The document discusses a case study involving Export Unlimited (EU), a shipping company that is looking to expand its apple exports from Washington State to Taiwan. The summary is: 1. An account executive is tasked with developing a marketing plan to increase EU's apple shipments to Taiwan for a $10,000 bonus. 2. They conduct research on EU's shipping operations, Washington's apple industry, and consumer preferences in Taiwan. 3. The plan must convince apple farmers, traders, and grocery stores to use EU by addressing their needs - such as reliable delivery times and connections in Taiwan. 4. The account executive learns that Taiwanese prefer Fuji apples, especially around holidays, and that

1. Case Study 2
Export Unlimited (EU) – Exporting Apples to Taiwan
Part I
It is your first day at work and you are already confused. Export
Unlimited (EU), one of the world’s largest shipping companies,
has just hired you. EU ships goods all around the world by
ocean, air, and train. It has offices in many cities in the United
States and in other countries. You have been hired to work in
EU’s Seattle office as an “Account Executive” for refrigerated
goods. That is, you are hired to manage perishable goods (like
apples or cherries) that need to be shipped from Seattle in
refrigerated containers. It has been a quiet first day until your
boss gives you the first big assignment. “Apples are one of
Washington State’s biggest crops,” your boss says, “and I want
EU to ship more apples to other countries. I want you to focus
on Taiwan. One week from today, I want you to give me a
marketing plan about what you are going to do to help EU carry
more apples to Taiwan. If you have a good plan, you will
receive a $10,000 bonus.” You think to yourself, “Now what?”
You don’t have the first idea how EU could carry more apples
to Taiwan.
What should you do? You decide to do some research.
·
You speak to other people in the office to learn what they know
about shipping apples.
·
You e-mail Bruce Lee, EU’s sales representative in New Taipei,
Taiwan, and ask him about EU’s business in Taiwan.
·
You use the Internet and the library to learn more about exports
from Washington State.

2. ·
You read everything you can find at the office about EU’s
history and its business.
It takes a few days, but you finally are able to answer your three
questions:
1.
What does EU do to get apples from Seattle to Taiwan?
You learned that EU sends three ships a week from Seattle to
New Taipei, Taiwan: one on Monday, one on Tuesday, and one
on Friday. Because some of these ships go to other places first,
one ship each week takes 21 days to get to Taiwan, one takes
17, and one takes 15.
You learned that apples kept in a refrigerated container can stay
fresh for a 22-day trip. However, most customers of perishable
goods want the 15-day trip. You also learned that EU’s
refrigerated containers guarantee EU customers their apples will
stay at exactly the right temperature, neither frozen nor too hot.
Finally, you learned that EU can promise customers exactly
when their goods will leave Seattle and when they will arrive in
New Taipei.
2.
What is Washington State’s apple business like?
You learned that farmers in Washington State grow twelve
different kinds of apples. Washington apples are sold around the
country and around the world. You also learned that Washington
State sells 15% of all fruit exported from the United States to
other countries.
3.
Do people in Taiwan want to buy apples?
You learned that people in Taiwan do indeed buy Washington
apples. Their favorite is the Fuji, a spicy-sweet apple. Unlike
Americans, who often buy apples in big bags, you learned that

3. people in Taiwan tend to buy apples one at a time, paying
special attention to how ripe, shiny, and well-shaped they are.
You also learned that people in Taiwan buy more apples during
holidays or festivals, using these apples for gifts or as offerings
at shrines or temples. Washington apples can be sold year-round
because those that aren’t sold at harvest-time are kept in
controlled atmosphere warehouses to “put the apples to sleep”
until they are needed. Taiwan’s biggest apple-buying holiday is
the Chinese New Year, which usually falls around the end of
January.
You have learned a lot of information in just a few days, but
you still don’t know enough to write a marketing plan.
What should you do next?
Part II
“Of course!” you think, “I need to figure out who my customers
are. I have to write this plan for my boss, but it is my customers
who will decide whether or not to ship more apples.” You
decide to do some more research. You determine that you have
three kinds of customers:
·
First, there are the apple farmers in Eastern Washington. You
have to convince them to trust their apples to EU.
·
Second, there are the apple traders who buy and sell the apples.
·
Third, you will work with the grocery store owners in Taiwan
who will sell the apples once they arrive in Taiwan. You have to
convince them that apples shipped by EU will arrive in good
condition.
You would have to get to know each of these types of customers

4. and convince them that EU could do the best job.
·
You have to convince the
apple farmers
that EU could deliver their apples safely and quickly to
Taiwan. You have to convince them that EU would do a better
job than any other shipper.
·
You have to convince the
apple traders
that EU would not only deliver the apples safely, but also that
EU has good connections in Taiwan. You want them to see that
working with EU would make a trader’s job easier.
·
Finally, you have to convince the
grocery store owners
in Taiwan that EU would ship them only the finest Fuji apples
and that those apples would arrive in good condition just at the
time they were needed.
Now you just have to turn all of this into a presentation for your
boss and hopefully receive a $10,000 bonus.
Getting the basic information or doing research is the first step
in this or any other problem when you do not know enough to
solve the problem by yourself.
Task #1: Prepare detailed answers to the questions below. You
may use additional sources of information as necessary to
obtain export marketing information.
Information about EU
1.
What do you know about EU?

5. 2.
What kind of services does EU offer to Taiwan?
3.
Is EU good at shipping apples?
4.
How often does EU send ships between Seattle and Taiwan?
5.
How long does it take a ship to get to Taiwan?
6.
Is it even possible to ship apples that far before they spoil?
Information about Washington Apples
1.
When are apples harvested, and what happens to them after
harvesting?
2.
How are the apples shipped?
3.
What kinds of apples do Washington State farmers grow?
4.
What is the volume of apples that are exported?
5.
What are the primary export markets for apples and how many
apples are exported to each market?
Taiwan Expectations of Apples

6. 1.
What is the current consumption rate for apples in Taiwan?
What kinds of apples do they prefer and why?
2.
What are the Taiwanese buying habits, with respect to apples?
How are they different than US consumers?
3.
What kind of apples do people there prefer?
4.
Are there certain times of the year that they are most likely to
buy apples?
Information Tools to Solve Problems
How can you get the information you need? Identify at least six
sources of information.
Explaining the Marketing Plan
1.
What do these customers want to know about EU?
2.
How can you convince them that EU could do the best job or
better job than any other shipper?
Task #2: Write a Marketing Plan
Write a 1-page memo to the boss outlining the steps you will
take to get Washington apple farmers and Taiwan grocery store
owners to use EU (Would you meet with them, send them
information about EU, take out ads, and try to match up buyers
and sellers, etc.?).

7. Task #3: Write a personal reflection on the topic addressing the
main objectives of your export marketing position. Consider the
key factors that influenced your plan for the company’s market
expansion. Also, reflect on the role of the Christian employee
and discuss key biblical principles that support your position.
For your marketing plan to be a good one (and for you to get
your $10,000 bonus) you
really
need to gear it to the needs of your customers: the apple
farmers in Washington State and the grocery store owners in
Taiwan.