Global Marketing Strategy Training Course

Duration 10 days 19 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends International Marketing Manager, Product Marketing Manager and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-M-029

Before you join: Participants should have practical experience in marketing, product management, sales, business development or commercial planning.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

International growth often fails not because the product is weak, but because market assumptions are transferred without sufficient testing. A campaign that performs well domestically may miss local buying criteria, channel structures, pricing expectations, regulations or cultural cues elsewhere. Marketing leaders need a disciplined way to select markets, define segments, position offers, organise local adaptation and measure commercial results across countries.

This course equips participants to design and manage global marketing strategies using market-screening models, customer research, STP, CAGE distance analysis, PESTLE, Porter's Five Forces and international marketing-mix decisions. Participants assess country attractiveness, prioritise entry options, develop market-specific value propositions, set pricing architecture, select routes to market and plan integrated campaigns. The programme also addresses governance, brand consistency, localisation, partner management, data protection and performance measurement.

Teaching combines concise instructor briefings with cases from banking, consumer goods, technology, public services, healthcare and development programmes. Participants work with practical templates, analyse country and customer evidence, make trade-offs in simulations and apply each method to a selected organisation, product or service. By the final module, each participant presents a complete global marketing strategy for review, including market choices, segmentation, positioning, channel approach, campaign plan, budget logic and measurement framework.

The course suits marketing professionals responsible for expanding established offers into new countries, improving underperforming international portfolios or coordinating regional and local marketing teams.

What you will be able to do

  • Evaluate international market attractiveness using weighted screening criteria and evidence sources
  • Apply CAGE, PESTLE and Porter's Five Forces to assess country-market conditions
  • Develop segment, target and positioning decisions for priority international customer groups
  • Design country-level value propositions using customer jobs, pains and gains
  • Set international pricing architecture using willingness-to-pay, costs, taxes and channel margins
  • Select market-entry routes and channel models aligned with control, risk and speed
  • Build integrated international campaign plans with localisation, governance and measurement controls
  • Present a complete global marketing strategy with budget, roadmap and KPI dashboard

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce defensible recommendations for country selection and market-entry priorities
  • Lead evidence-based discussions with regional teams, distributors and senior stakeholders
  • Adapt positioning and campaigns without weakening core brand meaning
  • Build credible international pricing and channel recommendations
  • Create a portfolio-ready global marketing strategy for a real business challenge

For your organisation

  • Improves discipline in selecting countries before committing marketing investment
  • Reduces wasted spend from transferring unsuitable domestic campaigns internationally
  • Creates clearer alignment between central marketing teams and local market owners
  • Strengthens pricing, channel and partner decisions with documented commercial logic
  • Establishes measurable country plans linked to revenue, adoption and retention goals

Course modules

19 modules over 10 days

Participants can define the strategic choices required for a focused international marketing plan.

  • International growth choices: market selection, entry mode, positioning and investment
  • Corporate strategy, market strategy and country plans distinguished clearly
  • Global, regional and local marketing operating models compared
  • Standardisation versus adaptation decisions assessed through customer and regulatory evidence
  • Marketing objectives linked to revenue, adoption, retention and market-share goals
  • Strategy-on-a-page format for international marketing decision alignment

Participants can build an evidence base for comparing international market opportunities.

  • Secondary research sources: trade data, regulators, industry reports and company filings
  • TAM, SAM and SOM estimates constructed from defensible assumptions
  • Demand indicators separated from accessible demand and addressable revenue
  • Customer interviews structured using problem, behaviour and decision-criteria questions
  • Competitor intelligence gathered from propositions, prices, channels and communications
  • Evidence logs record source quality, assumptions, gaps and confidence levels

Participants can rank countries using transparent commercial and strategic criteria.

  • Weighted scorecards rank countries against opportunity, feasibility and strategic fit
  • Screening criteria include demand, margin, competition, access and risk
  • Scoring scales calibrated to avoid false precision and hidden bias
  • Sensitivity analysis tests whether rankings withstand changed assumptions
  • Country clusters identify shared needs, channels, regulations and buying patterns
  • Prioritisation matrices distinguish enter, monitor, partner and avoid decisions

Participants can diagnose external conditions shaping international market attractiveness and execution.

  • PESTLE assesses political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental forces
  • Porter's Five Forces tests industry profit potential and competitive pressure
  • CAGE distance analysis identifies cultural, administrative, geographic and economic differences
  • Regulatory mapping identifies licences, claims restrictions, data rules and approvals
  • Currency volatility, inflation and payment practices assessed for commercial impact
  • Scenario assumptions capture plausible policy, competitor and demand changes

Participants can identify customer needs and buying behaviour that vary by market.

  • Customer journey mapping identifies triggers, barriers, moments and channel preferences
  • Jobs-to-be-Done interviews reveal functional, emotional and social progress sought
  • Buying-centre analysis maps users, influencers, approvers, buyers and gatekeepers
  • Cultural context shapes trust signals, risk perception and purchase decisions
  • Usage-and-attitude studies separate stated preferences from observed behaviour
  • Insight statements connect audience tension, evidence and commercial implication

Participants can create market-specific STP decisions supported by customer and commercial evidence.

  • STP segments customers by needs, value, behaviour and accessibility
  • Segment attractiveness assesses size, growth, profitability, reachability and fit
  • Target personas specify context, needs, objections, channels and buying roles
  • Positioning statements define audience, frame of reference, benefit and proof
  • Perceptual maps compare competitor positions against valued decision criteria
  • Cross-market segment maps identify universal needs and local differences

Participants can develop credible value propositions for priority segments in selected markets.

  • Value Proposition Canvas links customer jobs, pains, gains and offer elements
  • Proof points use performance data, customer evidence, certifications and demonstrations
  • Message hierarchy separates master promise, supporting benefits and local reasons
  • Translation checks protect intended meaning, tone, clarity and legal compliance
  • Cultural semiotics identify symbols, associations and meanings affecting brand reception
  • Concept testing compares relevance, differentiation, credibility and purchase intent

Participants can define brand rules that permit local relevance while preserving core meaning.

  • Branded house, house of brands and endorsed brands compared
  • Brand essence defines enduring purpose, promise, personality and customer value
  • Global brand platforms distinguish fixed assets from adaptable elements
  • Visual identity systems specify logo, colour, typography, imagery and spacing
  • Localisation approval workflows assign decision rights, review stages and escalation
  • Brand governance scorecards assess consistency, relevance and compliance

Participants can decide what to standardise, adapt or redesign for each priority market.

  • Product-market fit tests customer need, usability, willingness and access
  • Adaptation decisions cover features, packaging, service levels and documentation
  • Regulatory requirements shape labelling, safety claims, language and disclosures
  • Service blueprints map frontstage interactions, backstage processes and failure points
  • Minimum viable localisation prioritises changes with highest customer and commercial impact
  • Country product roadmaps sequence mandatory, valuable and optional adaptations

Participants can recommend pricing structures that account for value, costs and market constraints.

  • Value-based pricing estimates willingness-to-pay from customer outcomes and alternatives
  • Price waterfalls track list price, discounts, taxes, fees and net revenue
  • Landed-cost calculations include freight, duties, insurance, handling and compliance
  • Channel margin structures align distributor incentives with target customer prices
  • Price corridors set acceptable country ranges around strategic reference prices
  • Grey-market risks assessed through price gaps, arbitrage and channel controls

Participants can select entry routes that balance market access, control, investment and risk.

  • Exporting, licensing, franchising, partnerships, acquisition and subsidiaries compared
  • Entry-mode choices assessed by control, capital, speed, learning and exposure
  • Direct, distributor, agent, marketplace and retail channels evaluated
  • Partner due diligence reviews coverage, capability, incentives, reputation and finances
  • Channel conflict scenarios address territory, account ownership and pricing disputes
  • Go-to-market milestones link readiness, launch, scale and review decisions

Participants can equip sales teams and partners to communicate and deliver the market proposition.

  • Partner segmentation differentiates strategic, growth, transactional and specialist relationships
  • Joint business plans set targets, actions, funding, roles and review dates
  • Sales playbooks organise target accounts, discovery questions, proof and objections
  • Co-marketing funds governed through eligibility, approval, claims and measurement
  • Distributor onboarding covers training, collateral, lead handling and reporting
  • Partner scorecards track pipeline, conversion, coverage, capability and compliance

Participants can build communication plans matched to market objectives, audiences and local media conditions.

  • Integrated marketing communications aligns paid, owned, earned and partner channels
  • Communication objectives specify awareness, consideration, conversion, retention or advocacy
  • Media planning uses audience reach, frequency, cost and contextual relevance
  • Local channel habits shape search, social, events, messaging and retail activation
  • Creative briefing defines audience insight, proposition, mandatories and desired response
  • Campaign calendars coordinate central assets, local adaptations and launch windows

Participants can plan digital journeys that meet local expectations and data requirements.

  • Search behaviour research identifies local terms, intent patterns and content gaps
  • International SEO addresses hreflang, domain structure, metadata and local links
  • Conversion funnels identify drop-off points across acquisition, purchase and onboarding
  • Consent management aligns data collection with applicable privacy requirements
  • Website localisation covers language, currency, payments, delivery and support
  • Customer experience metrics include NPS, CSAT, conversion and repeat purchase

Participants can build an international marketing budget and defend its commercial assumptions.

  • Objective-and-task budgeting links planned activities to required resources
  • Budget categories separate media, content, partners, events, technology and research
  • Customer acquisition cost calculated by channel, segment and country
  • Marketing-sourced pipeline connects campaign investment with revenue opportunities
  • Break-even analysis tests volume, contribution margin and marketing-spend assumptions
  • Investment cases state assumptions, risks, dependencies and decision thresholds

Participants can define KPI systems that support country-level marketing decisions and improvement.

  • KPI trees connect business outcomes with marketing inputs and leading indicators
  • Funnel dashboards track reach, engagement, leads, conversion and retention
  • Attribution models compare first-touch, last-touch, linear and data-driven approaches
  • Cohort analysis separates acquisition performance from customer retention patterns
  • Test-and-learn backlogs prioritise hypotheses by impact, effort and confidence
  • Monthly business reviews convert performance data into decisions and actions

Participants can identify and manage marketing risks before country launch and campaign deployment.

  • Marketing compliance registers assign obligations, owners, controls and review dates
  • Advertising standards govern claims, disclosures, targeting and comparative statements
  • Data privacy controls address consent, retention, access and vendor responsibilities
  • Anti-bribery controls govern partner incentives, hospitality and promotional payments
  • Cultural risk reviews identify exclusion, offence, stereotyping and reputational harm
  • Issue-response protocols define monitoring, escalation, messaging and corrective actions

Participants can translate international strategy into accountable delivery plans and governance routines.

  • Ninety-day plans sequence research, readiness, launch and optimisation actions
  • RACI matrices clarify central, regional, local and partner accountabilities
  • Critical-path plans identify dependencies, approvals, resources and delivery milestones
  • Marketing operating rhythms schedule planning, performance reviews and asset approvals
  • Change communication plans prepare sales teams, service teams and partners
  • Risk registers track probability, impact, mitigation owner and trigger

Participants can build, review and present a complete global marketing strategy for a selected offer and priority market.

  • Country selection justified through scorecard evidence, scenarios and strategic fit
  • Priority segments, personas and positioning translated into market-specific value propositions
  • Product adaptation, pricing and channel choices integrated into one market model
  • Campaign architecture connects objectives, messages, channels, assets and timing
  • Budget, KPI dashboard and roadmap demonstrate commercial feasibility and control
  • Peer review tests assumptions, risks, coherence and implementation readiness

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. International market screening scorecard
  2. Country opportunity evidence log
  3. Cross-market STP and positioning template
  4. International pricing waterfall model
  5. Market-entry and channel decision matrix
  6. Global marketing strategy presentation pack

Who should attend

  • International Marketing Manager — responsible for country growth plans and regional coordination
  • Product Marketing Manager — adapting value propositions for new customer markets
  • Regional Marketing Manager — balancing central brand direction with local market requirements
  • Business Development Manager — assessing commercial opportunities before market entry
  • Brand Manager — protecting brand meaning while approving local activation
  • Export Sales Manager — improving distributor support, pricing and market development

Skills and tools covered

International market assessmentCross-border segmentationGlobal brand positioningInternational pricingChannel strategyCampaign measurement

Tools and standards

PESTLE analysis, Porter's Five Forces, CAGE Distance Framework, Value Proposition Canvas

How the course runs

Training methodology

Instructor-led sessions combine short briefings with country cases, market-data interpretation, group analysis, decision simulations and structured application planning. Participants use recognised frameworks to compare markets, diagnose customer needs, test positioning choices and build marketing-mix decisions. Cases reflect the realities of regulated services, consumer markets, B2B sales and partner-led distribution. Facilitators give feedback on assumptions, evidence quality, financial logic and implementation risks. Classroom delivery is available in 50+ cities, with the same instructor-led format offered live online.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have practical experience in marketing, product management, sales, business development or commercial planning. They should understand basic customer segmentation, positioning, marketing channels and campaign metrics, and be comfortable reading market data, revenue figures and simple budgets. Experience of international work is helpful but not required. The course does not require prior use of CAGE, PESTLE, Porter's Five Forces or formal market-research software. Participants gain most value when they bring a product, service, target country or cross-border growth question from their own work.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand basic marketing concepts and have some experience in a marketing, sales, product or business-development role. International experience is useful but not required; the course teaches the country-analysis and market-entry methods from first principles.

Bring a current product, service, target country or market-growth issue if possible. Participants can use their own commercial context when building scorecards, positioning choices, channel plans and the final strategy.

It is designed for professionals with responsibility for market expansion, regional marketing, product marketing, export development, brand management or partner marketing. It is particularly relevant where central and local teams must make coordinated decisions.

A general marketing strategy course usually focuses on one domestic market. This course concentrates on country selection, cultural and regulatory variation, international pricing, entry modes, partner channels, localisation and cross-border marketing governance.

The templates are designed for immediate use in market assessments, launch planning, distributor reviews and campaign approvals. The capstone provides a documented strategy that can be refined with local teams and presented to decision-makers.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, providing about 6.5 contact hours daily. The first week establishes market analysis, customer insight and marketing-mix choices; the second week develops channels, campaigns, measurement, governance and the final strategy presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

Related courses in Marketing