The Castolin China Market Development And Marketing Strategy

Welding products as an industrial material joining agent are widely used in various industries. With further development of Chinese economy and construction, and the quickened steps of the world economic integrity, Chinese welding market is viewing a promising prospect. However, it is also faced with intensive competition from home as well as from abroad.CASTOLIN-EUTECTIC Group is a 100-year-old welding supplier headquartered in Germany. In 2004, the group set up a company in Shanghai responsible for the sales of its welding products in China mainland and Hongkong area. During the promotion period in 2004, Castolin Shanghai encountered a lot of setbacks. By analyzing these problems, it has been found that CASTOLIN Shanghai hasn't formed its mature Chinese marketing strategies in customer positioning, marketing channel and market promotion. Therefore, to work out a set of suitable marketing strategies which may guide the company in its marketing actions will be of vital importance for winning the market priority and seizing development opportunity.This dissertation aims to probe into the problems existing in CASTOLIN Shanghai. With the knowledge learned from MBA courses in Shanghai Maritime University and the author's own work experience in this company, the author, at first, carries out a research on the company's internal and external environment which is based on the vast survey in Chinese welding field and trade circle. Secondly, after obtaining adequate information, the writer uses SWOT/TOWS analysis tools to compare and analyze company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats so as to find out favorable marketing conditions. In this section, the Internal Factor Analysis System (IFAS) and External Factor Analysis System (EFAS) are adopted. Thirdly, by market segmenting, the subdivided markets are founded and, finally different marketing strategies are suggested under the guidance of the classicalmarketing theory - 5Ps.