Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/333698 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Publisher: 
ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, Kiel, Hamburg
Abstract: 
This case study examines Highland Spring’s potential entry into the Chinese bottled water market. As the United Kingdom’s leading domestic bottled water brand, Highland Spring has built a solid position at home but has little activity abroad. With the UK market already well developed, the company now faces limited room to grow locally, which makes international expansion an important consideration. The case requires students to evaluate whether Highland Spring should expand into China, determine the appropriate entry mode, identify target customer segments, and design a marketing strategy that balances standardization with local adaptation. Students analyze Highland Spring's internal capabilities using SWOT and product life cycle frameworks, assess the UK market environment to understand the push factors for internationalization, evaluate China's attractiveness using PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces, and develop recommendations for segmentation, targeting, and positioning. The case is designed for global strategic management and international marketing courses, where students need to bring together several frameworks to develop practical and well-reasoned market entry recommendations for a premium consumer brand.
Subjects: 
global strategic management
international marketing
market entry strategy
standardization versus adaptation
segmentation and targeting
China
JEL: 
M16
F23
M31
M21
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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