Hospitality Industry Essay

Hospitality Industry is now-a-days, one of the major industries in many countries of the world. This comprises operation of hotels, motels, resorts, guesthouses, rest houses, picnic and recreation spots etc. while industrialists, businessmen, professionals, working people and of course tourists are the principal customers. In fact in many countries, hospitality industry is the principal source of foreign exchange earning. Tourism indicates touring activities by local inhabitants and foreign visitors throughout the country. In order to develop tourism many preconditions have to be fulfilled, such as proper infrastructure, abundant, cheap and secured commuter facilities road, rail, water and air abundant, cheap and secured staying places viz. hotels, motels, resorts etc. furnished with recreational and entertainment facilities; abundant and secured tourist spots viz. historical places, beaches, parks, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, hills and hill tracts etc. and lastly a peaceful political and administrative atmosphere in the country. Hospitality industry and tourism are closely related, one cannot thrive without the development of the other. Hospitality industry cannot march forward without the foreign visitors and tourists, the local inhabitants form only a portion of the customers. Foreign exchange cannot be earned without influx of tourists and visitors from abroad. On the other hand tourism cannot thrive without first constructing the hotels, motels, resorts, guesthouses etc. So the two sectors are very closely interdependent. National infrastructure and facilities: No country can develop without necessary infrastructure viz roads, highways and bridges; sea ports and airports; rivers and coastal waters worth navigation; airways and rail roads etc. These infrastructures are essential and should adequately connect the trade-centres as well as all important spots and resorts worth visitation by tourists and the local people.

ED Leadership: Reflective Essay (Interview) Essay

I was fortunate to have the unique opportunity to interview my Principal, Dr. Tim Anderson and Head of School, Dr. Julie Giardino. Since we are employed at a Christian school, I was interested in learning their personal teaching philosophies, views on education and personal beliefs on leadership. In regards to their teaching philosophies, both believe innately and unequivocally that all children have the ability and a right to learn. Together, they have over 30 years of educational experience and their passion for student learning and achievement is still evident. They surmise teachers are the authorities in the classroom, should be empowered to be creative and have the ability to adapt or change curriculum. However, they also conclude teachers should not supersede administration or affect policy. At the core or foundation of every decision they make is their relationship with Christ. This foundation drives how they interact, communicate and lead others. Therefore transparency, truth, integrity and dignity for all people are moral truths and or ethical standards they reverence. Both individuals have a collaborative/servant leadership style and feels that the key to being an effective leader starts by being a good listener. Second, a good leader builds meaningful relationships by: a) modeling a servant’s attitude, b) collaborating with constituents, c) celebrating differences, d) recognizing accomplishments and e) fostering accountability via restorative correction. Since building relationships is one of the fundamental elements of their leadership style, both are prudent in utilizing e-mail and social media as a form of communication between themselves and their constituents. Dr. Anderson understands social media and e-mail is useful as a way to communicate facts (for example teacher duties, responsibilities or upcoming sporting events). However; Dr. Giardino expressed, she values one on one communication. In her experience, e-mail can foster miscommunication due to the inability to read body language and tone. Dr. Anderson and Dr. Giardino cautioned that although their style is collaborative there are times they will adapt their style to a given situation. If there is an immediate threat in the building and or someone is being defiant in nature, their style will become directive to mitigate or resolve the conflict. In conclusion, they both agree the best part of the job is the people. Dr. Anderson elaborated, that as a principal, he has the ability to influence and impact more children. He  also gets to be involved and interact with all constituents: the students, parents, teachers and community. However; Dr. Giardino cautioned being an effective leader is lonely. There are long hours involved and one needs to have a strong support system to balance work and family.

Maturity in the Catcher in the Rye

Maturity in the Catcher in the Rye Maturity is a process in life that usually no one can run away from. The novel the Catcher in the Rye, by J. D Salinger, tries to disprove that lesson through its protagonist. Holden often behaves like a prophet or a saint, pointing out the â€Å"phonies† around him because he believes they are not as mature as he is, but as the novel progresses, Holden makes choices that prevents him from maturing rather than enabling him to mature. Holden’s mail goal is to resist the process of growing up. Holden also mocks the adults around him to make him feel better.To cope with society, Holden alienates himself from the people he considers â€Å"phonies†. Usually, novels such as The Catcher in the Rye tell the story of a young protagonist’s growth to maturity; ironically, Holden’s main goal is to resist the process of maturity. Holden does not want to mature because he fears change and is overwhelmed by complexity. On page 20 1 of the novel, Holden says â€Å"Somebody’d written ‘fuck you’ on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it, and finally some dirty kid would tell them†.This quotation shows that Holden is scared and worried about Phoebe growing up. Eventually, Phoebe will learn what the word means just like Holden did. There is no stopping the process but Holden erases the sign anyways to symbolize his determination. He does eventually realize that he cannot stop the process when he tries to erase another sign that does not come off. Not only is Holden afraid of change, but he refuses to acknowledge this fear so whenever he is forced to, he invents a fantasy that adulthood is a world of â€Å"phonies†. Holden shows this when he says â€Å"Sex is something I just don’t understand.I swear to God I don’t† on page 93. Instead of acknowledging that having sex scares and mystifies him, Hol den invents a fantasy that adulthood is a world of superficiality and hypocrisy by telling the readers horrible things about sex. The first step to solving a problem is admitting that there is one. Holden does not even know he has a problem let alone admitting it. At the end of the novel, Holden does however find out that he has a problem but he still does not want to admit it which suggests that he is still trying to achieve is goal and believes that one day he will achieve it.Holden’s view of society shows that Holden only points out the phonies around him to make him feel better, yet he does not realize that he is flawed. Through out the novel, Holden criticize adults behind his smiles because it makes him feel superior without having the sense of guilt since the adults does not know. This is shown when Holden vents his feelings about Spencer’s advice. On page 8 he says â€Å"Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then itâ€⠄¢s a game, all right—I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s a game about it?Nothing. No game.. †. Hiding behind Holden’s nodding and smiling is himself cursing and mocking Spencer. While Spencer is trying to tell Holden the importance of playing by the rules, Holden mocks his analogy instead of looking at the main point which shows that he doesn’t really care about what Spencer has to say even though it has been established that Holden thinks about Spencer quite a lot. Every time Holden criticises the â€Å"phonies† around him, he criticises them in a way that convinces the reader that he is right to build up his self esteem.This is shown when Holden says â€Å"Then I tried to get them in a little intelligent conversation, but it was practically impossible. You had to twist their arms. You could hardly tell which one was the stupidest of the three of them. Then the thre e of them of them kept looking all around the goddam room, like as if they expect a flock of goddam movie stars to come in any minute. † On page 73. Holden believes that the three women were looking around the room because they are stupid, but he does not consider the fact that the three women were looking around the room because they were bored of him and wanted him to go away.Holden makes a statement that can be easily argued into a true fact that is written in stone and cannot be erased by using slang and the unique tone of voice he has. It makes everything he criticises seem true which makes himself feel better. Holden needs to realize that his view of society is wrong and that children will have to grow up and that there is no way to stop it. Holden says on page 119 â€Å"God, I love it when a kid's nice and polite when you tighten their skate for them or something. Most kids are. They really are† because he loves children. Throughout the novel, Holden has never cr iticised, offend or cursed at children.He always says nice things about them. This is because he likes children and he does not want children to mature into young adults. On the contrary, Holden’s view of a perfect childhood is as incorrect as his view of the adult world as entirely â€Å"phoney,† and just helps Holden hide from the fact that the complex issues he will have to face in growing up terrify him. This form of delusional craziness can only last so long. Holden will eventually grow up, whether he likes it or not. Mr. Antolini and Phoebe both make it clear that unless he learns to accept the complexities of adulthood, he will end up, at best, bitter and alone.To cope with society and the adult world, Holden alienates himself from the people he considers â€Å"phonies† so that he will be able to resist growing up. Throughout the novel it is seen that Holden’s alienation is the cause of most of his pain but it is also a source of Holden’s st rength. This is shown when His loneliness gets him into his date with Sally Hayes, but his need for isolation causes him to insult her and drive her away. As the novel progresses it shows that Holden desperately needs human contact but his protective wall of bitterness prevents him from having interactions with other humans for too long.He wants to have a relationship but he does not want to commit to it because he knows that when he does commit to a relationship, he will turn into an adult and live an adult life. That is why he tells Sally Hayes to run away with him. Holden does not want to deal with the complexities of the world around him so he tries to escape it to resist the process of growing up. Holden tries to escape the adult world by not thinking about it and dreaming of a world where nothing changes.But when Holden goes to the Museum of Natural History, it gives him something to think about. He says â€Å"The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. . . . Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you. † (page212) The Eskimos are silent, and always the same. Holden can think about and judge the Eskimo in the display case, but the Eskimo will never judge him back. It troubles him that he has changed each time he returns, while the museum’s displays never changes.They represent the simple and manageable vision of the perfect life that Holden wishes he could live and stay in forever. After reading the novel, readers learn that although Holden goal is crazy, in the end he has great determination. Readers notice that at the end of the novel, Holden has not changed. He still tries to resist growing up, he still mocks the people he considers phonies, and he still alienates himself from the people he considers â€Å"phonies†. Holden’s character is very unusual but it teaches readers about maturity and how hard it is to not gro w up.

Consumer behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Consumer behavior - Essay Example value food market there are gaps in areas of research in relation to the specific market size which can be expected and in certain psychographic aspects of the consumer character profile. These will be identified throughout the report. Specific market size cannot accurately be predicted, due to an apparent trend in the United Kingdom for a more socially-acceptable movement toward thrift in the frozen foods sector. This seems to be moving different markets together, thus creating large opportunity for a more mass market focused brand campaign. Before determining an appropriate market size, it would be necessary to understand which specific region of the country could best be supplied logistically. Competitors consist of many multi-national companies with very wide product lines, therefore this is also an indication of high profit potential if Northern Ireland pursues a less domestic approach to sales by expanding beyond the UK. In London alone, with such a large emphasis on thrift mixing markets, the four million adult consumers in this region could serve as a test market for introduction into the consumer market and represent enormous profit opportunity. One notable trend in this market environment is how the different competitors continue to use interesting marketing positioning tactics, through promotion, to create different perceptions with the customers. From an observational research perspective, the quality of the products as well as the food texture does not seem to be a marketing objective in this region. Rather, creating the personal connection between how the product would be viable in the family environment and the consumers’ visual taste sensations in advertisements remains the large focus of marketing in this frozen foods community. Because this will be more of a mass market-focused campaign for the quality dinner foods provided by Northern Ireland Fast Food Company, it will be necessary to fully determine which city and region will be the first

Are celibrities overpaid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Are celibrities overpaid - Essay Example Herein, I shall undertake to demonstrate that celebrities are paid more money than they deserve or is proportionate to their effort, and the overall result is detrimental for society’s moral standing in the long run. The highest earning celebrities in America currently include Pollizi and Kim Kardashian, the latter earns a gross of $100,000 per episode in the filming of Jersey Shore (Sulla-Heffinger, 2012). Kardashian who has become a brand by herself earns slightly less. The irony of it all is that Kim earns these piles of money in her reality show for just being followed around by cameras and not really doing any acting. While she tries to justify the cash by saying even rappers like Kanye West were not taken seriously, and now they are some of the heaviest hitters on the celeb pay scale. I find these reasoning pedantic since the rapper were mostly poor youths hustling, but one often has to be rich and famous to be in a reality show especially one with your name as the title (Brockes, 2012). Kardashian husband is said to be demanding for a 7 million settlement out of court since he knows she cannot afford the publicity of a messy divorce, ironically the gross overpayments of Celebs leads to their being exploited and targeted because everyone assume they have money to pay of blackmailers and greedy spouses. The other international arena where the issue of overpayment is so pertinent is in international soccer in particular the European premier league. While a majority of people would be more than happy to make 138,000 pounds a year, John Terry the former Chelsea captain of England’s leading football club captain takes home this amount every week. In addition, it is not only him, but most of the top players make more money than ordinary mortals will make in a life time, and they cannot understand the colossal amounts when they hear such and such player has been sold for million. Kaka for instance takes home a cool 6.9 million pounds and Ronaldinho Gaucho (Barcelona) ?6.53mand this s just the tip of the iceberg with many players below them earning amounts that would baffle many top brass businesspeople internationally. These can be handles by applying a cap on how much money a team can use to buy a player, which would prevent the mangers from engaging in player price wars, with the concerned players gaining inapprehensible amounts of money. Thus, if it worked in the NFL, it can work in the premier league otherwise the salaries may get out of hand. Even the sports minster Gerry Sutcliffe has declared that these amounts are obscene, and they create too much disparity between the players and their fans (Jorsboe, 2008). Generally this, which makes it easy for them to acquire demigod status, and their fans literally worship them since they seem to have everything they can desire. The immorality of celebs especially music stars such as lady Gaga, Paris Hilton and the Game, just to mention a few, are examples of Celebs who portray b ehavior that contravenes many moral codes such as; public nudity, and drug and alcohol abuse makes it dangerous to have them held up as role models. Further evidence of the inappropriateness of these earnings is the manner in which they are spent, Celebs are known to be extreme spenders many sponging their millions to buy expensive

Essay on Corporate Sponsorship Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

On Corporate Sponsorship - Essay Example The phenomenon of event sponsorship by corporate entities has been on the rise. As per the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) Sponsorship Report (a leading resource on sponsorship research), the amount of spending by North American corporate entities for event marketing has gone up from $850 million in 1985 to some $10.3 billion in 2003 (Independent Evaluation Consortium, 2003). There is a growing need to explore why corporate brands are willing to support event management more than ever. This text will explore the growth of sponsorship and its importance for the event industry by analysing the process and motivations along with the advantages and disadvantages of sponsorship. In itself sponsorship has evolved into a complex phenomenon over time and there are multiple possible definitions that may cause confusion. Research on the matter indicates that there are myriad definitions of sponsorship that have appeared over the last 25 years (Skinner & Rukavina, 2003). This text will utili se the definition of sponsorship provided by BDS Sponsorship Limited (which is one of Europe’s leading commercialisation and sponsorship consultancies): â€Å"Sponsorship is a business relationship between a provider of funds, resources or services and an individual, event or organisation which offers in return rights and association that may be used for commercial advantage in return for the sponsorship investment.† Sponsorship has been deeply rooted in history given that wealthy patrons would invest in the works of artists in order to receive appreciation from people who would view those works of art. The expansion of sponsorship became more common in the seventies as the amount of sponsorship in the United Kingdom grew by some 250% (Lawson, 1984). On the other hand, sponsorships were given for works of art till a point in time after which these sponsorships were diverted the music and sports industries. This trend continues into the modern day as â€Å"the value of sponsorship towards the arts— [this] appeared especially with books and less so with music. The area of the arts generally received an honour or prestige rated above commercialisation† (Lawson, 1984). Sponsorship for sports can be seen as booming in the aftermath of Peter Ueberroth’s sell out of the LA Olympic Games. Skinner and Rukavina (2003) have described this as â€Å"an explosion of sponsorship marketing.† Before this point in time it was felt by event managers that they would be seen as sell outs if they tried to attract too much attention from sponsors. Lawson (1984) has described this in the following words: â€Å"Sponsorship, it was thought, could detract from the popular image of the arts as being untainted by money.† Although this line of thinking persisted before this point in time but after Ueberroth’s actions, â€Å"many event managers forgot the notion that their events could be tainted. They increased their sponsorship leve ls dramatically, and approximately 40,000 events were created in the next ten years because of sponsorship funding† (Skinner & Rukavina, 2003). In this respect, it must be kept in mind that without support from sponsors it would not be possible to hold many different kinds of events. This takes place because sponsors often provide the major financial components of these events. The

Wireless security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wireless security - Essay Example The reason is that hackers break into the networks to identify the security holes present in the networks. The aim of the hackers is not to commit theft, destroy, or steal any sort of private information; rather the intention is to make the network administrators improve the security of their networks. Ciampa (2009) found that a hacker is a person who makes use of advanced programming skills and techniques to break illegally into any specific computer system in order to expose the security flaws (p. 16). Some attackers believe that the act of hacking is ethical because the aim is neither to steal information nor to create any sort of problem for the user of the computer system. If a hacker attacks my personal computer system, it will make me aware that the security features, which I have implemented for the protection of my computer, are not strong enough to combat the attacks of the hackers. Therefore, I would like a hacker to break into my security wall to identify the security fla ws in my system, which will make me improve my security by installing more trustworthy and reliable security features in order to make my computer more safe and secure than before.

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as Essay - 2

Organizational culture is fundamentally about symbolic meaning and as such cannot be managed. Discuss - Essay Example 92). Although it is an important concept, yet organizational culture is too subjective to be defined concretely. In spite of that, an integrated, explicit, consisted, and accepted organizational culture is deemed important to achieve success in the organizational performance. Keeping this into consideration, it is quite likely that the dynamism and richness of the organizational processes may be seen, shaped, and improved with the help of the cultural lens. An organization’s culture has an eminent influence on the actions and decisions taken within the organization. The ideas, attitudes, beliefs, and values that prevail in an organization often unconsciously serve as a guide for the thinking, actions, and feelings of the employees. Developing the understanding of culture is important to describe and analyze the organizational phenomena. Culture for some is a glue that compiles and bonds all aspects and units of an organization together whereas for others, culture serves as a c ompass that provides the organizational personnel with the direction (Tharp, n.d., p. 2). ... The â€Å"culture has† view holds that corporate leaders can create and modify the culture. There are three fundamental debates; one is about concerning the way managers can make the weak culture of their company strong, the role culture plays in the innovation of a company and its rapid adjustment to the environmental changes, and the role of leaders’ management styles and vision in the management of their cultures. The â€Å"culture has† view suggests that the senior company executives should execute cultural leadership that has both an innovation and a maintenance dimension. Symbolic leadership is essentially a way by which leaders can make the employees feel that their efforts are directed at achieving something that is worthwhile. This inculcates the motivation in them to be more productive and work harder. Leaders can influence the culture this way rather than the managers. Managers serve as heroes who serve as role models for the employees of the organizat ion internally, and internally for the outside stakeholders including the customers, government, and the public at large. The managerialist view suggests that it is possible to help the employees to internalize the values of the organization. On the other hand, the â€Å"culture is† view suggests that the organizational culture is composed of a subjective reality of meanings, rites, and rituals. This is essentially a shared cognitions, social constructionist, or symbolic perspective that refutes the notion that culture constitutes any independent and objective existence that is given to the employees. The â€Å"culture is† view holds that the culture of an organization cannot be measured or quantified easily. It

Political Science Discussion 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Political Science Discussion 2 - Coursework Example Moreover, ethnic and racial considerations also prove that the members are fully representative of the American people. This follows that minority ethnic groups are also being elected to the Congress. The American people have changed considerably relevant to what they want, as well as, expect in a president as evident from the reign of George Washington to the current president. According to the current expectations, the Americans want a president who can act fast and decisively on problems facing the nation including crime as well as drug abuse. Moreover, the Americans want a president who can perform well under pressure (Zegart, 41). Such a president must communicate effectively and commands a lot of trust from the citizens. These are some of the qualities that make a good president. Based on the above criteria, it is important to say that Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barrack Obama were and are, good presidents. The constitution should be amended in order to allow the federal judges to serve only a single, non-renewable and fixed 10-year term. Doing this cannot undermine the independence of the courts and their ability to uphold unpopular rights. However, amending the constitution to allow federal judges a fixed non-renewable term will be very significant in eliminating the possibility of bad judges remaining in the bench indefinitely. This will make the judges become more competent and very smart in their work, thus offering quality services to the

Business Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Leadership - Essay Example Good communication skills includes sending the appropriate message, to the correct audience, in such a fashion that others will be inspired to listen. One expert in leadership suggests that â€Å"if you don’t believe in it, no one else will† (Forster, 2009, 323). This suggests a leader who maintains high volumes of outward self-confidence and uses an effective scan of the audience in order to choose the best methodology for getting others to believe in your own personal or business-related vision. Ralph Nader, a high-profile consumer advocate in the United States, who is actively involved in political affairs for the betterment of citizens, offers that â€Å"the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers† (Ruperalia, 2007). Having quality communication skills, especially in the business environment, will engage others to listen to new ideas and be flexible in the face of developing business situations. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft Corporation and one of the world’s most high-profile billionaires, offers that he is â€Å"a great believer in any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other† (Bagyura, 2007, 20). Gates has been actively involved in community and charity work on an international level for many years since the inception of Microsoft and uses his quality communication skills in public meetings, annual reports, and live news broadcasts.

A Plague in Labelle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Plague in Labelle - Essay Example Although we study these types of events, from an historical point of view, nothing of this magnitude has ever happened in Labelle. I would be just as shocked. The initial deaths would be treated with suspicion. Many theories would probably be offered to explain the deaths. Some people might believe the deaths to be the result of terrorism. They might speculate that water and food supplies have been poisoned. Others might come up with conspiracy theories. These types of speculation often attend events which we don't fully comprehend; in the beginning, a plague would be incomprehensible. I would also be indecisive at this point. I would be fearful. Gradually, however, the people in the community will come to the realization that a consistent and pervasive problem is occurring. The deaths would not stop. That would be the most dangerous time. Many people would consider fleeing. They would pack up their bags and leave Labelle. Many, however, would stay. Those that stay will have to deal with the dangerous environment. I would probably leave Labelle. Without more knowledge, it would seem the safest course. I wouldn't want to be the next to die. I believe that government officials would panic. As advanced as we profess to be, government officials rarely react well in crises. ... They would probably try to quarantine people affected by the plague. This would divide families and friends. They would divide Labelle. Most likely, people would then resist these efforts. The local government and the local police would be affected personally as well. I don't believe they would be able to govern effectively. More specifically, I believe that the local government and the local police would collapse. They would be required to request state and federal assistance. In addition, there would be divisions along religious lines. An event this horrific would definitely appeal to deeply held religious beliefs. Many people would believe that God is punishing us for some grave offense. Others would ridicule the religious explanations. This would exacerbate the emotions of people in the community. Rather than helping each other, and trying to remain calm, I believe that people would start blaming each other for the pandemic. The religious citizens, of whatever faith, would blame the sinners for incurring the wrath of God. The non-religious citizens would fight back. Common resources, such as food and shelter, would be divided rather than shared. This would lead to more problems. The fighting would be organized into groups. Looting, theft, and murder, for example, would probably be employed as survival techniques. There would be disorder; perhaps, there would be chaos. People are dying and there is hardly a greater fear than death. People would feel justified, to some degree, in behaving more immorally than under normal circumstances. Old feuds might be settled with guns instead of in courtrooms. Businesses would be stripped bare by people in need or food or stockpiling for the future. Women would

My Counseling Style Essay Example for Free

My Counseling Style Essay When I first read the explanation of the assignment, I immediately thought of what my parents had instilled into me at a very early age. They would always say that God put us here on this earth to do a job and that was to help others and love each other. That really never made a lot of sense to me until I started working in the non-profit world over twenty seven years ago. I realized then that my parents had taught me to believe that every human being on this earth deserves to be loved and to be happy in their lives. I believe every person should be treated with dignity and respect no matter what their situation is. I believe that your family should come first in all aspects of your life and that each of us make conscious decisions everyday that mold our lives into what they are. I also believe that there is good in everyone, sometimes they just don’t know it. The values I live by go along a lot with my beliefs in that by putting my family first and having that closeness with people I love and care about, makes me the person I am today. This started with my parents and my grandparents that are now deceased to my husband, children and grandchildren that make up my life now. My values were planted at a very early age and have grown and matured as I have. My grandmother and mother were instrumental in teaching me and showing me that every person we meet has value and should not be dismissed. From a very early age I learned that helping others was expected of me and not just something that I could do if I wanted to do. I attended Sunday School and Church with my family on a regular basis and the Christian values and principles that I was taught parallel with what I was learning at home. These things have always been a part of my life and I hope I have instilled them into my children and can be that inspiration to my grandchildren that my grandmother was to me. I believe that every person you meet has love and goodness within them but events in their lives may have tarnished their outlooks. As a counselor I hope that when those people come to me that I can help them find their way back to loving themselves again. My grandmother always said that your character speaks volumes about you. Also my mother’s special saying to all of us was, â€Å"The Golden Rule†. If everyone followed that one thing, Do unto others as you would have them do to you, this world would be a much better space. It sounds so simple but many find it very difficult to abide by. I find myself sometimes having a hard time following this but have found that when I do let myself I am usually blessed by the outcome. I see my character as a reflection of my beliefs and values that I have learned and nurtured from my family and church as I grew up. This along with following my mother’s advice and using the Golden Rule are the basis for most of my decisions and have become a valuable resource to me throughout my life. These beliefs along with the values that my family taught me that were i mportant, integrity, honesty and respect for others, have brought me to where I am today. They are the roots to my tree of life. I recall a book that my mother would read to me as a child, â€Å"The Engine That Could†. She would always tell me after reading it that I could do or be anything I wanted if I would just believe that I could. Just like that little engine, I find myself repeating the saying, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, whenever I let doubt come into my mind that something cannot be accomplished. I use this in all aspects of my life. I also read that story to my children and my children. I truly hope and pray that they will use that thinking in the decisions they make throughout their lives. It has worked for me! I tell them the same thing that was told to me, that anything is possible, you just have to work hard at it and believe that you can do it. My father also had a huge impact on what my values and beliefs are as an adult. My dad worked many hours at two jobs so that my mom could stay home with us kids, which meant he was not around a lot. The time he did spend with us was very special. I remember a time in Jr. High when I was struggling with my weight and how people perceived me. He would tell me, â€Å"You are what you believe†. If I believed what people were saying about me then I would become that person and if I believed I could do something then I would accomplish it. You cannot just let life happen. You have to know what you want and believe that you can have it. Then you set goals and work hard to get there. By doing all these things I have mentioned you form your own unique and special personality that shines because of your values and beliefs. My philosophy of counseling is that when working with a client you need to think of them as a whole person and that to help them in any area you need to include what they need for mind, body and spirit. All three of these are important areas to explore because you never know where the problem stems from that they are coming to you for. You must integrate life meaning into your counseling. You have to work within the beliefs of the client and respect where they are coming from. You treat each client as though they were your only one. As my mom would say, treat them like you would want to be treated. Be willing to listen and change whatever methods you are using to meet the needs of the client. There are many reasons that a client comes to you hurt and broken. It is up to me as a counselor to find out where that hurt is coming from and help the client figure out how to fix or change that area of their life. I think I would draw techniques from many models of therapy. I think that the most important thing is to develop a good relationship with the client. Then let the client choose how their own values will guide their behavior. I see myself as being flexible, versatile and having a genuine interest in helping the client. This is all based on how I was raised and truly believing that everyone has good within themselve s and really want to be happy. You just have to be willing to understand the world of the client and respect where they come from. The theory of counseling that comes closest to my way of thin king and my philosophy would be a combination of the Adlerian Theory and the Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The Cognitive Behavior Theory deals a lot with a person’s belief system and hands on types of therapy. This fits well with what my style of counseling would be because of my belief that what you learn early in life effects everything you do unless you choose to change it. I like this theory a lot because it is an active, structured therapy. Therapy is a learning process, acquiring new skills and maybe a new way of thinking. At the same time this therapy is also very present-centered. Everyone has a past but there is nothing you can do to change those things that happened throughout the year. I believe that this therapy allows the client to gain insight and actively practice changing their lifestyles if needed. The Adlerian Theory leans towards the importance of life goals. It challenges the client to make goals and accomplish them in a variety of ways. One of the key values that I had growing up was that you decide what you want, set goals on getting there and then work hard to make it happen. Anyone can do this if they really believe they want to change. This therapy stresses that all humans are motivated by social interest and one must deal with what life deals you. The difference is in how each person deals with this. This therapy uses the techniques of gathering family history and looking at the life experiences of the client. I believe that you are shaped and made up of those experiences. They are important to who you are. I also like that this therapy is one built on joint responsibility, mutual trust and respect between the therapist and the client. There is a true emphasis on equality and not one where the therapist is better than the client. This works very well with the collaboration idea of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy. I think that you need both the past and what is happening in the present to be able to look at what your problems are and figure out how to deal with them. I am sure that I would probably pull other techniques out of other types of therapy but I see myself staying true to the two above and using them in some type of combination. They seem to work best with my way of thinking and my personality. If I am comfortable with the style of counseling that I am using then my client will be the one to benefit in the long run.

Strategic Management Report For The Campbell Soup Company Marketing Essay

Strategic Management Report For The Campbell Soup Company Marketing Essay 1.0 Introduction The report discusses the application of strategic process and stages such as strategic analysis; strategic formulation, and strategic implementation in the food processing industry. The company chosen is Campbell Soup Company. 2.0 The Campbell Soup Company Profile Campbell Soup Company is a global manufacturer and marketer of high quality, branded convenience food products. The company profile and its position within food processing industry are discussed at appendix 1. 3.0- Strategic Analysis External Analysis- Scanning Competitive Environment Conducting an external analysis to scan the company competitive environment which focused on predicting the dynamics of competitors actions, responses and intention, can help a business in understanding the dynamics of its industries and markets in order to compete effectively with its rivals in the marketplace. (Henry, 2008) 3.1.0-Porter 5 Forces Model Porters Five Basic Competitive Forces (1996) analysis which deals with microenvironment and related to the competitiveness of an industry has been conducted to find out five featured competitiveness existing in food processing industry. The factors that are considered in this model are according to the analysis of The Campbell Soup Company. Figure 1. Porters 5 Forces http://student.dcu.ie/~slejhad2/pics/porter.jpg 3.1.1-Competitive Rivalry within Food Processing Industry The rivalry among companies in the food processing industry is high and intense. These food processing companies are competing on price, quality, taste, health factors, product innovation, and product benefits (The Food Processing Industry 2006). Campbells major rivals are General Millis Progresso, Heinz and Kraft Foods. As a multinational food processing company, Campbells faces an extremely competitive market in internationally, nationally and locally due to the similarities between each soup producer and wider selection of products provided by other food processing company. (Ellison, Sarah 2003) On the other hand, various types of generic soup brands in the existing market which offer products in lower price have raised the competitive pressure. However, the Campbells high quality of soup products and the ability to keep low production costs weaken the rivalry of the generic soup brands. For instance, Campbells price their soup products only 20 to 25% higher than generic brands while maintaining a level high quality. Campbells would have to continue developing superior healthy food to distinguish itself from Progresso and smaller soup maker companies. 3.1.2 Threat of New Entrants The threat of entry depends on the presence of entry barriers and the presence of new entrants to a food processing industry typically bring to it new capacity and the want to gain market share. (Wheelen Hunger J.D 2007) Campbells major rival- Kraft foods and General Mills, create high entry barriers in food processing industry through their high levels of advertising and promotion. Besides, the intense competition in the food processing industry makes it hard to access in the market. Smaller food processing companies often have difficulty obtaining supermarket shelf space for their products as large retailers charge for space on their shelves and give priority to the established companies who can pay for the advertising needed to generate high customer demand. According to Ghemawat Collis (2001), the economy is a major factor as if the company wants to be a part in this food processing industry it must be able to face high costs for strong competition. Moreover, the slow market growth rate for the food processing industry causes acquisition between companies, resulted the barriers to entry are high with so many food processing companies and little to zero capacity remaining for any more companies. 3.1.3-The Threat of Substitutes Products The rivalry from firms of other industries which offer substitute products is intense as they are producing, supplying and serving the same food products that the food processing companies are. For example, Dunkin Donuts is in the foodservice industry and Campbell Soup Company is in the food processing industry, yet Dunkin Donuts serves soup and Campbell Soup sells soup. Consumers can still go to Dunkin Donuts and acquire the similar soups that Campbell sells. (Wall Street Journal 2003) 3.1.4- Bargaining power of buyers Consumers affect the food processing industry through their ability to force down prices, bargain for higher products quality and services, and play competitors against each other. The bargaining power of buyers is high as there are huge tendency of new entrance with new and variety of products. Besides, consumers prefer choosing products which offer lower prices. For example, Campbells soup products price is relatively 20 to 25% higher than generic brands in grocery stores, hence some consumers would choose generic brand products in the market rather than Campbells. Besides, the profitability obtained by the company is also determined by consumers. Food processing companies would be forced to lower prices if consumers think that the prices are too expensive as consumers tend to stop buying their products or switch to supplements. 3.1.5- Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers can affect the food processing industry through their ability to raise prices or reduce the quality of purchased goods and services. In case quality products the suppliers face an important factor. Due to the inflation the overall price of materials has been significantly increased. Campbell has always purchased high quality ingredients produced from local farmers. In 2006, Campbell launched Campbells Supplier Diversity Program to grow its diverse supplier base and to ensure that the supplier base better reflects the markets served. In 2007 the Campbells goal to spend with diverse suppliers was $121 million, but the actual spend with diverse suppliers was $129 million. (Campbells CSR 2008) So for Campbells, there is a cost exists to get the reliable supplier. There is a tendency the world nowadays makes a backward integration and wants to minimize the cost of suppliers. 3.2.0- Swot Analysis A swot analysis allows the Campbell Soup Company to determine the extent of the strategic fit between its capabilities and the needs of its external environment. According to Henry(2008), the company can seek to match its strengths and weaknesses to the opportunities and treats it faces in current competitive food processing industry. The Campbells products portfolio includes soups, sauces, biscuits and chocolates and has a strong research function with high capabilities in new products development. 3.2.1-Internal Analysis-Strengths Innovative Campbell has always applied the spirit of innovation in every aspect of its business. At Campbells manufacturing plants in Napoleon, Ohio, and Paris, Texas, an innovative method called overland flow is used to treat wastewater. In terms of products introduction, the company has been consistently quick to come up with new products in the market. For example, the first portable soup product, Soup at Hand, the new microwaveable products such as Chunky and Select. Besides, Campbell frequent updates the products appearance with more contemporary design and new photography. Its popular gravity fed shelving system have been installed at 24,000 retailers nationally and credited for rejuvenating the soup aisle, expanding the category and vastly improving the shopping experience. Campbell is innovative to gauge consumer satisfaction and expectation. (Campbells Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2008) 3.2.2-Weaknesses Declining Market Share The Campbells market share in soup drop from 60% in 2007 to 49% as of October 2009. This is due to more and more private labels continue to enter the market by providing quality products in lower price. Some consumers have switched to try private labels and resulted private labels have gained 11%of the market share. On the other hand, Campbell has also faced stiff competition from brands such as General Mills Progresso and Nestle. (Campbell Soup Co Form 10-Q Quartery Report 2010) 3.2.3-External Analysis-Opportunities Demand for Wellness Products In recent years, the trend towards being more health-conscious has arisen from two main consumer groups. The younger generations currently focus more on low calorie content and on the go meals. For the more mature age group, their diets require health-consciousness in terms of limiting their sodium intake due to increased risk of ailments. Campbells Soups core product categories, notably soup and bakery products, are widely perceived as healthy and are compatible with the further development of health-oriented products, such as the existing and expanding line of Select Harvest and Healthy Request soups. In conjunction with the product improvement, Campbell has announced to expand its industry-leading sodium reduction program and to reduce the sodium content in 23 of its condensed soups by up to 45 percent in fiscal 2011.(Campbell Growth Plans for U.S 2010) 3.2.4-Threats Intense Competition Campbells main profitable core soup category has been facing intense competition and also been losing market share to its strong competitors, particularly General Mills Progresso and private label brands produced by companies such as Wal-Mart. Moreover, Campbells other segments have not produced consistent profits. According to Wolpert (2002), shifting consumer habits and preferences indicate the need to constantly innovate their products and minimize costs, in order to retain loyal consumers and keep up with the fast-changing consumer environment Extensive Laws The company is governed by a multitude of local and international laws and regulations with regards to food safety and environmental standards. For instance, in accordance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, Campbells food products must be inspected before they can be marketed. The company faces the risk of fines, injunctions, recalls or asset seizures, and criminal sanctions if it violates these laws and regulations. ( Campbells CSR 2008) 3.3.0- Benchmarking Campbell understands the importance of using benchmarking to evaluate performance. Hence, the company analyzed few top companies which mainly involved in food and beverage processing manufacturing company in a few aspects such as sustainability, supply chain, consumers, community and workplace. Moreover, Campbell have also highlighted the primary ways that companies are implementing their goals as well as select initiatives and key past achievements. In terms of community, Campbells have chosen to focus on nutritional and environmental programs by partnering with nonprofit organizations, universities and Think Tanks to conduct RD for new products. Besides, it also partnered with environmental experts to develop innovative solutions to protect the environment. For instance, Nestle has been launching malnutrition and obesity programs targeting children and adolescents of lower-income families while General Mills has been contributing 5% of pretax profits to charitable causes. The Campbells benchmarked the best practices by promoting nutritional and hunger elimination programs. Besides, Campbells also promote micronutrient products to attend lower income families and develop environmental initiatives. (Campbells Annual Report 2009) In terms of workplace related programs, Nestle, Coca Cola, Pepsi.co, General Mills, have done excellent job. For instance, Pepsi CO has been providing job opportunities for people with disabilities while General Mills, the company has reduced lost-time injury rate by 25% over five years. Hence, Campbell benchmarked and developed workplace programs by focusing four key areas: Ensuring diversity of the workforce thereby bringing a broad range of talents and perspectives to the business Helping employees achieve both personal and professional development Ensuring the health and safety of employees both at home and at work Ensuring that employees have a fair work environment Campbells strived for an injury-free workplace through a strong health and safety program supported by high employee engagement. They train their employees to conduct their activities in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. (Campbells CSR 2008) 4.0 Strategy Formulation For Campbells to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in food processing industry, strategy formulation which derived from the objective and mission is undertaken. Porter (1980) argues that competitive strategy is about developing a defendable position in an industry which enables a firm to deal with the five competitive forces and thus generate a superior return on investment for the film. 4.1 Business Level Strategy-Differentiation To achieve superior value that is recognized by the consumer, Campbells needs to provide unique and superior value to the customers in terms of its products quality and value added up services. It is appropriate to relate differentiation strategy to the Campbells Soup Company as the companys goal is very straight forward, which is Together we will build the worlds most extraordinary food company by nourishing peoples lives everywhere, every day. Campbell has always focused on providing superior, healthy and nutrition food by expanding their icon brands in simple meals (especially soup). The Campbells latest plans are to enhance more than 60 percent of its condensed line with product improvements, further sodium reduction, more contemporary packaging, improved shelving systems and new marketing aimed at the simple meals category. ( Campbell Growth Plan 2010) Nowadays there are increasing numbers of consumers who are very concerned with nutritional values of foods they eat. The Campbells Soup Company which is having superior research abilities has been taking advantage of this avenue and further develops this product line. According to Douglas R. Conant, Campbells President and CEO, Campbell is going to fire up the important condensed soup business and step up the competitive posture of their ready-to-serve products. (Campbells 2009 annual report) The improvements and innovations of Campbells has made over the past several years has made Campbell outwit most of its rivals in the condensed soup category. Low-sodium products are pivotal to Campbells long term success as the majority of Campbells consumer base is  baby boomers. The majority of baby boomers diets are comprised of low sodium. A recent study shown that high cholesterol, attributed to high levels of sodium intake, is the number one diagnosed health condition for the baby boomer generation.  The condensed soups have one of the highest sodium contents of all processed foods in existing market. Therefore Campbells low-sodium products have differentiated themselves with many rivals. Besides sodium, Campbells also has to focus on other aspects such as MSG and low calories of its soups by hoping that these healthier offerings will help gain market share among younger, more health conscious consumers. (Campbell CSR Report 2008) Besides, Campbell understands that creating a quality product begins with quality ingredients. Campbell purchases most of the ingredients from domestic farmers in countries where they manufacture products and also obtain certain ingredients from carefully selected suppliers around the world. Any ingredient that does not meet the quality requirements will not be used in a Campbell product to ensure superior product quality. On the other hand, providing value-added services help Campbells to outwit its existing rivals. Campbell continually experiments with new programs to provide consumers with useful information on meal ideas, health and wellness, and other tips. For example, each day their Campbell Meal-mail program delivers nearly 500,000 recipes electronically to busy Americans who are hungry for convenient, great-tasting meal ideas that will please their families. Consumers can access the Campbells Kitchen website at any time to download recipe ideas that have been tested and approved by Campbells nutritionists. Consumers also have the opportunity to share their ideas and comments on recipes with one another on the Campbells Kitchen website. ( Campbellsoupcompany.com) It is suggested that the Campbell Soup Company to improve the flavour of its soup products to attract more demand. Besides, Campbell can try to create more contemporary design for its existing soup products instead of the familiar red and white colour design in order to stand out from various types of products in the market. 4.2 Corporate Level Strategy-Diversification The corporate level strategy of The Campbell Soup Company deals with three key issues: i) The firms overall orientation toward growth, stability, and retrenchment. ii) The market in which the company competes through its products and business units iii) The manner in which management coordinate activities and transfer resources and cultivates capabilities among product lines and business units The Campbells operates with four products divisions and has expanded its product to microwavable soups to make customers more convenient for preparing soup without container. (Campbells annual report 2009) Obviously, the Campbell Soup Company, which is a decentralized company, has been using a related diversification multiproduct strategy. Its strategy is to diversify its business to produce several products, and expanding its market share. Campbell used its engineering support and diversified production to support customers with convenient, good taste and quality food. To support its operating system, department such as Research Development (RD), product development, engineering systems, are required to produce high quality and stable operating system to avoid the unexpected shut down. Campbell has tried to use unrelated diversification strategy under the leadership of McGovern as Campbells CEO with the aim of rapidly expand product line to increase profits and revenue. Campbell has tried to acquire other firms to quickly gain access to new products and new markets. Instead of acquiring only food products, Campbell began to use the unrelated diversification strategy to acquire firms that it felt were positioned to capitalize on the consumers trend and also bought firms involved in all types of business. For example, the triangle Manufacturing Company, a fitness products maker, which is clearly unrelated to the firms core products. (Ireland, Hoskisson Michael 2006) A major reason for Campbells failure to generate financial economies while using the unrelated diversification strategy is that the firms approach to managing its core products divisions never changed. At the same time, corporate headquarters personnel didnt implement the strong financial controls necessary to efficiently manage an internal capital market. David Johnson who replaced McGovern decided that Campbell should not longer use the diversification strategy but to reduce the level of diversification by using related constrained strategy to create value through operational relatedness. Campbells related constrained diversification strategy involves transferring core competencies which lead to competitive advantage and start with value chain analysis to identify ability to transfer skills or expertise among similar value chains and on the hand, to exploit ability to transfer activities. Campbell should enhance more than 60 percent of its condensed line and be more committed to ac celerate the performance of their existing portfolio, most notably in U.S. soup, and continuing to lay the foundation for superior long-term growth. (Campbell Growth Plan 2010) 4.2.1 External Acquisitions and Partnerships Through value-creating external development, Campbells is able to increase its market presence throughout its product lines. For instance, Campbells Baking and Snacking segment is positioned to grow due to the companys recent acquisition of Ecce Panis, a manufacturer of artisan breads. This acquisition allows Campbells to enter into the thriving artisan bread market. With the ever growing foreign population in America, it is suggested that Campbells should consider products that have more of the ethnic background of these immigrants. The brand could quite possibly extend the depth of the line with consideration to the vast number of different tastes in the society today. 5.0- Strategy Implementation A clear mission statement helps in providing focus to an organization and is essential for effectively establishing objective and formulating strategies. (Haberberg and Rieple 2001) In order for the Campbell to proceed into a future where competition is highly competitive, they need to define who and what they truly are, their concerns, their philosophies, and what gives them the competitive advantage over their competitors. This must be clear throughout all areas and divisions, at all levels in the company, in order for the implementation of the mission statement to be successful.   The Campbells strategy implementation includes designing the organizations structure, allocating resources, developing information and decision process, and managing human resources, including such areas as the reward system, approaches to leadership, and staffing. According to Wheelen and Hunger (2007), the strategy implementation process includes the various management activities that are necessary to put strategy in motion, institute strategic controls that monitor progress, and ultimately achieve organizational goals. 5.1- Management Issue Restructuring In food processing industry one year is relatively indiscernible from the next from a macroeconomic point of view. Campbells corporate strategy and the companys management structure have undergone several restructuring since 1980. On April 28, 2008, the company announced a series of initiatives to improve operational efficiency and long-term profitability, including selling certain salty snack food brands and assets in Australia, closing certain production facilities in Australia and Canada, and streamlining the companys management structure. As a result of these initiatives, in 2008, the company recorded a restructuring charge of $175 millions. The charge consisted of a net loss on the sale of certain Australian salty snack food brands and assets, employee severance and benefit costs, including the estimated impact of curtailment and other pension charges, and property, plant and equipment impairment charges. The cost of restructuring activity is shown at Appendix 2 Workforce Diversification The Campbell strive to uphold their promise of Campbell Valuing People, People Valuing Campbell by providing employees with the resources required to do their jobs well; competitive compensation and benefits; the opportunity to learn; and grow through their work. At present, the Campbells Board of Directors consists of 14 independent members and one company executive, the CEO, Doug Conant. Board operations are managed by an independent, non-executive Chairman. The Board believes that diversity in the backgrounds and perspectives of their directors contributes to sound corporate governance. Currently, three of their directors are women, one director is from India and one director is African-American. The Campbells Board of Directors is shown at Appendix 3. The CEO believes that workforce diversity is essential to be a mainstay within the company overall strategic objectives. Hence, Campbells is committed to attract a diverse group of talented employees and providing all their associates with development opportunities and a culture in which they can flourish and provide their employees with career development and quality-of life enhancements that make Campbell a special place to work. Campbells diversity and inclusion strategy is focused on five specific goals: -Firmly establishing leadership support and accountability -Linking diversity and inclusion to performance management -Integrating diversity and inclusion into talent management -Building diversity and inclusion into business practices. -Educating and training to advance diversity and inclusion ( Campbell Annual report 2009) The directors receive annual fees equal to the median directors compensation paid by peer food and consumer products companies. Approximately 50 percent of each directors fee is paid in cash and 50 percent is paid in common stock. Director stock ownership requirements have existed at Campbell since 1993. Currently, the directors beneficially own more than 44 percent of the companys common stock. (Carlin, M Harris R 2008) Though the Campbells has successfully implemented workforce diversification strategy, it is recommended that the company offers stock options to their rank-and-file employees too. By offering employee stock options, workers are given the chance to buy shares in their company at a specified price. The grant or strike price, should be pegged to the value of the stock when it is offered to employees. Employees have the option of buying the stock at a set price then selling it after a period of time. Employee Engagement The Campbell believes that employees will feel most valued when they are fully informed, understand the companys business goals and plans and are invited to offer their feedback on a regular basis. In 2007 and 2008, Campbell was recognized by Gallup as one of the Best Places to Work in America. The company believes that its work environment has contributed to their relatively stable retention rate and their improved marketplace performance. (www.euroinvestor.co.uk) Campbell conducts annual employee survey to develop work group action plans, empower individual employees to improve the workplace and to strengthen the companys business practices. 5.2 Marketing Issues The Campbells understands that successful marketing implementation is affected by marketing variables. 5.2.1 Market Segment The companys 2009 financial reports segment their business into four key categories: US Soup, Sauces and Beverages, Baking and Snacking, International Soup, Sauces and Beverages, and North American Foodservice. With sales approximating $3.8 million, US Soup, Sauces and Beverages accounted for approximately half of the sales in FY 2009 and drove the bulk of profits for the company. Core brands like Campbells, V8, Swanson and Prego delivered a combined 4% growth through a combination of innovation, consumer trade downs, and improved distribution channels.( Appendix 2) 5.2.2 Marketing Strategies Product The Campbells positioning is providing healthy and nourishing products within the product line. The product line width come in many different options. This being said, the depth of the product line is in fact the largest. Each product comes in a multitude of different sizes and flavours. The brand offers adequate products for the consumers. In addition to the size and flavours, the packaging is well organized for that of single or multiple item purchasing. The packaging also achieves an accurate perception in the consumers mind. They use well known athletes to convey the message of health to the consumer. Price The pricing of the products within the brand name are consistent with that of the positioning. They provide the perception that to eat healthy the consumer should not have to pay more. The Campbells brand is typically priced at twenty cents above that of their major competitors. This is the act of swaying the consumers mind to the perception that Campbells is of a higher quality than the competitors. While operating in an elastic market, Campbells employs special event promotional pricing strategies in order to remain competitive. The company also offers discounted pricing on certain seasonal items and during holidays. In addition to these promotional strategies, they employ the odd even strategies to convey the message that their brand is that of higher quality. Distribution Campbells brand is distributed intensively throughout all geographic locations within the United States and many foreign countries. In the distribution process, Campbells deals with wholesalers and retailers thus creating the supply channel. This is a very profitable concept as long as the lines of communication remain opened. Catalog marketing is also another form of distribution that is employed. This is easily achieved due the fact that the shelf life of the products is long. The products are very easily purchased at any marketplace at any given region of the US. Promotion In using the most recent athletic figures in their advertisements, they are successful in maintaining their position of health. In the use of the retailers to help marketing, they are employing the cooperative advertising technique. This helps to advertise their products from numerous different angles. The effectiveness of the  marketing  strategies  employed by Campbells has made them recognized as the premium brand within their product lines. In comparison to the competition, Campbells focuses a great deal on interacting with the public with such efforts as sweepstakes and giveaways and also education. Their public relation efforts have ranked them as one of the most society conscious brands in the business. 6.0 Conclusion A strategic analysis is most applicable to strategic management at the business unit level of large multinational firm such as Campbell Soup Company. At the strategic analysis stage, internal and external environmental scanning by using Porters 5 forces model and Swot analysis are conducted. Besides, benchmarking is used to evaluate performances. Strategy formulation which derived from the Campbells objective and mission is undertaken to outline the business level and corporate level strategies. Strategy at business level deals with which market the company chooses to compete while strategy at the corporate level is more concerned with managing the portfolio of business. The final strategy implementation stage includes the management issues, staffing and marketing variables which can influence the profit margin of the company. ( 4498 words) Prepared by _______________ ( NG LIN JIA) List of References 1. Campbell Soup Company, About Us, online, retrieved 2 March 2010, http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/about_us.asp 2. Henry, A 2008, Understanding Strategic Management, Oxford University Press, New York United States 3. Porter, M. E. (1996) What is Strategy,  Harvard Business Review, 74 (6):61-78 4. Food Processing Industry,2006, retrieved 6 March 2010, http://www.miti.gov.my/cms/documentstorage/com.tms.cms.document.Document_7674150a-c0a81573-2d952d95-c9439446/Chap%2019.pdf 5. Wheelen T.L, Hunger J.D, Concepts in Strategic Management and Business Policy, 2007, tenth edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, United States of America 6. Ghemawat, P., Collis, D., Pisano, G. and Rivkin, J. (2001) Strategy and the Business Landscape: Core Concepts, Upper S

Singapore Differ From Other Countries In Asia Geography Essay

Singapore Differ From Other Countries In Asia Geography Essay As one of the Four Tigers of Asia, Singapore has been widely acclaimed for its rare economic phenomenon that caused its rapid growth and promotion to the status of a developed country. However, what truly sets Singapore apart from the rest is that amid the fast paced industrial development and rapid urbanization, Singapore was able to at achieve a high level of environmental standards that allowed it to be renowned in the region as a â€Å"Garden City†. Therefore, it is of great interest that we discuss the key factors to Singapores success in achieving a clean and green physical environment and the extent of its achievement. Through comparison with other Asian countries, we will also aim to identify the difference between these attempts. â€Å"Brown† Policy Upon independence in 1965, Singapore was faced with a number of critical environmental issues such as removal of waste, lack of clean water supply, land pollution etc. While at the same time, the nation also had to tackle economic and social issues, which further complicates the efforts in environmental planning. In other Asian countries that experienced similar rapid economic growth, most of these countries adopted the â€Å"Grow First, Clean Up Later† policy and thus have the tendency to neglect the environmental issues and concentrate more on economic and development growth. (T.Rock, 2002) For instance, the larger cities in South East Asia such as Bangkok contributes to half of Thailands economic growth, however it still faces numerous environmental problems such as air and water pollution that are still not given due attention. (Refer to Excerpt 1.1) Therefore, we can see that the importance attached by the government to environmental issue is a key factor to the success of its environmental management programme. (Chia, 1987) (Source: Extracted from Tapvong, C., and Kruavan, J., Water quality improvements: A contingent valuation study of the Chao Phraya River, EEPSEA Research Report, 1999.) Unlike its counterparts, the Singapore government adopted the â€Å"Brown† Policy which gives priority to developmental goals such as urban expansion and economic growth while at the same time ensuring that pollution issues that arise be addressed appropriately. (Teo, Yeoh, Lai, Ooi, 2004) Through this policy, economic growth and environmental management becomes partners in national development rather than nemesis. For example, while Singapore government greatly promoted industrialization in the 1970s, legislations such as the Clean Air Standard Regulations (CASR) and Trade Effluent Regulations (TER) were introduced that requires industries to follow stringent standards in effluents and air pollution control. Relocation efforts of the population to public housing estates were also packaged with environmental management plans such as the establishment of sewage and sanitation system and solid waste collection and disposal facilities. (Teo, Yeoh, Lai, Ooi, 2004) Government Support Noting the importance of governmental support, Singapore became among the earliest countries in the world to introduce a Ministry solely focused on environmental issues. The seriousness of environmental management efforts differentiated Singapore from the rest of the NIEs in the region in the 1970s. (Teo, Yeoh, Lai, Ooi, 2004)The creation of Anti Pollution Unit in 1970 under the Prime Minister Office and Ministry of Environment in 1972 signaled to polluters the governments commitment to environmental issues. (T.Rock, 2002) (Source: Adapted from Chia, L.S. (Ed) (1987), Fig 2, pg 117, Environmental Management in Southeast Asia.) The Ministry of Environment formed in 1972 changed its name to become Ministry of Environment and Water Resources in 2004. Under the Ministry are 2 statutory boards, namely the National Environmental Agency and Public Utilities Board. The trio forms the main institution group in charge of environmental issues and sustainability. (Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, 2008) With the establishment of Ministry of Environment, environmental policies were translated into legal framework with cooperation from other governmental agencies. Adequate legal support thus provided the support necessary for enforcement. The extensive organization structure of the Ministry of Environment also allowed for an encompassing approach towards environmental issues. (Source: Adapted from Chia, L.S. (Ed) (1987) Fig 3, pg 119, Environmental Management in Southeast Asia.) To keep up with the complexity and changing nature of environmental issues, legislation passed by the Ministry were also amended frequently. One such example will be on the control of air quality and traffic congestion. To aid in solving the air pollution problem, the Singapore government passed legislation in 1st May 1990, which instituted a system of limiting the growth of motor vehicles by requiring all citizens to bid for a Certificate of Entitlement before gaining the right to own a car. (Didier Millet and the National Heritage Board, 2010) After observing that this does not effectively decrease the traffic congestion problem in CBD areas, the government was quick to implement the Electronic Road Pricing system with rates that will be adjusted where necessary to minimize congestion on the roads. Implementation and Enforcement To ensure effective implementation and enforcement, the Ministry of Environment was also vested with the direct authority to enforce the environmental legislation it introduced. This distinguishes Singapore from other countries that have well-defined environmental legal framework but lack the effective enforcement. A unified environmental authority responsible for policy formulation, implementation of environmental programme and coordination of other agencies backed with substantial monitoring, enforcement and inspection capabilities no doubt contributed to the success of environmental management in Singapore. (Chia, 1987) The National Environmental Agency (NEA), formed in 1st July 2002, becomes the main institution empowered by National Environment Agency Act to effectively check on industries and to enforced and implement the environments standards as per required by the respective environmental legislations passed by Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. (Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, 2008) (Source: Adapted from Chia, L.S. (Ed) (1987), Appendix 1, pg 161, Environmental Management in Southeast Asia) In contrast, countries in the region such as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia without an unified umbrella environmental institution faces the fragmentation of environmental responsibility among their governmental agencies, which often impedes progress in environmental planning. (Chia, 1987) For instance, Indonesias environmental impact management agency, the BAPEDAL under the State Ministry of Population and Environment (SMPE) lacks legal authority to inspect and enforce the standards they have implemented. For example, only the Ministry of Industries (MOI) and the local police had the authority to enter factories to take emissions samples and they rarely did so, thus it becomes extremely difficult for BAEPAL to monitor and enforce industrial emission. Moreover, the court refused to grant legal standing to the emission standards or to the result of monitoring by BAEPAL, which effectively made it virtually impossible for prosecution of polluters. (T.Rock, 2002) Extent of Singapores Success As a result of the above factors, Singapore can be said as the most successful country in ASEAN to meet the environmental standards set by the World Health Organization and US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). In Figure 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, we can observe that Singapore has achieved the most remarkable result in Ambient Air and Water Quality as compared to other East Asian Newly Industrializing Economies. (Source: Extracted from T.Rock, M. (2002). Table 1-2, pg 4, Pollution Control in East Asia, Lessons from the Newly Industrializing Economy. ) (Source: Extracted from T.Rock, M. (2002). Figure 7-1, pg 144, Pollution Control in East Asia, Lessons from the Newly Industrializing Economy.) (Source: Extracted from T.Rock, M. (2002). Figure 7-2, pg 145, Pollution Control in East Asia, Lessons from the Newly Industrializing Economy.) As compared to 1980s, Singapores has also improved greatly in its air pollution control, with its air quality performing way below the standards set by USEPA in 2008. For example, the Sulphur Dioxide level in 1978-1989 fluctuates around the range of 30-40 ÃŽ ¼g/m3 , while between 2006-2008, the Sulphur Dioxide level is controlled around the range of 11-12 ÃŽ ¼g/m3 . (Source: Extracted from Sani, S. (1993). Overall Pollution in Singapore, Pg 90, Urban Environment in ASEAN: Changing Regional Concerns and Approaches. In M. Seda, Environmental Management in ASEAN.) Pollutant Averaging Time Unit 2006 2007 2008 USEPA NAAQS1 Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) Annual ÃŽ ¼g/m3 11 12 11 80 Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Annual ÃŽ ¼g/m3 24 22 22 100 Carbon Monoxide (CO) 1-hour3 mg/m3 3.7 2.3 2.3 40 8-hour3 mg/m3 2.6 1.7 1.5 10 Ozone 8-hour4 ÃŽ ¼g/m3 127 140 103 1476 Particulate Matter PM10 24-hour3 ÃŽ ¼g/m3 2282 69 57 150 Particulate Matter PM2.5 24-hour5 ÃŽ ¼g/m3 802 35 30 35 Annual ÃŽ ¼g/m3 23 19 16 15 Lead Quarterly average ÃŽ ¼g/m3 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.157 [Fig 4.5: Environment Clean Air Statistic from 2006-2008] (Source: Adapted from Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. (2009, August 31). Key Environmental Statistic: Clean Air.) In a short span of 30-40 years, with a sound environmental management program coupled with strong government commitment on environmental issues, Singapore has successfully developed itself from what may described as a slum in 1965 to a world recognized â€Å"Green† city in the 1990s onwards. Differences in Situation Even as Singapore can be proud of its achievement in environmental planning and management, we have to keep in mind that it is also due to a difference in situation as compared to our neighboring states that these can be accomplished. Firstly, ever since independence in 1965; Singapore has been ruled by the main political party, People Action Party, without any significant contest from oppositions. This has simplified and resulted in easier coordination of law enforcement with strict administrative measures of environmental legislation. In addition, a one party rule in Singapore has allowed for high degree of commitment across all governmental agencies and resulted in a more effective set up of administrative structure, provision of funding and manpower for the building of pollution control and waste disposal facilities. (Chia, 1987) As there is little change in political powers in Singapore, the PAP government were also able to adopt the Long-Term, Integrated Planning principles which is to align all our policies from energy to transport to industry and urban planning and take a long term and complete view of our needs and circumstances (Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development, 2009). The mandate given to the PAP government assured them that there will be not be any unforeseen change in their political power in the near future and thus allowed them to have the decisiveness and flexibility to enact long term policies, a strong advantage that countries like Thailand with a dynamic unstable political system may not enjoy. (Sani, 1993) Furthermore, geographical advantage has prevented the Singapore government to face natural adverse conditions that often complicates the implementation of environmental policies such as earthquakes, flooding, drought, volcanic eruptions that our neighboring countries have to deal with constantly. Conclusion In conclusion, Singapores success in environmental management is largely due to the commitment and emphasis placed by the government in this area. With adequate legal, financial and manpower support, coupled with close cooperation between governmental agencies has allowed establishment of environmental facilities, institution and implementation of environmental legislation to proceed in a coordinated, well-planned manner. However, it is also due to the small area size of the city state, the political monopoly of PAP and the absence of natural disaster that has also made it easier for the government to manage. Bibliography Chia, L. S. (Ed) (1987). Environmental Management in Southeast Asia. Singapore: National University of Singapore, Faculty of Science. Didier Millet and the National Heritage Board. (n.d.). Certificate of Entitlement. Retrieved February 25, 2010, from Singapore: The Encyclopedia: http://www.singapedia.com.sg/entries/c/certificate_of_entitlement.html Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development. (2009). A Lively and Liveable Singapore: Strategies for Sustainable Growth. Singapore: Ministry of Environment and Water Resources and Ministry of National Development. Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. (2008, June 02). About MEWR: Our History. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from MEWR Official Website: http://app.mewr.gov.sg/web/Contents/Contents.aspx?ContId=2 Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. (2009, August 31). Key Environmental Statistic: Clean Air. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from MEWR Official Website: http://app.mewr.gov.sg/web/Contents/Contents.aspx?ContId=52 Sani, S. (1993). Urban Environment in ASEAN: Changing Regional Concerns and Approaches. In M. Seda, Environmental Management in ASEAN (pp. 83-110). Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. T.Rock, M. (2002). Pollution Control in East Asia, Lessons from the Newly Industralizing Economy. United State of America: Resources for the Future and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Tapvong, C. a. (1999). Water quality improvements: A contingent valuation study of the Chao Phraya River. Thailand: EEPSEA Research Report. Teo, P., Yeoh, B. S., Lai, K. P., Ooi, G. L. (2004). Environmental Planning and Management. In Changing Landscapes of Singapore (pp. 19-33). Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education(Asia).

Analysis of Analytical Discrimination Essay -- Essays Papers

Analysis of Analytical Discrimination If one was required to put a definition on analytical discrimination, what would it mean? In the article â€Å"Discrimination is a virtue,† author Robert Keith Miller discusses the word â€Å"discrimination† and its true meanings, stating it as just knowing a difference. So if the question were asked once again, would it be possible to discriminate the appeals used in analytical analysis? Miller presents us stories and examples to point out a â€Å"lost† definition of a word often overheard, but never studied. His use of appeals sides with logos, discriminates against ethos, and makes anti-pathos a reality. His writing appeals to the mind, leaving much to ponder, though these thoughts may be lost in the whirlwind of ink ideas thrown into a paperback debate. This article focuses on different situations to discuss the problems within. This topical discussion is effective being as there are no two clear sides for argument, and no steps to concluding a definite answer. This articles presentation leaves it open for logos, the writer seemingly shuns or does not have the use of ethos and pathos. Miller has written for Newsweek, where this article comes from. He has also written writing handbooks, such as Motives for Writing (McGraw-Hill) and Hodges’ HarBrace Handbook (Harcourt College Publishers). He is an educator in argument techniques, writing Informed Argument: A Multidisciplinary Reader and Guide. The audience for his article is people of open mind and education. His appeals to logic show a need to take apart his examples and examine them to find their meanings. When he presents his ideas, there is a need to understand each situation, and... ...f logos is a main theme in the argument. Miller needs people to think about what he is presenting to have an effect on them. To a concentrated audience, his appeals make a good impression and even some realizations. An argument that offers a change in a language may come as hard for the reader to understand, but Miller presents examples in which he change makes sense to arouse the readers mind. This use of examples may be rampant and unconnected in some aspects, but all do serve the main purpose and relate to the main argument. Miller’s techniques form an informative and interesting essay. I believe that he has found his purpose and offered his point in the best possible way considering the subject matter. In interpreting his essay, Miller’s own words seem to sum it up best: â€Å"Let us be open-minded by all means, but not so open-minded that our brains fall out.†

Essay --

This paper will address recent trajectories of college tuition, fees, and financial aid in order to assess the extent to which fiscal assistance has kept pace with increases in tuition. Agenda setting constructs will then be used to contexualize this relationship, as well as student loan debt in general, and to identify applications of this issue to macro level social work practice. Trends in Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid Among public four-year institutions, the average cost of tuition and fees has increased by 2.9 percent for the 2013-2014 academic year, rising to $8,893 for in-state students. This trend was mirrored among out-of-state public four-year institutions as well; tuition and fees increased by 3.1 percent from $12,887 to $13,310. With regard to private four-year universities, the average cost of tuition and fees increased by 3.8 percent, a difference of $1,105. Although it appears as though the momentum of tuition increases has continued, it is important to note that the ascension of published costs between the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years is the lowest proportion in increase over the past 30 years. That is, tuition and fees are continuing to increase with each academic year, however the percentage by which they do so is actually decreasing (Baum & Ma, 2013). When assessing college affordability, it is important to not only understand trends in tuition costs, but it is also necess ary to differentiate between the published costs of schools and the net prices that full-time students actually pay throughout their enrollment. Tuition and fees might vary according to reciprocity agreements between adjacent states, duration of enrollment, and student aid disbursements; these are all factors which could impact th... ...tarian education policies that make college more affordable and accessible in order to promote a competitive labor market and cultivate a proficient workforce. Conclusion Although the inflation of tuition and fees among post secondary institutions has begun to subside, the trajectory of federal financial aid and grant assistance has become increasingly unable to compensate for this trend. Increases in tuition and, subsequently, student loan debt can be attributed to agenda setting initiatives that supplement revenue losses, but simultaneously marginalize many students and increase the inaccessibility of higher education. In effect, the byproducts of tuition increases underscore the importance of macro-level social work practice and its ability to critically reframe fiscal education policies that best promote the economic welfare of students and their communities.

The Primary Purpose of a High School in the US

U. S. high schools are not properly preparing kids for the college experience. The primary purpose of a high school in the United States is to get kids into college. The courses taught in U. S. high schools are way too lenient in their grading policies and offer students much leeway. High school courses are too lenient because high school teachers make them that way. One good example that proves just how much leeway secondary education offers students is that on average,professors at the high school level accept late papers. Of course late papers are marked down,but this policy voids the purpose to having deadlines. Most universities, both public and private set strict guidelines on these matters and openly encourage their professors to do the same. I turned in papers a week late in high school and still received a grade of 70 % on them. This is coming back to hunt me in college because I now have a big problem meeting deadlines. Although I do not like to admit it, if high school had been stricter in this respect I might not be going through these many difficulties right now. Most public high school teachers are astoundingly underpaid and overworked with sometimes over fifty students in a single classroom. In the last ten years the average class size doubled according to a Time magazine study published in 1995 stating that throughout the whole nation classes have doubled in size. The article mentions that this problem has occurred and will worsen due to illegal immigration, a population expansion, and people migration to cities and urban sites. Some students that can afford a private tutor or the cost of private education follow that path. This is not fair to the majority that can't afford this. Again, the lack of individual and private interaction between professor ends up resulting in that the student gets half of the education. For some reason I don't know, the student ends up always paying the price of an inadequate and inefficient public high school system. These statistics offer little incentive and motivation to get teachers to take action and lobby for change. Governmental cutbacks have forced many schools to close vital advanced placement and other college preparatory courses which are vital for the student aspiring for a college education. Public high schools around the nation should establish and â€Å"enforce† stricter college preparatory curriculums because over 50% of high school students that participated in a Time magazine poll conducted in 1996 said they are interested in pursuing a 4-year college education. The article stated that fifty years ago this would not have been the case. If over half the students attending U. S. high schools wish to pursue university education then public schools should tailor their programs to meet the needs and demands of the majority. It is important to know that there is a small percentage of the nation that don't even go to high school as the October 22, 1990 Time Magazine article, â€Å"Schooling Kids At Home,† points out. Parents send their kids to school confident that the school will prepare them well for the future, but overlook that essential programs like SAT preparation and study skills courses are not offered. How must a school system expect that one study efficiently for exams if they don't show how Clearly people have been studying for many years and there is no set way to study,but it helps to know what are the most time efficient ways to review for exams. I feels thats â€Å"study skills† class should be offered in every public high school around the nation. It this implies a great cost then study skills should be incorporated in the daily urriculum or at least taught once a week during class. The fact is that some time should be set aside for this essential class for which there is great need for. The same concept applies for S. A. T. preparation. Again I propose the conundrum, how must one be expected to pass the S. A. T if schools don't show us how to pass it. Many students are left to figure out how to prepare for the exam itself, assuming they even know how too study. I personally had to pay a costly S. A. T. preparation course that boosted my grade 100 points. The fact that I can pay for the course clearly offers me an unfair advantage. High school courses also lack in encouraging class discussions and debate that are an important aspect of college life as far as I have experienced. â€Å"Getting by† with just doing the work is not enough in college. Class participation motivates analytical thinking and class participation. It is a proven scientific fact that when one applies what one learns and actively participates in the learning process, logically one will assimilate and absorb more information and retain it for longer periods of time because one is forced to actively become part of the learning process and contribute to the learning environment. Many incoming freshmen receive a large shock when faced with such a wide gap that slowly opens up more with the passage of time. As a result of this, many colleges place these freshman in summer courses to polish them up and tie up the loose ends aside from providing a one credit class called Freshman Experience that teaches them such valuable skills as study skills, note-taking, teaching styles, critical thinking, listening and memory skills, test-taking strategies and most important of all, preparing for finals. The fact stands out that if this class were not absolutely necessary, many universities would not require there to take it. Even those people with high S. A. T. scores and a strong academic background must eventually sign up for it because universities know high schools unfortunately don't teach these things, or do not teach them well. Courses like this one are in immediate demand. Originally, all the universities I applied to required this course which pretty much justifies that it is in immediate demand. I personally never had a class so comprehensive as to include theses skills vital for college success. Some high schools produce graduates that cannot read or have extremely poor reading and writing skills. If our high schools were efficient and did look out for the student's best interests, people would not graduate without these basic skill that most people agree must me present for the college experience. Colleges should not be teaching basic, elementary skills such as reading and elementary writing. College is not meant to be a grueling and terrible time for a person, but over the years, U. S. high schools have lost their focus and misplaced their priorities; producing students that cannot independently develop themselves successfully. In some extreme cases, kids are committing suicide in college early on because they can't handle the stress produced by their classes and many of the students that quit or do poorly have poor college survival skills. Finally, U. S. igh schools are not adequately preparing kids for the college life. These high schools are too lenient, complacent, financially unstable, overcrowded, and simply inefficient. The curriculum must set higher standards and make the transition a smoother one. If these changes were implemented,the gap between high school and college education may one day be a thing of the past and once again the college years will truly be fulfilling and rewarding ones and not arduous or frustrating.

Marketing Plan Laser Eye Surgery

Laser XY, Inc. Marketing Plan Week 3 Assignment 1 MKT500 July 22, 2012 Executive Summary Laser XY is preparing to open up Clinics in predominantly Afro-American areas. It will be using promotional tools directed at Afro-Americans with Glaucoma. The strategy of Laser XY is to assist the Afro-American communities due to this groups high-risk for eye diseases. Thus, the company creates communications that conveys a positive concern for the eye health of the Afro-American communities.Laser XY has completed the initial market research to evaluate the potential sales opportunity in the United States (â€Å"Glaucoma health guide,† 2012). If successful, Laser XY is prepared to launch clinics in the Canadian markets as well in order to address the customer needs. As part of the preliminary research, Laser XY identified the market and target segments for its services and completed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis to evaluate business fit. In addition, Laser X Y created and effectively communicated its position statement for the clinic lunch. â€Å"Glaucoma health guide,† 2012) Laser XY background Laser XY is a specialty clinic that performs Laser correction for African Americans with Glaucoma. Laser XY is an exciting, life-enriching procedure. Laser XY understands that each patient must feel fully comfortable with his or her decision to have the treatment, as well as with the vision care team who will supervise each step of the process. That's why Laser XY combines proven, state-of-the-art, FDA-approved technology with a professional team that specializes in Glaucoma correction. Strategic mission statementLaser XY â€Å"Healthy Vision for Life: Focus on African-American Eyes† is the latest aspect of its ethnical marketing platform to raise awareness of the eye health needs of at-risk group. The initiative started with the fast-growing African American market at higher risk for many eye health issues, in 2013. In addition to superior experience, Laser XY ensures the utmost success and safety during laser vision correction involves using state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained personnel. This is translated into a higher cost compared to the so-called â€Å"discount Lasik chains†. We believe that our patients understand that a compromise on quality is unacceptable when it comes to one's vision. It is our commitment to best service and technology. † Marketing plan Determine and decide upon at least one (1) foreign market for the product and service. Provide your rationale for this market. Canada is a world leader in laser eye surgery and every year almost 40-50% of the laser eye surgery-taking place in Canada is conducted by a number of companies. The cost of laser eye surgery in Canada is more reasonable and affordable.This is due to a favorable exchange rate on the Canadian dollar, the lack of laser royalty fees in Canada, and the cost-effective economies of scale that are achieved in a sub-specialized center with many patients. According to the 2006 Census by Statistic Canada, 783,795 Canadians identified themselves as black, constituting 2. 5% of the entire Canadian population * About 30% of Black Canadians have Jamaican heritage. * An additional 32% have heritage elsewhere in the Caribbean or Bermuda. * 60% of Black Canadians are under the age of 35. 60% of Black Canadians live in the province of Ontario. * 97% of Black Canadians live in urban areas. There are 32,000 more black women than black men in Canada (â€Å"Why chose Canada,† 2012) Discuss the potential audiences for a marketing plan and the needs of those potential audiences. Worldwide, Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. It is also the first leading cause of blindness among African Americans. It is not clear why people of African ancestry have higher rates of glaucoma and subsequent blindness than Caucasians.One factor may be that African-Americans are more susceptible to devel oping elevated eye pressure (IOP) earlier in life, which is thought to contribute to optic nerve damage and eventual vision loss. Another reason may be that patients of African descent are less likely than Caucasians to have early eye examinations that may detect and treat glaucoma. Glaucoma affects 1 in 200 people aged fifty and younger, and 1 in 10 over the age of eighty. If the condition is detected early enough it is possible to arrest the development or slow the progression with medical and surgical means. Glaucoma Treatment, 2012) Marketing Strategy: ? Target Market: Low to Middle Income consumer’s ? between the age of 18-up 1) Positioning: To create and increase buyer awareness of the Laser XY services and brand. To attract new customers, resulting in increase in sales and market share for Laser XY insurance in the private health insurance industry along with encouraging long-term relationships with the existing and new customer through advertisement and media. It is e ssential that this target segment use all the marketing variables.In particular a judicious use of pricing policy can lead to excellent growth in sales revenues. 2) Product Line: Laser XY provides members with clear vision and freedom at a lower expense. Augmented services include care booth before and after the Lasik laser eye surgery, with four years free of charge guarantee, and customer support. 3) Price: Below competitors. Interest Free special for 12 or 24 months! Spread the cost of laser eye surgery over 12 or 24 months and pay no interest if you repay the total cost within the agreed timeframe. No deposit required. 2, 36, or 24 convenient monthly payments No early settlement fees or penalties. Laser Cost for One Eye – $1500, Laser Surgery Cost for Two Eyes – $3000. 4) Promotion: Laser XY will establish outlets and free vision screening booths in localities that have a high Afro-American population. Special outlets to be organized and price-offs to be offered fo r limited time period. This will allow the members to expand benefits with a lesser payment. Major newspapers, trade magazines and other health periodicals will be used to promote the service.Along with brochures describing the benefits of Laser XY surgery insurance will be made available in all services outlets. In addition, Laser XY, Inc. will promote the service via the Internet, providing a large amount of information, using banner exchange, and contacting particular user groups. (Glaucoma Treatment, 2012) Discuss the target market and provide a rationale for this target market. Consider the strategy of Laser XY. It declares the Afro-American communities as a high-risk group for eye diseases and creates communications that conveys a positive concern for the eye health of the Afro-American ommunities. For instance, Laser XY will open booths for checking eyes. This is a strong marketing strategy. When the potential customer presents herself for a check-up a need for service is rev ealed and the customer is directed to Laser XY. ? Laser XY sends communications targeted at the Afro-American community. It shows concern for the members of the communities, communicates that the Afro-American communities are at a far greater risk with a detection of Glaucoma, and so they need Laser XY services.The valuable education that they give is a disguised marketing communication targeted at this potentially lucrative segment. From the perspective of Laser XY, the Afro-American communities are a potentially attractive and lucrative segment. Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) for the company. The use of SWOT analysis is important to identify ways to minimize the effect of Laser XY Inc. weaknesses while trying to maximize its strengths and at the same time recognize ways to exploit its opportunities and respond to its threats.Strengths: * Afro-American communities as a high risk group for eye Glaucoma causes this a potentially attractive a nd lucrative segment * Unique offering with little or no competition in the market. ? * Locating Laser XY Inc. stores in Afro-American predominant areas and using promotional tools directed at Afro-Americans will go a long way in increasing the market share of Laser XY, Inc. Weaknesses: * Lack of brand name and reputation in the marketplace as compared to existing clinics. ? * Laser treatment does not give a surety of a 20/20 eye vision.However, it allows the patient to have a proper vision in absence of any glasses or corrective lenses. Such improvement encourages the patient to take a chance with the complication associated to laser eye surgery. Being a startup company, there is lack of strong financial base for spending on advertising or promotions compared to established clinics. Opportunities: ? * Strong growth opportunities in emerging markets in US, as well as strong potential in developed markets in Canada * The development of this service especially for Afro-American commun ities opens up new opportunities or Laser XY Inc. to maximize its revenues from the Afro-American segment. * Laser XY Inc. will show concern for the members of the communities, communicates that the Afro-American communities are at a far greater risk of Glaucoma, and so they need Laser XY, Inc. Threat * Threat of competition from established clinics as well as new potential entrants in the market due to low barriers of entry. ? * Major threats are potential imitation from other competitors and need to offer new products regularly in order to maintain competitiveness. Clients choosing more economical vision correction choices, such as prescribe eye drops, eyeglasses, and contact lenses. * Cost of LASIK eye surgery cost differs widely from one provider to another and depends on many factors. African American is a high risk of vision loss from this disease. With the commitment of our professional management team and enthusiastic staff, the culture of the organization driven by Laser XY , Inc. has been created to make a difference to this targeted group.Our marketing segment is to exploit our services for both men and women from low to middle segments of the society that are willing to use our services. Our target customers will not only have optional payment plans, it will also encounter superior experience, safety laser vision correction. This involves using state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained personnel. Furthermore, locating Laser XY, Inc. stores in Afro-American predominant areas and using promotional tools directed at Afro-Americans will go a long way in increasing the market share of Laser XY, Inc.References Glaucoma /treatment. (2012, June). Retrieved from http://www. glaucoma. org/treatment/laser-surgery. php http://adam. about. net/reports/000025_8. htm African-Americans' glaucoma risk http://outlook. wustl. edu/2011/dec/glaucoma-risk Glaucoma health guide. (2012, July). Retrieved from Glaucoma http://health. nytimes. com/health/guides/disease/gl aucoma/risk-factors. html Why chose canada. (2012, July). Retrieved from Why choose Canada–http://www. lasikmd. com/north-york/corporate-information/why-choose-canada