Microsoft Outlook Express

With the use of Microsoft Outlook Express, it will be easier for business inclined individuals to stay on track one’s mail and the schedules for that matter.   The E-mail, for instance, plays a major role in bridging people together.   In the field of business, it may help individuals share documents and files 24 hours a day, seven days a week with Microsoft Outlook Express features. Find files / mails faster: Outlook helps create intellect of all the e-mail received.   Search Folders or fundamental folders include views of all e-mails match to the precise exploration measure, aside from that, it lets you speedily split significant messages from those you desire to disregard. Thus, search folders as well ensign precedence messages first, so as not to waste time in deleting and reading messages you do not want / expect.Further, it also separates out most of junk mails to a different folder, un-cluttering the inbox. In addition to that, working offline makes one use an e-m ail account through Microsoft Exchange Server; can work offline while away from the office or if net link is too sluggish. Outlook then tries to connect to the server when desired to or when chosen to do so in the â€Å"Send/Receive† item.   Moreover, business contact manager feature integrates with Outlook, turning the address book into a potent gizmo that can create, track, and administer your business associates, sales leads and various opportunities.   With all these features, it is evident that Microsoft Outlook makes business easier.   Hassle-free and sufficient managing of files through this software benefits any profession, at that.

Learning and perception Essay

Learning and perception can be related regarding the sensory abilities of the human mind to understand, calculate, and assign learning experiences to our sensory motors. For instance, a child will stay away from a stove if he/she is burned by an eye. At this typical age, a child is unaware of the concept of heat or hot but they can register thousands of experiences through their use of touch. In perceptional learning, human instincts are the accomplices in discovering new and exciting experiences through sensory (Freeman, 1991). According to Freeman (1991), learning has an impact on our ability to perceive experiences accurately. As an example, a child that views domestic violence on a daily basis may assume it is natural. This child could develop an ineffective sensory to pain by observing and experiencing it from a violent adult. In turn, the child may develop an innocent perception that pain is equal to normal. His or her learning of domestic violence is different from others so his or her perception of violence may not affect their judgment during a violent occurrence with others (Perception, 2006). Another obvious connection of learning and perception is the human’s ability to adjust oneself to the visual make up of others in a social surrounding. Debutants contribute to the development of young women and men. Their intentions are to teach social etiquette for proper associations mainly available in higher social classes. For instance, a debutant from a wealthy family may see a debutant from an underprivileged home as an equal if financial status was not a factor. The visual perception of the reality is seen only superficially. As the learning of the financial status of both debutants are known, the image might change one’s perception of the underprivileged Debutant. The relationship between perception and learning is evident in every day life in which people learn of their surroundings and act accordingly (Freeman, 1991). Works Cited Freeman, Walter J. â€Å"The Physiology of Perception† Scientific American, Vol. 264 (2) 78-85. Perception. Accessed on December 15, 2008 at http://www. a2zpsychology. com/PSYCHOLOGY_GUIDE/Perception. htm.

Although the women’s characters in Frankenstein are more underlying they are vital to the structure of the story

Although the women's characters in Frankenstein are more underlying they are vital to the structure of the story. Because not only do they add depth and give moral guidance to the male characters such as Walton and Victor Frankenstein, they are also full of kindness, compassion and social consciousness. This has the effect of stressing the importance of taking care of family and friendship and especially feminine influences in your life in order to retain both your humanity and sanity. They represent the good women of the world and make it easier for the target audience of the time to identify with the story. Shelley also uses them to explore several themes such as the role of women in the society of the time. For example the way women were judged and valued only for their beauty and/or their usefulness to men. That the women in Frankenstein are not given a voice and that they seem not to have any opinions or power over their future, may be a comment from Shelley about the injustice of women's treatment in her society. Walton's letters to his sister Mrs Margaret Saville, have several effects. They make his account feel more personal and believable for the reader. Especially as the locations described in the novel are likely to be alien to them. The introduction of Mrs Saville, an English, middle class, married woman, would have made it easier for similar people to identify with the story and therefore bring the events closer to home for them. The letters also stress the importance of family. For example in Letter One, Walton is feeling low and lonely and says â€Å"†¦ I bitterly feel the want of a friend. I have no one near me gentle†¦ to approve or amend my plans. † which stresses the importance of friendship and sharing for a person's mental well being and happiness. Then in Letter Two, after Walton has happened upon Victor, his spirits are significantly raised because he sees Victor as an equal and a potential friend. The letters also provide an early contrast between Walton and Victor and their attitudes. As Walton speaks of his â€Å"†¦ conviction that a man could boast little happiness, who did not enjoy this blessing. and Victor replies â€Å"†¦ I once had a friend, the most noble of human creatures†¦ But I – I have lost everything,†¦ â€Å". Therefore Shelley illustrates that by seeking his sister's moral guidance, reassurance and love and by valuing friendship, Walton is more humane than Victor who has sacrificed everything and everyone to reach his goal. This may be a warning from Shelley of the possible disastrous consequences of isolation and the healing powers of friends and family. However, it is notable that Mrs Saville lacks a voice or opinion as her letters are not included. Her lack of voice may be a comment from Shelley that despite her obvious importance to her brother and indeed to his well being, her voice, views and opinions are of little importance to the world at large. The story of Victor's mother Caroline, stresses the fact that at the time of writing a woman's future was dependent upon the men in her life. Beaufort, a good friend of Victor's father, flees from society in shame when he loses his wealth and as a result his health fails. As a consequence Caroline is forced to nurse him and take on menial work below her noble station in order for them to survive. That Victor says of his mother â€Å"But Caroline Beaufort possessed a mind of uncommon mould; and here courage rose to support her in her adversity. † it may be a comment from Shelley, in that despite her status as a lowly women she had the wit, intelligence and courage to find a way to survive with the need for a male supporter. Also it may be evidence of Shelley's disgust at how unfair it was that a woman could only seek such low status and low paid employment, despite possessing equal intelligence and strength of character as that of a man. Victor's father clearly values friendship highly and goes to great effort to seek out his friend. When he eventually finds him, it is too late to save Beaufort but he ‘rescues', and eventually marries, Caroline. Thus saving her from what would almost certainly have been an existence of poverty and hardship alone with no family and friends to support her. The character or Caroline also portrays the way women bring compassion and social consciousness into society, when Victor says of he parents â€Å"Their benevolent disposition often made them enter the cottages of the poor. and that to his mother â€Å"†¦ it was more than a duty; it was a necessity, a passion – remembering what she had suffered†¦ † and that she was so caring and compassionate that she saw it has her duty â€Å"†¦ -for her to in her turn be guardian angel to the afflicted. † Indeed throughout the novel women are portrayed as virtual angels lacking any malice or negative influ ences. They are innocent victims, who meet undesirable ends at the hands of and due to the careless and violent actions of men. It is Caroline who adopts Elizabeth on finding her in one of the â€Å"†¦ cottages of the poor. It is notable, however, that it is not simply here ‘angelic' nature that leads her to this action but also Elizabeth's outstanding beauty and the rumours of her nobility. This is seen when it is said that by contrast to the four other â€Å"†¦ dark-eyed, hardy little vagrants;† â€Å"She appeared of different stock. † as â€Å"her hair was of the brightest living gold,†¦ † â€Å"†¦ her blue eyes cloudless,†¦ † and she was â€Å"†¦ fairer than a garden rose among the dark-leaved brambles. † So it is her beauty and the aforementioned rumours of a noble birth that save Elizabeth from a life of poverty. That she is given to Victor as a â€Å"†¦ pretty present†¦ † and Caroline's wish that they should someday marry, is a further example of women's lack of power over their futures. Elizabeth is a vital character in the novel as she provides a contrast within the Frankenstein family by which to compare Victor. Indeed Victor admits that she â€Å"†¦ was of a calmer more concentrated disposition;†¦ † than himself while his â€Å"†¦ temper was sometimes violent†¦ † and his â€Å"†¦ passions vehement,†¦ â€Å". Indeed, it is Elizabeth who takes motherly responsibility for the household when Caroline dies. However, despite this great responsibility she has little or no power. We also see the depth of Victor's selfishness and disregard for others when despite the Creature's threat to kill Elizabeth should Victor marry her, he goes ahead with it still. This action begs the question; if he loved her at all why marry her and put her in mortal peril? As had he not gone ahead with the marriage she may have survived. Again, excepting her letters, Elizabeth like Mrs Saville and Caroline lacks a voice. Further evidence of Victor's disregard for others and the more compassionate nature of Elizabeth is seen when Justine is wrongly accused of the murder of their brother William. For although Victor knows that it was the Creature that killed him, he does nothing for fear of the discovery misdeeds in creating the Creature in the first place and also for fear of how it would appear to others. On the other hand Elizabeth, even though she has less of the facts, feels it is her moral responsibility as a friend to see justice is done. Aware of the detrimental affect it may have on her social standing and the evidence against Justine, in the form of the broach, she still speaks up for her in court to say that Justine had neither the nature, motive nor means to commit such an awful crime. This is, yet further evidence of the lack of value Victor places on friendship, family, loyalty and justice compared to Elizabeth. Justine too is adopted into the family, but is not as beautiful as Elizabeth and as a result, although she is a blood relation, she is treated as a special servant rather than a proper member of the family. This could be seen as a comment from Shelley on the unfairness of the value put on beauty and the unfairness of a class system that judges a persons moral worth by using their beauty and class position as a guide. Justine's name may also be a play on words, in that is resembles Justice and ironically she receives non. Instead she is forced to confess to a crime she did not commit in order to save her soul. Justine's character also illustrates the influence of the writings of Godwin on social and political justice and her mother's feminist works on Shelley's view of both political and female injustice within the society of the day. Both Safie and Agatha also play and important role, as it is by observing them that the Creature learns about many aspects of life. For example the Creature discovers deeper emotions within himself when he sees Agatha cry and hears man made music for the first time. However, the arrival of Safie is vital to the story as she provides a way for him to learn much more. Because she speaks a different language and is from a different culture, it is necessary for Agatha and her father to teach her their language and customs. By listening and observing her tuition, the Creature is able to gain a better understanding of the language and with the addition the some books he happens upon in the forest he learns to read. Also, due to Mr DeLacey's minute attention to detail and eagerness to teach Safie as much as possible, the Creature gains valuable knowledge of many subjects. These include some history, a broader view of the world and its â€Å"†¦ empires†¦ â€Å", governments, religion, death, the difference between the sexes and the importance of family. He also learns more about the structure of society and the class system for example the value of possessions/wealth, lineage and family connections in relation to a persons place within society. Armed with this knowledge he begins to understand that as he has neither family, wealth nor possessions that he has little or no status within society and this compounded with his ugliness saddens him greatly. His ability to read also means that he is able to read Victor's journal and learn of his creation, which is obviously vital as his memory of his creation was incomplete. His ability to read and the geographical knowledge he gains from Safie's tuition also helps him in his search for Victor. However, Safie is and important character for other reasons to. In that her escape from non-Christian Asia and an undesirable existence in a Harem, to a Christian culture where by comparison women are free and â€Å"†¦ allowed to take rank in society,†¦ † may be a comment from Shelley that although the fate of women in the western world is unfair their fate is worse in some other cultures and religions. Safie's story also gives the Creature hope as he sees that although her father was very unkind to the DeLacey family they welcome her into their home all the same. It is also a classic romantic tale of how love can conquer all, which would have appealed to the readership. In conclusion, I do not agree that the women in Frankenstein play an insignificant part in the story. Indeed without them the male characters would lack depth and the novel would have been less appealing to its audience. They bring the far away and foreign locations closer to home and make what is often an unbelievable story more believable. Without Safie's character the Creature would not have been able to learn so easily or convincingly. Also Shelley's views about women's contribution to the balance of society, their relative lack of power, freedom or control over their future's when compared to men could not have been expressed so strongly. Her point that society tends to judge people by appearances and wealth rather than their moral character and the misconceptions this causes could not have been made so convincingly. Overall I believe the story is strengthened and made more complete by their existence.

Forensic Science Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Forensic Science - Case Study Example Since his execution, his parents and relatives have been striving to show the world the misuse of justice evident in the case because they still trust that their son was not guilty of the crime. Various articles and books have been published with respect to the case of James Hanratty, with some supporting the fact that Hanratty was not guilty following their investigation and the medical reports that were using the DNA of the victim and those of the deceased. For one to better understand the investigations and the trial that was conducted on Mr. Hanratty, it is essential to consider the criminal record of the individual prior to the case that led to his death. It can be retrieved from the criminal accounts of Hanratty that by the period when he was found guilty of murdering Michael Gregsten, he has already been convicted of four crimes that were linked to motoring offences and minor theft such as housebreaking. In atatininig seventeen years of age, Mr. Hanratty appeared before Harrow Magistrate for taking someone’s motor vehicle without authority, and also driving a vehicle without insurance or a driving license. Such led to Hanratty being introduced to psychiatric treatment at the Portman Clinic where he was treated as an outpatient. At the age of eighteen years, Hanratty appeared before the court at the county of Middlesex Sessions where he was found guilty and sentenced to two years of imprisonment due to breaking in into someone’s house and stealing some property. After the release of the release, his father opened a window cleaning business to help me keep away from crime. However, at the age of 20 years, five months after release from Wormwood Scrubs, he was sentenced for six months due to a variety of crimes associated with motor vehicles and driving without a license. However, he was released after four months, but later he was convicted of car theft when he was

How to save money while saving the environment Essay

How to save money while saving the environment - Essay Example Energy crises have struck all around the world, even US is experiencing energy crises due to which tariffs are increasing day by day (Carr 367). Individuals experience a common problem, they have tendency of letting their application and systems that operate on energy remain operational when they are not even in use. Getting a second job to pay your electricity bills is not the solution to this problem. This problem can only be solved if individuals take responsibility of their actions and turn off applications that require electricity while they are not using that application. Another energy crises experienced throughout the world is decrease in the quantity of petroleum and oil. This shortage has been caused due to increase in the number of people who use this energy and due to the appliances that operate on this energy. During winter session people spend thousands of dollars on heaters and heating applications. This does not only cost heavy amount of money to consumers, it even increases negative externalities as these heaters are consuming heavy amount of oil energy. Just by making a small change to lifestyle individuals can save this expenditure. Individuals can replace heaters with sweaters which cost way low than the total cost of using heating equipments. People do not have a habit to turn off appliances that use energy resources. Due to this they fail to save energy even if they want to save it. A good alternative to this issue is the purchase of up to date appliances that switch off automatically when they are not in use or when they have been used for a certain amount of time. These appliances may seem to be quite expensive, but they are only a one time cost and these applications help in saving money and energy over a long period of time. The entire world is experiencing energy crises, energy crises have contributed to increase in concern for both the current and

Urban tourism development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Urban tourism development - Research Paper Example siness related things but people also move to cities for leisure purposes and to observe and learn about the different cultural activities at different cities. The main elements which attract the tourists towards the cities are theatres, cinemas, museums, art galleries, parks, night clubs, casinos, organized events like Christmas, shopping, markets, accommodation and festivals etc. So in short urban tourism refers to the utilization of town spectacles (like construction, monuments, and parks) and artistic amenities (such as museums and performances) by guests. Studying urban tourism involves seriously relaxation activities and transitory populations. A good quantity of developments in recent previous decades has led tourism to appear as a large industry with huge amounts of money involved in it. As industrial built-up deserts intense urban areas, entertainment plays an extended role in numerous city economies. The magnetism and accommodation of tourists has become a vital concern for community and private city elites. The considerable but transitory population of tourists to the city has an amazing influence on the local political affairs, investment options, and the built-up of environment. Tourist demand for travel to cities has deeply improved over the last few decades (Theobald & William, 1998). It is an important fact that tourism plays a critical role in the UK’s economy. It is accepted as the fifth major industry in UK. Keeping in view the importance of tourism industry UK especially London has made major improvements and to date London offers attractions like Trafalgar square, British Museum,  Zoo, National Gallery and the  London  Dungeon, to name just a few. `London for fun` is the eventual and absolute tourist heaven. London is amongst the cities which are most commonly visited by the travelers in year 2009 (London overseas factsheet, 2009) A special tourism known as cultural tourism has made its place in the past few decades. In cultural tourism

Are national service frameworks and quality standards necessary for Essay

Are national service frameworks and quality standards necessary for improving services, and is there any evidence that they are working - Essay Example However, neither the concept nor the implementation ÃŽ ¿f an acute-based, multidisciplinary older persons outreach and support team (OPOST) has been reported in the literature to date. The 2004 report, Better Health in Old Age, from the national director for older peoples health, provides an impressive range ÃŽ ¿f comments, with supporting evidence, on the success ÃŽ ¿f the National Service Framework for Older People (NSF) as seen through the eyes ÃŽ ¿f various stakeholders. This attractively presented document looks back over the three years since the launch ÃŽ ¿f the NSF and forward to a vision ÃŽ ¿f the future. Readers ÃŽ ¿f Nursing Older People may find it somewhat irritating that the image chosen for the cover is in stark contrast to their own experiences ÃŽ ¿f caring for older people. The photograph ÃŽ ¿f older people canoeing, and clearly enjoying it, on the reports cover may have encouraged some newspapers to adopt the theme ÃŽ ¿f taking responsibility for personal fitness as a spur to better health. Tai chi is an increasingly popular form ÃŽ ¿f exercise, suitable for many older people, and given the imminent publication ÃŽ ¿f the White Paper on public health it was no surprise that it was used as the focus, and to illustrate news reports. While adopting such a theme is undoubtedly a positive approach it may also mask many ÃŽ ¿f the other significant achievements. My chosen theme is climate change. Let me explain what I mean. The NSFs first standard is aimed at eliminating ageism and that must, in my view, start with the language and attitudes we use to express ourselves. We have all come a long way from the days when a report describing the pressures emerging as a result ÃŽ ¿f longer life expectancy, and the growth in the number ÃŽ ¿f older people experiencing mental health problems could be published with a title as pejorative as The Rising Tide (HMSO 1983). The health secretary, writing the foreword to the new

COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE OFFICE MARKET IN FRANCE AND GERMANY Essay

COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE OFFICE MARKET IN FRANCE AND GERMANY - Essay Example The latest realty boom period started around the last financial quarter of year 2002. The technology bubble bust of the late 90’s had passed and the rippling effect of the terrorist incident of September 11, 2009 had waned. Both these issues that were negatively weighing down on economies worldwide had somewhat moved to the background. That is when people started taking an advantage of the then financial boom and invested heavily into the real estate market, both residential and commercial. And that is when huge banks with their billion dollar profits started lending to sub-prime realty market to maximize their profits during the financial boom time. The financial turmoil or the bubble burst in commercial realty sector; especially the ‘office market’, has been substantial. Europe saw its first ever GDP decline for two consecutive quarters. The largest of the European economies of France and Germany were also not spared the onslaught. France has a stable government system, clear tax policy, low corruption and a prolific cultural tradition. All these elements offer investors a great opportunity to invest at a time when French real estate is depressed not because of its inherent financial strength but because of a global financial turmoil. Commercial real estate in France is in a period of significant re-pricing. France offers ‘office space’ options mainly in and around Paris, the greater Lyon region and the Bordeaux region. The rates in regions other than Paris offer competitive choices to investors who are planning to invest in office space at these emerging locations, which are better priced and offer a great investment opportunity. Paris Region covers 12,000 km ² and claims to be Europes biggest commercial real estate offer, much more ahead of London for office space and having almost 49 million m ² of office space. Office market trends in the Paris region vary for different districts (Paris region,

Language Crossing by B. Rampton Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Language Crossing by B. Rampton - Assignment Example According to the research findings, Rampton found that the speakers moved outside the language varieties they normally used and they briefly adapted codes which they didn’t have full and easy access to and that these appropriations of someone else’s language occurred in moments and activities when the world of daily life known in common with others and with others taken for granted. These findings have important implications for the ethnic process and the way social identities are negotiated in interactional code-switching. According to Cutler, Rampton’s book describes how groups of multiracial adolescents in a British working-class community mix their use of Creole, Panjabi, and Asian English. Rampton found that language crossing, in many instances, constitutes an anti-racist practice and is emblematic of young people striving to redefine their identities. The young people he studied used this mixed code to contest racial boundaries and assert a new â€Å"derac inated† ethnicity. Rampton also cited in his book the two types of code-switching namely situational and figurative. Situational code-switching is a standard speech that indicates a shift in a certain situation while figurative code-switching or double-voicing describes the way that utterances can be affected by a plurality of competing languages, discourse, and voices. Under figurative code-switching are metaphorical code-switching (uni-directional) and ironic code-switching (Vari-directional). Rampton defines metaphorical code-switching as a switching that introduces varieties of speech that is harder for the recipients to understand. It is uni-directional because speakers go along with the momentum of the second voice, though it generally retains an element of otherness which makes the appropriation conditional and introduces some reservation into the speakers’ use of it. On the other hand, ironic code-switching (Vari-directional) is a speech in which the speaker spe aks in someone else’s discourse, but introduce into that discourse a semantic intention directly opposed to the original one.

The role of sexuality in Victorian society applied to A. S. Byatts Essay

The role of sexuality in Victorian society applied to A. S. Byatts Possession - Essay Example Byatt’s novel Possession. Although the novel tells a fictional tale of two literary scholars tracking down evidence of a love affair between two Victorian era poets, episodes dedicated to the poets themselves reveal a great deal of information regarding the way of life of women during this period in history. Unlike much of the non-fiction articles that have been written about life in Victorian England and elsewhere, Byatt’s novel provides a glimpse of several different women during this period that held quite opposing views regarding their individual sexualities. By tracing through the novel Possession and comparing it with non-fictional accounts of this period and critical evaluation, one can begin to gain a sense of how women had been severely restricted in their options in Victorian society as well as how they rebelled or worked within it to achieve their own sense of sexuality. There are three principle female characters involved in the Victorian portion of the novel, each with her own strengths and weaknesses demonstrating how she has both conformed to and resisted the definitions placed upon her by the strict nature of Victorian England. Christabel LaMotte is a scholar and minor poetess who is the object of Randolph Henry Ash’s fascinated attention. Blanche Glover is the companion of Christabel, sharing her home and dream of independence but not able to retrieve the same sense of fulfillment as she does not receive recognition for her actions. A fourth woman, Sabine Kercoz, Christabel’s younger cousin, adds her own perspective regarding female sexuality during the Victorian age from the unique oblique of the French countryside.

Social Factor Essay Example for Free

Social Factor Essay War Child is a network of independent organization, working across the world to help children affected by war. Theyre a social organization to advance the cause of peace through investing hope in the lives of children caught up in the horror of war, which is mainly their number one aim. Employees of War child has a big influence in the organization, because their all there for the same reason to help the organization reach their aims. What is also a social factor of War child is that anyone can volunteer and take part of the important events to save those kids. Employees can move to different countries where they can set up camps to build programs for war affected kids, the only thing that can go wrong is if an employee doesnt want to go or even work together as a group, this can both cause conflict and also can become public to donators and cause a downfall in the organization. But of course they would only send qualified employees to do to go into post conflict areas for their safety and health. War Child believes that interplay between physiological and social factors is consisting of healthy emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual development, which includes social integration. As a social factor they implement either or together with their partners, progress to protect and empower children and young people. War Child is a right-based organization committed to the fulfillments of children rights! Comparing the organizations As you can see that both companies are not that far from each other, they all can perform well so long the economy is going good and positive. The only difference really with the both organization is that for MS aims for profit and War child for a good cause by helping war affected children. But both of this company can get into to problems with the economy for example if theres an economic crisis, people will not spend as much money, .sales will go down and even have to fire people from their jobs and with War child is the economy is still being greedy by wanting more diamonds and causing war in places such as Angola and Sierra Leone. One the social part there are not too far from each other nearly the same, they all needs to work together to achieve their organizational aim. So long there is the right communications and respect amongst each other, then conflicts can be avoided. Because of the globalization, the economy changes and the society, there will always be changes if there can. For example government regulations and the standard of living the people has paid a price for. The external factors do have a lot of influences on these companies. If the economical crises arise can cause the company to close some stores or even come to debts and could case war not only from war affected kids but the whole society in general.

Team Work Essay Example for Free

Team Work Essay Teamwork is the concept of people working together as a   to achieve the underlying objectives of the organization. TheTeam must have a clear vision of each of these short-term milestone goals as well as their impact on the long-term business goals of the organization. In many organizations today people working by themselves in achieving the overall objectives of the organization cannot accomplish certain goals and usually require people to work together with others due to its complexity, interrelatedness and the voluminous of the tasks undertaken. In fostering there is no one individual who owns a work area or process all by themselves, people should be open and receptive to ideas and input from others in the Team . The values of teamwork should be shared among the members of the team while compensation and rewards should depend on collaborative practices as much as individual contribution and achievement. It is important to identify   and thereby set a benchmark to the rest of the teams. However before embarking on , conflicts of all kinds should be resolved within the organization. Apart from the required technical expertise, a variety of social skills are essential for success in aTeam culture. The Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing model (Bruce Tuckman, 1965) takes the team through four stages of TEAM development. These phases are essential and inevitable in order for the team to grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, plan the work effectively and deliver the end results. However there is a need to establish and develop collaboration and trust between team members vis a vis interactive exercises, team assessments which will enable teams to cultivate effective team building strengths amongst each other. Modern society and culture continues to become more dynamic and the factors contributing towards this include the communications revolution, the global market, specialization and division of labor. Thereby individuals are now required to work with many different groups of people in their working environment and also the personal lives. Successful Team that creates effective, focused work teams requires attention to the following areas mentioned in Figure A.   Empowerment is the process of giving an opportunity or authorizing an individual to take decisions, think creatively and have a control of his/her duties in an organization. It is the responsibility on the organization to create a work environment, which helps the desire of employees to act in empowered ways. Top management of organizations has a very important role to play in making employee empowerment successful. Initially the managers need to understand what empowerment really means; and thereby establish boundaries for empowerment, in the event of the managers absence, the decisions that could be made by staff members should be clearly defined; Managers should also build faith and trust on their decisions made by their employees; further managers should coach, train and provide necessary information and learning opportunities for staff to make effective decisions. They should tackle situations wisely and not blame or punish their staff for minute mistakes to avoid employees flee from empowerment, The organizations should ensure that they remove barriers that limit the ability of staff to act in empowered ways. Employees should be motivated in terms of compensation, recognition and responsibility in order to drive success of empowerment. The Flow Chart below depicts the increasing role for employees and decreasing role for supervisors in the decision making process in today’s context. The supervisor makes the decision and cascades it to the staff The supervisor makes the decision and obtains commitment from staff The supervisor invites idea’s into a decision while retaining authority to make the final decision The supervisor invites employees to join him/her in order to make the final decision The supervisor delegates to another person to make the necessary decisions. This is only where empowerment steps in.   British American Tobacco (BAT) came into light with one objective; to seek market leadership in all countries where a market existed. BAT’s expansion to Ceylon was in 1905. Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) Limited continued it’s Sri Lankan operations and was incorporated in 1932. Between years of 1990 – 1994, a self assessment was conducted and CTC identified the following lacunas such as lack of overall direction, lack of awareness on business issues, discontinued management team, departments functioning in isolation and in disciplined environment. After which the management identified Key initiatives and actions such as knowledge management, people involvement, culture change, gaining confidence of unions/employees and improvements in productivity via practicing concepts of Teamwork, industrial harmony etc. During the period 1995 – 1996 CTC focused on building Trust within the company employees by adapting Teamwork throughout the organization, extensive training for shop floor employees, common time entry system, common recreation facilities, common social events etc. During 1997, shared vision and mission with focus business strategy, re-engineered business processes, multidisciplinary cross functional project teams, extensive training and education, creation of a winning culture, industrial and non industrial benchmarking and focus on continuous improvement.

Marketing Plan For Hospitality And Tourism Industry

Marketing Plan For Hospitality And Tourism Industry Explaining the importance of market research and advantages and disadvantages of implementation of the marketing plan for Hospitality/Tourism industry are the key concepts of this essay. To attain these objectives at first a brief description of market research and marketing plan have been given respectively followed by the importance of their presence in the service industry. Philip Kotler has defined market research as the systematic design, collection, analysis and reporting of data and findings relevant to a specific situation facing the company. (2009:190) Market research links the consumer, customer and public to the marketer through information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems. (Albert Breneman Blankenship et al, State of the art marketing research, 1998, pg 7) Market research is a vital part of any successful business today. Some of the benefits of market research for the operation of Hospitality industry are: Market research helps the industry to identify opportunities in the marketplace. For example, if you are planning to open a hotel/restaurant in a particular geographic location and have discovered that no such organisation currently exists, you have identified an opportunity. Thus the opportunity for success increases if the location is in a highly populated area with residents who match the target market characteristics which also can be done by research. Market research minimizes the risk of doing business. For example, marketing information may indicate that a marketplace is saturated with the type of service you plan to offer. This may cause you to alter your product offering or choose another location. Market research uncovers and identifies potential problems. Suppose your new hospitality organisation is thriving at its location on the main road through town. Through research you learn that in two years, the city is planning a by-pass, or alternate route, to ease traffic congestion through town. Youve identified a potential problem. Market research creates benchmarks and helps you track your progress. Its important to know, for later comparisons, the position of your business at particular moments in time. Ongoing market research allows the industry to make comparisons against benchmark measurements as well as chart of progress between research intervals (such as successive annual surveys). Success depends on a lot of things, but when you have information about a particular market segment, a geographic area, or customer preferences, youll be better prepared to make the decisions that can make or break your business. Many companies use market research as a guide. Whether you want to expand your business into a new area or introduce a new product, market research plays a great role in hospitality industry by providing valuable insight to prevent costly missteps. A marketing plan begins with the identification (through market research) of specific customer needs and how the firm intends to fulfil them while generating an acceptable level of return. It is a written document that details the necessary actions to achieve one or more marketing objectives. It can be for a product or service, a brand, or a product line. Marketing plans cover between one and five years. It generally includes analysis of the current market situation (opportunities and trends) and detailed action programs, budgets, sales forecasts, strategies, and projected financial statements Advantages of implementation of the marketing plan for the service industry: It is imperative for the organization to regularly assess its competitive strength amidst its competitors in the market. This helps the organization in developing and modifying its marketing and sales planning. A well-written, comprehensive marketing plan is the focal point of all business ventures because it describes how you plan to attract and retain customers, the most crucial aspect of a business. It is the heart of the business, the basis from which all other operational and management plans are derived. Marketing offers you a wealth of information that if applied correctly virtually can ensure your success. Determines demand for product Aids in design of products that fulfil consumers needs Outlines measures for generating the cash for daily operation, to repay debts and to turn a profit Allows for test to see if strategies are giving the desired results Disadvantages of implementation of the marketing plan for the service industry: Identifies weaknesses in the business skills Leads to faulty marketing decisions based on improperly analyzed data Creates unrealistic financial projections if information is interpreted incorrectly Identifies weaknesses in the overall business plan (Mary Bellis. Marketing Plan for the Independent Inventor) The implementation of Marketing Planning simply tries to structure and shape the proposed marketing programmes and activities of the organisation. It offers numerous advantages; along with some drawbacks. However, the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. Part B Introduction This report is about a luxurious hotel from UK, which provides Spa utilities. Things like promotional products, who are the targets market, price, are going to be explained in detail. Spa Hotel The word spa, taken from the name of the famous mineral springs in Spa, Belgium, has become a common noun denoting any place with a medicinal or mineral spring. Less well known is its Eastern New England sense, soda fountain, probably an allusion to the carbonated or mineral water that is a staple ingredient of many soda fountain concoctions. The term Spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as ballneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer thermal or mineral water for drinking and bathing. They also offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan. Day spas are also quite popular, and offer various personal care treatments. Chosen organisation: Alexander House and Utopia Spa Hotel It is located in EAST STREET, Turners Hill, West Sussex. It is an exclusive country house set in 175 acres of mature gardens and parkland yet only 15 minutes from Gatwick Airport and major motorways. The hotel has a vast range of amenities to include Utopia Spa: Target customers, Promotional activities and the Prising of the chosen product: The Hotel Spa doesnt have a specific target market but they put an accent on the adults which are keener to spend some relaxing days at a spa centre and old people too, who are coming for healthy treatments. Like any other business, the strategy to attract more customers includes promotional offers: Sunday Night Spa escape -enjoy, invigorate with an energetic massage concentrating on the back, neck and shoulders. Time= 25 minutes Bust your confidence with a special facial treatment with natural and fresh ingredients. Time = 25 minutes 50% off if you will take dinner in the hotels restaurant Everything for the price of  £140.00 Spring Special Spa Break  £159  £50 toward treatments of your choice Dinner allocation of  £30 on food only Overnight accommodation Analysis of the consumer survey questionnaire to find out the present market position of Spa Hotel: The table and pie charts given below give a breakdown of a market research on spa hotel in UK. As can be seen, people generally expect convenient, affordable and optimum services from the mentioned hotel. Research has been done by using questionnaire method, completed by 10 people from all walks of life. When we found an answer to the investigation question arisen in this report, firstly we will display the data in a table and pie chart respectively and, then, the descriptive statistics that allow us to reinforce those results and better understand those differences. In the second question, Spa experience has divided in 3 major catagories namely calm and quite place, busy night life and country side. Majority of people (6) wanted a calm and quiet place for their spa experience. A substantial number of people (3) have chosen busy night life while only one person has supported country side. In this context, we see that, in terms of the pieces of per night of a spa Hotel, the responders(6) prefer mainly option one which is  £125- £190 the lowest instead of the others, the second lowest price; in second place as 3 people chose it. Lastly nobody prefers the price of  £250- £350 for their spa experience in contrast 1 person choose option three ( £200- £300), which is second more expensive one. According to the table of second question of price section, Basic+Additional package are not on the preferred list of the people. On the other hand all inclusive and individual packages got the equal position of getting 50% response each, when responders answered about their preference about the packages. In term of services, restaurant, shopping outlets and beauty saloon are majoring in the main services offered by the Spa Hotel. 60% people have expressed that they would enjoy restaurant facilities most. Shopping outlets have come in second position with 30% while only 10% liked Beauty saloon. In the last question, people have been asked about whether they like to have outdoor facilities like cycling or climbing on a mountain offered by the spa hotel or not. 8 out of 10 people expressed the intention of joining either of the facilities. In contrast, only 2 people have denied to having them in their spa experience. Conclusion To sum up we can say that the opinion of peoples about the spa hotel defers in many ways but they have some similarities as well. One of them is they all like to have the experience of a Spa hotel. There are some restrictions that may be pointed out in this study, namely the fact of not having been highlighted a stricter age rank within the population and the samples dimension is somehow reduced. In terms of future threads of investigation, it would be interesting to cross the gender variable with age, income level, professional occupation and also to expand the same study to more than a country.

Secularization Essay -- Essays Papers Religion Society Worldly

Secularization The word secularization is derived from the Latin word saeculum(world) it was first used to refer the transfer of property from the church to the civil princes. Now it denotes the process by which religion loses some or all of its power, dominance and authority. Secularization as a concept refers to the actual historical process whereby this dualist system â€Å" this world'; and the sacramental structures of mediation between this world and the other world progressively breakdown until the entire medieval systems of classification disappear, to be replaced by new systems of spatial structuration of the spheres. The structured division of 'this world'; into two separate spheres, 'the religious'; and 'the secular'; has to be distinguished and kept separate. From now on, there will be only one single 'this world';, the secular one, within which religion will have to find its own place. If before, it was the religious realm which appeared to be the all-encompassing reality within which the secular realm found its proper place, now the secular sphere will be the all-encompassing within which religious sphere will have to adapt. There are several conceptions of secularization. 1. Decline of religion 2. Differentiation of institution, practices and activities from religion 3. Transposition of norms from religion to the world 4. Desacralization of the world 5. Conformity of religion to the world There are also causes of secularization 1. Industrializa...

OZONE DEPLETION BY HUMAN’S ACTIONS Essay -- Essays Papers

OZONE DEPLETION BY HUMAN’S ACTIONS The ozone layer is a very important component in the atmosphere. Ozone is not the same as the oxygen humans breathe. There is very little of this gas in the atmosphere. First off, let’s begin with a definition of the ozone layer. Ozone is a hot, slightly bluish gas. It is a molecule made up of three oxygen atoms, which are very similar to the molecule we are familiar with (O2), the molecule needed for human respiration. Despite the major smog problem, about 90 percent of Earth’s ozone are actually in the stratosphere, a layer of the atmosphere far above the Earth’s surface. It lies above the troposhere, the miles-thick lower layer where air is densest and where most weather occurs. So, it is evident that the ozone layer plays a vital role in what happens to the lives of humans. The presence of the ozone layer in our atmosphere is of vital importance to everything in the Earth. There are two types of ozone, "good ozone" and "bad ozone." Ozone in the stratosphere is referred to as being "good ozone," because it shields Earth from destructive ultraviolet radiation. The remaining 10 percent of the ozone, the "bad ozone," lie closely to the planet’s surface, in the troposhere, where at certain areas it is harmful to the public's health and welfare (Turekian 1). Even so, ozone is even more abundant in the stratosphere than in the troposphere (Walker2). It is important for everyone to know that ozone molecules overall are very rare in the Earth’s atmosphere. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun. That makes ozone an essential defense in protecting humans against the UV-B wavelengths, which can pose the greatest threats of biological damage. Further Website resea... ...e, 1998<o:p </o:p Thompson<o:p </o:p "Links"<o:p </o:p Thompson<o:p </o:p Turekian<o:p </o:p "Links"<o:p </o:p "Links"<o:p </o:p Turekian<o:p </o:p Lutgens<o:p </o:p "Links"<o:p </o:p "Links"</o:p WORKS CITED Links Between Global Warming and Ozone Depletion http://www.ozone.org/<o:p </o:p <o:p </o:p Lutgens, Frederick, and Edward Tarbuck. The Atmosphere: An Introduction to Meteorology. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1979<o:p </o:p <o:p </o:p Thompson, Russell D. Atmospheric Processes and Systems New York: Routledge, 1998<o:p </o:p <o:p </o:p Turekian, Karl K. Global Environmental Change: Past, Present, and Future New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1996<o:p </o:p <o:p </o:p Walker, James C.G. Evolution of the Atmosphere New York: Macmillan, 1977

The Symbolism of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodma

The Symbolism of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† shows the reader the author’s power as a symbolist.    Frederick C. Crews in â€Å"The Logic of Compulsion in ‘Roger Malvin’s Burial’† explores the symbology that prevails in Hawthorne’s best short stories:    . . . I chose this one tale to analyze because it illustrates the indispensability, and I should even say the priority, of understanding the literal psychological dramas in Hawthorne’s fiction. Like all of his best tales, this one is packed with symbolic suggestions and invite a moralistic reading. . . . (111).    Peter Conn in â€Å"Finding a Voice in an New Nation† states his evaluation of Hawthorne as a symbolist:    He was a secularized Puritan symbolist, who recovered the dramas enacted in cases of conscience by tracing the lines that bound men and women to their motives. Concerned with individuals as specimens or types, he endowed his characters with solemnly stylized features and then studied their anxiety, or doubt, or guilt. He placed them amid settings and objects that gave symbolic expression to their inward states (84).    Hugo McPherson in â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology† explains how the author’s â€Å"inner drama† may be expressed in his symbolism:    The imaginative foundation of a writer’s work may well be an inner drama or ‘hidden life’ in which his deepest interests and conflicts are transformed into images or characters; and through the symbolic play of these creations, he comes to ‘know’ the meaning of his experience; the imaginative structure becomes a means of reaching truth. . . . he lives ‘a life of allegory,’ and each of his works expresses one facet or another ... ...ick in â€Å"Stories Derived from New England Living.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Hale, John K.   â€Å"The Serpentine Staff in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’†Ã‚   Nathaniel   Hawthorne Review   19   (Fall 1993):   17-18.    James, Henry. Hawthorne. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/nhhj1.html, no pag.    Leavis, Q. D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Levy, Leo B.   â€Å"The Problem of Faith in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’† Modern Critcial   Views:   Nathaniel Hawthorne.   Ed. Harold Bloom.   New York:   Chelsea House, 1986.   115-126.    McPherson, Hugo. â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    The Symbolism of Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodma The Symbolism of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† shows the reader the author’s power as a symbolist.    Frederick C. Crews in â€Å"The Logic of Compulsion in ‘Roger Malvin’s Burial’† explores the symbology that prevails in Hawthorne’s best short stories:    . . . I chose this one tale to analyze because it illustrates the indispensability, and I should even say the priority, of understanding the literal psychological dramas in Hawthorne’s fiction. Like all of his best tales, this one is packed with symbolic suggestions and invite a moralistic reading. . . . (111).    Peter Conn in â€Å"Finding a Voice in an New Nation† states his evaluation of Hawthorne as a symbolist:    He was a secularized Puritan symbolist, who recovered the dramas enacted in cases of conscience by tracing the lines that bound men and women to their motives. Concerned with individuals as specimens or types, he endowed his characters with solemnly stylized features and then studied their anxiety, or doubt, or guilt. He placed them amid settings and objects that gave symbolic expression to their inward states (84).    Hugo McPherson in â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology† explains how the author’s â€Å"inner drama† may be expressed in his symbolism:    The imaginative foundation of a writer’s work may well be an inner drama or ‘hidden life’ in which his deepest interests and conflicts are transformed into images or characters; and through the symbolic play of these creations, he comes to ‘know’ the meaning of his experience; the imaginative structure becomes a means of reaching truth. . . . he lives ‘a life of allegory,’ and each of his works expresses one facet or another ... ...ick in â€Å"Stories Derived from New England Living.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Hale, John K.   â€Å"The Serpentine Staff in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’†Ã‚   Nathaniel   Hawthorne Review   19   (Fall 1993):   17-18.    James, Henry. Hawthorne. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/nhhj1.html, no pag.    Leavis, Q. D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Levy, Leo B.   â€Å"The Problem of Faith in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’† Modern Critcial   Views:   Nathaniel Hawthorne.   Ed. Harold Bloom.   New York:   Chelsea House, 1986.   115-126.    McPherson, Hugo. â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.   

Introduction to Marketing Revision Notes

Chapter 1: Marketing Principles and Society Definitions: Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM): The management process of anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer requirements profitably (CIM, 2001) The American Marketing Association: The activity, set of institutions and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. (AMA, 2007) These definitions stress the importance of considering the customer requirements and to delivering value. The difference between a customer and a consumer, is that the customer physically buys the product, and the consumer actually uses (or eats) it. The Marketing Process Marketing comprises 4 phases of activity, which is a component in the process of creating value for the customer: 1. The design phase. Companies identify customer and consumer needs, and design the product offering around their needs to create value for the customer. 2. The development phase. Companies develop products, services, and ideas, which meet those needs and deliver the intended value. 3. The delivery phase. Companies distribute those products, services and ideas to their customers and consumers and customers receive the product offering and the value created 4. The determination phase. Companies determine whether or not what customers receive really fits their needs or not and it not, redesign the product until it does fit their needs, and provide the customer with real value (or the organisation goes out of business). This process is cyclical, because products usually begin with the determination phase. There is a feedback loop to determine whether this product suits customers’ needs. These processes are influenced and dependent upon society and are regulated by government. Marketing: Ancient or Brand New? Marketing as a coherent approach to business has been around since the early 1920s. 1. Production period, 1890s-1920s: focus on physical production and supply, where demand exceeded supply, there was little competition, and the range of products was limited. This phase took place after the industrial revolution. 2. Sales Period, 1920s-1950s: focus on personal selling supported by market research and advertising. This phase took place after WW1. . Marketing Period, 1950s-1980s: more advanced focus on customer needs. This phase took place after WW2. 4. Societal Marketing Period, 1980s-present: stronger focus on social and ethical concerns in marketing. Marketing as a discipline has developed through the influence of practitioners, and through developments in the areas of industrial economics, psychology, sociology, and anthropology, (see page 9 for theorists): * I ndustrial Economics Influences – our knowledge of matching supply with demand comes from the development of microeconomics. Psychological Influences – our knowledge of consumer behaviour comes principally from psychology, particularly motivational research in relation to consumer attitudes, perceptions, motivations, and information processing. * Sociological Influences – our knowledge of how groups of people behave comes mainly from sociology, with insights into areas, such as how people from similar gender and age groups behave. * Anthropological Influences – our debt to social anthropology increases more as we use qualitative market research approaches such as observation to research consumer behaviour. Differences between Sales and Marketing Selling: Product push Marketing: Product pull Marketing * Tends towards long term satisfaction of customer needs * Tends to greater input into customer design of offering (co-creation) * Tends to high focus on stimulation of demand Sales * Tends towards short-term satisfaction of customer needs. * Tends to lesser input into customer design of offering (co-creation) * Tends to low focus on stimulation of demand, more focused on meeting existing demand What do Marketers Do? . Provide marketing intelligence and customer insight 2. Provide strategic marketing direction for the organisation 3. Develop the customer proposition 4. Manage and provide marketing communications 5. Use and develop marketing and customer information 6. Lead marketing operations and programmes 7. Work with other business functions and 3rd parties 8. Manage and develop teams and individuals Marketers at different levels of organisation will undertake different components of t hese functions at different levels. Generally, senior marketer/marketing director will guide and direct these functions, while the marketing manager will manage them, the marketing executive will undertake the actions necessary to fulfil these functions, and the marketing assistant will support the marketing executive (CIM, 2OO5). The Marketing Mix and the 4 Ps There are some general concepts that help managers frame their actions as they develop their marketing plans and undertake marketing tactics. The marketing manager was a â€Å"mixer of ingredients†, a chef who concocted a unique marketing recipe to fit the requirements of the customers’ needs at any particular time. Eugene McCarthy (1960) simplified and amended the memorable 4ps from previous lists: 1. Product – the offering and how it meets the customers’ needs, packaging and labelling. 2. Place (distribution) – the way in which the product meets customers’ needs. 3. Price – the cost to the customer, and how the cost plus profit to the seller 4. Promotion – how the product’s benefits and features are conveyed to the potential buyer Extended Marketing Mix for Services: the 7Ps American scholars, Boom and Bitner (1981), incorporated a further 3Ps into the marketing mix: 5. Physical evidence – to emphasise that the tangible components of services were strategically important since customers used these to infer what the quality of the service might be e. g. students requesting brochures of different universities, to pick the course most suitable. 6. Process – because service delivery cannot be separated from the customer consumption process. Process is included because of the need to manage customer expectations, interaction and satisfaction. E. g. track and trace delivery services. 7. People – included to emphasise that services are delivered by customer service personnel, sometimes experts and often professionals who interact with the customer sometimes in an intimate manner (e. g. spa treatments). How they interact with customers, and how satisfied customers are as a result, is of strategic importance. Market Orientation * Marketing Orientation: a company that increases the importance of marketing within the organisation, e. g. by appointing a marketing person to its board of directors. * Market Orientation: doesn’t just involve marketing. Involves all aspect of the company, gathering and responding to market intelligence (i. e. customers’ verbalised needs and preferences, market research etc) Developing a market orientation means developing the following: * Customer orientation * Competitor orientation * Interfunctional orientation Organisations that manage to develop a market orientation are better at market sensing (understanding the strategic implications of the market for a particular organisation). Relationship Marketing Organisations must keep relationships with the parties exchanging value. 1. Suppliers 2. Potential employees . Recruiters 4. Referral markets – where they exist (banks rely on professional services i. e. estate agents for mortgage referrals) 5. Influence markets – e. g. government bodies for companies in the public sector 6. Internal markets – e. g. existing employees Relationship marketing concerns the integration of customer service and quality assurance. Customer re tention is more important to companies than customer acquisition. Research proves that retention is more profitable than acquisition: * Customers will increase their purchases over time * Customers cheaper to promote to Customers who are happy with their relationship with a company are happy to refer to others The Consumer Services Perspective Some commentators argue that products and services have significant differences and similarities: Services: * Cannot be protected by a patent * Do not make use of packaging * Lack a physical display * Cannot be demonstrated in the same way However there are major similarities, including the need to: * Work at full capacity * Develop trade and service marks * Use promotional media * Use personal selling techniques The five characteristics of service products Service industries are generally seen to have 5 important differentiating characteristics: 1. Intangibility – enhancing physical environment, producing brochures, leaflets, by obtaining service quality kite marks. 2. Inseparability – production and consumption are inseparable in service markets. There is a need to manage carefully relationships between clients and their customers, managing their expectations of the quality of the service that they receive. 3. Variability – the quality and standard of service products varies depending on the individual customer and the service provider. Can be difficult to monitor and control service production to ensure consistent service standards. 4. Perishability – services cannot be stored and consumed at a later date, unless they are recorded. Service-based businesses must maximise how much their facilities are used through yield management. E. g. offering discounts at specific times. 5. Non-ownership – customers cannot own the service they receive because ownership is not transferred from the seller to the buyer as it is with a tangible good. The Business to Business Perspective The emphasis in b2b markets is strongly focused on the development and building of mutually satisfying relationships based on commitment and trust, to win the contract in the first place. B2b marketers can create a competitive advantage if they develop a linkage between the marketing and logistics functions, developing a strong customer service proposition on the following items: * Reduction in order cycle times * Simple accurate invoicing procedures * Consistent and reliable delivery * Simple and effective claims procedures * Availability of inventory Good condition of goods and effective service delivery * Flexible delivery times * Strong after-sales support What Impact Marketing has on Society It is important to be critical of marketing. As beneficial as it can be, by providing wants and needs of customers and consumers, with higher technology, more ethical products, with it can also come by marketing bad products, such as alcohol. Cigarettes have been banned to be advertised, but it is important to recognise that not all companies market products for the greater good, but because they can make a profit. Chapter 2: The Marketing Environment . External Environment 2. Performance Environment 3. Internal Environment The external environment consists of the political, social, and technological influences, and organisations have relatively little influence on each of these things. The performance environment consists of the competitors, suppliers, and indirect service providers who shape the way an organisation achieves its objectives. Here, organisations have a much stronger level of influence. The internal environment concerns the resources, processes, and polices an organisation manages in order that it can attempt to achieve its goals. These elements can be influences directly by an organisation. Understanding the External Environment The Political Environment The political environment relates to the period of interaction between business, society, and government before those laws are enacted, when they are still being formed, or are in dispute. Political environment analysis is a critical phase in environment scanning because companies can then detect potential legal and regulatory changes in their industries and so they can have a chance to impede, influence, and alter that legislation. The Economic Environment Companies have to develop an understanding of the economic environment in which they operate and trade. The external environment of a firm is affected, but not exclusively, by the following items: * Wage Inflation * Price Inflation * Gross Domestic Product (per capita) – combined output of goods and services in a particular nation and is a useful measure for determining relative wealth between countries * Income, sales, and corporation taxes – taxes run at different levels all around the world, substantially affecting how we market goods and services * Exchange rates Export quota controls and duties All these factors can change the amount a company charges for its products and services. Companies need to understand how prices or labour costs change if we are importing goods and services, or even components, from another country. The difficulty comes in comparing prices from one country to another. Firms usually have little impact on the macroeconomic environment since t hey have little control over macroeconomic variables, e. g. oil prices, which might affect their business. The Socio-Cultural Environment Lifestyles are constantly changing and consumers are constantly shifting their preferences over time. Companies who fail to recognise this will ultimately fail. Companies must consider the nature of households, lifestyles and the family structure, and the changing values in society or in a consumer group as important variables in their scanning process. The Technological Environment The emergence of new technologies can substantially affect not only high-technology businesses but non-technology businesses as well. Examples include those aspects of technology which impact upon productivity and efficiency. New technology is increasingly changing the way that companies go to market through moves towards more email and web-based marketing. The difficulty for most firms is how to determine whether or not to invest in radical new technologies, since the potential benefits are far from clear at the outset. The Legal Environment The legal environment covers every aspect of an organisation’s business. Laws and regulation are enacted in most countries ranging from the transparency of pricing, minimum wages, business taxes, product safety, packaging and labelling, the abuse of a dominant market position. All of these come under the umbrella of the legal environment. The Ecological Environment Concept of sustainability in marketing and corporate (social) responsibility. Increasingly, customers are being worried about the impact of companies on their ecological environments. Consumers are equally concerned with ensuring that products are not sourced from countries with poor and coercive labour policies. Orsato (2006) suggested that a company should adopt one of the following four different green marketing strategies: 1. Eco-efficiency – developing lower costs through resource productivity (e. . energy efficiency). This approach should be adopted by companies which need to focus on reducing the cost and environmental impact of their processes. 2. Beyond compliance leadership – the adoption of a differentiation strategy through organisational processes such as certified schemes to demonstrate their ecological credentials. This approach should be adopted by firms which suppl y industrial markets, such as car manufacturers. 3. Eco-branding – the differentiation of a firm’s products or services to promote environmental responsibility. For example, BP – formerly British petroleum – who changed their logo to make it green and yellow in a flower petal and sun synthesis, which they call the Helios, and slogan to â€Å"beyond petroleum† to reflect their intended shift in meeting the world’s energy requirements to more sustainable sources. 4. Environmental cost leadership – the offering of products and services which give greater environmental benefits at a lower price. This strategy suits firms operating in price-sensitive ecologically sensitive markets, such as the packaging and chemical industries. Chapter 3: Marketing Psychology and Consumer Buying Behaviour Diffusion Process Consumers purchase products at different times in the product life cycle. 1. Innovators: kick starts adoption process 2. Early Adopters: speeds up adoption process. Opinion leaders. 3. Early Majority: more risk averse than other 2 groups. This group requires reassurance. 4. Late Majority: sceptical of new ideas. Only adopt products due to social/economic factors. 5. Laggards: opinions hard to change. Small majority. Lowest income and social status. Suspicious of new ideas Innovators: 2. 5% of population Early adopters: 13. 5% of population Early majority: 34% of population Late majority: 34% of population Laggards: 16% of population It is likely that a promotional campaign should only be targeted at innovators and the early majority. Word of mouth and reputation will get round to the late majority and laggards. People are classified into these groups, but the type of people in the groups can swap and change depending on the type of product. Consumer Product Acquisition Motive Development Information Gathering Product Evaluation Product Selection Acquisition Re-evaluation Motive Development: the model begins when we decide we need to acquire a product. This involves initial recognition that some sort of problem needs solving, i. . need a new dress Information Gathering: the next stage requires us to look for alternative ways of solving our problem. We are open to ways of solving our problem, i. e. looking online Product Evaluation: once we feel we have all the information that we need to make a decision, we evaluate the products, i. e. choose between 2 dresses Product Selection: the pr oduct we eventually select is the one that we evaluate as fitting our needs best beforehand. This is a separate stage because there are times when we must re-evaluate, because what we want may not be right, or not available, i. . pick best dress Acquisition: once selection has taken place, different approaches to product acquisition might exist. It is important for the marketers to ensure that their customer value the product that they receive, i. e. buy online, with chance to return within 14 days, free delivery etc. Re-evaluation: the theory of cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957) suggests that we are motivated to re-evaluate our beliefs, attitudes and opinions. To reduce dissonance, we might: * Selectively forget information * Minimize the importance of an issue, decision or act Selectively expose ourselves to information which agrees with our existing view * Reverse a purchase decision (take product pack) Perceptions Consumer understanding very much depends on how effectively the message is both transmitted and perceived. In any one day, consumers receive thousands of messages. AMA, 2007: Based on prior attitudes, beliefs, needs, stimulus factors, and situational determinant, individuals perceive objects, events of people in the world about the. Perception is the cognitive impression that is formed of â€Å"reality† which in turn influences the individual’s actions and behaviour toward that object. The process of screening such meaningful information from the non-meaningful is known as selective exposure (Dubois, 2000). The implication for marketers is the importance of determining what media your customers use, and which they ignore. Perceptual mapping is a useful tool to determine how consumers perceive competing products and services, by comparing labels, brands and products, by rating those using semantic differential questions. Learning Consumers are continually learning about new product characteristics, their performance and new trends. Learning is the process by which we acquire new knowledge and skills, attitudes and values, through the mediums of study, experience, or modelling others’ behaviour. There are numerous theories of human learning, including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning. Classical Conditioning: Ian Pavlov stated that classical conditioning occurs, because we learn by associating one thing with another, in Pavlov’s case, the sound of the bell and arrival of food made the dogs salivate, so eventually, just by the sound of the bell, the dogs assumed that food would arrive. Operant Conditioning: Skinner (1954) argued that learning was the result of operant conditioning, which is learnt through behaviour reinforcement, through punishment or reward. Social Learning: Bandura (1977) suggested humans are much more thoughtful and less animalistic than the Skinnerian behaviourist school of learning suggested. Also contrasting to operant conditioning, Bandura argued that we can delay gratification and dispense our own rewards our punishment. In other words, we have more choice over how we react to stimuli than Skinner proposed. We can reflect on our own actions and change our future behaviour. In social learning, we learn by observing the behaviour of others. Memory Knowledge develops with familiarity, repetition of marketing messages, and consumers acquisition of product/service information. According to Bettman (1979) our memories are highly complex, there are a variety of memorisation processes which affect consumer choice, some of which include the following: 1. Recognition and recall – less frequently used words in advertising are recognised more. The more unique a campaign’s message, the better it is recognised, but the worse it is recalled. 2. Effects of context – memorisation is strongly associated with the context of the stimulus, and while information may be available in memory it will be inaccessible in the wrong context. 3. Form of coding and storage of objects in memory – subjects may store information in the form it is presented to them, either by object (brand) or dimension (product/service attribute). 4. Effect of processing load – this concept operates from a capacity allocation theory of memory suggesting that we are likely to find it more difficult to process information into our short and long term memories when we are presented with a great deal of info at once. . Effects of input mode – short term recall of auditory input (i. e. sound) is stronger than the short term recall of visual input (sight) where the 2 compete for the consumers attention. 6. Effects of repetition – recall and recognition of marketing messages increase the more times a consumer is exposed to them alth ough there are decreasing increments in memory performance and repetition increases. Personality How and what we buy is also based on our personalities. Personality: the aspect of our psyche that determines the way in which we respond to our environment in a relatively stable way over time. 3 main approaches: . Psychoanalytic approach – stresses self-reported unconscious desires 2. Trait theory – stresses classification of personality types 3. Self concept approach – concerned with how we perceive ourselves as consumers. Psychoanalytic Approach Freud (1927) stated that someone’s personality is determined by their sexual development through the oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital stages. An adult’s personality is developed according to how well they cope with crises that occur during these 5 phases. ID – instinctual drives and urges Ego – attempts to find outlets for the urges in our id and acts as a planning centre. Moderated by superego. Superego – controls how we motivate ourselves to behave to responds to our instincts and urges, so that we do in a socially acceptable manner, and avoid any feelings of guilt or shame. Social conscience. Trait Approach This approach categorises people into different personality types. There are 20 needs. E. g. autonomy, aggression, and achievement. Maslow (1943) suggested a hierarchical order of human needs: Self-actualisation Needs The need to fulfil our potential Esteem Needs Valued and respected by self and others Belongingness Needs Affection, attachment, friendship Safety Needs A predictable non-threatening environment Physiological Needs Food, water, oxygen, sex, and shelter from the elements The importance of each level ranges from country to country, as some needs are more readily available than others. Chapter 4: Marketing Research and Marketing Information Systems Marketing research is used to obtain information that provides the management of a company with sufficient insight to make more informed decisions on future activities. For a business to be successful, an organisation must understand the motivations, desires and behaviour of its customers and consumers. Marketing research specifies the information required to address certain issues; design methods for manage and implement the data collection process; analyse the results and communicate the findings and their implications. (ESOMAR 1995) Even though marketing research is the foundational element of modern marketing practice, market research is valued by some companies more than others. Commissioning Marketing Research Conducting market research depends largely on the size of the company and the type of product or service being sold. Some large companies employ market research agencies to conduct their research for them. The main advantage of using agencies is that it is relatively cheap compared with undertaking the research in-house and collecting the data independently. The main disadvantages of using agencies are that the agency sometimes cannot achieve the depth of knowledge of the client’s problems or market unless it offers a niche specialism in this area. In many syndicated surveys, (retail audits etc) several rival organisations buy the same data from the agency, so a cost effective survey can be carried out. However the survey could be less specific to each business. The Marketing Research Brief Typical contents might include the following: * Background summary – brief info and details about the company and its products it offers * Management problem – clear statement of why the research should be undertaken and which business decisions are dependent upon its outcome * The marketing research questions – a detailed list of the information necessary in order to make the decisions outlined above * The intended scope of the research – the areas to be covered, which industries, type of consumer etc. Should be provided. Should give an indication of when the info is required and why that date is important * Tendering procedures – the client organisation should outline how agencies are to be selected as a result of the tendering process. Specific info may be required such as CVs from agency personnel to be involved in the study, and referee contact address The Marketing Research Process Stage 1 – define the problem Stage 2 – decide the research plan Stage 3 – undertake the data collection Stage 4 – undertake the data analysis/interpretation Stage 5 – write the report and deliver the presentation See book for detailed descriptions, page 144 Competitive Intelligence and Marketing In formation Systems It’s no good having lots of data unless you know how to use it. Companies are frequently swimming in data but have no means to convert the data into intelligence or no means to store it and provide it to end users. Competitive Intelligence – the organised, professional approach to collection, analysis, and distribution of timely, accurate and useful information as intelligence products – intelligence that contributes materially to the achievement of strategic and tactical business objectives (Nolan, 1999). There are various techniques used which include: * Use remote psychological assessment tools to build profiles of business opponents * Collecting competitive intelligence at conferences and trade shows * Collecting information on rivals from their customers and suppliers using elicitation techniques * Collecting intelligence on rivals from 3rd parties using elicitation techniques Marketing Research and Ethics Many supermarkets adopt loyalty cards. The major value of such schemes is the provision of consumption information. This data is analysed by a 3rd party, and sold to the company. Since marketing research is based on the cooperation of the individuals or organisations that provide the answers or fill in the questionnaires, marketing research should be carried out in an objective, unobtrusive, and honest manner. Researchers have been particularly concerned about the public’s increased unwillingness to take part in market research. Marketing research should neither attempt to induce sales of a product or service, nor influence customer attitudes, or intentions of behaviours. The general public and other parties are entitled to assurances that no information collected in a research survey will be used to identify them, or disclosed to a 3rd party without their consent. In conducting any marketing research, researchers have responsibility for themselves, their clients and the respondents from whom the information is being gathered. International Marketing Research Marketing researchers need to understand how culture operates in international markets and how this impacts upon research design. More variables need to be considered. Difficult to decide whether to use the same sampling frame, or study using different scales, sampling methods and sizing. The key issue faced by international researchers is to ensure comparable data are collected, despite differences in sampling frames, technological development and availability of interviewers. Conceptual Equivalence – when interpretation of behaviour or objects, is similar across countries. Functional Equivalence – a concept has similar functions in different countries Translation Equivalence – words in some languages have no real equivalent in other languages The International Marketing Survey Research Process . The project is discussed at length with the client 2. The fieldwork agencies for each country are selected 3. The questionnaire is developed centrally 4. The questionnaire is translated locally and the translation is checked centrally 5. The questionnaire is piloted locally 6. The questionnaire is finalised centrally 7. The interviewe rs are briefed locally by an executive of the central company 8. A coding and editing plan is provided for the local agencies 9. The edited and coded questionnaires are returned to the head office 10. A coding and editing check is carried out centrally 11. Data processing is carried out centrally Chapter 6 : Market Segmentation and Positioning The STP Process The method by which whole markets are subdivided into different segments is referred to as the STP process. STP refers to the 3 activities that should be undertaken. These are: 1. Segmentation 2. Targeting 3. Positioning Marketers are increasingly segmenting markets and indentifying attractive segments in order to identify new product opportunities, develop suitable positioning, and communicate strategies (i. . what message to communicate), and effectively allocate resources to key marketing activities (i. e. how much should we spend and where? ). Organisations operating in highly dynamic environments seek to conduct segmentation research at regular intervals to keep in touch with changes in the marketplace. Key benefits of STP process include: * Enhancing a company’s competitive position by providing direction and foc us for marketing strategies – such as targeted advertising, new product development and brand differentiation. Examining and identifying growth opportunities in the market through the identification of new customers, growth segments, or new product uses. * More effective and efficient matching of company resources to targeted market segments promises the greatest return on marketing investment. The Concept of Market Segmentation Market segmentation is the division of a market into different groups of customers with distinctly similar needs and product/service requirements. The purpose of market segmentation is to leverage scarce resources, to ensure that the elements of the marketing mix are designed to meet particular needs of different customer groups. With an increasing proliferation of tastes in modern society, consumers have increased in disposable incomes. As a result, marketers have sought to design product and service offerings around the consumer demand (market segmentation) more than around their own production needs (product differentiation) The process of Market Segmentation There are 2 main approaches to segmenting markets. 1. Breakdown Method – this adopts the view that the market is considered to consist of customers which are essentially the same, so the task is to identify groups which share particular differences. 2. Build-up Method – considers a market to consist of customers that are all different, so here the task is to find similarities. The breakdown approach is perhaps the most established and well recognized and is the main method used for segmenting consumer markets. The build up approach seeks to move from the individual level where all customers are different, to a more general level of analysis based on the identification of similarities. The aim of both methods is to identify segments in the market where identifiable differences exist between members within each segment (member homogeneity) The segmentation process varies according to the prevailing conditions in the marketplace and the changing needs of the parties involved, not simply the needs of the selling organisation. Market Segmentation in Consumer Markets To segment the consumer goods and service markets, we use market information we have collected based on certain key customer/product/situation related criteria (variables). These are classified as segmentation bases, they include profile, behavioural, and psychological criteria. The 4th segmentation criteria is contact data. The population can be segmented and analysed through various ways: * Demographics * Lifecycle * Geographics * Geodemographics * Psychographics * Behavioural criteria Transaction and purchase: the development of electronic technologies has facilitated the rapid growth in the collection of consumer purchase and transactional data, providing an additional consumer characteristic upon which to base market segmentation. Segmentation in Business Markets There are 2 main groups of interrelated variables used to segment business-to-business markets: 1. Organisational characteristics: organisational size/location/industry type (SIC codes). 2. Buyer characteristics: Decision-making unit structure/choice criteria/purchase situation. Organisational size: by segmenting organisations by size, it is possible to identify particular buying requirements. Geographic location: particularly useful since it allows sales territories to be drawn up around particular locations which salespersons can easily service. SIC codes: Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes are often used to get an indication of the size of a particular market. Easily accessible and standardised across most western countries. Decision-making unit: a decision making unit may have specific requirements that influence their purchase decisions in a particular market, i. e. policies, purchasing strategies, attitudes towards vendors and towards risk. Choice criteria: business markets can be segmented on the basis of the specifications of product/service that they choose. Purchase Situation: there are 3 factors associated with the purchase situation. 1. The structure of the buying organisation’s purchasing procedures (centralised, flexible etc). 2. What type of buying situation is present (new task, modified re buy, straight re buy) 3. What stage in the purchase decision process have target organisations reached? Target Markets It is important to determine which, if any, of the segments uncovered should be targeted and made the focus of a comprehensive marketing programme. It needs to be judged which markets are selected and exploited, and which markets are ignored. Kotler (1984) suggested that for market segmentation to be effective, all segments must be: * Distinct Accessible * Measurable * Profitable Targeting Approaches Once identified the company needs to select its approach to target marketing it is going to adopt. Four differing approaches can be considered: 1. Undifferentiated marketing e. g. UK post office, targets mass market. 2. Differentiated marketing e. g. Levi’s, targets multiple market segments. 3. Focu sed/concentrated marketing e. g. Jordan cereal targets consumers interested in organic. 4. Customised marketing: B2B markets (e. g. marketing research or advertising services) Market Segmentation: Some Limitations The process involves approximating product/service offering to the needs of customer groups, rather than providing an individual customised offering, there is a chance that our customers’ needs are not being fully met. * There is insufficient consideration of how market segmentation is linked to competitive advantage. Market segmentation has not tended to stress the need to segment on the basis of differentiating from competitors. * It is unclear how valuable segmentation is to the manager. Suitable processes and models to indicate how to measure the effectiveness of market segmentation processes are not yet available. Process issues – lack of experience, guidance and expertise concerning the way in which segmentation is undertaken and managed. Positioning Ha ving segmented the market, determined the size and potential of market segments, and selected specific target markets, the 3rd part of the STP process is to position a brand within the target market. Positioning is important because it is the means by which goods and services can be differentiated from one another and so give consumers a reason to buy. It’s about how customers judge a product’s value relative to competitors and its ability to deliver against the promises made. . Physical attributes – functionality and capability that a brand offers. 2. Communication – the way the brand is communicated and how consumers perceive the brand relative to other competing brands in the marketplace. Perceptual Mapping Perceptual mapping represents a geometric comparison of how competing products are perceived. The further apart the positions, the greater the opportunity for new brands to enter the market, because competition is less intense. Repositioning Strateg ies Markets, consumer tastes, fashions and competitors change. There are four main ways to approach repositioning a product. . Change the tangible attributes and then communicate the new product to the same market. 2. Change the way a product is communicated to the original market. 3. Change the target market and deliver the same product 4. Change both the product attributes and the target market. Chapter 9: Products, Services, and Branding Decisions The 3 levels of a product: 1. The core product – consists of the real core benefit or service. May be a functional benefit in terms of what the product will enable you to do, or an emotional benefit in terms of how it will make you feel. E. g. cars provide transportation and a means of self-expression. 2. The embodied product – consists of the physical good or delivered service that provides the expected benefit. E. g. features, durability, design, packaging, brand name etc. 3. The augmented product – consists of the embodied product plus all other factors necessary to support the purchase. E. g. credit and finance, training, delivery, installation, guarantees. Consumer Products Durable goods: can be used repeatedly and provide benefits each time they are used e. g. ike, Ipod Non-durable goods: limited duration, often only capable of being used once e. g. yoghurt, newspaper Convenience products can be sub-divided into 3 categories: 1. Stable products: bread, milk, petrol 2. Impulse products: chewing gum, chocolate, magazines 3. Emergency products: bandages, umbrella, plumber in the middle of the night when there’s a leak. Unsought products refers to a group of products which people do not normall y anticipate buying or want to buy. For example, insurance sold on the streets, double glazing, and timeshare holiday (mainly products pushed to buy from salespeople). Business Products There are 6 main categories identified according to how organisational customers (business people) use them: 1. Equipment goods 2. Raw materials 3. Semi-finished goods 4. Maintenance repair and operating goods 5. Component parts 6. Business services Product Lifecycles Product lifecycle is the belief that products move through a sequential, predetermined pattern of development. It consists of 5 distinct stages: 1. Development 2. Introduction 3. Growth 4. Maturity 5. Decline Speed of movement through the stages will vary but each product has a limited lifespan. The lifespan can be prolonged and extended, but the majority of products have a finite period. It does not apply to all products in the same way. E. g. some products reach the end of the introduction stage and then die as it becomes clear there is no market to sustain the product. Some products get to decline, and then get recycled back to growth stage by repositioning activities. Usefulness of Product Life Cycle The plc (product life cycle) concept allows marketing managers to adapt strategies and tactics to meet the needs of evolving conditions and product circumstances. It is a well known and popular concept and is a useful means of explaining the path a product or brand has taken. Clear, simple and predictable. However, in practice the PLC is not great use. Difficult to tell when the product has hit each stage in the cycle. Historical sales data does not help managers identify when a product has moved from one stage to another, so it is difficult to forecast sales and determine the future shape of the PLC curve. Great care is required when using the PLC. Idea Generation Idea Generation Screening Business Plans and Market Analysis Product Development and Selection Test Marketing Commercialisation The Process of Adoption The process through which individuals accept and use new products is referred to as the process of adoption (Rogers 1983). The process starts with people gaining awareness of a product and moves through various stages of adaptation before a purchase is eventually made. 1. Knowledge 2. Persuasion 3. Decision 4. Implementation 5. Confirmation Branding Branding is a method through which manufacturers and retailers help customers to differentiate between the various offerings in a market. It enables them to make associations with certain attributes or feelings with a particular brand. Brands are products and services that have added value. This value has been deliberately designed and presented by marketing managers in an attempt to augment their products with values and association that are recognised by and are meaningful to customers. It is customer perception and the brand’s value which is important. AMA definition: a name, term, sign, symbol, design or a combination, intended to identify the goods, or services of one seller or group of sellers, and to differentiate them from those of competitors (2006). There are 2 main types of attributes: 1. Intrinsic – functional characteristics of a product, such as shape, performance etc. 2. Extrinsic – brand name, price, packaging, marketing communications etc. Benefits of branding for consumers: * Assists people to identify their preferred products * Reduces level of perceived risk * Help people gauge the level of product quality * Reduces amount of time spent making product based decisions, decreases shop time. * Provide psychological reassurance or reward, especially for products bought on an occasional basis (e. g. esigner handbag) * Inform consumers about the source of a product (country or company) Benefits of branding for manufacturers and retailers: * Enable premium pricing * Help differentiate the product from competitive offerings * Encourage cross-selling to other brands owned by the manufacturer * Develop customer loyalty/retention and repeat purchase buyer behaviour * Assist the development and use of integrated mark eting communications * Contribute to corporate identity programmes * Provide some legal protection Types of Brands * Manufacturer brands: Persil, Heinz, coca-cola, Cadbury. Promoted heavily. Distributor (own label) brands: Argos, Harvey Nichols, Sainsburys. Sell manufactured and own label. * Generic brands: plain flour. Packaging only displays info required by law. Sold at prices substantially below normal price. Only firms in pharmaceutical sector use this type of brand now, as popularity elsewhere has declined. Brand Policies Individual branding: requires that each product offered by an organisation is branded independently of all the others. E. g. Unilever uses individual branding with Cif, Knorr and Dove. Advantages: * Easy to target specific segments and to enter new markets with separate names. If a brand fails or becomes subject to negative media attention, other brands are not likely to be damaged. Disadvantages * Heavy financial cost as each brand needs to have its own prom otional programme and associated support. Family branding: requires that all the products use the organisations name, either entirely or in part. E. g. Microsoft, Heinz, and Kellogg’s. Advantages: * It is hoped that customer trust will develop across all brands. * Promotional investment need not be as high as there will be a halo effect across all the brands when one is communicated. Disadvantages: * Damage to one product or operational area can cause problems across the organisation. Corporate branding: Single umbrella brand, based on the name of the organisation. Used by major supermarkets, business markets, and financial services. Advantages: * Promotional investments are limited to one brand. Disadvantages: * The risk is similar to family branding where damage to one product or operational area can cause problems across the organisation. Co-branding is where two established brands work together, either on one product or service. Brand Equity is a measure of the value of a brand. It is an assessment of a brand’s wealth, sometimes referred to as goodwill. Brand equity is considered important because of the increasing interest in trying to measure the return on promotional investments and pressure by various stakeholders to value brands for balance sheet purposes. A brand with strong equity is more likely to be able to preserve its customer loyalty and so fend off competitor attacks. There are 3 parts associated with brand equity: 1. Brand value, based on a financial and accounting base 2. Brand strength, measuring the strength of a consumer’s attachment to a brand 3. Brand description, represented by the specific attitudes customers have towards a brand Packaging There is a societal and political pressure to ensure that packaging and the materials used are appropriate and capable of being recycled. Packaging has 2 main roles to be, functional and communicative. * Protection * Preserved * Convenience * Clear messages about content, features, and dangers * Good design (complement physical attributes) * Brand identification and reassurance * Layout Labelling Labels are important. Deliver information about product usage * Help promote a brand * Enable brand owners to comply with various regulations and requirements * Good design Chapter 10: Price Decisions Price: the amount of money expected, required, or given in payment for something Price: something expended or endured in order to achieve an object In marketing terms, we consider price as the amount the customer has to pay or exchange to receive a good or service. Customer Perceptions of Pricing, Quality and Value Quality is defined as the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind. Consumers have differing views of the quality of the product they have purchased. Value is defined as the regard that something is held to deserve importance of worth. In marketing terms, perceived value refers to what we get for what we pay. Value = Quality/Price Although products might be perceived as expensive, they can still be perceived as value for money (e. g. Panadol is an expensive drug, but is more effective than own-label aspirin) Reference Prices: when customers have some idea of what they think is a fair price to pay for a certain good or service, or what they would expect to pay. When customers assess prices, they estimate value using pricing cues, because they do not always know the true cost and price of the item that they are purchasing. Odd Number Pricing: also known as psychological pricing. ?1. 99, we think is a lot cheaper than it is. Purchase Context in Pricing: starting off with cheaper prices before adding in extras (easy jet), or gym memberships with a small monthly fee but with a yearly contract. Consumers are drawn in more if they initially see a low price. Price Bundling: bundling other products together, e. g. magazines with free CD’s or DVD’s. This is pure price bundling. Mixed price bundling is when different products can be bundled together through choice, such as mobile phone packages with international call packages, SMS packages, and email, which can also be available independently or with other offers. Price bundles can also include â€Å"cash back† not just offering products. For example banks offer cash back schemes on money spent and inputted in their banks (Halifax pay ? 5 every month is ? 1000 is put into a current account). Pricing Approaches The setting of prices depends on a number of factors, such as demand, sales revenue, costs etc. There are 4 types of pricing approaches which can be used: 1. Cost-oriented approach (prices are set based on costs) 2. Demand –oriented approach (prices are based on price sensitivity and levels of demand) 3. Competitor-oriented approach (where prices are set based on what competitors charge) 4. Value-oriented approach (prices are set based on what customers believe to offer value) Pricing Policies Although there are 4 main types of pricing approaches, there are in fact many different possible pricing policies which could be used: 1. List pricing: unsophisticated approach to pricing. A single price is set for a product or service. 2. Loss leader pricing: the price of a product is set at a lower level than actual cost to product it. This entices customers into stores, and the loss incurred on these items is made up by increasing costs elsewhere on less price-sensitive items. 3. Promotional pricing: when companies temporarily reduce their prices below the standard price for a period of time to raise awareness of the product, to raise brand awareness in the short term. 4. Segmentation pricing: where varying prices are set for different groups of customers, e. g. tesco finest, tesco value, George asda, etc. Economists call this price discrimination. 5. Price skimming: the start of a product’s life cycle, a product is charged a lot higher, to recoup the costs of research and development, and to make the product â€Å"exclusive†. 6. Price penetration: the start of a product’s life cycle, a product is charged a lot lower, to gain market share and generate a large volume of sales to recoup research and development investment. Pricing in the B2B Setting B2B markets exist on the basis that firms sell products and services to one another rather than to end users. From the B2B seller’s perspective, there re numerous approaches to pricing products and services including the following: * Geographical pricing – where customers are located * Negotiated pricing – set according to specific agreements between company and client * Discount pricing – reduce prices on the basis that customer is prepared to bulk buy * Value-in-use pricing – price foc uses attention upon customer perceptions, what they expect to pay * Relationship pricing – understanding of customer’s needs, helps generate relationship * Transfer pricing – large organisations, internal dealing between different divisions of the company and across national boundaries. Economic value to customer – works on basis that a company prices a good according to its value to the client through comparison with a reference or market leading product, taking everything into consideration (start-up and post-purchase costs) Price Elasticity of Demand It allows us to determine how the quantity of a good or service relates to the price at which it is offered. Inelastic goods and services are defined as such, because a change in price has little effect in sales volumes, whereas elastic goods have large effects. We need to understand this concept in order to understand demand-orientated pricing mechanisms. Chapter 11: An Introduction to Marketing Communications Marketing communications or promotion is one of the 4ps of the marketing mix. It is used to communicate elements of an organisation’s offering to a target audience. Communication is the process by which individuals share meaning. There are 3 main models or interpretations, of how communication works. 1. Linear model 2. Two-way model 3. Interactive model Linear Model of Communication – page 434 Regarded as the basic model of mass communications. First developed by Wilbur Schramm (1955). The linear model emphasises that each phase occurs in a particular sequence, to enable to transmission of information, ideas, attitudes and emotion from one person or group to another. The goal is to create a message that is capable of being comprehended easily by the receiver. once encoded, the message must be put in a form that is capable of transmission. Once the receiver has received the message, they decode it, to make sense of it. Once understood, receivers react and provide a response, with feedback. The final component is understanding. The source and receiver understand each other. Increasing numbers of people now engage with interactive based communications, so companies and individuals cannot be involved in real dialogue. The linear model therefore is no longer entirely appropriate. The Two-Step Model of Communication People can have a significant impact on the communication process, and the two-step model goes some way to reflecting their influence. It recognises the importance of personal influences when informing and persuading audiences to think or behave in particular ways. There are 2 main types of influencer: * Opinion leader – ordinary person who has a heightened interest in a particular topic. * Opinion former – involved professionally in the topic of interest. These both have enormous potential to influence audiences. Messages from personal influencers provide reinforcement and message credibility. The Interaction Model of Communications Model is similar to two-step model but contains one important difference. Mass media is not the only source of communication. Interaction model recognises that messages can flow through various channels and that people can influence the direction and impact of a message. Interaction is about actions that lead to a response and much attention is now given to the interaction that occurs between people. The development of digital technologies has been instrumental in enabling organisations to provide increased interaction opportunities with their customers. (e. g. press the red button to get more info). News programmes now encourage viewers to phone or send in their emails and pictures about particular issues. This gets audiences to express their views and in doing so, promoting access to, and interacting with the programme. The Role of Marketing Communications The success of marketing communications depends upon the extent to which messages engage their audiences. These audiences can fall into 3 groups: * Customers * Channel members – suppliers, retailers, wholesalers, value added resellers * Stakeholders – shareholders, employees, local community There are many types of exchange, but 2 of particular importance: 1. Transactional Exchanges: transactions that occur independently of any previous exchanges. Short term orientation. When a consumer buys an mp3 player, a brand they have not bought from before, then a transactional exchange can be identified. . Collaborative Exchanges: longer term orientation. Develops between parties who wish to build long-term supportive relationships. When a consumer buys their 3rd product from the same brand as the mp3 player, perhaps from the same dealer, collaborative exchanges are taking place. Audiences who prefer transactional exchanges will engage better with advertising and mass media-base d communications, as messages are impersonal and product focused. Companies by adding extra touches, can convert a shopping experience from transactional to collaborative, by putting in extra effort to maintain relationships. The Tasks of Marketing Communications There are 3 main aspects associated with marketing communications: 1. Engagement 2. Audience 3. Responses Communications can be used to differentiate brands and companies, to reinforce brand memories and expectations, to inform (make aware and educate audiences), and finally to persuade them to do things or to behave in particular ways. The Marketing Communications Mix The traditional marketing communications mix consists of a set of 5 primary tools: 1. Advertising 2. Sales promotion 3. Direct marketing 4. Public relations 5. Personal selling These 5 primary tools are used in various combinations and with different degrees of intensity in order to achieve different communication goals with target audiences. Word-of-mouth Word-of-mouth communication is â€Å"interpersonal communication regarding products or services where the receiver regards the communicator as impartial†. Integrated Marketing Communications IMC is concerned with harmonising the messages conveyed through each of the promotional tools, so that audiences perceive a consistent set of meanings within the messages they receive. Cultural Aspects of Marketing Communications Culture is important because it provides individuals within a society with a sense of identity and an understanding of what is deemed to be acceptable behaviour. Within businesses various types of culture arises: * National culture * Industry/Business culture * Organisational culture * Individual behaviour Corporate Concentration – a few large organisations own more and more media properties. Chapter 12: Marketing Communications: Tools and Techniques The marketing communications mix is a set of 5 tools that can be used in various combinations to communicate with target audiences: 1. Advertising 2. Sales promotion 3. Public relations 4. Direct marketing 5. Personal selling There are 6 key classes of media: 1. Broadcast 2. Print 3. Outdoor 4. In-store 5. Digital 6. Other (which includes both cinema and ambient media) The Role and Purpose of the Marketing Communications Mix Media fragmentation: the expansion of media where different classes of media have recently been used in different ways and developed. Advertising Advertising is a non-personal form of communication. It reaches large, mass audiences in an impersonal way. * Can be used to influence demand for products Can be used to manage perceptions and understanding about the organisation as a whole. Strong theory of advertisement – Jones (1991) Weak theory of advertisement – Ehrenberg (1997) Other Promotional Methods and Approaches * Sponsorships * Product placement * Branded entertainment * Field marketing * Exhibitions * Viral marketing Chapter 13: Managing Communications: Strategy, Planning, a nd Implementation There are 3 core marketing communication strategies, each based on broad target audiences: * Pull strategies – used to communicate with end user customers. Consumers and organisations within a B2B context. * Push strategies –