Contemporary issues in market strategy Assignment

Contemporary issues in market strategy - Assignment Example It is now universally accepted that the majority of consumers spend more time online than on other media channels such as television. Information is derived from an individual consumer’s online activities that include Facebook, twitter, tumbler and many more. The information of interest to marketing personnel relates to the consumer’s tastes and preferences as well as their wishes and expectations. Marketers are also interested in consumers’ opinions and perspectives on products (BOUTELLIER, GASSMANN & ZEDTWITZ 2008, pg33). The information gathered is then used to influence the individual consumer into consumption of a â€Å"personalized† product. Modern day consumer behavior forces companies to understand the individual consumers in addition to acquiring knowledge about the consumers. That is; these companies have shifted their strategy from production of goods for the consumers to creation of consumers who then form the demand part of their sales cycle. The shift from traditional marketing has led to the emergence of innovational marketing strategies which are discussed below. Digital marketing refers to the extensive employment of electronic media such as computers and software dependent devices, smartphones, cellphones, gaming devices, personal computers and tablets in the marketing of products and services (KASHANI & HOROVITZ 2005, pg44). The internet is regarded as the most effective and popular and digital marketing tool since it statistically agrees that most people spend more time online than on any other electronic channel. Digital media marketing also occurs through channels such as text messaging, instant mobile messaging, electronic billboards, digital radios and televisions, mobile applications and podcasts. Through digital marketing, companies can understand the tastes and preferences of their consumers, therefore, creating a special type of relationship

Are Voltaire's and Goethe's social criticisms responsible for their Term Paper

Are Voltaire's and Goethe's social criticisms responsible for their protagonists' different ends - Term Paper Example The overview of these stories will provide some striking similarities in authors approach to magnify the evil elements of the society. Both protagonists had an ongoing journey of pain and agony which was the product of their personal believes and notions clashing with that of the society. As Voltaire pictures the horrific outcome of war: After passing over heaps of dead or dying men, the first place he came to was a neighboring village, in the Abarian territories, which had been burned to the ground by the Bulgarians, agreeably to the laws of war. Here lay a number of old men covered with wounds, who beheld their wives dying with their throats cut, and hugging their children to their breasts, all stained with blood. There several young virgins, whose bodies had been ripped open, after they had satisfied the natural necessities of the Bulgarian heroes, breathed their last; while others, half-burned in the flames, begged to be dispatched out of the world. The ground about them was covered with the brains, arms, and legs of dead men† (Voltaire 10, 11). Candide tried to flee from the place as soon as possible reflecting his hatred for war and to some extent his dissociation of emotions towards the victims. Here, Voltaire tried to highlight one of the dark sides of the society where woman were brutally victimized and used as a source to satiate the animal hunger of human flesh. Even the main characters of the novel Cunegonde, the old woman and Paquette were raped or made sex slaves. Moreover he criticized the psychology of the army men who proudly kills innocent people and quench their animal thirsts by sarcastically entitling them as ‘heroes’. Similar incidence happened in the other novel when Werther showed grieve over the heartache of country lad who tried to rape her mistress though he loved her so much. Goethe’s character also questioned the dim line between love and lust which

The Story of the Star Spangler Banner By Ryan Jacobson Essay Example for Free

The Story of the Star Spangler Banner By Ryan Jacobson Essay This book is about the history of our National Anthem that was written amidst the war between the people of Maryland who were attacked by a British Fleet. This happened between 1812 and 1814 at the Fort Mc Henry where the faith of the country rested in the waiving of the flag. For 24 hours, the American flag stood still despite constant attacks by the enemies. Both parties decided that a flag truce will determine the winner of the war; in short, the last flag standing will be the victor. The climax of the story happened a little over midnight when the firing stopped and there was silence.   The soldier named Francis Scott Key which is also the main character of the story together with a friend soldier of his was held captive by the British Fleet. When dawn came they looked at Fort McHenry to see which flag is waving in the air and to be called the victor. Just as the first ray of light hit the flag they saw that it was still stars and stripes and not that of the British Fleet. In joy Mr. Key took from his pocket a pen and paper and there in the oddest place a soldier could be during a war, a boat beside the British Fleet, he wrote the poem â€Å"The Star-Spangled Banner† with all the pride and joy he have at that very moment.The British Fleet lost the battle and Mr. Key went back to the shore and gave the copy of the poem to his uncle who printed it. The soldiers sang the poem in the tune of â€Å"To Anacreon in Heaven† and since then many loved to sing the song.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book tells us a lot about the events that led to the making of our national anthem which is The Star Spangled Banner. This is good since most of the children’s books that are written about the song just tell us about the meaning of the lyrics of the song word for word. The book by  Ã‚   Ryan Jacobson says a lot about the detail and event that let Mr. Key into writing the song which years later, in 1938, was officially declared our national Anthem. I take pride and honor when hearing the song and watching our flag wave as a symbol of victory and freedom since it reminds me of how Mr. Key and the rest of our ancestors fought for our land. Source:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jacobson, R. 2006   The Story of the Star-Spangled Banner, USA

Life expectancy, the number of years that a

Life expectancy, the number of years that a 195462 A discussion of the factors that contribute to lower life expectancy in the west of Scotland as compared to other parts of the U.K Life expectancy, the number of years that a person can expect to live on average, is a single measure of population health which is used to monitor public health, health inequalities, and the outcome of health service interventions and to allocate resources. Life expectancy in Scotland The relationship between health and wealth is complex. One as yet unexplained paradox in Scotland is that, even when matched with their English counterparts of comparable socio-economic status, Scots are relatively less healthy over a range of indicators from age standardised mortality to specific disease outcomes (Figure 1). Figure 1: Directly standardised mortality rates per 1,000 populations, 1990/92, by country and deprivation quintile. These findings suggest that there are factors at work, other than simply wealth, which are making Scots unhealthier than people in other parts of the UK (Scottish executives 2007). West of Scotland: A Description West of Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. In terms of local government areas the region covers: West Dunbartonshire East Renfrewshire Inverclyde Most of Renfrewshire (otherwise within the Glasgow region) Most of East Dunbartonshire (otherwise within the Central Scotland region) Part of Argyll and Bute (otherwise within the Highlands and Islands region) Part of North Ayrshire (otherwise within the South of Scotland region) Within Scotland, life expectancy is lowest for people living in the west of Scotland. According to the Scottish household survey, healthy life expectancy at birth is 63.3years and 60.3years in females and males, respectively of greater Glasgow for example. These figures are the lowest in the UK (Scottish Public Health Observatory 2007). Life in the West of Scotland While parts of west Scotland have prospered with greater employment and better paid middle-class jobs, in other parts ‘worklessness’ and low income are commonplace. The issue for west Scotland is that greater reductions in disease have been achieved elsewhere and so west Scotland’s health has become worse relatively in comparison to other UK cities. Estimates of life expectancy suggest that people living in west Scotland not only live shorter lives, but succumb to disease and illness earlier in life. An explanation to this is that the health of an individual is largely determined by the circumstances in which he or she lives. Poor health is associated with poverty, poor housing, low educational status, unemployment and a variety of other life circumstances (Tackling Health Inequalities 2007). Health inequalities within Scotland and between the west of Scotland and the rest of the UK appear to be widening. In the 10 years to 2001, average male life expectancy in Sc otland increased by 3% but the rate of increase was more rapid in the most affluent parts of the country, with the least affluent west areas falling behind (Whyte and Walsh 2004). The recent decline in death rates from common conditions such as cardiovascular disease has also been more rapid among the more affluent (Krawczyk 2004). Thus, despite the overall improvements, the west of Scotland still lags behind. Economic factors A number of trends related to the economy are also notable in West Scotland. There are now more women than men in employment in Glasgow and part-time work has grown to represent more than a quarter of all jobs. The service sector has grown to become the most important sector of the heart of West Scotland’s economy, while manufacturing employment has shrunk (Scottish Public Health Observatory 2007). Social factors It is common knowledge that those who smoke, become obese through eating a poor diet or through lack of exercise, and those who drink alcohol in excessive quantities or abuse drugs have poor health. Smoking levels in west Scotland have remained higher than those observed in other parts of the UK. Hanlon and his colleagues (2001) have shown that, by 1991, deprivation appears to explain only 40% of the excess deaths in Scotland (2001). Gillis and his colleagues (1988) have found that, at comparable daily smoking rates and levels of affluence, men in the West of Scotland are more likely to die from lung cancer than other populations in the UK or the US (Gillis 1988) (Figure 2). Figure 2: Comparison of lung cancer mortality in Renfrew and Paisley with three major cohorts in US and UK. The increasing impact of alcohol is undeniable: There are estimated to be more than 13,500 ‘problem alcohol users’ resident within Glasgow City, and since the beginning of the 1990s, there has been a striking increase in numbers of alcohol related deaths and hospitalisations especially in west Scotland. Simple projections of alcohol related deaths based on recent trends suggest that the number of alcohol related deaths in Greater Glasgow could double in the next twenty years (Figure 3) (Scottish executives 2007). Figure 3: Alcohol related mortality in West Scotland: Greater Glasgow The impact of the use of illicit drugs also serves to further decrease life expectancy in west Scotland in comparison with other parts of the UK. Between 1996 and 2004, drug related deaths in Greater Glasgow for example, rose by a third. There are estimated to be around 25,000 problem drug users in the West of Scotland, of whom more than 11,000 live in Glasgow (Scottish executives 2007). Life expectancy for drug addicts is expectedly very low and these figures will impact negatively on the overall life expectancy for the region. In Glasgow and other parts of west Scotland, it is predicted that single adults will account for 49% of all households in the next ten years, while lone parent households may rise to make up almost one in two of households with children (Scottish Public Health Observatory 2007). Obesity levels have risen exceedingly in west Scotland to the extent that in Greater Glasgow, for example, a fifth of males and almost a quarter of females are now estimated to be obese, with well over half classified as overweight. Trends in hospitalisation for diabetes, much of which is associated with obesity, have also risen dramatically in recent years (Scottish executives 2007). A cultural issue The ethnic minority population of west Scotland has risen in recent years and looks set to increase further, particularly taking into account the recent rise in the asylum seeker and refugee population. The influence of this trend on life expectancy within the region remains to be determined (Scottish Public Health Observatory 2007). Provision of services Despite improvements in overall house conditions and dramatic decreases in levels of overcrowding, housing-related problems persist for considerable numbers of residents of Greater Glasgow and the West of Scotland (Scottish Public Health Observatory 2007). Recent research suggests other important ways in which the environment and life circumstances can affect biological processes which in turn can make individuals more susceptible to ill health. By following the progress of male civil servants over a 10 year period, Marmot and his colleagues found that mortality was approximately three times greater among the lowest grades than the highest (Marmot et al 1978). When deaths from heart disease were considered, the recognised risk factors of smoking, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels could account for part of the differences between the groups. Other studies have confirmed that higher levels of risk of death in a working population are explained by health-related behaviours (Marmot 2000). There is mounting evidence that at least part of the unexplained increase in risk across the social classes is related to how the body responds to social stress. Available data shows that people are perhaps exposed to a high level of str ess factors in west Scotland (Scottish Public Health Observatory 2007). Whether these stress types and levels are more or comparable to what is obtainable in other parts of the UK remains an unanswered question. . References Gillis CR, Hole DJ, Hawthorne VM, 1988.Cigarette smoking and male lung cancer in an area of very high incidence-II Report of a general population cohort study in the West of Scotland. J Epidemiology and Community Health 42: 44-48. Hanlon P, Walsh D, Buchanan D, Redpath A (2001). Chasing the Scottish Effect. Public Health Institute of Scotland (now NHS Health Scotland) Glasgow 2001. Marmot MG, Rose G, Shipley M, Hamilton PJ. (1978) Employment grade and Coronary Heart Disease in British civil servants. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1978 Dec; 32(4): 244-9. Marmot MG (2000) Multi-level approaches to understanding social determinants in Berkman and Kawachi (eds) Social Epidemiology New York. Oxford University Press pp 349-367. Scottish executives (2007) [Internet] Available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/TrendLifeExpectancy Scottish Public Health Observatory (2007): Healthy life expectancy in Scotland (Internet) (Accessed 15/04/07) http://www.scotpho.org.uk/web/site/home/Populationdynamics/Healthylifeexpectancy/hle_intro.asp Tackling Health Inequalities – An NHS Response (2007) [Internet] (Accessed 15/04/07) www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/nationalframework/Documents/TACKLING%20HEALTHINEQUALITIES240505 Whyte B and Walsh D. (2004) Scottish Constituency Profiles 2004.www.phis.org.uk/info/sub.asp?p=bbb Krawczyk A. (2004) Monitoring Health Inequalities. Scottish Executive Health Department Analytical Services Division 2004.

H.M. Scott Smiths, the Historical Houses of Prince Edward Island :: essays papers

H.M. Scott Smith's, the Historical Houses of Prince Edward Island H.M. Scott Smith's, the Historical Houses of Prince Edward Island, is a candid look into the more architecturally and historically significant buildings located on Prince Edward Island. Focusing particularly on those constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Historical Houses of Prince Edward Island, features structures from the early days of the Micmac wigwams to the elegance of the Victorian presence. His purpose is to trace the evolution of the Islands housing in their form, decor, and construction over the course of time. In addition, Smith writes of the different principal international impacts, which have shaped the architectural stature of Prince Edward Island. Hoping to set a starting point in Prince Edward Islands' architectural studies, Smith states 1"I also wish to stress that I conceived this project and these books as a beginning, in the hope that architectural historians, geographers, academics or any interested individuals might be inspired to further research and document the various aspects touched on only briefly in this book." Smith, an active conservationist, clearly shows that he believes in the importance of building history and preservation, not only in Prince Edward island, but all over the world in hoping that others will pick up where he has left off opening another door in architectural studies. Smith provides the reader with an easy to follow guide, which is set in Smith, H.W. Scott. Historical Houses of Prince Edward Island. Erin: Boston Mills Press, 1990. P.10 chronological order and provides, photographs and/or sketches with each brief, yet descriptive, explanation of the chosen dwellings. Expressive yet not overpowering, we are taken through the evolution of the selected structures by means of the change in style and heritage from that of the architectural monuments origin. In the journey of seeking architectural history, the author touches on, but hesitates to go in-depth with the true mode of building based on regional forms and materials. The lack of information covering the social and community history, building placement, along with the unique building styles (with stone and brick) formed by the adapting peoples of the Island leaves a lot out of this book. Instead, Smith focuses intensely on the inhabitants of the homes throughout time, and the strong foreign influence from Scotland, England, Ireland, and New England. The glossary, which Smith provides, was very effective as it made his work easy to understand while increasing the readers knowledge of architectural terms.

Multicultural Education Means Mediocre Education :: miscellaneous

Multicultural Education Means Mediocre Education Let me begin this essay by stating that I am a retired English teacher of 34 years experience and believe that I have treated all of my students fairly and equitably. Three times I had been named into â€Å"Who’s Who Among American Teachers† and two of those nominations have been by minority students, one black and one Hispanic. Those students realized that my classroom standards were just as tough on them as they were on the majority Caucasian students and that I gave them no favoritism, slack or handicap for their minority-status ethnicity. I had always refused to â€Å"dumb down† my curriculum (Grammar, Vocabulary, Literature, Writing Skills) to accommodate students that lacked motivation, desire, curiosity, cooperation, respect for teacher authority and a willingness to learn. A year before I retired in 1999 my Middle School’s English Department had a special curriculum meeting and the Administration and my Department Supervisor wanted to change and modernize the English curriculum’s literature textbooks. The choice eventually narrowed down to two distinct textbook series (grades six-to-eight) and my school’s nine English teachers voted on which company’s series to incorporate into the school’s English curriculum. Obviously administrative fiat (and pressure and trends from the State Department of Education) was more important than teacher democratic input and the English Department’s overwhelmingly selected first choice was abruptly discarded because the other more â€Å"politically correct† literature textbook series from the administratively preferred company happened to have â€Å"more cultural diversity† and subsequently was more â€Å"multicultural.† For thirty-four years I had loved teaching imaginative literature featuring such accomplished authors as Edgar Allan Poe, Jack London, Alexander Dumas, Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells, Washington Irving, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, S.E. Hinton, George Eliot, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Victor Hugo, William Shakespeare, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, O. Henry and James Thurber. Apparently the fact that all of the aforementioned authors were â€Å"white† was a major problem because most of them had been effectively excluded in the newly acquired literature texts. The old literature texts and program were too white-oriented and were not consistent with New Jersey and USA politically correct trends in â€Å"multicultural education.† The new eighth grade literature textbook featured on its cover a painting of Sam Adoquei’s Portrait of Rockney C. A statement inside the text indicated that Sam Adoquei was born in the West African country of Ghana and that Adoquei was a contemporary artist that loved painting landscapes.

Ford Motor Company: Supply Chain Strategy Essay

The Ford Motor Company finds itself in a dynamic business environment where new technologies and practices offer the potential to alter in a significant way the landscape in which it operates. Henry Ford was in his time an innovator in offering ‘cars for the masses’. He introduced to the car industry methods and systems innovative in their day. Ford needs once again to forge new paths to ensure future competitive advantage . Executives at Ford have been considering the ‘Direct Model’ created by Dell Computer Corporation and finds that there is considerable appeal. Dell has been able to speed up inventory velocity such that there is only eleven days of inventory on hand. This has led to an inventory turnover rate of thirty times per annum . This achievement, termed by Michael Dell ‘Virtual Integration’ has been achieved by blurring the line between supplier, Dell and client, to the extent that third party service staff are often thought, by clients, to be Dell’s own staff. In order to see how congruent the Dell model is to Fords’ business we need to examine the similarities and differences between the two companies. This will allow us to gain some insight as to whether virtual integration could work at Ford. Ford Motor CompanyDell Computer Corporation Similarities *Cars are consumer items.*Computers are a consumer item. *Suppliers are often located close to manufacturing facilities.*Ford maintains close locational links with suppliers. *Number of suppliers is small.*Ford is working to build relationships with a limited number of strategic suppliers. *Ford’s customers range from large corporations, to government institutions, to the consumer.*Dell’s clients range from large corporations, to government institutions, to the consumer. Differences *Cars are personal in nature and many clients want to have close contact. A showroom is usually preferred.*Computers are generic in nature and do not need showrooms. *Safety and reliability are major concerns.*Computers are not expected to be entirely reliable. *A car is made up of generic (tyres, petrol caps) and custom (dashboards, body panels) parts.*Computers are made almost entirely of generic parts. *Suppliers are often completely dependent on Ford*Suppliers are not entirely dependent upon Dell. *Ford is large and may have limited manoeuvrability.*Dell is flexible and can rapidly respond to market or supplier pressure. *Ford has a large dealer network, both independent and company owned.*Dell has no retail network, all sales are Direct. *Ford has a vast range of products.*Dell has a limited range of products with a narrow palette of variations. Analysis and Suggestions Key to Dells’ strategy is their policy of outsourcing all manufacture. Dell  acts merely as the assembler and packager. The company is able to pick and choose from the range of industry leading components, allowing other manufacturers to make the investments in leading edge technology. The suppliers manufacture their, essentially generic, products for many customers and therefore are economically independent of them and also have little difficulty in meeting the JIT (just in time) requirements of Dell. Ford has at one time, both notable similarities and striking differences in terms of their relationship with suppliers. Many Ford components such as tyres, windscreen wipers, and electrical components are sourced from large suppliers who supply the same components to other companies. These products are well suited to a closer integration of supply – virtual integration. On the other hand, a very large proportion of Ford components are custom made for Ford. Tier one suppliers of custom components such as body panels, seats and engine components are heavily dependent on Ford and other large carmakers. These suppliers second tier suppliers, who in turn also have suppliers. If virtual integration is to succeed with these components every company along the value chain right back to the raw materials would need to be involved. This would be a very difficult and complex network to coordinate. Fords’ history is a factor to be considered, their longevity and size in the industry gives them a tremendous degree of influence when compared with Dell, a relative newcomer to business and whilst a large buyer of components, not so influential on trends and technology. The disadvantage may be that this stature may make it hard to bring their very large organisation and supplier network along the road to virtual integration. The dealer network must be considered. The dealers carry a very limited range of products, which they hold in stock. If Ford decides to carry the Direct Model towards the end consumer they need to ask whether they need a dealer network and in what form. The possibility of disintermediation needs to be examined. Alternative forms, that use the existing network ay be viable, for example, the dealer might be used to postpone the final form until the point  of customer order. This might be the fitting of audio equipment, air conditioning or interior trim customisation. This would enable more consumers to benefit from the vast possible range of options, as well as, at the same time reducing the factory lead-time for manufacture. Recommendation If Ford is to successfully emulate Dell then they are best able to do this in areas where they have similarities. The most notable congruency is in the area of supply of generic components. Here Ford should continue its process of building strategic relationships. Where components are of a more specialised nature then Ford should examine the relationships to ascertain whether bringing suppliers closer to the company will offer benefits to both parties. Ford should work on its’ internal culture. Integration of supply chains on the scale practiced by Dell can only occur in an environment where information flows freely to all points of the supply network. As outlined in the case documents; Ford maintains a high degree of separation of the purchasing departments from marketing and production. Ford will not be able to provide focus up and downstream unless they themselves are committed to an open culture where logistics information is a part of the life blood of the company. The relationship with customers is more difficult. The dealer network will probably be averse to Ford moving towards direct sales, as it will threaten their livelihood. They can reap some of the benefits by introducing a web based ordering service for cars, allowing clients to specify the car that they want and then matching the requirement to the cars already in stock through out the network. If a client prefers they could order a vehicle built to order and supplied to a local dealer. This will enable Ford to become closer to the needs of clients, seeing accurately what they want rather than what they buy because it is available. This compromise will give the company some benefits: *Information about customer wishes. *Opportunity to reduce both dealer stocks and Fords’ stocks by avoiding duplication. *Delaying the final form of the product by increasing the range of dealer fitted items will enable Ford to simplify manufacture, whilst offering a greater degree of ‘real customisation’ to clients. *Delay of final form will increase dealer revenues, buying their enthusiasm and consent for the next stages of coordination. Epilogue Since this case was written, Ford has, in collaboration with General Motors and Daimler Chrysler established a joint venture, now called Covisint. It is envisioned as a global business-to-business supplier exchange. Its purpose is to share information with suppliers Each of the partners has combined their E-business initiatives in order that suppliers would be able to develop systems to deal with a single system rather than . The hoped for benefits are: *Increased levels of collaboration *Lower costs for all members of the supply chain *More efficient business practices GM is now piloting a build to order system for its Brazilian ‘Celta’ model. They are able to do this because they have the support of dealers who are sharing the cost savings with GM references Austin, Robert D. 1999. Ford Motor Company : Supply Chain Strategy. In Huff Wade Schneberger. New York: McGraw-Hill. Joan Magretta. The Power of Virtual Integration: An Interview With Dell Computer’s Michael Dell. Harvard Business Review, March – April 1998, pp. 73 – 84. Covisint web site, < http://www.covisint.com/about/history > [Accessed: November 2nd, 2002] Ibid. US News.com web site, < http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/020401/1industry.b1.htm > [Accessed November 2nd, 2002]