GMK 7030 Module 2 Written Assignment: Japan's Environment for an Imported Snack Example

Reviewed by Edgar Pennington, MBA Thomas Edison State University Updated October 2026

This GMK 7030 Module 2 example answers the written assignment on the global marketing environment in Global Marketing, a course in TESU's MBA in Marketing. GMK-7030 asks students in Module 2 to tell their mentor which product and country their global marketing plan will cover, so this assignment both scans an environment and justifies a choice. The sample picks Japan for Pine Barrens Farms, the family grower introduced in Module 1, after weighing it against South Korea and Taiwan. It looks at Japan's aging economy and weak yen, its shopping and gift customs, its trade ties with Washington and the labeling and function claim rules for imported food, then lists what the plan must exploit or guard against.

CourseGMK-7030 Global Marketing
ModuleModule 2
Paper typeModule 2 written assignment: the global marketing environment
LengthAbout 480 words, 4 pages
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolThomas Edison State University
ProgramMBA in Marketing
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for GMK 7030 Module 2

1

Choosing Japan: The Economic, Cultural and Regulatory Setting for New Jersey Blueberries

Student Name

MBA in Marketing, Thomas Edison State University

GMK-7030: Global Marketing

Mentor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title announces the product and country choice the module requires and the environmental scan that supports it.
2

Choosing Japan: The Economic, Cultural and Regulatory Setting for New Jersey Blueberries

Introduction and Choice of Market

Pine Barrens Farms considered three markets in East Asia: Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. All three import American blueberries and value healthy snacks. Japan was chosen because it is the largest of the three, has well-developed import channels for American food and has a long association between blueberries and eye health that gives the product a ready reason to buy. This assignment examines the environment Pine Barrens would enter, using the categories in Keegan and Green (2019).

Economic Environment

Japan is a high-income economy of about 124 million people, but it is aging and shrinking. More than 29 percent of residents are 65 or older (Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2024), the highest share among large economies, and households are small. For a snack brand this means demand for small, portioned packs and for products associated with health. The yen weakened sharply after 2021 and traded near 150 to the dollar in 2024, which raises the yen price of American imports and argues for careful pricing in Module 5.

Social and Cultural Environment

Japanese consumers place a high value on quality, freshness and packaging, and they are willing to pay for products they trust. Hofstede (2001) scores Japan among the highest countries on uncertainty avoidance, which helps explain the preference for familiar brands, detailed product information and retailer endorsement. Gift giving is important, with seasonal gift periods in summer and at year-end, and attractive packaging can turn a snack into a gift. Convenience stores are central to daily life, and many consumers buy small snacks there several times a week.

Political, Legal and Regulatory Environment

Japan is a stable democracy and a close ally and trading partner of the United States, and the 2020 trade agreement between the two countries lowered or removed Japanese tariffs on many American farm products. Food regulation is strict. Labels must be in Japanese and follow the Food Labeling Standards, with ingredients, allergens, nutrition facts and the importer's name. Health claims are tightly controlled: a company can describe a food's effect on the body only under recognized systems such as Foods with Function Claims, which requires filing scientific evidence with the Consumer Affairs Agency before sale. Pine Barrens will therefore avoid eye health claims on its package at launch, while its promotion can rely on the reputation blueberries already have.

What this page is doingSeparating what the package may claim from what the culture already believes turns a legal constraint into a positioning choice.
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Opportunities and Threats

The environment offers three opportunities: an established belief in blueberries as healthy, a demand for small premium snacks in convenience stores and a trade relationship that favors American farm goods. It also presents three threats: a weak yen that pushes up shelf prices, strict labeling and claim rules that demand local expertise, and competition from Canadian and Chilean berries and from Japanese snack makers. The remaining modules will address these through research, entry, pricing and distribution.

References

Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Sage.

Keegan, W. J., & Green, M. C. (2019). Global marketing (10th ed.). Pearson.

Statistics Bureau of Japan. (2024). Statistical handbook of Japan 2024. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

What the GMK 7030 Module 2 instructions ask for

The second GMK-7030 written assignment asks you to analyze the global marketing environment for a product in a country, and Module 2 is also when you tell your mentor which product and country your final project will cover. Expect questions on the economic environment, including income, growth and exchange rates; the social and cultural environment; the political and legal environment, including trade agreements; and the regulatory rules for your product. Answer each in about 250 to 500 words, apply the text's categories and use current data from government or international sources. Cite everything in APA style. Your mentor will use your country choice to guide the rest of the course, so give enough reasons that the choice holds up.

Inside the GMK 7030 Module 2 example

The paper begins by naming Japan and explaining the choice against two other East Asian markets. Economic, cultural, and political, legal and regulatory sections each apply the textbook's categories to the product, with current figures such as the share of residents over 65 and the yen's exchange rate. The regulatory section separates labeling rules from health claim rules and turns the claim restriction into a positioning decision. A closing section lists three opportunities and three threats and links each to a later module. The paper ties every environmental fact back to what it means for selling dried blueberries. Every category closes by saying what it implies for dried blueberries, which turns the scan into a set of decisions.

GMK 7030 Module 2 rubric: what earns full marks

Mentors grade the environment assignment for complete coverage of the required categories, accurate and current facts, application to the chosen product and clear reasoning about implications. Country facts that never connect to the product earn only part of the available marks. Credible sources, such as national statistics offices and trade agencies, earn more than general websites. Because this assignment sets up the final project, a clear and justified product and country choice also matters. Writing should be concise, organized by category and cited in APA style. Choosing a country by comparing a few candidates, rather than naming one without explanation, shows the strategic reasoning the course rewards. Mentors also check that facts are current, especially exchange rates and trade agreements, which change often.

Common GMK 7030 Module 2 mistakes, and how to avoid them

Students lose points when their environmental scan reads like a country profile, with population, history and geography that never connect to the product. Others use old data, ignore exchange rates or skip the regulatory rules that most affect food, cosmetics or medical products. Follow every country fact with what it changes for the product you chose. Check labeling and claim rules early, since they shape packaging and promotion. Close by naming the opportunities and threats your later modules will answer. A free first sample for your own GMK-7030 Module 2 product and country is available on request. Use the host country's own statistics office and the U.S. trade agencies for current figures.

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.

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GMK 7030 Module 2 questions, answered

Where can I find a free GMK 7030 Module 2 sample paper?

The complete environmental scan of Japan for New Jersey dried blueberries is above, with the market choice and its opportunities and threats.

What does the global marketing environment include?

Economic, social and cultural, political and legal, and regulatory conditions, along with financial factors such as exchange rates.

When do GMK-7030 students choose their final project country?

The syllabus asks students to tell their mentor their product and country choice in Module 2.

Can imported foods make health claims in Japan?

Only under recognized systems such as Foods with Function Claims, which requires filing evidence with the Consumer Affairs Agency before sale.

How do exchange rates affect global marketing?

A weaker local currency raises the local price of imports, which can force exporters to cut margins or reposition the product.