The document provides instructions for a marketing assignment to examine opportunities and threats for expanding the car sharing business U Drive Transport into a new global market. Students are directed to choose a country and major city, then analyze that location's social, demographic, economic, technological, political/legal, and competitive external factors. For each factor, students must identify opportunities and threats for U Drive Transport and their brand. Finally, students must write a 500-word memo recommending whether U Drive Transport should expand into the chosen market based on their external environmental analysis.

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpvOe7Foc8U

2. http://www.pwc.co.uk/issues/megatrends/demographic-and-
social-change.html

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqevO_zrxsA
The ending of this clip shows another aspect of the millennial
generation - the de-sensitivity towards violence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX0g66MWbrk

4. Instructions:
Examining the external environment for opportunities and
threats to a company, brand, and product is an essential step in
the development of a marketing strategy. As a new marketing
associate with U Drive Transport, you are tasked with
examining the global marketplace for expansion opportunities
and threats.
Step 1. Use the template starting on page 2 to execute this task.
Step 2. To begin the process, choose oneregion of the world by
visiting: http://www.state.gov/countries
Step 3. Choose one (1) country within your chosen region of the
world. Locate one (1) major city center within your chosen
country and examine the external marketing environment for
opportunities and threats.
Step 4. Using Chapters 4 and 5 in the textbook to inform your
understanding of the six factors of the external environment in
the global marketplace, examine the opportunities and threats to

5. the company, brand, and product of U Drive Transport in your
chosen major city center. Be sure to use the marketing language
found within Chapters 4 and 5 of your textbook to explain your
findings.
Step 5. Based on the findings of your external environmental
analysis, write a 500 word business memo to the owners of U
Drive Transport discussing why the company should or should
not consider expanding into the country you chose to examine.
Be sure to use Chapter 5 of the textbook to inform your
understanding of global marketing. Apply the marketing
language in your writing. You must examine the external
marketing environment before writing the business memo.
U Drive Transport
Name:
Date:
Unit 4 Assignment: External Environmental Analysis
U Drive Transport External Environmental Analysis
World Region: Country:
Major City Center:
1. Social External Environmental Factors (Hint: Do the threats
first.)
Opportunities:

6. Threats:
Resources: http://www.state.gov/e/eb/eppd/csr/index.htm
2. Demographic External Environmental Factors (Hint: Do the
threats first.)
Opportunities:
Threats:
The U.S. Census International Data Base is located at:
http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/inform
ationGateway.php
3. Economic External Environmental Factors (Hint: Do the
threats first.)
Opportunities:
Threats:
4. Technological External Environmental Factors (Hint: Do the
threats first.)
Opportunities:

7. Threats:
5. Political and Legal External Environmental Factors (Hint: Do
the threats first.)
Opportunities:
Threats:
Resources: The World Factbook
6. Competitive External Environmental Factors (Hint: Do the
threats first.)
Opportunities: Opportunities: (Do the threats portion first, and
then figure out how the threats provide an opportunity for U
Drive to better compete with competing companies.)
Threats: Threats (What threats does the competition pose to U
Drive Transport? Search for competitors by inserting “car rental
companies” in your browser):

8. References
Central Intelligence Agency. (2014). The world factbook.
Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/ library/publications/the-
world-factbook
U.S. Census Bureau. (2013, December). International programs:
International data base. Retrieved from
http://www.census.gov/population/international/
data/idb/informationGateway.php
U.S. Department of State. (2014). Corporate Social
Responsibility. Retrieved from
http://www.state.gov/e/eb/eppd/csr
U.S. Department of State. (2014). Regions. Retrieved from
http://www.state.gov/countries
The External Marketing Environment in the Global Marketplace
Assignment 4 Scenario:
The car sharing business has grown in popularity throughout the
world in densely populated
major city centers. As the new marketing associate for U Drive
Transport, you are tasked with
conducting a thorough environmental scan of the global
marketplace to identify and analyze any
opportunities or threats to the company, brand, and the product.

9. To familiarize yourself with the
car sharing industry, visit the websites of a few direct
competitors of the company:
● Perform a search for “car sharing” on the Internet and look at
two other competitors.
Directions for Executing this Assignment:
To complete this Assignment, respond to the following
checklist:
Template located on the Resources
Icon.
Directions for Submitting this Assignment:
Review the grading rubric below before beginning this activity.
For additional help with
your writing and APA citation, please visit the Kaplan
University Writing Center accessed
in the home area of this course. Compose your Assignment as a
Microsoft Word document

10. and save it as (Example: TAllen-MT219 Assignment-Unit
4.docx). Submit your file by
selecting the Unit 4: Assignment Dropbox by the end of Unit 4.
http://extmedia.kaplan.edu/business/AB219/1501B/UDT/index.h
tml
Unit 4 Assignment:
The External Marketing
Environment
Percent
possible
Points
possible
Points
Earned

11. Comments
Content per Checklists 100% 50
Answer provides complete
information demonstrating
analysis and critical
thinking:
80%
major city, and the country.
1. Provides the Social
External Environmental
Factors:
Provides Opportunities and
Threats to U Drive and brand
using appropriate resources.
10%
10

12. 2. Provides the
Demographic External
Environmental Factors:
Provides Opportunities and
Threats to U Drive and brand
using appropriate resources.
10%
5
3. Provides the Economic
External Environmental
Factors:
Provides Opportunities and
Threats to U Drive and brand
using appropriate resources.
10%
5

13. 4. Provides the
Technological External
Environmental Factors:
Provides Opportunities and
Threats to U Drive and brand
using appropriate resources.
10%
5
5. Provides the Political and
Legal External
Environmental Factors:
Provides Opportunities and
Threats to U Drive and brand
using appropriate resources.
10%

14. 5
6. Provides the Competitive
External Environmental
Factors:
Provides Opportunities and
10%
10
Threats to U Drive and brand
using appropriate resources.
Subtotal:
80%
40

15. Provides the Assignment
response in the analysis
template provided using
correct grammar, spelling, and
APA format and citation style.
20%
10
Percent Total
Points
possible
Your Assignment Score: 100% 50