A vademecum for Companies approaching the Chinese Coffee Market. The case of Zicaffè S.P.A.

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to propose itself as a vademecum for foreign companies, especially for Italian small medium enterprises (SME), approaching the Chinese coffee market by giving a detailed description of the market it self and all the opportunities and challenges that these companies could encounter. The first chapter focuses on the characteristics of the coffee market in China, its trends and the main local and foreign actors and also it is provided an identikit of the typical Chinese coffee consumer. The second chapter describes the process of internationalization of companies, entry strategies and distribution by analyzing opportunities and related barriers. The third chapter discusses marketing, communication and e-commerce strategies as tools that companies could use to effectively promote their coffee in a very cultural distant foreign country as China is. The forth chapter deals with the experience in China of the Italian SME Zicaffè S.P.A.