MKGT630 Manufacturing Study Case:

Michelle, Elena, and the Mobile Manufacturing, Inc. (MM) board of directors know how important it is to understand the environment in which it is operating. They hired you—a highly-regarded marketing consultant—to bring a fresh perspective to the marketing plan. You are scheduled to meet with Michelle and Elena next week to discuss the environmental conditions that are relevant to introducing the new product.

As you prepare for the meeting, you consider all of the possible environmental issues. You recognize that Elena brings an interesting perspective to the process because she has experience designing mobile phones for the Eastern European market, and she is pushing for a new product that can be marketed worldwide. On the other hand, Michelle is more concerned with the domestic marketplace and is worried that trying to market a new product anywhere outside the United States—much less worldwide—could be very risky.

You sit down to start your work on the marketing plan, and you begin by drafting some goals that the marketing plan needs to address.

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400-600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Walking through the halls at MM, you ponder the job that lies ahead. Coming out of her office, Michelle spots you and heads in your direction.

Consider the environmental variables (i.e., technological, demographic, economic, political, and cultural variables) that you must include in your marketing plan, and answer the following:MKGT630 Manufacturing Study Case

• Which of the environmental factors do you feel is the most critical, and why?
• What might someone with an opposing viewpoint think is the most important?
  • Given this opposing argument, how would you argue your opinion?
• What solutions should be considered as you seek to develop a sense of ownership of your plan?
• What solutions would you recommend to the board, and why?
• Is a compromise feasible?

Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:

• What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
• What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
• What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
• What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings:MKGT630 Manufacturing Study Case