
early and rapid internationalization’ is that the role of a leader is very crucial in the success
of corporate to operate as a multi-national company. The numerous challenges faced by the
organizations operating on a global level require a leader who incorporates a balanced
approach in its management of consumers as well as stakeholder’s interest. As per my
reflection of the article, the vision of the business leader and his influence on the people is a
contributing factor for a business to be successful on a global level. The leaders are also play
a vital part in upholding the environment and practices of social responsibility within the
organization. They through their actions and behaviour can motivate and inspire people to
induce ethics and responsibility in their conduct (Cavusgil and Knight, 2015). As the global
business and marketing environment is ever changing, it has therefore become essential for
the companies to have leaders who are dynamic and capable of dealing with the difficulties of
international business world.
As per my reflection of the article ‘Ethical environment in the online communities by
information credibility, global businesses are engaged in the constant struggle of increasing
their profits, market presence and maintain stakeholders interest while undertaking business
and marketing practices in an ethical manner. With the advent and development of trade and
business across geographical boundaries it has become important for organizations to
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practice ethics and maintain values in their business and marketing practices. According to
my views, a business with strong ethical values and practices is able to build a healthy and
favourable corporate image in the minds of the consumers which positively impacts its sales
and growth. It is not only necessary to practice ethics in making of the product but also during
the marketing activities conducted for promoting and selling the same (Hajli, 2018). As the
companies today deal with people of diverse cultures and sensitivities it is essential for them
to have strong ethical mind-set in conduct of business activities.
My thoughts on the information provided by the article ‘Corporate Social Responsibility
in International Marketing’ is that as the marketing activities of an organization transcends
its national boundaries the more relevant the role of Corporate Social Responsibility becomes
for that organization. The importance of CSR activities for businesses has been stressed for a
long period of time. However, the significance of including social responsibilities in the
company’s marketing efforts and strategies has been gaining importance over the years. CSR
activities, in my opinion, are essential for regulating the behaviour of the marketing policy and
strategy makers to make them more aware and active in addressing the social issues of the
countries where their promotional efforts are directed (Eteokleous.et al.2016). It also helps in
inculcating an attitude which is more conducive to social growth and welfare of the people
and the society as a whole. Corporate Social Responsibility in global marketing is essential
for undermining the profit maximization objective of the company and promoting a sense of
social and societal welfare in their practices and promotion activities.
2.2 WEEK 25 Global Marketing and the Digital Environment
The topic discussed during the last lecture session was about how the digital revolution
and transformation of technology in the world today is moving at an exponential rate unlike
the earlier digital evolution in 1930’s to 1990’s (Collin.et al.2015). The rapid increase of
innovation in digital marketing has influenced the pattern of customers and businesses
interaction.
Collin et al in 2015 described digitalization, as “the conversion of analogue information
into binary number of either 0 or 1 digital digit. A process of information conversion is from the
physical to the digital plane in other words (Garima, 2018). Digital transformation discusses
about all those series of events and processes which individuals, business organizations,
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societies and nations practice globally for technology adoption, which is a result of
digitalization (Kiviranta, 2018).
Leaders or companies that fails respond to change on time will become obsolete for instance
Kodak’s downfall from being the market leader to failure was the result of its leader’s lack of
foresight to understand the pace of change (Collin.et al.2014). In case of Kodak it would be
wrong to say the company was not creative and innovative because in 1975 company
developed world’s first digital camera and during 1980s and 1990s it kept investing in digital
abilities rather than what was wrong in case of Kodak.
I believe that knowledge I gained during the digital transformation class session made me
realized how important and relevant the topic is to global marketing.
2.2.1 Topic Engagement
Topic is engaged in identifying the international promotional era in the market that aids
the businesses to easily reach the customers in better and effective way. My knowledge of
social marketing has been significantly broadened after attending the last lecture ( Dong and
Wu, 2015). We carefully studied the effects of social media marketing using different social
media channels for instance electronics communication like social networks, media sharing
networks, discussion forums, bookmarking and content duration networks (Greenhow and
Lewin, 2016). The topic discussed during the last lecture session was about Innovative
Technology and Social Media, I found this topic informative and motivating especially the
area of Social media marketing.
2.2.2 Article Reflection
As per my reflection of the article ‘Cross-cultural perspectives on attitude towards
outdoor advertising in Internet era’, the increase in the use of internet and internet enabled
activities has made it essential for the companies to include digital and social media platforms
in their promotional strategies. The internet has bought the world closer and made it easy for
the organization to deliver its marketing message to a wide and varied audience across the
globe in a small amount of time. Social media platforms and digital marketing tools are
becoming popular means for promotion, advertisement and analysis of the impact of the
marketing activities carried out by the companies on local, national as well as global level
(Cheung and Leung, 2017). Digitization of the marketing activities has also made it possible
for the companies to customize their campaigns and messages according to the local and
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international requirement. They are able to create different as campaigns and target relevant
audiences with the help of the digital tools at a low cost which was not possible earlier.
My thoughts on the article ‘Social Media Marketing and Digital Performance’ are
that technology has greatly influenced the companies and consumers both positively and
adversely. The organizations who have taken advantage of the rising digital revolution have
grown to become most recognized and successful companies in the world with year on year
growth in sales and revenue. On the other hand, increasing technological dependency has
also exposed them to the risk associated with operating in a cyber-world. Also the many
successful organizations have perished due to their inability to cope with the internet and
digital revolution. Technology has also enabled the companies to expand their product
categories and enter new markets with relative ease. The consumers are at the centre of the
marketing efforts of the organizations (Miles, 2018). Digital and technological tools have
provided them a platform to openly voice their needs and complaints. Reviewing and rating
the products and services of the companies on social media and other mediums have caused
the companies to be more cautious of the qualities of their offerings. But the internet has also
caused overload of information for the consumers frequently putting them into a state of
dilemma and confusion regarding the choice of the products and services to be opted for.
According to my thoughts on the article ‘Challenges and solution for marketing in a
digital era’, internet and digitalization of marketing activities and processes, along with
opportunities, have also created many challenges for the companies on a global level. Social
media and e-commerce sites facilitate the consumers to review the comments and the
feedback provided by the other customers before buying their product, indicating that they are
getting influenced more by their fellow consumers than the advertisements and promotions
carried out the organization (Quinn.et al.2016). Social media platforms have taken up the
crucial role in terms of influencing consumer buying decision and behaviour. This is again
posing a challenge for the companies to come up with strategies to handle the ever dynamic
consumer preference in an unstable digital era.
2.3 WEEK 26 Innovative Technology and Social Media
In my further research it was stated that Social media is changing the business
landscape and redefining how businesses communicate across their channels of distribution
and with their customers (Jussila.et al.2014). The survey of 399 random European and U.S.
firms indicated that 88.2% of the firms had begun to undertake social media initiatives, and
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nearly half of these firms (42.1%) had fully integrated social media into their business
strategies. Related research demonstrates that consumers are spending 25% of their Internet
time on social networking sites, up from 15% in 2009. Consumers use social media to interact
with friends, view photos and videos, find businesses and brands (Adam.et al.2013). More
than half of online shoppers interact with retailer on social networking sites such as
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and retailers and brands are capitalizing on this new promotional
dimension to strengthen their customer relationships.
I found out that the social media webs are use to create a positive influence
consumers or business customers towards organisation’s goods and services. The Social
media usage is also extending beyond business-to consumer (B2C) settings and becoming
more apparent in the business-to-business (B2B) community (Holden-Bache, 2011). More
than 93% of B2B marketers use one or more forms of social media to interact with their
customers, and as of 2010, Fortune 100 companies averaged 20 social media accounts
each, which they used to interact with customers, corporate partners, end consumers, and
other stakeholders (Michaelidou.et al.2011).
In conclusion, social media marketing has given opportunity to connect and communicate
quickly and effectively, improve relationship amongst consumers and brand owners. It also
supports interactions with the brand industry and no longer just for consumers.
2.3.1 Topic Engagement
The main aim of the topic is to evaluate the innovative things happened in the market
through technology that aids the organizations to easily achieve the goals (Henfridsson.et
al.2018). Digital innovation is the best way to identify the competitiveness in the market.
2.3.2 Article Reflection
In my reflection of the article ‘Antecedents and outcomes of marketing innovation’
business and organization are increasingly making use of innovation in marketing practices
through technology to gain a competitive edge in the market. The marketing innovations
involve radically changing the traditional concepts and practices of marketing followed by the
organization for introduction and promotion of new products. These innovations help the
companies in elevating their competitive stand in the industry and also to increase the
promotion and sales of their new offerings. Marketing modernizations help in adding value to
the products and services offered to the consumers. Such modernizations and improvements
are beneficial for setting precedence for the other firms in the market and also the industry as
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a whole (Nieves and Diaz-Meneses, 2016). This process also facilitates the development of
relationship orientation among the companies regarding its suppliers and dealers to
accelerate the same for the purpose of providing new and advanced products to the
consumers at a faster pace.
As per my consideration of the article ‘Business model innovation’ in order to
maintain a competitive position in the market it is essential to keep abreast with the
technological development and innovations. These technological changes which are taking
place in communication technology, social media marketing and use of advanced technology
in different advertisement and promotional activities. The integration of digital technology with
marketing strategies has led to the revolution in the practices of promotion and marketing of
products to the consumers. Technology is being utilized in not only manufacturing advanced
products but also in promoting them through social media and other digital platforms
(Carayannis, 2015). This has also enabled the firms to gain access to information regarding
the consumers taste and preferences and also their buying behaviours and patterns. This
aids them in developing products more suitable and customizable to their requirements. Data
and information also facilitates effective planning and implementation of marketing strategies
for better promotion and advertisement among the consumers.
According to my contemplation of article ‘Elements of strategic social media
marketing’, social media is emerging to be a crucial tool for the promotion activities of the
organizations. It also proves as an important tool for gaining insight into the consumer
behaviour and preferences. Social media and digital marketing is also a medium for gaining
relevant analytics and data to measure the impact and reach of the marketing efforts of the
company. It is relatively easier to change and modify the strategies before and during
implementation so as to get desired results. Social Media platforms also work as source of
information for the consumers to obtain information and reviews of the product. It also helps
the company in increasing engagement with the customers to keep them interested and
informed about the new launches and schemes related to their products and get their
opinions on the same (Felix.et al.2017). The presence and relevance of social media is
increasing at a rate making it crucial for the organizations today to include it in their marketing
plan.
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3.0 Conclusion
3.1 Final Conclusion
Global marketing is more than selling a product internationally, it is the process of
planning, creating, ppositioning, and promoting of a company's goods or services in the
international market. However, global marketing is face with some difficulties which is called
Global Marketing Issue.
GIBBS module
Description
Global marketing issues are the challenges that firms or company’s encounter in these
ever fast changing and dynamic global market, there are internal and external factors that
also determine the demand and supply of products.
Feelings
Expectations during the take of this module are to get answers and possible solutions
to the challenges and issues affecting global marketing.
Evaluation
As per my evaluation it has been identifed that global marketing plays vital role in the
growth of organization and it also aids the management to expand the business globally.
Global marketing tools and techniques must be used in very effective manner thus leaders
are able to analyse the correct situation in national and international markets.
Conclusion
The report identifies the importance of global marketing for the expansion of business
at national and international platforms. Various journals have been reviewed in order to
complete the study.
Action plan
 Review the more articles related to global marketing in upcoming weeks.
 Identify the more issues related to global marketing.
 To increase the knowledge identifies the situations which affect the growth of
organization at international platform.
 Evaluate more platforms to connect with the new customers.
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3.2 Module Reflection
Studying and understanding the Global Marketing Issues is a relevant step in the
successful implementation and execution of the International Marketing Strategies. The
issues that impact both the internal and external environment of an organization, affects the
marketing strategies and efforts undertaken by an organization for the promotion of its
products and offerings to the global audience. The module identifies and studies the different
elements that play a crucial role in the current global marketing scenario. It discusses and
encourages the exploration of factors present inside the organization like ethics, corporate
social responsibility and leadership for increased social welfare attitude among the
organization and its people. The module also highlights the external factors like technology
and social media that are presently impacting and reforming the marketing and promotion
scenario globally.
Analysing these factors and their influences is instrumental in addressing the
challenges of global marketing such as product pricing, positioning and promotion. Social
media platforms and digital marketing tools have proven conducive in providing data and
insights to the marketing managers for proper selection of distribution channels and their
effective management. The data and insights also enable the companies to improve the
designs and introduce innovations in their products to attract more customers. Digital
marketing has aided the companies to expand into both national and foreign markets
simultaneously and with relative ease. The integration of ethical practices with technological
innovations in formulation, implementation and execution of marketing strategies is the need
of the hour to deal with the global marketing issues.
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