WeChat

WeChat is a Chinese company that aspires to be a global player. They have been successful in China, parts of Southeast Asia but have encountered challenges in Europe. Now, they want to successfully expand into the U.S.

Your assignment is to recommend to Mr. Pony Ma what WeChat must do over the next 3-5 years to become a successful global company (success = capture significant market share in North America, Europe, and/or South America, be financially successful, and successfully compete against Facebook, Google, PayPal, WhatsApp, Amazon, Twitter, and other big US/European technology companies).

You will enjoy learning about WeChat (and their parent company, Tencent) and the challenges faced by Asian companies to become global companies.

Please just  have a brief background information introduction then start analysis. Don’t spend too much words on back ground information. No more than one paragraph.

Please read the article I uploaded first, then start working.

Use specific data, number and graph to support your idea

    Two (2) – three (3) page typed Case summary.  Do not exceed the three

(3) page limit for your written paper. You can use a fourth (4) page for

graphics (chart, graph, table, and picture) which are relevant to your case

analysis or recommendations.

·

    Assume your Case summary will be read by the CEO and Board of

Directors. Be professional.

·

    Be clear and concise. However, be specific enough to demonstrate what

you know. 

·

     You will receive a much better grade for thorough research, original

thoughts and ideas, and well supported recommendations. You will

receive a very low grade for lack of research and unsupported

recommendations. Do not repeat facts given in the case.

·

     Written analysis

o

   Discuss the challenges and/or important factors facing the company

o

   Show evidence that you performed research on relevant topics

(industry, company, product, country, market, competition, etc…)

and understand the current situation (the cases are several years

old)

o

   Discuss two (2) possible alternatives to “solve” the problem

o

   Recommend a specific course of action and provide a convincing

explanation as to why your actions will lead to success for the

company (vague & general reasons will not convince me)

o

   Do

NOT

merely repeat facts stated in the case. Demonstrate your

critical thinking ability. 

·

    Financial analysis

o

   Use the knowledge and quantitative skills you acquired in your

accounting, finance, economics, statistics, etc… courses

o

   Use data and information to analyze the situation and support your

recommendations

o

   Use charts, graphs, tables, etc… to explain the situation and help

others to understand your recommendations 

case listed below are helpful articles about WeChat and other Asian companies that have successfully expanded to foreign markets:

* “Tencent: The secretive Chinese Tech Giant that can rival Facebook and Amazon” (Fast Company, April 2014)

* WeChat, one of the World’s most Powerful Apps” (Forbes, May 19, 2014)

* “How Emerging Giants can take on the World” (HBR, December 2013)

* “How Lenovo Built a Chinese Tech Giant” (Wall Street Journal, January 30, 2014)

* “China’s Haier to buy GE Appliance Business for $ 5.4 billion” (WSJ, January 15, 2016)

* “Every Customer is Always Right” (Forbes, May 21, 2012)

* “The Paradox of Samsung’s Rise” (HBR, July – August 2011)

* “Samsung’s Road to Mobile Domination” (Fortune, February 4, 2013)

* “Samsung is even Bigger than you Think” (Fast Company, September 14, 2015)

* “Enter the Dragons” (Fortune, March 1, 2015)

* “Xiaomi remains the Smartphone King (in China)” (WSJ, February 3, 2016)

* “Billions of WeChat red packet payments predicted to mark Chinese New Year” (The Telegraph, February 8, 2016)

Also, “google” the following companies: Huawei, Alibaba, Baidu, and HTC. How are they doing in global markets?