| Course | GMK-7030 Global Marketing |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Module 1 written assignment: introduction to global marketing |
| Length | About 540 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | MBA in Marketing |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for GMK 7030 Module 1
Beyond the Northeast: The Case for Taking a New Jersey Blueberry Brand Global
Student Name
MBA in Marketing, Thomas Edison State University
GMK-7030: Global Marketing
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Beyond the Northeast: The Case for Taking a New Jersey Blueberry Brand Global
Introduction
Global marketing applies the same disciplines as domestic marketing, finding customers, creating value for them and competing, in markets that differ in culture, income, law and competition. Keegan and Green (2019) describe it as focusing a company's resources and objectives on global market opportunities. This assignment applies the idea to Pine Barrens Farms, a composite family company in Hammonton, New Jersey, that grows highbush blueberries, dries much of its crop and sells pouches of dried berries and fruit snacks to grocery chains from Maryland to Maine.
Forces Driving and Restraining Expansion
Keegan and Green (2019) identify forces that push companies toward global markets and forces that hold them back. For Pine Barrens the driving forces are strong. Its domestic grocery customers are consolidating and pressing for lower prices, so growth at home now comes at shrinking margins. Demand for blueberries is rising in Asia, where they are associated with health. Lower shipping and communication costs and cross-border e-commerce let a small firm test a market without building an office there.
The restraining forces are also real. The company has no export experience and no managers who speak a second language. Food imports face labeling, additive and residue rules that vary by country. Exchange rates add risk, and the company's brand is unknown outside the Northeast. These restraints do not argue against expansion, but they argue for a deliberate first step rather than many markets at once. Knight and Cavusgil (2004) showed that small, young firms can succeed abroad when they build marketing and innovation capabilities, so Pine Barrens' size alone does not rule it out.
Management Orientation
Perlmutter's EPRG framework, presented in the text, describes four orientations: ethnocentric managers assume the home approach works everywhere, polycentric managers treat each country as unique, regiocentric managers plan by region and geocentric managers look for similarities and differences worldwide. The owners of Pine Barrens are currently ethnocentric by default; they have only sold at home, and when a Canadian buyer called, they shipped the same pouches with an English label. A polycentric start suits the company better. Its first foreign market will reward learning what local customers value, and a polycentric mindset makes the company listen rather than assume.
Standardize or Adapt?
Global marketers choose how far to standardize the product, brand and promotion across countries and how far to adapt them. Szymanski et al. (1993) found that many businesses in Western markets use similar strategies across countries, yet the case for standardization weakens where culture, regulation and distribution differ widely. For Pine Barrens the best answer is to standardize the core product, which is simply dried fruit with no added sugar, and to adapt the package size, labeling, language, claims and promotion to the chosen market. That approach keeps production simple, a necessity for a small grower, while respecting differences customers will notice.
Recommendation
Pine Barrens should go global, but with one market first. A single, well-researched country lets a small firm learn export logistics, regulation and local marketing before committing more. The next module will compare candidate markets, with East Asia the leading region given its demand for blueberries and its consumers' interest in healthy, convenient snacks.
References
Keegan, W. J., & Green, M. C. (2019). Global marketing (10th ed.). Pearson.
Knight, G. A., & Cavusgil, S. T. (2004). Innovation, organizational capabilities, and the born-global firm. Journal of International Business Studies, 35(2), 124-141. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400071
Szymanski, D. M., Bharadwaj, S. G., & Varadarajan, P. R. (1993). Standardization versus adaptation of international marketing strategy: An empirical investigation. Journal of Marketing, 57(4), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299305700401
What the GMK 7030 Module 1 instructions ask for
The first GMK-7030 written assignment introduces global marketing through short questions answered in about 250 to 500 words each. Expect to explain what global marketing is, why companies pursue it, which forces drive and restrain global expansion, how management orientation shapes strategy and whether a firm should standardize or adapt its marketing. Many students answer for the product and country they will use in the final global marketing plan, which saves work later. Keegan and Green's concepts should be applied to one named firm, each answer kept tight, and the textbook plus at least one outside source cited. Because the plan will be built across the course, use this first assignment to test whether your product and its company are realistic candidates for export.
How this GMK 7030 Module 1 example is built
The paper defines global marketing and introduces the composite company. A section weighs driving forces, such as domestic retail consolidation and Asian demand, against restraining forces, such as food regulation and a lack of export experience. The company's owners are placed on the EPRG scale from their own behavior, and the paper argues for a polycentric start. A section on standardization and adaptation recommends standardizing the core product while adapting packaging, labels and promotion. The recommendation chooses one market first and sets up the next module's market comparison, building the course's running case. Each concept is applied to a decision the company must make, which keeps the short answers practical.
Where the marks sit in the GMK 7030 Module 1 rubric
Six written assignments share 40 percent of the GMK-7030 grade, and for this first one mentors look at whether the global marketing concepts are right, whether they are applied to a real firm and whether the reasoning holds together. Answers that define the forces or orientations without applying them earn partial credit. Taking a position on standardization and supporting it with research shows the analysis expected in an MBA course. Answers should stay within the length the question sets, with citations for the text and any outside sources, and should read as connected reasoning rather than a list. Mentors also look for concise answers that stay within the assigned length; a focused 400 words with clear reasoning earns more than a longer answer that drifts. Citations to the text and one scholarly source show that the reasoning rests on course material.
Common GMK 7030 Module 1 mistakes, and how to avoid them
A common way to lose marks here is a broad essay about globalization that never answers the questions for one company, or a tour of Perlmutter's four orientations that never says which one describes the firm. Some recommend entering many countries at once without considering resources. Choose your final project product early and use it here. Name both driving and restraining forces. Justify your orientation from evidence. Keep the standardization answer specific to product, brand and promotion. A free first sample for your own GMK-7030 Module 1 company is available on request. State your position in the first sentence of each answer so the mentor knows immediately what you recommend.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More GMK 7030 and MBA in Marketing sample papers
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- GMK 7030 Module 3: Written Assignment: Researching and Segmenting the Japanese Market
- GMK 7030 Module 4: Midterm Assignment: Choosing How to Enter Japan
- GMK 7030 Module 5: Written Assignment: Branding and Pricing Dried Blueberries in Japan
- GMK 7030 Module 6: Written Assignment: Getting Blueberries Onto Japanese Shelves
- GMK 7030 Module 7: Final Project: A Global Marketing Plan for Japan
- GMK 7030 Module 8: Presentation: Presenting the Japan Marketing Plan
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GMK 7030 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free GMK 7030 Module 1 sample paper?
The full answer for Pine Barrens Farms is above, covering driving and restraining forces, the EPRG orientations and standardization versus adaptation.
What is the EPRG framework?
Perlmutter's classification of management orientations as ethnocentric, polycentric, regiocentric or geocentric, describing how managers view foreign markets.
What textbook does GMK-7030 use?
Keegan and Green's Global Marketing, tenth edition, from Pearson.
Should global companies standardize or adapt their marketing?
Usually both: firms standardize what customers do not notice or value differently and adapt what local culture, rules and channels require.
How long are GMK-7030 written assignments?
The syllabus asks for answers of 250 to 500 words, about one to two double-spaced pages.