SWOT Analysis Of The Asda Store Commerce Essay

SWOT Analysis Of The Asda Store Commerce Essay The aim of a SWOT analysis is to identify the extent to which the current strategy of a company and its specific strengths and weaknesses are relevant to, and capable of, dealing with the changes taking place in the business environment. It can also be used to assess whether there are opportunities to exploit further the unique resources of the organization. It should also be remembered a SWOT is only a snapshot of a specific point in time. Given the dynamic nature of the modern business world, organizations need to continuously monitor their strategic position to ensure that their long-term strategies and operational procedures remain relevant to the needs of the market. ASDA Internal Strengths Financial Resources and Economies of Scale ASDA was founded in 1965 by a group of farmers from Yorkshire. Since that time the company has undergone many changes. In the early 1990s the company was in financial difficulty but was rescued by the leadership of Archie Norman. From this point onwards the company flourished and was eventually bought by the US giant Wal-Mart in 1999. Wal-Mart is on the largest companies in the world with huge sales revenue ($316 billion). This provides ASDA with two internal strengths: Financial Resources Should ASDA wish to develop more stores or diversify into a new range of products and services, Wal-Mart could provide the necessary financial resources to fund these new developments. This means that ASDA would not have to rely upon external providers (e.g. banks etc) to provide the necessary funds for business expansion. Economies of Scale Being able to charge lower prices on a consistent basis, is a key factor in terms of securing a substantial share of any market. Give the massive purchasing power Wal-Mart possesses, it is ideally placed to negotiate substantial discounts on a very wide range of products and services. ASDA can take advantage of these discounts. Diversification The profit margins on food items tend to be relatively low (e.g. 10 to 20%) when compared with other goods and services. Asda, along with its three main rivals (i.e. Tesco, Sainsburys and Morrisons) have diversified into other products and services in order to bolster their profitability. ASDA is also involved with financial services, clothing and property development. Clothing has proved to be its most successful element of its diversification policy. ASDA has its own range of clothing known as George. This is marketed as quality fashion clothing at affordable prices. It is estimated that George is the fourth largest retailer of clothing in the UK, after Marks and Spencers, the Arcadia Group and Next. Diversification into other products, services and markets provides an internal strength because it protects ASDAs profit base from very intense competitive pressures in the grocery retailing market. Employee Satisfaction / Environmental Issues Both of these items are internal strengths for ASDA. In 2001, 2002 and 2003, the company was voted a top 10 UK employer by the Sunday Times Top 100 Employers Survey. The company recognizes the impact it has on local and global economies. ASDAs long-term aim is to source 100% renewable energy. It is committed to reducing fuel emissions by 80,000 tonnes by 2007. It has already reached half of this target. It is converting its entire fleet of trucks so that they run on bio diesel. ASDA Internal Weaknesses Being Part of Wal-Mart Being part of the Wal-Mart group is double-edged. As outlined earlier. ASDA is provided with internal strengths by being a Wal-Mart company. However, in the United States, Wal-Mart has been in receipt of major criticism from a variety of influential sources over a number of issues. These will be discussed in full under external threats. Any form of criticism generates negative press and television reports ultimately this wave of dissatisfaction could spread to the UK. This would reflect badly on ASDA. As Wal-Mart is the parent company it can ultimately override any decisions made by the ASDA board of directors. Thus Wal-Mart could force ASDA to introduce new working practices based upon its American operations. These working practices could be totally alien to a UK workforce and possibly prove very difficult to implement. Employee Dissatisfaction In 2006 the company was found to be in breach of the UK employment law with regard to trade unions and was find  £850,000. Also in 2006 there was trouble when some Asian employees working in their distribution centres were asked to produce their passports in order to prove that they were entitled to work in the UK. This action led to claims that ASDA was acting in a racist manner. In 2005, it was revealed that in a survey, carried out by the company that only 1 in 4 of its staff shopped in-store. ASDA External Opportunities External opportunities would be identified by completing a PEST analysis of the companys external environment. Social factors offer ASDA a variety of opportunities to expand upon the range of products and services they currently provide. Life Trends / Demographics Despite fluctuations in market and trade cycles over the last 30 years, the average disposable income per head of population in the UK has risen steadily during this period. In addition consumers have become much more sophisticated and demanding. They expect to buy top quality products at affordable prices. Clearly ASDA has managed to satisfy the expectations of its customers with its George range of clothing. Given that ASDA currently holds 17% of the grocery retail market, being second only to Tesco; it has established a very strong presence and brand awareness within the minds of its customers. It is well placed to take advantage of changes in lifestyle trends and demographics, in terms of its capability to develop new products and services to meet the rising expectations and needs of its customers. Consumer Attitudes and Opinions / Consumer Buying Patterns / Advertising and Publicity / Brand, Company, Technology, Image These areas are closely related to life trends and demographics. As disposable incomes increase, ASDA need to influence consumer attitudes and opinions, and buying patterns, by reinforcing its brand image and customer loyalty, through effective advertising and promotion. A key aspect of having a large customer base is to encourage cross selling. Thus the companys overall number of customers may remain the same but over time the sales and profitability per head will increase. This will be achieved as ASDA expands the appeal of its products and services to all segments of its customer base. ASDAs External Threats The Anti-Wal-Mart Lobby There is widespread resistance to the further development of new Wal-Mart stores. Why? It is argued that the company undercuts local retailers by having goods made in developing countries (e.g. China and Bangladesh) in sweatshop conditions and then selling them at prices, no one else in the local area can compete with. Ultimately the smaller stores are forced out of business and Wal-Mart gains a monopoly within that area. Wal-Mart also runs anti-union campaigns. Since taking ASDA over in 1999, Wal-Mart has largely left the UK management team to get on with the running of the company. However, if it attempted to use some of its more aggressive policies in the UK then, as evidenced by the American experience, this would result in a great deal of damage to ASDA in terms of lost customers and poor publicity. Office of Fair Trading Investigation In 2000 an investigation into the domination of the grocery retail market by the four big companies was turned out. Since then, all four companies have adopted aggressive expansion policies. They now control 74% of the market. This time there is a groundswell which suggests supermarkets will not escape regulation. Tough curbs on their ability to expand, or even rules forcing them to sell off stores where they dominate, could be introduced. Stakeholder Mapping In order to determine how ASDA should move forward in respect of the findings from the SWOT analysis, it is necessary to construct a stakeholder mapping. This is necessary in order for ASDA to understand the support and opposition it will generate for a planned change. Opposition Support Active Opponents Passive Opponents Fence Sitters Passive Supporters Active Supporters High Office of Fair Trading ASDA Shareholders Stakeholder Power Medium Anti- Wal-Mart campaigners in the USA Various other groupings opposed to new retail developments e.g. local communities, local authorities ASDA customers Food manufacturers Low Association of Convenience Stores Other grocery retail customers Stakeholder Power Stakeholders all have power, whether it is the formal power invested in a position or authority invested in a social power of being able to persuade others to support or oppose the change. Those with the higher power are going to be ASDAs most useful supporters or most dangerous opponents thus power analysis will help ASDA to prioritize its focus on its stakeholders. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is a fence-sitter as it must remain impartial. The Association of Convenience Stores is an active opponent. This is because its members are adversely affected when ASDA opens up a new store. The Association has low power because its members cannot compete with the big four retailers in the market place. However, by building an alliance, it is possible for an opponent to move upwards and into the high power box. This is because the Association has requested to the Office of Fair Trading that an investigation should take place. How Active Opponents With Low Power Can Increase Their Power Status The anti-Wal-Mart campaigners in the USA are listed because there is nothing to stop the anti-ASDA opponents from forming an alliance with them. Forging alliances between opponents helps to make them stronger because they can exchange ideas etc. Plus several parties, acting as one body provides a stronger focal point in terms of raising media interest and public awareness. It must be remembered that a stakeholders mapping is dynamic and the position of the various parties on the map are likely to change depending upon what ASDA decides to do. If the company adopts the same aggressive policies as Wal-Mart in the USA, this will convert passive opponents into more active ones. Also such action could convert passive supporters into passive opponents. ASDA must consider all of its options before proceeding to take action. A Pre-emptive Strike To Avoid OFT Sanctions Probably the most effective course of action for ASDA to follow is to sell off some of its grocery retail stores and become more active in diversifying its range of non-food products and services. This would be a proactive approach and could possibly help the company to avoid any sanctions the OFT could impose. If it did pursue a diversification policy it could meet stiff resistance from employees who do not like change. Management and Leadership Theory The main reason why employees do not like change is because it causes uncertainty. For example, will I still have a job after the changes are complete? Will I have new responsibilities? And so on. When an organization is faced with massive change it needs to engage with its workforce and explain the situation in full. A variety of forms could be used by ASDA to deliver this message. For example, a newsletter, a series of presentations by members of the senior management team, question and answer sessions etc. ASDA would need to explain the implications of doing nothing i.e. the OFT would probably force the company to sell off some its stores. Such action will probably result in staff redundancies. By being proactive in terms of expanding its diversification policy the likelihood is that all of the staff would be redeployed within the companys new non-food retail outlets. Herzbergs Motivators and Hygiene Factors theory could be used to facilitate this change. The first stage involves hygiene (or maintenance) factors: Status Security Relationship with subordinates Personal life Relationship with peers Salary Work conditions Relationship with supervisor Company policy and administration Supervision The employees need to feel secure and confident about the changes that are going to be implemented. These are the hygiene factors which need to be addressed. They are merely a launch pad for more developmental work when these factors are damaged or undermined no platform for progress exists. The second stage involves using the following motivators: Achievement Recognition Work itself Responsibility Advancement Personal growth These items are used to encourage the staff and make them feel positive about the changes that are going to be implemented. In other words the staff should see how they are going to benefit from the new direction the company is pursuing. The process of motivating the staff to embrace change will be improved if they are actively engaged in developing the content and responsibilities that their new position will entail.

Reflective Paper Organisational Dialogue

Huhtamaki – Reflective Paper During the interview, the Chief Executive Officer (Brad) and plant manager (Simon) devoted a considerable amount of time to our communication analysis of their plant. I hadn’t expected two executives to become so involved with a University case study, and to discuss their credo, mission statements, strategies, and—of critical importance to me—internal communication strategy, in so much detail. Gerard & Ellinor (2001) stress that authentic leaders need to practise and execute dialogue, and to me, this was what Brad and Simon were doing: showing their authentic leadership through dialogue.I thought this may have been purely for our benefit, but after four hours, beginning with introductory meetings and followed by interviews and a shop floor tour, it became apparent that management was striving to develop a learning culture. I began to understand that management is about creating an environment to communicate through different me diums: verbal and visual in varying forums; formal meetings, face-to-face meetings, and graphical representations of key messages on the shop floor and around the offices.This essay will reflect my case study experience of the role of dialogue as a tool within Huhtamaki for fostering dialogic communication and developing a learning culture within the organisation. Furthermore, I will highlight the limitations associated with dialogue and with resistive employees who refuse to engage. I had a preconceived idea that management would have a top-down hierarchal structure, with a ‘closed door’ communication policy based on research from Swink & Way (1995), Downs & Adrian (2004) and Clarke (2006).On the contrary, I found management offered an ‘open door’ policy. For example, Brad and Simon understand that organisational effectiveness is dependent upon communication across subcultural boundaries. Therefore, they offer an open door policy, where any employee could approach them to discuss any issues without consequences. Given the traditional hierarchal structure of a typical manufacturing plant with leading hands, supervisors and union delegates, I thought allowing shop floor employees to communicate directly with management an unconventional approach.Schein (1993) states that dialogue begins with creating a sense of equality, and this is what Brad and Simon are striving to achieve within their organisation. According to my understanding, they are creating an environment where employees feel comfortable in communicating, and moving away from the erstwhile problems associated with communication via union delegates, which has often caused industrial disputes and created subcultural differences between management and shop floor employees. Amy (2008) states in her research study that management needs to adopt an informal and approachable communication style.I found it interesting that this is the strategy that Brad and Simon have adopted to aid in changing the organisational culture. In order to move away from a ‘them and us’ attitude, they focused on creating an open, trusting environment which fosters learning. Simon in particular encourages employees to be upfront, and to discuss problems or issues. However, he does not merely provide solutions: he fosters dialogic communication by engaging the employees with questions until they come to realise the answers themselves. I thought this might create awkward situations if the employees could not find answers.But my concern was dismissed; Simon coaches and mentors employees to think about issues or mistakes, and ensures they develop a solution for themselves, thus creating a learning environment. Management’s ‘open door’ policy was not the only means for communication. Management scheduled a daily team meeting, weekly production meetings, and monthly ‘tool box’ meetings, where organisational issues were discussed in more detail. My first impression was that there were too many meetings. When would employees have time to get any work done, if they were continually involved in meetings with colleagues from different departments?I soon learned that this was a necessary step, as not all employees have access to email. Management has to rely on face-to-face verbal communication to ensure that messages are communicated, received, and most importantly, understood. Furthermore, to communicate with employees with no access to email, management used the hallway between the cafeteria and shop floor as a ‘communication corridor,’ posting organisational information alongside safety, quality, production efficacy and operational information.I recall seeing very detailed graphs, charts and statistics, and wondered whether the average shop floor employee would be able to interpret and analyse this data. Simon stated that it was necessary to communicate the same messages continuously in order to engage employees , both verbally in meetings and visually around the work place. I discovered that during most meetings, unless an employee was directly involved in the conversation, he or she would not engage in dialogue. This concerned me; as Schein (1993) states, leaders need to motivate to engage, as employees may not volunteer to engage in dialogue.I now struggled to understand why was it so difficult to engage the employees in dialogue. They would not engage in dialogue during formal meetings and relied on informal face-to-face meetings, where quite often, they needed to be coached to engage in a two-way conversation to find solutions. I felt that management was providing every possible opportunity for employees to be able to communicate with employees, but nonetheless, a communication culture had not successfully been created.Gerard & Ellinor (2001) state that dialogue is not something that can be forced upon employees; they need to participate willingly, and if dialogue is introduced into a hostile environment, it can fail. I could see that management was creating a safe environment in which to communicate, but soon realised that other parts of the workplace provided a different type of ambience. Part of our communication analysis was a tour around the shop floor, and one of the first things I noticed was the difference in body language between various employees.It was very evident as we walked past their workstations that some employees were open and approached management, while others ignored our presence, creating a feeling of tension. It was obvious that although management was trying to dilute the ‘them and us’ attitude, some employees were still bitter from past experiences of management. I now started to fully comprehend the views put forward by Gerard & Ellinor (2001): that dialogue is a tool that requires time and knowledge of the working process. It needs to grow within the organisation.Although Brad and Simon have created a safe environment, the y now need to focus on educating their employees in the process of dialogue and the benefits of dialogue in order to create a learning culture. Furthermore, I support the recommendations of Dixon (1998) for management to engage employees and involve them in the decision-making process. I would expect the employees to thereby see their input as valid and valued; consequently, they would have a personal interest in creating a greater understanding of issues and solutions.In consideration of the fact that Simon has had some success with the ‘open door’ policy, and that Brown & Isaacs (1997) propose that learning is not happening during scheduled meetings or organised forums, but in less formal places, I still recommend developing dialogue during formal scheduled meetings. Management needs to focus on encouraging honest dialogue and transparency within formal meetings, as per Mazutis & Slawski (2009). I feel this is a valid point, as face-to-face meetings are limited to cer tain employees with whom management has good rapport.Employees who are resistive to change and still foster a ‘them and us’ attitude will simply not approach management. I came to believe that Brad and Simon are authentic leaders, and have the capabilities to shape the culture of their organisation through dialogic communication. Reference List Amy H. Amy, 2008, ‘Leaders as facilitators of individual and organizational learning', Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 212? 234. Brown, J. & Isaacs, D. 1997, ‘Conversation as a core business process', The Systems Thinker, vol. , no. 10, pp. 1? 6. Clarke, S. 2006, ‘Safety climate in an automobile manufacturing plant: the effects of work environment, job communication and safety attitudes on accidents and unsafe behaviour’, Personnel Review, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 413? 430. Dixon, N. M. 1998, Dialogue at Work. Making Talk Developmental for People and Organizations, Center for Creative Leadership, London. Downs, C. W. & Adrian, A. D. 2004, Assessing organizational communication audits, Guilford Press, New York. Gerard, G. & Ellinor, L. 001, Dialogue at Work: Skills for Leveraging Collective Understanding, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, MA. Mazutis, D. & Slawinski, N. 2008, ‘Leading organisational learning through authentic dialogue', Management Learning, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 437? 456. Schein, E. 1993, ‘On Dialogue, Culture and organizational learning', Organizational Dynamics, vol. 22, pp. 40? 51. Swink, M. & Way, W. 1995, ‘Manufacturing strategy: propositions, current research, renewed directions’, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 4? 26.

What is Truly Going on with Challenges Essay

What is Truly Going on with Challenges Essay The Number One Question You Must Ask for Challenges Essay Dedicate an idea to a single paragraph only, therefore it is simpler to perceive. There are a lot of essential challenges. Make your very first order at this time and find the help you need whenever possible. Unless you are exceedingly wealthy and is able to compose a personal check, then you'll come face to face with financial challenges. Challenges Essay for Dummies Let's examine some of the qualities of individuals who become negative and panic versus those who respond positively and energetically. Perhaps there's a leap of faith you've put off making a risk it's time to take. Some people told me you can't begin a business if you don't have seed money, if you don't own a network, unless you happen to be a certain age, unless, unless, unless. They seem to meet every challenge with confidence, while others struggle to overcome them. You can discover a lot about the end result of the challenge. You may pick a different suggestion or click the original word to revert. If your aim is to educate, select a subject that you've already studied. If your aim is to persuade, pick a subject that you're passionate about. There's, clearly, a limit on the range of pages even our finest writers can produce with a pressing deadline, but usually, we figure out how to satisfy all the clients seeking urgent assistance. Try to remember, no reader wishes to be lectured at. A whole lot of students face the exact same problem with writing. The issue is that all too frequently you may find yourself faced with the very same challenges over and over again, and that's when you begin to eliminate motivation to handle the problem and you drop sight of the prospective lesson. Search for a challenge which will make a potent narrative for your prospective audience. While there are a few sensitive issues you should make certain your conclusion won't offend. Pick a challenge you've overcome, and be sure your topic is something which you truly feel proud of and are interested in. Facing different challenges may be the hardest thing that you do in life but should you push through the end there'll be serious learning points and many added benefits. If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Challenges Essay If you choose to make an outline, write your topic at the peak of the webpage. If you're given the subject, you ought to think about the sort of paper that you wish to produce. You do not have a thing to be worried about when ordering from our internet site. A good example might be the subject of Recycling bins in my city. If a student is caught employing the phone in class, they should be excused for the remainder of the day. If he needs to answer the phone during an emergency, he or she can step out of the classroom to do so. If he is on call for work, he or she will need access to a phone. In the event the students would like to get a great grade they must study and that usually means staying up late too. The Hidden Treasure of Challenges Essay To work, an essay must adhere to a logical sequence. You've just written a distinguished essay. You consider the essay prompt. You look over your essay prompt. Touch on the most essential facets of your essay then leave the reader with something to consider. Needless to say, essays are only effective if they're readable. If your essay is describing a process, like how to make a huge chocolate cake, make sure your paragraphs fall in the proper order. Whatever They Told You About Challenges Essay Is Dead Wrong...And Here's Why Successful entrepreneurs aren't terrified of failure. Dieting is really very easy. Failures are the pillars of succeeding. Entrepreneurs ought to be able to administer and supervise the company activities of both. They need to constantly motivate managers and employees to achieve organizational goals. They should be responsible for any impact that may occur. Top Choices of Challenges Essay Unfortunately, stumbling in the TMI zone of essay topics is more prevalent than you believe. Sometimes conversation appears to be a meaningless, confusing ritual. Aristotle first utilized the designation of special regions of knowledge. You will ideally address a single topic in 1 paragraph. New Ideas Into Challenges Essay Never Before Revealed When good financial conditions, business is going to be developed and constantly evolving. Entrepreneurs will need to appear smart for orientation times, identify and make the most of the surroundings through the projection procedure and continuing monitoring. A prosperous entrepreneur is generally a person who has experience a nd understanding of technology and market conditions which he operates.

Hydrothermal Vents and the Marine Life They Support

Despite their forbidding appearance, hydrothermal vents support a community of marine creatures. Here you can learn the definition of hydrothermal vents, what theyre like as a habitat and what marine creatures live there.   How Hydrothermal Vents Form Hydrothermal vents are essentially underwater geysers created by tectonic plates. These huge plates in the Earth’s crust move and create cracks in the ocean floor. Ocean water enters the cracks, is heated up by the Earth’s magma, and then released through the hydrothermal vents, along with minerals such as hydrogen sulfide, which end up forming volcano-like projections on the seafloor. The water coming out of the vents can reach incredible temperatures of up to 750 degrees F, even though the water outside of the vents can be near freezing in temperature. Although the water coming out of the vents is extremely hot, it isnt boiling because it is unable to under the high water pressure. Due to their remote location in the deep sea, hydrothermal vents were discovered relatively recently. It wasnt until 1977 that scientists in the submersible  Alvin  were amazed to discover these undersea chimneys spewing hot water and minerals into the cold waters thousands of feet below the ocean surface. It was even more surprising to discover these inhospitable areas teeming with marine creatures. What Lives in Them? Living in a hydrothermal vent habitat presents challenges that prevent many marine creatures from inhabiting this hostile environment. Its inhabitants need to contend with total darkness, toxic chemicals, and extreme water pressure. But despite their intimidating description, hydrothermal vents support a wide variety of marine life, including fish,  tubeworms, clams, mussels, crabs, and shrimp. Hundreds of species of animals have been identified in the hydrothermal vent habitats around the world. At a hydrothermal vent, there is no sunlight to produce energy. Bacteria-like organisms called  archaea  have solved this problem by using a process called chemosynthesis to turn chemicals from the vents into energy. This energy-creating process drives the entire hydrothermal vent food chain. Animals in the hydrothermal vent community subsist on products produced by the archaea, or on the minerals in the water produced from the vents.   Types of Hydrothermal Vents Two types of hydrothermal vents are the black smokers and white smokers. The hottest of the vents, the black smokers, got their name because they spew a dark smoke composed mostly of iron and sulfide. This combination forms iron monosulfide and gives the smoke its black color. The white smokers release a cooler, lighter material composed of compounds including barium, calcium, and silicon. Where Are They Found? Hydrothermal vents are found at an average underwater depth of about 7,000 feet. They are found in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and concentrated near the Mid-Ocean Ridge, which winds its way along the seafloor around the globe. So Whats the Big Deal? Hydrothermal vents play an important part in ocean circulation and regulating the chemistry of ocean waters. They contribute nutrients required by ocean organisms. Microbes found at hydrothermal vents may also be important to the development of medicines and other products. Mining of minerals found at hydrothermal vents is an emerging issue that may allow scientists to learn more about hydrothermal vents, but may also damage the seafloor and surrounding marine communities. References Cowan, A.M.Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents. National Geographic.Pfeffer, W. 2003. Deep Oceans. Benchmark Books. 38pp.Viders, H. 2011. Hydrothermal Vents. Alert Diver Online.Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. What Are Hydrothermal Vents?

What Is Friendship in China - 790 Words

What is friendship Chinese is friendly. They like to make friends with each other. It has developed a culture that making friendship with friend. How to make friends is a big knowledge that need to learn. An old say courtesy calls for reciprocity demonstrate the basic etiquette in associating with each other. A faithful friend is hard to meet ,once owning should value carefully. The following three definitions will tell what is friendship. A friend in need is a friend indeed.Friendship is a feeling of comfort and emotional safety with a person.Friend like stars. they don’t always see them, but they know they are always there. Next evidence will show what for friendship is importance in daily life. A friend in need is a friend†¦show more content†¦Never betray friends, even have thousands benefits. Never backbite friends, even they have thousands shortcoming. Friendship is easily broken after a thoughtless joke. Loyalty is a principle that to be obey. In history who be tray friend, always get retribution in the end. For example, in period of Three Kingdom, before battle of ChiBi two generals of Wu Kingdom ZhangSong and JiangGan betrayed King of SunQuan, surrender themselves to CaoCao, however, CaoCao didn t trust them because they are betrayer, obviously, they finally was executed.Share and share alike it means that friends should share what they own, especially ,a person after achieve high reputation and rich wealth should be grateful to friends who used to give that person a favor. Father is a treasure, brother is comfort, friends is both. Anyway Friendship is eternal. An old say Good friend like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.Friendship is a spirit. It s the highest ideal of friendship that people chase. Even don t need any word and action. Just fill each other in their heart, contact each other by soul. A wonderful legend about the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid in China was widely passed. 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Also, it gives me a strong feeling of how the Chinese cultural revolution have changed the people’s lives and ideas. From what I learned from the â€Å"brief history of China† and Spence’s â€Å"the search for modern China†, Mao wanted and desired equal outcomes

Marketing Plan Mkt 421 U of P Free Essays

string(90) " Market research for the Safety Step consists of consumer analysis and industry analysis\." Team C Product – Safety Step University of Phoenix MKT/421 Robin Reis March 29, 2010 Organizational overview Ames is a leader in North America and is known for its quality non-powered garden and lawn products. Ames was founded in 1774 by Captain John Ames. During most of the company’s past 230 years of service the company produced only shovels and controlled 60% of the U. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Plan Mkt 421 U of P or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. market share (n. d. ). Over the past three decades Ames has purchased several companies to widen its market share to include quality non-powered lawn and garden products. In 1991 Ames acquired the Garant Company a Canadian company and in 1997 purchased Woodings-Verona and IXL. Over the next decade the shovel giant continued to purchase various companies in the garden and lawn business. The shovel giant is again looking for ways to expand its product line; Ames will introduce a new daughter company called Safety Step. Ames is a leader in quality products and customer satisfaction, Safety Step will keep the same quality and workmanship and focus on the customer. The Mission Statement is to develop and deliver the most reliable non-powered lawn and garden products including tools and decorative accessories that provide quality to our customers, maximize sustainable profitability, and drive shareholder value. We believe that our global manufacturing strategy, based primarily upon a blend of domestic manufacturing and sourced product, makes us cost-competitive while allowing us to provide a high level of customer service (â€Å"Ames true temper,†). Safety Steps is in the heart of the snow and ice to ensure quality product development is continued. The main headquarters is in Mount Washington New Hampshire. The average snowfall in Mount Washington is 260. 6 inches (NCDC, 2010), with an annual low mean temperature of 19 degrees. Mount Washington is noted for its extreme weather conditions, one of the world’s highest wind velocities (231 miles [372 kilometer] per hour) has been recorded there in 1934 (Britannica, 2010). The production plant is in Marquette, Michigan. The city has an annual snowfall of 141 inches (NCDC, 2010) and an annual mean temperature of 8. 7 (Current Results, 2010). Safety Step is introducing a heated floor mat to allow both homeowners and commercial businesses a safe, snow and ice-free walkway into and out of their homes and businesses. The mat will have multiple attachments and color options to fit the demand of the customer. New Product Description The following paragraphs below take in consideration a new product that our parent company will amplify a tangible product for a household consumer and commercial customer. The difference between the consumer products market and the business product market is derived demand – the demand for business products derives from the demand for final consumer products (Kerin, Berkowitz, Hartley, Rudelius, 2006). This product provides safety steps while walking through and on increment weather, snow, ice, or wet surfaces. The technology and design of the durable nonslip diamond-top surface has ? in diameter holes for excellent drainage and safe passage as pedestrians walk on surface. A mat that covers a walkway or porch that prevents snow and ice from forming called Safety Step. The mat can be purchased in different lengths and widths and has additional attachments for steps. The mat is plugged into an outlet that keeps the snow and ice from forming on it. The mat uses low wattage technology minimizing the amount of electricity used during operation. The product contains a circuit that will turn itself off in case of any power interruption or surge. It has a non-skid, non-slip proof surface that even when wet will prevent a person from slipping on it. The mat dimensions are two feet wide by five feet long. ? SWOT Analysis The external and internal factors of a business forces their company and management to come up with solutions to potential threats. A SWOT analysis aids to guide business strategies and identifies threats and opportunities an acknowledging the external and internal factors into the business plan will allows a company to achieve goals, and keeping a vision and mission of that company from failure. SWOT Analysis StrengthsWeaknessesOpportunitiesThreats Highest quality of products Safety step can be looked upon as seasonal item Uses a new type of technologies’ Competitors can alter Safety Step Provides safety steps for pedestrians as they move on surfaceCostly to hold inventory in warehousesCustomer service personal commitmentIncreases production; therefore, increases in production causing prices to increase Versatile can be used in landscapingCan be ordered 24hours online Strengths The uniqueness in the marketplace comes from the vision, mission, and values of Ames. We are well known worldwide and earn the trust of many customers and deliver the highest quality of products and services to our customers. Pedestrians walk with confidence and safety. Unique colors and costume features attract versatility. ? Weakness The Safety Step may be looked upon as only a seasonal item. Incremental weather only; therefore, overlooking the fact that the Safety Step technology design provides efficiency, safe comfort, and in all kinds of weather. Opportunities The unique colors and custom attachments provide a wide range of surfaces uses. The technologies that Safety Steps requires extra workers; therefore, providing new jobs. Ordering on telephone has direct access to talk with customer representatives, earning and keeping the trust of personal commitment. Promotes less injuries and lost time at work, or decorative yard landscaping feature. Threats Competitors can alter the Safety Step to make something similar whereas Ames would have to do fast adjustments; therefore, causing an increases in production or cost making the Safety Step less appealing because it becomes too expensive to own. Trends Recently on the news everyone has heard about how crazy the weather has been. The State of Washington covered in snow for weeks; the state of Texas covered four days of nine and 10 inches of snow. The world’s ever-changing environment it is a perfect time to launch a great product like the Safety Step. Marketing Research Market research for the Safety Step consists of consumer analysis and industry analysis. Consumer analysis will consist of secondary data gathered from the 2000 US Census Bureau that lists the potential households in cold weather states that may purchase the Safety Step. Primary analysis will consist of surveys of shoppers at a few targeted stores in the regions in which the Safety Step is planned to be sold. Demographics Demographics for the Safety Step are areas of the United States that experience cold weather below 35 degrees F. The Safety Step can be marketed to both consumers and businesses. Consumers would purchase the Safety Step to ensure a clear snow free/ice free walkway during the wintertime. Using the US Census Bureau results from 2000 there are 31 states in which the Safety Step may be marketed. Appendix A shows the states and the total households per state. The Census results show a US market potential of 60 million households in 31 cold weather states. Psychographics The consumer psychographics are homeowners in cold climates that have walkways prone to ice buildup. Homeowners with ice buildup fear someone slipping on the ice and causing an injury. Homeowners can be liable of injuries sustained on their property because of negligence. Safety Step will prevent any ice from forming on walkways removing the fear for the homeowners. Behaviors (e. g. purchase behaviors) Safety Step will be marketed to homeowners stating the benefit that the product provides to the consumer by eliminating ice buildup. The convenience of placing Safety Step on the walkway at the beginning of cold weather and plugging it in will be communicated to the consumers to promote the product. Geographical considerations Safety Step will be marketed in the colder states because of its snow/ice melting features for the consumer market. The business market will also be targeted in the colder states. Industrial Analysis Competitor Analysis Safety Step competition for the consumer market comes in many forms. The snow shovel is one source of competition in which the homeowner believes that if they just shovel well enough there will be no need for the product. Another competitor is the chemical product that the homeowner throws on top of the ice and as the chemical starts to work the ice is melted. The shovel and chemicals both need to be used after the snow or ice has built up whereas the Safety Step prevents snow and ice from forming on the walkway eliminating the potential of someone slipping. Segmentation Market segmentation for this product is important to justify the necessary marketplace needs. This product may be useful for some clients, and yet others may not find a need. This segmentation process is important to understand the needs of the client. A client who lives in Mexico is most likely not going to need a mat that warms up. This is understandable that this is not the target demographic . Criteria The geographic segmentation involves extensive research into the needs of the clients within the different areas. Demographic segmentation is based on the age, income level, purchasing power, gender, family size, nationality, religion, education (Mathe, 2010). The demographic segmentation focuses more on the larger purchases that a family may make such as a home or vehicle. Target Markets The sale of this product is more likely to be based on geography. Certain states with different climates will be more inclined to purchase a product that they can use in the winter. The Safety Step will be marketed to the all states that have a temperature that drops below 40 degrees in a normal year. These states will be the primary sales areas, but the product will also be available through website and catalog throughout the world. This product is important for those who have had issues with bad weather and are having issues with safety outside. Differentiation and Positioning The competing consumer products are shovels and chemical products that melt snow and ice after it has formed. Safety Step will be marketed with the approach that the mat melts snow and ice before it can build up on the customer’s step. The plan is to draw attention to the fact Safety Step is a safer product because it does not allow the snow and ice to build up on the step whereas the competitor’s product does. This will give Safety Step the unique position of promoting the product as safer than the competitor’s promotes. Another marketing strategy that will be used is the Safety Step’s ease of use. The plan is to market Safety Step to the consumers with the information that the all the consumer needs to do is lay the mat down on the step and plug it in before the weather turns cold. The approximate cost to operate is $0. 02 per hour. This is an estimate based on the cost per kilowatt-hour is $0. 15. Cost per kilowatt-hour may vary by state or region. The marketing approach will continue by stating Safety Step will provide a snow/ice from form on the walkway even during a heavy snowstorm unlike shovels or chemical products that require the consumer to go outside and shovel or apply the chemical to the step. The position defined with ease of use approach will be put the Safety Step on the consumer’s steps at the beginning of the cold weather plug it in and the consumer does not need to bother with the product until spring comes. This will differentiate the product from shovels and chemicals that have to be used frequently during winter months. Product Life Cycle Product life cycle needs to be understood and managed for a product to be successful. The market introduction phase for Safety Step may be a longer process than other products handled by Ames Company because there is no other product currently on the market similar to the Safety Step. The marketing approach during the introduction phase will be to demonstrate the product at local Home and Garden shows held in major cold weather cities throughout the United States. Additionally, direct mailings will be sent to households in major cold weather cities informing the consumer of the product. These approaches should provide the interest needed for the product to move into the market growth phase of the product life cycle. The market growth phase of Safety Step should last one winter season and possibly even two winter seasons before competitors develop a similar product. During the market growth phase advertising will continue with the direct personal approach for sales. The plan is to have one-on-one meetings and demonstrations of the product in the customer’s home. It is expected that the demonstrations will increase word of mouth publicity that will increase sales. Once the consumer interest has been established and the competition has similar products Safety Step will enter the market maturity phase of the life cycle. During this phase the marketing approach will be to offer discounts for consumers who buy more than one Safety Step. The advertising for Safety Step during the maturity phase will point out Safety Step’s durability and quality attributes as well as pointing out any other attribute that Safety Step has that the competition does not. The maturity phase of the life cycle should last a minimum of two to three years before another better product is introduced and sales start to decline. The sales decline life cycle may be short in duration as the new products take sales away from Safety Step. The approach during the sales decline phase will be to advertise the Ames company brand along with the products quality and durability features. The product price may also have to be reduced to keep consumers interest. The price will only be lowered to such that the company is still making a small profit but not much. The production of Safety Step will be stopped once the competition has driven the price below the cost to produce the product. Planning a marketing strategy for all four phases of the product life cycle will help to make Safety Step a successful product. Marketing mix In order for an organization to be successful, balance marketing fosters the termination of a new product or service. When examining the marketing mix for a product launch or new service eliminating the threat factor can happen if managed correctly. Understanding the tools are necessary, as marketers call the four Ps, will put the right product or the right type of service at the right point of sale price. Product and Service A new product or service first step is to consider where to begin, create and develop the process launch unto the public. An organization considers itself first when asking does it meet the needs in the perspective for the customer, how assessable can the organization provide and distribute its product or service; moreover, will the customer consider that the new product is a fair price and easy to remember the brand because the marketing communications developed. Type of Product Introducing Safety Step when weather grows tough and budgets are tighter, customers can rely on Ames to offer a quality new product at an extraordinary price. Safety Step is a heated floor mat offered to both homeowners and commercial businesses. This product provides safety steps while walking through and on incremental weather, snow, ice, or wet surfaces. The heated mat electrical waves built within provide enough heat to penetrate through snow and ice. The melted and wet surface drains from the sides of covered area. The technology and design of the durable nonslip diamond-top surface has ? in diameter holes for excellent drainage and traction. Features †¢Vinyl top is tough enough to take abuse from works shoes and wheelchairs. †¢Safe comfort provides workers with a cushioned area to stand or work that decreases strain on feet and legs. †¢Resist oil, greases, and liquid †¢ Runners (sides of the mat) are beveled around the entire mat to prevent tripping hazards †¢Snow /ice melting features for consumers/ business markets †¢Versatile can also be unitizes landscaping Identification/ Brand Ames Corporation is a quality merchandiser that customers can trust with reliable service. Ames distinguishes products from the competition with unique colors, and custom features that extends mats through easy attachments. Production and Delivery Service Products can be ordered online through secure shopping 24 hours a day. If a customer is registered through Ames website, Ames will offer discounts of 10%. Orders on a telephone have direct access to talk with a customer service representative. Orders in and service by mail fax, online or phone features to keep any customer happy. Ames has several large warehouses with large stock quantities. Shipping in some cases will be free, and for large orders because of super size surfaces coverage, Ames provides installing services as customer courtesy. Pricing The Safety Step mat has little to no competition in the market in comparison to other products as potato chips. The research has shown that less than 10 competitor mats are available for purchase now. The competitor’s mats range from $99. 95 to $127. 98. These mats are primarily online with little to no advertisement. The Safety Step will be priced accordingly to ensure sales are possible for the company and the employees. Although there is not a single way to price a product there are many ways to test the market and find an appropriate price for an item. The pricing strategy for this product begins with performing a market analysis, segmentation, targeting, and positioning. Understanding that this mat is most useful in an environment that is more likely to have ice or snow is necessary when analyzing the market. The product sales will need to be focused on the beginning of the winter season. The spring and summer months are less likely to have a large amount of sales. The demand will increase in the beginning of the winter cycle; the price of the item should coincide to help sell the item. The cost of production will also have an effect on the product. The company will attempt to maximize the current profit, while taking into account revenue and costs. Maximizing the quantity of product is justified to have preparation of customers. The status quo is keeping the product stable avoiding price wars among other companies. The company will choose to focus on a cost plus pricing method to achieve the production costs as well as a small profit to achieve a toehold in the market. Once the product has been placed for sale the market will show the company what if any reduction of price should take place. If the product sells quickly than the company may need to reevaluate their pricing strategy for the future. Safety Step will be price competitively at $99. 00. Production costs for each mat is roughly $38 dollars, distribution costs is a percentage of each sale and base pay for the sales team. This comes to about $15 dollars per mat sold. If the staff sells 100 mats to a retailer, they will net $1500 dollars. Marketing of the product is $3 dollars per mat. The retail price of the mat should be $99 dollars; this price is based on the $56 dollars in costs and overhead with $10 dollars going to the retail establishment for sales. This leaves a profit of $33 dollars per mat. This profit will go toward revelation of the product and the continued manufacturing of the product. Based on 100 mat sales the company would make $3300 dollars in profit. This mat must have 1000 sales in order for the company to have a good profit base. Once the market has been tested with this price the sales will show if the product price is too high or too low. Placement The company will have Safety Step manufactured at the existing facility in Camp Hill Virginia. This manufacturer will complete an established amount of mats within the necessary time frame. Production costs are based on the different sizes, and components of the mats. The company may decide to focus on three sizes than they must have three separate prices and production costs for the mats. The company will focus on one mat that is 24 x 5; this particular mat has 120 volts and 263 watts. This mat is one color and one size to make the production costs less than they would be in the future. Promotion Promoting a product is not only about developing the correct product at the correct time, but also the communication involved with all parties. A company would not want to promote a product that was used for ice and snow in a climate that never receives snow or ice; the likely hood of the product selling is not very high. Promotion is the fourth â€Å"P† in the marketing mix designed to teach the end consumer about the product, what the product does and how the product can help the user. What benefits the consumer will receive from the product and will the price of the product fit into the budget. Promotion is also used to persuade a customer that the product is the correct one for him or her. The promotional mix is a combination of personal selling, advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and websites. The first thing a company needs to ask its self is what strategy they believe will work best for the company, will they use the â€Å"PUSH† or the â€Å"PULL† method. Safety Step believes the â€Å"PULL† method would work best for the new heated mat. The PULL STRATEGY requires direct interface with the end user of the offering. Use of channels of distribution is minimized during the first stages of promotion and a major commitment to advertising is required. The objective is to â€Å"pull† the prospects into the various channel outlets creating a demand the channels cannot ignore (Center for Business Planning, 2010, para 12). The product cannot be promoted effectively in warmer areas causing the company to work with specific areas and to build a strong bond with customers to help ensure safety. Safety Step will focus on the benefits of product advertising. This is especially beneficial when you have introduced a new approach to solving a user need and comparison to the old approaches is inappropriate (Center for Business Planning, 2010). † Initial Sales Promotion Safety Step will focus sales of the heated floor mat through the company website www. safetysteps. com. Sales from the website are virtually free of charge to the company with only a small set up fee and the process of fulfilling the orders. Personal selling to households and businesses in major cold weather cities will be the main focus in the initial selling process. Safety Step wants to have a personal relationship with its customers; with one-on-one meetings and demonstrating the product in a home or business setting to allow the customer to feel comfortable to ask questions and see the product in person with no pressure. Safety Step believes that with this approach the product can sell its self and the customer will learn Safety Step is about not only safety but also the customer. Safety Step will advertise through direct mail via an 8 ? x 11 glossy sheet showing areas used without a mat and also used with a mat. Ames the parent company has a large database of addresses, phone numbers and e-mail address for both businesses and homeowners available to Safety Step. The flyer will also picture other options currently available for snow and ice removal including salt pellets, sand and rocks, Sodium chloride (NaCL), which may contain cyanide. Calcium chloride (CaCl) is slightly better because less goes farther, but it is still not ideal, considering its run-off still increases algae growth, which clogs waterways. Potassium chloride is another salt to avoid. Customers will learn the advantages of Safety Step and how it will not only help the customer but also landscape plants, especially those particularly salt-sensitive, like tulip poplars, maples, balsam firs, white pines, hemlock, Norway spruce, dogwood, redbud, rose bushes, and spirea bushes (The Daily Green, 2010). Landscaping can be an expensive cost to customers and the Safety Step can eliminate the need for chemicals that can cause damage and even death to landscape plants. Safety Step will have promotions for customers who wish to purchase more than one mat and with the purchase of the accessory all in one transaction. Contests also can be used to find the most creative ways a mat has been applied around a business or home. This will not only benefit the customer but also the business with a flow of new ideas and ways to better help the end user. Budget Safety Step has allotted a budget of 11. 7 million dollars for the first year of operations. Areas covered include personnel, marketing research, marketing communication, channels, customer acquisition, retention, and other. Safety Step has looked at each area and broken each section into sub-sections see appendix B attached. Safety Steps has allotted the largest portion to the personnel section. The personnel section has sub-sections of salaries/wages, benefits, payroll taxes, commissions, and bonuses. Salaries and wages tops out the chart at 7. 2 million in burden with taxes coming in second at two million. Safety Step believes the allotted amounts should cover the personnel section with a contingency included. Marketing and Research have a budget of 260 thousand dollars. This amount covers both the primary and secondary research for the Safety Step mat. Secondary research has been allotted approximately five thousand per month to cover quality problems should they exist. Safety Step and the Ames Company are known for their quality products and service and keeping a fund for problems is essential. Marketing Communications falls second in regard to cost of budget. A budget of 1. 1 million has been set. The areas with the larger amounts being spent are branding at 240 thousand, advertising at 435 thousand, and public relations at 140 thousand. Advertising the Safety Step in a positive and customer-focused atmosphere is critical for the continuance of the product. Channels have a budget of 96 thousand. Channels include communications and training, promotions and incentives, and commissions/bonuses. Commissions and bonuses are awarded in December of each year allowing a budget only in December. Training and communication is included to ensure the quality of the sales team at Safety Step. Incentives are also included each month to promote the sales team. The sales team, production, and office staff will need focus and drive and offering incentives will help with morale and positive workflow. Safety Step has a section for other to include postage, attorney fees, telephone, travel, computers, and office equipment. Postage will be a large expenditure with mass mailings to costumers to educate them in Safety Step. Travel is the largest expenditure in the other sections; because of the need for salespeople in strategic areas (cold weather cities) to promote Safety Step. Computers and equipment is the second largest expenditure for the other section, Safety step believes in year two this amount should drop dramatically. Computers and office equipment are needed to offer both the customer and employees piece of mind. The computers can offer piece of mind by fast reliable service for ordering, processing claims, and tracking inventory. Attorney fees are in the section to have an on hand attorney office for any needs that may arise. Monitoring and Evaluating Effectiveness A successful development process for Safety Step starts with Ames 5D Principles; in addition, will apply a perceptual map for identify opportunities by highlighting unsatisfied needs of the customer to gain an edge because Safety Step goal must differentiate. DISCOVERDEVISEDESIGNDEVELOPDEPLOY Good Data Organizations values and Philosophy Perceptual Map SWOT Analysis Message Strategy Brand name, label, and packaging Production staff functionality controls changes and defects Execute with confidence Production method and delivery of service Target Customers and customers feedback Measurable Data Developed copy writer and creative art ads Testing phase implementing mat to diverse weather conditionsPlan activities around promotions Purchase Behavior Marketing Strategies Competitor AnalysisPromote safety step phrase in visual and verbal expressionsResearch and testing staying ahead of the competition Evaluate preparations for the next four years plan Review and research Geographical ConsiderationsPlanning process through project managers Challenging target market , but avoiding costly errorsTracking movement of sales and awareness of recommendations Perceptual map gives a visual representation to the marketing team of customers’ perception of Safety Step aids in the positioning strategy. The insight gained from the perceptual map can be formulated through the four parameters’; therefore, implementing a guide of a before and after execution. Ames understands that increase of profit and sales drives the success in marketing execution, but a good marketing team also understands it is not the best indicators. During the course of an execute launch of a new product sales sometimes remain flat. Ames will identify all performance indictors with comprehensive reports so that through execution of the 5Ds principles, perceptual map, and knowing the parameters for development will be modified the next four years. The success of Safety Step growth stage in an oligopoly market can keep the competitions in uncertainly. Ethics and Social Responsibility The marketing efforts will be monitored to ensure that Safety Step will be promoted accurately to the consumer. The advertisement for Safety Step will only contain information that is true and accurate for the product. Packaging of the product will not have any misleading claims but rather describe the product accurately. Salespeople will also receive training to communicate accurately the product without pressuring customers while they are demonstrating the product during the door to door campaign. The company’s goal is to promote the product accurately by having knowledgeable salespeople that provides product information not pressure. Conclusion Developing a marketing plan with Perceptual Maps, SWOTT analysis, identifying environmental factors affect marking decisions. These business decisions move the product life cycle and identifies the appropriate price strategy along with public relations opportunities for Safety Step. Therefore, allowing Team C to answer all questions, without this structure information could not be obtained in an orderly prompt manner. ? References: (n. d. ). Ames true temper: past present and future. Retrieved from http://www. ames. com/aboutus. html (n. d. ). Ames Shovel Works. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from http://www. responsiblegrowthforeaston. com/shovel_shop/ShovelWorksHistory. pdf Center for Business Planning (2010). Marketing Plan. Retrieved March 21, 2010, from http://www. businessplans. org/Market. html Current Results (2010). Coldest Places in United States. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from http://www. currentresults. com/Weather-Extremes/US/coldest. php Kerin, Berkowitz, Hartley, and Rudelius Chapter 9, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2004 New York, NY Mathe, AR (2010). Market Segmentation Targeting Positioning. Retrieved March 15, 2010 from website http://www. scribd. com/doc/24765486/Market-Segmentation-Targeting-Positioning-by-amarnath. NCDC (2010). Snowfall – Average Total In Inches. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from Pearce, Jack and Richard Robin, ( 2004). Chapter 1, Overview of Strategic Management. Retrieved March 5, 2010 from University of Phoenix, rEsource, Bus475 course Website. The Daily Green (2010). 9 Eco-friendly Ways to De-Ice Your Driveway. Retrieved March 21,2010, from http://www. thedailygreen. com/living-green/blogs/green-products-services/driveway-ice-environment-55013001 U. S. Census Bureau, (2000). United states — states; and puerto rico . Retrieved from http://factfinder. census. gov/servlet/GCTTable? _bm=y-geo_id=01000US-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U-_lang=en-redoLog=false-format=US-9|US-9S-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTH5_US9-CONTEXT=gct (n. d). Washington, Mount. Retrieved from Britannica Online database. ? Appendix A: 2000 US Census Bureau Total Housing Units Geographic areaTotal housing units United States115,904,641 Alaska260,978 Colorado1,808,037 Connecticut1,385,975 Delaware343,072 District of Columbia274,845 Idaho527,824 Illinois4,885,615 Indiana2,532,319 Iowa1,232,511 Maine651,901 Maryland2,145,283 Massachusetts2,621,989 Michigan4,234,279 Minnesota2,065,946 Montana412,633 Nebraska722,668 New Hampshire547,024 New Jersey3,310,275 New York7,679,307 North Carolina3,523,944 North Dakota289,677 Ohio4,783,051 Oregon1,452,709 Pennsylvania5,249,750 Rhode Island439,837 South Dakota323,208 Utah768,594 Vermont294,382 Washington2,451,075 Wisconsin2,321,144 Wyoming223,854 Total59,763,706 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000) ? Appendix B: Budget (amounts in thousands) Marketing Budget Plan Safety Step JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal Personnel Salaries, wages800 400 400 400 800 800 800 400 800 800 800 $ 7,200 Benefits 100 100 100 100 100 $ 500 Payroll taxes 500 350 400 150 200 200 200 $ 2,000 Commissions and bonuses 100 $ 100 Total$800$400$1,000$400$1,250$800$1,300$0$550$1,100$1,000$1,200 $ 9,800 Market Research Primary research 100 100 $ 200 Secondary research10 10 10 10 10 10 $ 60 Library management $ – Total$10$0$10$100$10$0$10$0$10$0$110$0 $ 260 Marketing Communications Branding60 60 60 60 $ 240 Advertising50 100 50 25 100 100 10 $ 435 Web sites2 2 2 2 2 10 10 10 2 10 10 10 $ 72 Direct marketing20 10 10 10 10 10 10 $ 80 Internet marketing10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 $ 80 Collateral $ – Press relations5 5 5 5 5 5 5 $ 35 Public relations20 20 20 20 20 20 20 $ 140 Analyst relations $ – Events5 5 5 5 5 5 5 $ 35 Total$172$2$12$2$62$160$110$85$62$160$160$130 $ 1,117 Channels Channel communications and training10 10 10 10 10 10 $ 60 Channel promotions and incentives2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 $ 16 Channel commissions/bonuses 20 $ 20 Total$12$12$12$10$10$12$2$2$0$0$2$22 $ 96 Customer Acquisition Retention (CAR) Lead generation 10 10 10 10 10 $ 50 Customer loyalty2 5 5 2 5 4 3 $ 26 Total$2$0$0$10$10$5$5$12$0$15$4$13 $ 76 Other Postage8 10 10 10 10 $ 48 Attorney fees5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 $ 60 Telephone2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 $ 24 Travel12 8 8 8 8 12 12 12 8 18 18 18 $ 142 Computers and office equipment10 5 5 5 10 10 10 10 5 10 10 10 $ 100 Total$37$20$20$20$25$39$39$29$20$45$45$35 $ 374 Total Marketing Budget$1,033$434$1,054$542$1,367$1,016$1,466$128$642$1,320$1,321$1,400 $ 11,723 How to cite Marketing Plan Mkt 421 U of P, Essays

Syllabus spring free essay sample

I promise you an excellent adventure. It has often been said that living things, including humans, cannot be well- understood without looking at the evolutionary forces that have shaped them. Biological science and medicine are becoming increasingly more evolutionary as our exponentially-growing knowledge base at all levels from DNA to the process of biological inheritance; from the biology and genetics of populations and species to the evolutionary processes that shape them; from cells to multicultural beings, and from individuals to the planetary biosphere reveals more and more clearly how living systems work. Inning lecture presentations, laboratory exercises, field experiences, and on- line interactive assignments, BIO 1 1 30 will acquaint you with the evolutionary processes that result(deed) in Earths enormous diversity of living organisms, and the complex behavioral and ecological interactions that occur within and among species. Our mission is not merely to build an information base that will serve you well in higher-level biology classes; we intend to cultivate an evolutionary way of thinking about and understanding living things. About your instructor: teach full-time at Prince Georges Community College, and have had long art-time faculty affiliations with the Catholic University of America (1988-2000) and the University of Maryland (1 990, 1995, and 2001 -present), teaching this and other courses. My main teaching focus is ecology and animal behavior, not only in classroom settings but also in field-oriented travel-study courses in such locations as Florida, the Rocky Mountains and Africa. Will work as hard for you, and will work you as hard, as at the universities that have relied on me to train their students.Contact information: My office: Chesapeake Hall, room 210-B My email: [emailprotected] Deed MY office phone / vocalism: 301. 341. 3022 Biology Department office phone: 301. 322. 0420 Office hours for Spring 2013: Mondays Wednesdays: 12:30- 1 130 Tuesdays Thursdays: 11:30- l:o No appointments are necessary during the above times. Other meeting times may be available with an advance appointment. About the coo rise: BIO 1 130 is a 4-credit class consisting of three hours Of lecture per week and three hours of laboratory per week.This course is equivalent to BASIC 106 at the University of Maryland College Park, and is accepted by the University in transfer with a grade of C or better. Lecture is on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 1 5 in Chesapeake Hall, room 101. The lab for section LIDO meets on Mondays from 8:00 to 10:50 in Chesapeake Hall, room 207; the lab for section OLDS meet on Mondays from 8:00 to 1 0:50 in Chesapeake Hall, room 207. Attendance will be taken in lecture. Being present and on time constitutes one measure of your academic seriousness, and can impact your final grade. See page 6 of this syllabus (How possibly to gain or lose points).Laboratory attendance is mandatory. If you miss a lab for a legitimate reason (such as illness, religious observance, family emergency, etc. ) you must obtain the instructors permission in advance so you can get specific instructions guarding when and how to make up the missed activity, if it is possible to do so at all. Failure to notify the lab instructor in advance may deny you the opportunity to make up the lab activity. This will likely impair your ability to prepare for the following weeks lab quiz. Missing three or more labs will result in an automatic F for the course.Lectures and labs always contain material for which you are responsible. At the end of the semester, you will be given one overall grade based on your performance in both. Specific details regarding how your grade is calculated are given on pages 3-6 of this syllabus. A note inspired by the U. S. Department of Deed auction: For Federal purposes (including general standardization and the ever- important issue of qualifying for federal funding) a college credit hour is defined as a situation where one hour of credit instruction requires the average student to do two hours of work outside of class.Please know that success in this course will require no less. Required textbooks: Biological Science (fourth edition, 2011) by Scott Freeman ISBN: 978-0-32-1 59820-2 Biology 1 1 30: A Lab Book by Peter Banyan (2010-2011 edition) You will need the current edition of the textbook. Older editions are not properly keyed to the online Mastering Biology activities (see below) that comprise 100 points of your course grade. You are required to have a new (! ) lab book. This is not negotiable. Your grade: Your overall grade for BIO 1130 will be based on a total of 900 points.As detailed on the next few pages, 450 of these points come from lecture exams, 300 points come from lab, and 150 points come from the online Mastering Biology homework assignments. The number of points needed for a particular grade is as follows: A = 810 or above 720 80%) to 809 c = 630 70%) to 719 D = 60%) to 629 F = below 540 below 60%). Final grades are not curved, though the borderlines may be adjusted by the instructor. Such adjustments, if made, will work in favor of (never against) a student.Where your grade comes from: Lecture exams 450 points Four lecture exams will be given, including the final exam: Exam #1 (Wednesday February 27) = 100 points Exam #2 (Monday April 8) = 100 points Exam #3 (Monday May 6) 100 points Final exam (Wednesday May 8) = 150 points These lecture exams are given in the classroom. The first three lecture exams will specifically cover information presented as lecture (not lab) material. The final exam is cumulative, and includes laboratory material. Lecture exams are comprised largely of objective essay-type questions both short ones and long ones.The object is for you to explain things in your own words, at the level of detail and sophistication that holds sway in lecture. To maximize your chances of successful mastery of exam material, make sure you have a complete set of lecture notes. Any and all broad concepts and specific facts presented in lecture, including material not covered by the textbook, may appear on an exam. TO ensure that your class notes are impressive, you should consider comparing and pooling your notes with those of other students. Also consider forming a study group where you and your classmates can meet regularly and review the course material. You are welcome to record class sessions. Regarding the textbook and the exams Use the textbook in two different ways: Read all assigned readings (see the listings beginning on page 9 of this syllabus) in advance Of the lecture they relate to. This will provide you with important background and context including necessary technical vocabulary for each lecture. Be aware that each classroom presentation will assume hat you have already covered these readings.As you prepare for each lecture exam, use the assigned readings in a narrower way: to reinforce and complement the material presented in lecture. Unless have notified you otherwise, in cases where the textbook covers extra material compared to lecture, you will not be held responsible on the exams for the extra details. Where your grade comes from, continued: 2: Laboratory 300 points A. Lab quizzes (200 points): There will be weekly lab quizzes, given at the beginning of each lab period. Each quiz is worth 20 points.Each weeks lab quiz will cover two different hints: information and/or assignments from the previous weeks lab, including the assigned textbook readings pertaining to that lab (see the lab schedule on the last page of this syllabus) information given in the introduction section of the current weeks lab. (Note: Every week you should refer to the lab schedule on pages 1 2-13 of this syllabus; the labs from week to week are not given in the order they are contained in the lab book. ) The first lab quiz, which covers Lab One, is given in lab the following week. There will be no quiz on Lab Eleven (the do-it-yourself field trip to theSmithsonian); rather, you will hand in the completed exercise from the lab book. This will count as a 30-point assignment per item D below (due the Monday following Spring Break April 1). There will be no fewer than ten 20-point lab quizzes. There may be eleven or more; if so, only your best ten quiz scores will count. Makeup quizzes are not given for lab; a missed quiz will count as a zero. B. The formal lab report (50 points): By the last week of class you will submit a formal lab report on the selection experiment (Lab Two) which begins in February and continues through April.As you run the experiment you will receive detailed written and oral guidance on preparing this report. C: The Backyard Ecology project (20 points) Lab Five requires you to engage in a restoration ecology project. We will begin planning this during the second week of lab. You will earn 20 lab points when you document this at the end of the semester. D: The Smithsonian field trip (30 points) Lab Eleven requires you to visit the Smithsonian Museums exhibit on the fossil history of life. You will complete this assignment on your own, and hand it in on April 1 (the Monday following Spring Break).Where your grade comes from, continued: 3: Mastering Biology: 150 points of homework assignments Pearson (the publisher of our textbook) has developed an interactive set of activities Mastering Biology designed to help students master the course content. The program provides numerous effective aids to learning, and asks questions. The assigned questions are chosen to focus your efforts on the most crucial (for our purposes) material in each chapter. On Wednesday Jan aura 23 you will be given detailed instructions as to registering for Mastering Biology. Your first Mastering Biology assignment will be due Sunday January 27.Every future assignment is due on a Sunday night. More about where your grade comes from: How possibly to gain or lose points A. Gaining class participation points: Being actively engaged in the classroom can earn you up to 20 points. To earn any such points, you must regularly be present and on time, and must interact (questions, comments etc. ) often enough and productively enough that its obvious that you are an active, rather than passive, participant in the learning process. If you earn these points, they will be added onto your final overall point total. B. Losing points over your pattern of attendance:Occasional episodes of unexcused absence or lateness happen to everyone. As long as the occasions are rare, you wont lose points. On the other hand, a pattern of absence or lateness will result in the deduction of points from your overall grade. If your pattern is noticeably worse than that of the average successful student, you can lose as many as 20 points from your overall total. C. Losing penalty points in lab: 1 . You can lose points in lab for failure to follow clearly-given lab instructions. You will not lose any points for a first offense, though an oral warning will be given.Subsequent incidents will cost you points: points for the second incident 5 points for the third incident 10 points for each subsequent incident 2. You can lose points in lab for failing to clean up. Each member of a guilty group will lose one point for each minute your instructor spends cleaning up after your group. Various official policies: 1. Makeup exam policy: Makeups for exams that you miss are not given except for unusual and serious circumstances, such as verified illness, religious observance, extraordinary family emergencies, etc.It is your responsibility to contact Professor Banyan by email or phone (see page 2 of this syllabus) within 24 ours of missing an exam, or else you may not be permitted to schedule a makeup. No makeup are given for lab quizzes. 2. Accommodations for students with disabilities: APPC is committed to providing appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities. Students requesting academic accommodations must first establish eligibility by contacting the Disability Support Services Office (DES) ? phone 301. 322. 0122 or email [emailprotected] Du or visit Bladed 1 24 to establish eligibility. A student with a disability documented by DES should discuss the situation privately with professor banyan as soon as possible and provide a pop of the Student/Faculty Accommodation Form so that we then can proceed to address any special needs. 3. Code of Conduct: Know what is required of you. You are legally required to comply with all APPC policies and regulations, as presented in the APPC Student Handbook. A print copy is available for free from the Office of College Life Services, in the Largo Student Center.You can also find the Student Handbook on PCs website; go to Myopic and use the College Life drowns menu to find it. The Code is given in Chapter 5 of the handbook. 4. Academic dishonesty: Know what is required of you. Our highest value is academic integrity. We assert the following: The college is an academic community dedicated to learning, and can only function properly if all of its members share an expectation and commitment to academic integrity. Academic dishonesty is a corrosive force in the life off college, and acquiescence or apathy in the presence of academic dishonesty is not a neutral act.Academic dishonesty jeopardizes the quality of each students education, and depreciates the genuine achievements and accomplishments of others. PCs Code of Academic Integrity upholds the values of honesty and integrity, holding to the basic principle of honest representation in students work. You are legally required to comply with the College Code of Academic Integrity, the specifics of which are given on pages 39-42 of the Student Handbook. (You can find the Student Handbook on Pecs website; go to Myopic and use the College Life drowns menu. Simply put, we do not tolerate any form of cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, or facilitating of academic dishonesty. In this course, a grade of zero will be assigned to any exam or other work wherein any such academic dishonesty is involved. The instructor may also sign a grade of F* for the course. (F* on a transcript represents a failing grade given for reason of violating the Code of Academic Integrity. ) More than one instance of academic dishonesty will inescapably result in a grade of F* for the course. Remember: While we encourage group work and dialog, all individual assignments are to be the works of individuals!Individual assignments which are found to be very similar in wording and structure will be considered as possible instances of plagiarism and/or facilitation. (All assignments are individual assignments unless your instructor explicitly specifies any of them o be a group assignment. ) Any student charged with violating the Code has the right to appeal. Such appeals are handled by the department chair and/or the dean, and also the Vice President for Student Services. Appeal procedures and deadlines are specified in the Student Handbook. 5. No cell phones (etc. In class: Out of respect for the rest of the class, please make sure that all cell phones, beepers etc. Are turned off, or are in vibration mode, before class begins. 6. Electronic devices during exams: During exams, no electronic devices are permitted, with the exception of numeric-only calculators. No devices with headphones/airbeds are permitted. Spring 2013 lecture schedule (approximate) and reading assignments (definite) Unit one: the fundamental interconnectedness of everything Week 1: 1/23 Introduction. Unifying themes in biology. The cell theory; natural selection. The brick house analogy.To cover this and to be ready for next Monday, read Chapter 1. The material on natural selection, and on the scientific method, is especially important; it will carry forward throughout the course. To prepare for next weeks topics, read Chapter 50; also read the Introduction section of Lab Five. Week 2: 1/28 and 1/30 An introduction to the biology of living organisms (Chapter 50). Introduction to biomass; biotic and biotic factors and how they affect the distribution and abundance of organisms. For next week, read Chapter 51 and 52. Week 3: 2/4 and 2/6 Behavioral biology (Chapter 51 Population growth patterns and dynamics (Chapter 52).For next week, read Chapter 53. Week 4: 2/11 and 2/13 Community ecology: competition; consumption; naturalism; community structure; disturbance ecology (Chapter 53) For next week, read Chapter 54, and review Lab Four. Week 5: Wednesday 2/20 Monday 241 8: Presidents Day: no classes /20: Ecosystem ecology: energy flow; food chain dynamics (Chapter 54). Week 6: Monday 2/25 = finishing the material through Chapter 54. Exam #1 is on Wednesday February 27 Unit two: evolution and genetics Week 7: 3/4 and 3/6 Genetic variation: its significance and sources.