Arthur Kiboit
Study abroad students collaborated with Moroccan business leaders
The International Business & Culture in North Africa study abroad program takes corporate site visits to the next level. Instead of merely touring buildings and shaking hands with bigwigs, students learn about some of the toughest problems Moroccan businesses face and whip up plans on how to solve them. Undergraduate and graduate students from the trip’s latest two cohorts recently spoke about their experiences in Georgia State’s Dahlberg Hall.
Master of international business student Arthur Kiboit collaborated with his Robinson peers as well as students from ESCA School of Management in Casablanca, Morocco, to tackle a challenge presented by the director of marketing at Sultan Tea—introducing a cold tea in the Moroccan market. Several roadblocks could hinder the product launch’s success. For starters, Moroccans primarily drink hot tea; ice not only dilutes beverages but also is a rare commodity in many countries. Kiboit and his teammates suggested the company avoid the term “iced tea” so as not to alienate potential customers.
“The word ‘iced’ might make people think, ‘I can’t try it because we don’t have ice here.’ We recommended the phrase ‘cool tea’ instead,” Kiboit says.
Because hot tea is so steeped (pun intended) in Moroccan culture, Kiboit’s group encouraged the company to target millennials since their tastes more likely could be swayed. The students also cited American expatriates as a demographic worth tapping. After all, cold drinks already are wildly popular in the states.
Kiboit’s crew counseled Sultan Tea in the areas of product placement, pricing, packaging and promotion as well. “Soccer is huge in Morocco,” he says. “We talked about getting a soccer player to serve as a spokesperson for this cool drink they are introducing.”
Dr. Mourad Dakhli will lead the next excursion to Morocco in May 2018. Contact Dr. Dakhli for more information or view the program brochure.