REPORT ON HUDSON CORPORATION

I. Problems that Hudson is facing:

Hudson Corporation is based in New Jersey, USA and it is also a top-of-the-
range luggage and travel accessories. What makes Hudson exclusive are high
quality, traditional design and craftsmanship. But recently, the company's
market share in the USA has decreased. One reason for that is the increased
competition from Asian companies selling similar products at much lower
prices. Moreover, according to the survey, many people are not satisfied with
the price. Nearly half of the buyers consider its products value for money. Just
only 15% of customers agree that Hudson's luggage is exciting while nearly
70% said that these products are old-fashioned.
Apparently, Hudson is facing with a serious problem.

II. Challenges that Hudson may come up against when entering the
European market:
Hudson may face numerous challenges when entering the European market.
The first challenge is brand identity. Although Hudson is popular in the US, it
might not be the same in European countries. People there may have already
been used to using their local companies’ products. In other words, the
European are not familiar with the brand and it will take a long time to gain
their trust and awareness.
The second challenge is cultural barrier. If Hudson wants its products to be
successful in the European market, it has to know what its target customers
need. Identifying the need of customers living in different countries is extremely
challenging since we don’t experience or know well about their culture. As a
result, it will take time and effort to learn and adapt to European countries’
cultures. 
The third challenge is physical distance. Entering the European market means
that Hudson has to face many hindrances related to long distance including
costs of shipping, logistics, and human resources. Thus, the cost would be much
higher.

III. Suggestions for Hudson to promote in the European market:

Feasible marketing strategies are one of the factors determining the success of
brands. Hereunders are some suggestions for Hudson to promote itself in the
European market.

1
Firstly, Hudson needs to raise its brand identity. Advertisements via social
media, product placement and celebrity endorsement can further grow the
brand’s popularity and encourage people to consume the products. Also, the
reputation for being exclusive should be well-promoted to elevate the status of
Hudson since people are under the impression that owning upmarket items give
them status. Another way to bring Hudson products to Europe is to co-operate
with native tourism companies. Tourists who are interested in the Europe tours
will be suggested to buy, or get a discount for a Hudson suitcase. And not just
tourism, native clothes brands and luxury brands can also be taken into account
for collaboration.
Secondly, Hudson products should be cheaper for people to buy. One way of
reducing the costs is to manufacture the products in a country where labour
costs are low such as India or Vietnam. Mass production leads to more supply
of the products and the time for restocking goods is decreased. Moreover, the
brand should sell the existing products via Online Shopping Websites such as
Amazon at competitive prices. People are showing more and more attention to
products on the internet as they find it more convenient to search for what they
want and buy instantly.
Last but not least, quality and design should be taken into great consideration.
Hudson should employ a team of top designers to innovate the design of the
products to make them exciting and trendy. The brand should sell wider ranges
of products under the Hudson label, like backpacks, briefcases, shoulder bags,
etc… for men and women. People love new and unique things, so the move is to
create new products that are exclusive for the EU market. By doing so, not only
the cultural barrier will be erased, but it also creates a new wind in the brand
fashion.