Marketing plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Marketing plan - Assignment Example board has captured the special consideration to provide special care and service to the younger age group by assisting them to acquire the necessary material within the library (Jefferson County Public Library). The free services being offered have been tied down to the vast material access in terms of books and reading materials while assigning professional library attendants to assist with the accessibility of this materials by the customer in the library. The marketing strategy is very consistent with the library’s mission because it encompasses the ideology of providing free services to all. ‘All’ means all age groups across the, while giving special emphasis to the young generation, a strategy that will attract the grown-ups that accompany the children to the institution. Customers want cost cutting initiatives to ease pressure off their budgets hence the fact that the library is offering free services is an inviting factor to attract this customers that want to enjoy the services while implementing the cost cutting measure. The current marketing strategy and performance are interlinked because strategy leads to performance. The Jefferson County Public Library has involved the public to employ technology in marketing and provide services within the library to enhance turnaround time and service delivery efficiency while cutting the cost operation. The public library institution has had a bullish market share meaning that the customer base has been on a steady increase with the implementation of the institutions mission on its goals. Free services means imposing minimal charges to the customer in terms of pricing hence attracting the large clientele (Jefferson County Public Library). The minimal pricing strategy is working well with the customers. The performance is ever improving because of the ever increase of population every year. Jefferson County Public Library has had an edge with managing organization resources because of the current

History Document Analysis on ETA and the Basque Country Essay

History Document Analysis on ETA and the Basque Country - Essay Example 498). In its campaigns thus far, the ETA has committed over 900 killings and dozens of kidnappings. While the ETA did declare a unilateral cease-fire on March 22, 2006, on September 23, 2006, the organization announced that it would resume hostilities until the achievement of Basque independence (ETA). To understand the sentiments at work in all three of these documents – particularly the harsh dichotomies of the Arana piece – it is good to have an understanding of the dynamics at work within the ETA. To people outside of the Basque region, and, in particular, outside of Spain, the mission of the ETA sounds just like one of many small revolutionary groups, agitating for its own few square miles of self-determination, if only to avoid the larger taxing entities in the country around it (Funes, p. 499). Each of these little splinter groups has its own manifesto that spouts idealistic words and phrases, its own shrill anthem that sounds to the modern person listening from abroad much like, quite frankly, the declarations that leapt from the American colonies to the government of Great Britain in the later days of the eighteenth century. The modern chapter of the Basque story begins during the reign of Francisco Franco, and his attempts to drive the Basque nation off the very face of the planet. Because there had been Basque sympathizers with the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, Franco decided to eliminate any signs of Basque culture from the public consciousness. The Basque flag could not be displayed; Basque holidays could not be publicly celebrated; teaching the Basque language, or even speaking it in public, were forbidden; baptizing children who did not have Spanish surnames was proscribed (Sullivan, p. 88). This crackdown against non-Spanish cultures was not carried out throughout the country, however. While Guipuscoa and Biscay were also singled out for this attempted annihilation of local culture, because of their

Waste Disposal and Green Intelligence Dissertation

Waste Disposal and Green Intelligence - Dissertation Example The government should play a crucial role in ensuring that citizens are made aware of the best and most convenient ways of managing waste. Waste recycling is one of the interventions that most governments especially in first-world countries have taken to deal with waste management. For example, the U.S government has carried out campaigns to sensitize its citizens on the importance of recycling materials such as plastics, paper, and glass. In as far as land filling is concerned; the government advices that the dug up surfaces should have bottom liners to collect any water that may contain hazardous chemicals. This way no toxic water flows into the ecosystem. Concerning disposal of wastes into water bodies, the U.S government directs that industrial wastes be deactivated before being released into water bodies.The main goal of green intelligence is to provide the general public with information concerning the dangers they are exposed to as a result of poor waste management. This invol ves using market-oriented approaches to ensure environmental sustainability and conservation of natural resources .Green intelligence strategizes to achieve its goal by urging the private sector and the government to avail necessary information to the public. This is because the government and private sector seem to be colluding to hide trivial information from the public on hazardous substances and poor waste management. According to Wargo, chemical manufacturers are very crucial in ensuring a safe environment and a healthy general public.

Public Relation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Relation - Essay Example Thus, PR can be defined as the management function that recognizes, ascertains and upholds communally valuable relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom its success or failure depends (Lattimore et al, 2004). Categorically, organizational functions of PR are activities carried out by an organization for its own benefit. On the other hand, societal functions of PR are activities carried out by a business for the advantage of the society alone. I have chosen Metro Toronto Inc as an organization, Metro Toronto Inc is a retail company operating in the food industry in Montreal, Canada. Metro Toronto Company is one of the largest grocers in Canada having over 200 locations all over the cities of Ontario and Quebec. Metro Toronto Inc buying group is currently created in a specific economic context. Moreover, in order to fulfill the functions of PR, Metro Toronto Inc considers factors such as the type of product market, the channel intentions, the consumer prompt ness to purchase, the company’s focus and the cost. On the other hand, according to Lam, (2000) the organizational functions of public relations comprises of community relations, the media, consumer relations, exposure, industry relations, governmental and political campaigns in which each carries out its own function. Therefore, most of the organizational functions entail keeping the public and the organizational shareholders alongside each other (Bizcovering, 2010). Among the organizational functions, the most vital one is media relations, which need formulation of suitable media mix through channels like, television, newspapers, and magazines. In addition, media relations frequently depend on planning and executing a well-designed plan. Hence, when talking about media relations, an organization has to decide the type of media that is most preferable for them to use in terms of accessibility and affordability, as well as to messages that are most appealing to their targeted audience, in addition to understanding of the audience's requirements, sensations, concerns and activities to guarantee the accuracy and significance of any message (Karpf, n.d). Furthermore, publicity is the responsibility of reporters and writers to choose what will be publicized and not the organization itself. As per Metro Toronto Inc website, excellent business and good values go hand-in-hand with each other. Therefore, Metro Toronto Inc accomplish following to heed consumer needs. Firstly, it listens to its clients through regular meetings and seeking their suggestions. The business accomplishes this by offering high quality products that are delicious and enjoyed by consumers. Secondly, the business converse with the clients directly and this enables it understand their trends. Additionally, the business has set aside an office that deals with consumers’ uncertainty and grievances. Thirdly, the business responds promptly to the clients’ needs to ensure they are satisfied with their quality of products and services. Nevertheless, this is accomplished by producing a variety of products through suggestions from clients (Sriramesh and Vercic, 2012). Conversely, societal functions of public relations are social liability and publicity. In other words, the purpose of societal public relations is to sustain a reliable relationship with the organizations structures (Bizcovering, 2010). Thus, to accomplish this, Metro Toronto Inc carries out diverse tasks to satisfy the public; firstly, it ensures the increasing community value

The Other Side Of The by Dale Phinn Essay Example for Free

The Other Side Of The by Dale Phinn Essay What does the extract The Other Side Of The Dale show about the things the inspector was looking for when visiting a school? An inspector looks at the teachers and the quality of their teaching. In The Other Side Of The Dale Phinn writes the following about one of the teachers mentioned. She smiled weakly and introduced her self as the teacher of the little ones. Her hand trembled These quotes show the teacher was nervous. Later in the piece he comments about her again. Despite her trembling and frequent blinking at the start of the lesson, she proved to be a good teacher. In this account the inspector notes they have two classrooms and uses one for the infants and one for the juniors. This also shows he is inspecting a Primary school. He also notes the size which is long square rooms with high beamed ceilings. The inspector also comments on the classrooms. He says that the classroom was neat and tidy. This shows they work in a tidy environment and it would make the inspector think they are a good school. He comments on the setting which he would look at when inspecting any school. It is on a cold bleak moor which was strange and desolate. Also it had a grey mist which hung low. The setting shows this is based in the North. This is emphasised by the pupils dialect; Miss twatter in then coops froz up last neight. It were as ard as Brimham rocks. Phinn is also told by a child, Joseph Richard Barclay, that the moor was the scene of a famous battle which took place over four hundred years ago, between the round heads and cavaliers. A lot of men perished on that moor. They say the ground was red with blood. This interest in local history is repeated later when another child, Emily, talks about an object her mum found. Its a sort of buckle. Its maybe from a belt or bag. Its all rusted up with a silver rose in the middle. Other old objects were also discovered but the most humorous is that of a dead cat These examples show the pupils enthusiasm for learning and engaging with their teacher. The inspector is impressed by the schools historical research and another example of this is when he is invited to have a look at the school log books which go back over a hundred years. The log book contains information on the past headmasters of the school. He takes particular interest into the recount of a past inspector. The subjects the headmaster used to teach compared. The interest in the past report is it is negative. ill-managed by a committee of languid, inept amateurs. Phinn comments on how harsh inspectors could be. But mainly the inspector would look at the quality of the pupils work. In The Other Side Of The Dale the write notes the work of the pupils which he sums up by saying I spent the remainder of the morning listening to the children read confidently and clearly and examined their written work. The structure of the poem relates to the theme which is about the school inspector. The structure of the piece is one of the inspector inspecting something then commenting on Joseph Barclay.

IKEAs Marketing and Expansion Strategy Analysis

IKEAs Marketing and Expansion Strategy Analysis This report is a follow on from the in class IKEA presentation based on the IKEA case study IKEA-Managing global expansion. Being a multinational successful organisation there would be various corners to look at in order to analyse IKEA however this report will focus on the analysis of IKEAs globalization and internationalization models, as well as key opportunities and threats faced by IKEA and their cultural web and how it supports their current strategies. Overview of the furniture market Based on Mintel research database, the sales of furnishings and houseware in the top 25 global economies generate annual revenues of more than $270 billion. However the sales of furniture were hit hard in 2008 and 2009 by a combination of fewer housing transactions and the recession. With the exception of IKEA, US companies (Furniture Village, Homebase, DFS etc) dominate the global home furnishings landscape, yet the worlds most lucrative regional market is still Europe. Buying furniture nowadays is not as simply organised as in the past where you just had to take what was available from the few retailers and wait weeks before it was delivered. Today competition is all about offering the right product, for the right money, in the right way. Just under half of adults (25 million) look for lasting quality when buying furniture. Retailers need to prove their quality with customer reviews and demonstrating how items can stand up to heavy usage especially in households with kids. Service is important and four in ten adults are influenced by the presence of knowledgeable and helpful staff when choosing between stores. The role of staff has shifted from one of a sales person to be one of consultant. Further visiting showrooms is a key part of the buying process for furniture as it gives the customer an idea about their wanted environment however focus remains on price. Overview of the company IKEA Group is a global and privately-held retailer of Scandinavian (Swedish) designed home furniture and accessories and now retailer of its own food label. Their products range focuses on good design, good quality and function at a low price. In the mid-2000s the company was leader in the flat-pack furniture business generating annual sales of 21.5 billion euros. The company has the biggest market share in the UK. It operates about 301 stores overall in 36 countries most of them in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. The company was founded by Mr. Ingvar Kamprad in 1943 and although partly controlled by the Kamprad family, it is under the ownership of the Stichting INKGA group, a charitable foundation registered in the Netherlands. IKEAs main UK competitors include Asda, Argos, Debenhams, Next, Tesco, John Lewis etc. The Difference between Internationalisation and globalization Globalisation entails all the operations undertaken by an organisation that envisions itself present in many countries worldwide. IKEAs past globalisation strategy was based on one design fits all which meant that initially they did not adapt to the local markets. However as they expanded in Japan and the US they soon realised that they had to tailor made their products to fit the countrys specifications and requirements if they wanted to succeed. For instance, the US customer preferred big and ample furniture and houseware while in Japan they looked for small and simple items to fit their small living environments. In opposition internationalization is at the other end of the globalization as it takes into consideration what each particular market has to offer and not what the company has to offer to the market. IKEAs strategy has adapted over the years in a way that they think globally and act locally. IKEAS INTERNATIONALIZATION STRATEGY Key Opportunities IKEAs main strength is its international brand recognition built up on low product prices and design. Its product portfolio caters for most lifestyles and budgets. The implementation of cost leadership strategy in order to penetrate new markets is a definite strength and opportunity IKEAs costs were/are approximately 30%-50% below competition prices. The costs of transportation were cut by 80% by providing furniture in flat packs. By offering simple and modern designs and by introducing cash and carry and self service concepts, IKEAs stores were guaranteed a success. After investigating the German market IKEA took advantage of the poor organisational strategy of the existing furniture dealers in the country and changed its operations by providing customers immediate delivery of quality goods at low prices when they opened their Munich store. Their West German market has expanded through aggressive advertising despite the challenges encountered by the law suits initiated by its competitors and trade associations. In the UK, IKEA provided unique products, low prices and cashcarry service. In this way the firm achieved competitive advantage over its existing competitors that were taking as long as 3 months to deliver the goods. Opposed to their competition, IKEA demonstrated efficiency and skill. As mentioned previously, in their US placement IKEA had to adapt their product range to suit the requirements of the American market. They redesigned the store layout to provide more directions and shortcuts for customers who opposed to the idea of wandering through the store. They also increased the size of their beds, bed linens, sofas, armchairs etc., as the European sizes were too small for the American customer. In addition they also offered a customization of their products. Further their US expansion IKEA made a bold move by opening a mega store in Chicago with a new layout (double the size of a normal IKEA store). It had 3 levels that included a self service warehouse, customer service and cafe on the first floor as well as a showroom and a market place on the other floors. From there on the stored were designed to improve the direction and flow of customers. IKEA also offered home delivery and assembly for an extra charge. The US expansion was a success due to these measures and strategy adaptation despite their competition continuously replicating IKEAs products. Threats The organisations main weakness is that they are very much reliant on the European market where 82% of its stores are located. The threat here is represented by the competition as IKEAs methods have been copied by other retailers that have introduced similar product ranges at low prices. Market saturation is another threat as with the development of e-commerce in each European country customers can compare prices, reviews and switch to alternative suppliers if necessary. Further threats are represented by the recession in Europe as well as the adverse effect of a weak dollar on sales in the US. Political and economical instability of the Chinese and Russian markets are also a potential threat since IKEA is planning on expanding in these two markets. However IKEA is successfully counteracting its main weakness (over reliance in Europe) with its key opportunity expansion in the emerging markets in Asia and Eastern Europe. The Cultural Web and the Organisational Culture The organizational culture describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values (personal and cultural values) of an organization which define its environment or it can simply describehow things are done around here To analyse IKEAs cultural web we need to use the Cultural Web model. The Cultural Web identifies six elements that help to make up the paradigm the pattern or model of the work environment. By analyzing the factors in each, we can see: what is working, what isnt working, and what needs to be changed. Stories The hero in the company is Ingvar Kamprad seen by the employees as a visionary who worked hard, lived simply and gave an example to all. In fact IKEA is all about the Swedishness a simple culture with simple values such as humbleness, simplicity, teamwork etc. The brand image varies in different countries depending on the countrys culture. eg: in Sweden (low priced, low quality brand), UK (poor service) etc. Rituals and Routines The Company strongly believes in staying close to its customers. In fact every store is a parent-friendly environment people come first. However IKEA is also focused on its people and their working way. Employees dress informally and work in a relaxed office environment with open plan floors. On their website IKEA remarks that A career in IKEA is not a ladder, is what and where you make it. They expect teamwork and mistakes as long as the employee learns from them. However IKEA is also about making the impossible in cost cutting. In fact, staff travelled economy and took buses or stayed in hostels. There are wall stickers to turn off lights, taps and computers after each use. Stores that cut costs the most receive a reward from the management. Symbols It is normal to find the same features in every IKEA store. For instance, all shop floor staff dress in uniform (yellow blue) for the Swedish flag colours. There is a restaurant, a food hall a childrens corner as well as little shopping helps such as pencil, paper, shopping bag, and tape measure. As mentioned previously, IKEA is all about Swedishness and focus on a minimalistic and simple design delivered in their custom flat packs. Their main symbol is the brand name and the brand colours all significative of Sweden and their Swedish founder Kamprad. Organisational Structure Typical of IKEAs organisation is their informal management which is presented in a non-hierarchical and caring manner. There is typically only 3 hierarchical levels of responsibility between the store manager and the employee. Every month there is the so called Anti-bureaucrat week where management spend a whole week in the warehouses and stockrooms. Appropriate training programmes are given to all company management. However as always on IKEA s organisational structure is their focus on cost cutting and as such they incite all designers and material buyers on cost reductions. Control Systems At the centre of the IKEAs control systems is quality control. Emphasis is put on delivering good quality, sturdy furniture that passes their standards. Further way to control their operations is by making sure that the management works closely with the staff making also sure that their warehouses are correctly labelled in their products. Rewards are given to the stores that generate more profit and that cut more costs considering that one of the principles of IKEAs strategy is cost cutting. Power Structures Senior management was predominantly Scandinavian and only in the last 5 years the strategy of only forwarding employees who were Scandinavian or Swedish speaking into management has changed. However all employees are involved the individual store operations and encouraged in their work thanks to their friendly management strategy. Employees are in fact egged on to take responsibilities in order to assess their performance; their ideal is that every employee is important to IKEAs success. The Paradigm IKEAs cultural web supports its current strategy. In the past IKEA favoured the Sweds for managerial programmes but in the last 5 years international career management is now seen essential to sustaining international growth but more steps and measures need to be taken to ensure that other backgrounds are fitted into the managerial programmes. The organizational career culture supports the corporate strategy with suitable structure and rewards. IKEAs cultural values are things like informality, cost consciousness and a very humble and down to earth approach as passed down by Kamprad along with responsibility and teamwork and ensuring that their employees are highly motivated and committed. Cultural and Corporate Strategy Changes Put more emphasis and work on employees of other nationalities/backgrounds in order to create a multicultural environment by having a diverse management and strengthen IKEAs corporate view being a multinational group. Since all IKEAs stores are out of the city centres many customers in the big metropolis do now own a car or have suitable transportation in order to be able to shop in IKEA therefore a possible strategy change could entail IKEA to have smaller retail outlets near city centres perhaps selling furniture on catalogue but definitely having stock in-store for houseware and smaller items. Many IKEA competitors offer free delivery on orders above a certain amount; as we have previously shown competition is fierce in Europe therefore this measure could ensure that the profit is taken by putting a minimum spending limit in order to qualify for free delivery (e.g. free delivery on orders above 150 GBP or more) and would therefore open IKEA to more budget oriented customers. Another suggestion to attract more customers would be to have quick assembly tips/class in store for the non-diy oriented customers. IKEA is all about self service but not many customers are skilled to deal with DIY and assembly. This measure would make sure that their products are opened to every type of customer. Self service warehouse and furniture pick up places all contain some long numbers in regards to the desired item. Perhaps IKEA could implement a new system where warehouses havelabels, not numbers making it easier on customers. (e.g. Section: Chairs. Aisle-3, Type: Victa) Conclusions IKEAs main strategies remain the same; success is ensured by adopting aggressive price strategies and aggressive advertising as well as a wide product range unlike any competitor at the moment. Service however needs to come to focus to improve customer purchasing and still maintain their market position as other cheaper players are entering the market such as the supermarkets. Is getting any bigger better?

Bankruptcy :: essays research papers

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy vs. Chapter 13 Bankruptcy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies are full of advantages and disadvantages. But at the same time they are very different. Without knowing these differences a person could lose many things from money to possessions. Chapter 7 bankruptcy can wipe out most of ones debts but certainly not all of them. Certain kinds of debt are not covered by the terms of Chapter 7. Some examples of debts that must be paid after filing for bankruptcy would include child support, alimony, income taxes and penalties, student loans, and court ordered damages due to unfair and unrightous acts. Bankruptcy courts handle your financial problems until the case ends. A court assumes control of all ones debts that are owed and all property that is not exempted. A person, trustee, is appointed to be in charge of your debt. The trustee collects property that can be taken and sells it to repay some creditors. That property can be surrendered to the trustee, one may pay the market value of it or one also may choose to trade exempt property with nonexempt property. A small number of people actually lose property when filing bankruptcy. If a person changes their mind about filing for bankruptcy they may ask the court to dismiss the case. At the end of the process the court would discharge most of the debts and one is unable to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy again for at least another six years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chapter 13 bankruptcy us mostly used to make up any type of debt payments and pay things off and in some cases it can be used to stop a foreclosure on a house. Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases usually last up to 5 years. During that time one would have to live under a strict budget that would require discipline. Most debtors that file for chapter 13 bankruptcy never pay back all their creditors all that they owe. That can ruin your credit because it stays on file for at least 10 years. Money management seminars are available to those that have paid 75% or more of their debt. Chapter 13 bankruptcy allows creditors to get at least some of their money back. Debtors keep all of their property and would out a compulsory, court-enforced plan to repay a portion of their debts over a certain period of time. With Chapter 13 bankruptcy some debts may be discharged but alimony and child support continue to be an obligation that must be fulfilled.