Sustainable Global Marketing: Insights from Germany and Beyond

Please visit our website (www.fubis.org) for an overview of all courses offered and for possible updates to the course programme. About this course Sustainable Global Marketing in Berlin explores the integration of global marketing strategies with sustainability principles. Sustainability is a societal issue that involves all stakeholders; this course focuses on organisations that align their business operations with sustainability goals for a variety of reasons, such as government regulations, customer demand, economic viability, or personal conviction. Effectively communicating these efforts to all stakeholders requires the use of global marketing strategies. This course examines the opportunities and challenges associated with marketing across borders and how they are impacted by the social, cultural, economic, political, and technological landscapes. For the purpose of this course, the following definition of global marketing will be used: strategies that are designed with a global audience in mind, often developed centrally and then rolled out with minor adjustments for local markets. By studying in Berlin, students first-hand experience with how business differs within the German context (i.e. risk aversion, lack of sugar coating) while gaining a deeper understanding of global marketing. This experiential course combines in-class learning with out-of-classroom experiences to study how global companies operate in Berlin. Students will explore and analyse marketing strategies and practices tailored specifically to the German market, will consider the cultural diversity of Berlin and will evaluate how marketing strategies vary based on language, culture, history, and formal institutions. An emphasis will be placed on cultural localisation strategies as well as an understanding of diverse cultural values, consumer behaviours, and preferences across Berlin and other German regions. Students will explore opportunities to develop sustainable practices within the context of the marketing mix and will develop strategies to adapt marketing campaigns, product offerings, and ways of communication to appeal to local customers. The course aims to broaden student appreciation of the German market and equips students with foundations and knowledge to understand how global corporations tailor their marketing strategies to appeal to local customers and address sustainability issues. Participants will develop a competitive strategy and a marketing plan for a new product in Berlin. The major learning goal of this course is for students to cultivate a mindset rooted in sustainable marketing principles, with a deep understanding of the relationship between local, international, and global perspectives.