International marketing: The launch of an electric / hybrid car by a French car manufacturer in the US market.

Résumé du document

During the vehicle exhibitions in Frankfurt in 2009, Renault, a French car constructor showed new electric concept cars. These cars are today, more than just concepts because Renault offers its customers a whole range of electric vehicles. This is the best way for Renault to offer a range of products and services answering the actual problems of sustainable development. Technological evolutions and innovations makes Renault able to offer electric cars at reasonable and affordable costs. This is also the vehicle adapted by the major part of the Europeans, who drive less than 60km per day. The point of this paper is to analyze and create a marketing plan to help Renault to internationalize its electric car offer, and sell some in North America. As search and development of these cars have been possible due to the Renault and Nissan alliance, we can assume that it can be a plus point to enter the North American market. The place chosen to launch first is California, because this state is very concerned by sustainable development and has planned to implement the use of electric cars. Officially, a billion dollars could be spent from 2008 to 2012 to create and implement public and private battery plugs in the area of San Francisco.

Extraits

[...] It represents bikes, planes, and public transportation, but they can't totally replace the car capacities. Buyers the buyers' power is very important as they have very high expectations, concerning quality and techniques. Moreover, even if cars are one of the main things that makes up an economy, if people have not money they will not buy cars. That's what happened during the 2008 crisis so buyers power is kinf of important. Suppliers Suppliers do not have a very important power of negotiation but they keep an important power as they can put pressure on delivery delays, which can be very difficult for the car company to handle. [...]

[...] The product life-cycle Product life cycle stages The product life cycle stages There are 5 main steps in each product life cycle. Let's analyze them concerning the electric cars: Development phase: The time taken by innovation and Search & Development to create a concept electric and designed car Introduction stage: When Renault's electric car concept has been presented at the Francfort exhibition, so it has been indirectly put on the market. Growth: when it starts to be produced and sold Maturity: The point where people know the product and want it Decline: When others competitors would have taken market share or offer a better product or finally better substitute products. [...]

[...] The exportation The system of exportation is the way used by a company which consist in producing in a country and send it in another one. The product is not produced and sold at the same place. This commercial activity is very important as it allows to boost an economy with highlighting the company's and the company's country' efficiency in a global world. This is a good way to reinforce Renault's position on the global market. Moreover, the main point where Renault could choose this way to penetrate the US market is that the production would still be in France, which means that Renault shouldn't support high costs of delocalization. [...]

[...] Renault's international competitiveness To analyze Renault's international competitiveness, we have to focus on 3 levels: the macro level, which means analyzing Renault's national competitiveness, then the meso level, which means analyzing the competition in the car industry, and finally the micro level, which means analyzing Renault's value chain Macro level: analysis of Renault's national competitiveness To analyze Renault's national competitiveness, we must use Porter's diamond to highlight the company's situation in its national context. PORTER'S DIAMOND Factor conditions are the heavy plants and infrastructure that are needed to compete in the car industry. It also considers the human resources which is kind of an issue here because employees in the French car industry are less effective as they suffer from part rime employment as the economy and the demand has been less important since the 2008 crisis. [...]

[...] market presents tons of opportunities, from the number of potential customers to the the consumption habits of the people. But penetrating this market is not that simple, and moreover with a French manufactured electric cars. In fact, there are a lot of economical but overall political barriers that break the implementation in the country. That's why Renault must benchmark and study a lot the U.S. habits, culture, legislation and economy, to see if they have a chance to succeed in this particular sector and country. [...]