Health & Safety

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety. Under this Act, the employer, the workers and the individuals being supported have responsibilities to ensure safety is maintained in the workplace. Your employer should display a copy of this Act on their main premises. The main purpose of the legislation is:†¢To secure the health, safety and welfare of people at work †¢To protect others from risks arising from the activities of people at work †¢To control the use and storage of dangerous substances †¢To control the emission into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substancesOther key pieces of legislation that sit alongside and support the Health and Safety at Work Act are:†¢The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 emphasize what employers are required to achieve under the Health and Safety at Work Act. †¢The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (kn own as COSHH) require employers to control substances that can harm workers' health. †¢The Manual Handling Regulations 1992 sets out requirements for manual handling and moving and handling of people.†¢The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (known as RIDDOR) sets out what needs to be reported.My employer has policies and procedures covering a wide range of health and safety subjects to incorporate the legal requirements. Here are some of the policies and procedures:†¢Personal safety and lone working †¢Fire safety †¢Food safety and hygiene †¢What to do in the event of an emergency †¢Risk assessments †¢Smoking at work †¢Use of chemicals and waste disposal †¢Moving and handling of people and objects †¢Personal hygiene †¢Infection control †¢Security measures and visitorsIn health and safety my responsibilities are:†¢Take reasonable care of your health and safety †¢Take reas onable care not to put other people, including other employees and members of the public at risk by what you do or don’t do at work †¢Co-operate with your employer making sure you get proper training and you understand and follow your organisation’s health and safety policies †¢Not to interfere with or misuse anything that’s been provided for your health, safety or welfare †¢Tell your employer if something happens that might affect your ability to work, for example becoming pregnant or sustaining an injury†¢Not to undertake any health and safety tasks that you haven’t been trained forIn health and safety my employer’s responsibilities are:†¢Provide a safe workplace †¢Give information on health and safety †¢Provide free health and safety training †¢Make sure you can enter and leave the workplace safely †¢In health and safety the individuals you support’s responsibilities are: †¢Follow health a nd safety advice given to them †¢Co-operate with you to use appropriate equipment safely †¢Take reasonable care of their own health and safety †¢Without the correct level of training you are not allowed to carry out certain tasks relating to health and safety.Here are a few examples:†¢Moving and handling †¢Administering medication †¢Emergency first aid †¢Giving injections †¢Peg feeding †¢Colostomy †¢Fighting fireIf you are unsure about what you can and cannot do, you must discuss this with your Proprietor or manager. Health & Safety The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety. Under this Act, the employer, the workers and the individuals being supported have responsibilities to ensure safety is maintained in the workplace. Your employer should display a copy of this Act on their main premises. The main purpose of the legislation is:†¢To secure the health, safety and welfare of people at work †¢To protect others from risks arising from the activities of people at work †¢To control the use and storage of dangerous substances †¢To control the emission into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substancesOther key pieces of legislation that sit alongside and support the Health and Safety at Work Act are:†¢The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 emphasize what employers are required to achieve under the Health and Safety at Work Act. †¢The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (kn own as COSHH) require employers to control substances that can harm workers' health. †¢The Manual Handling Regulations 1992 sets out requirements for manual handling and moving and handling of people.†¢The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (known as RIDDOR) sets out what needs to be reported.My employer has policies and procedures covering a wide range of health and safety subjects to incorporate the legal requirements. Here are some of the policies and procedures:†¢Personal safety and lone working †¢Fire safety †¢Food safety and hygiene †¢What to do in the event of an emergency †¢Risk assessments †¢Smoking at work †¢Use of chemicals and waste disposal †¢Moving and handling of people and objects †¢Personal hygiene †¢Infection control †¢Security measures and visitorsIn health and safety my responsibilities are:†¢Take reasonable care of your health and safety †¢Take reas onable care not to put other people, including other employees and members of the public at risk by what you do or don’t do at work †¢Co-operate with your employer making sure you get proper training and you understand and follow your organisation’s health and safety policies †¢Not to interfere with or misuse anything that’s been provided for your health, safety or welfare †¢Tell your employer if something happens that might affect your ability to work, for example becoming pregnant or sustaining an injury†¢Not to undertake any health and safety tasks that you haven’t been trained forIn health and safety my employer’s responsibilities are:†¢Provide a safe workplace †¢Give information on health and safety †¢Provide free health and safety training †¢Make sure you can enter and leave the workplace safely †¢In health and safety the individuals you support’s responsibilities are: †¢Follow health a nd safety advice given to them †¢Co-operate with you to use appropriate equipment safely †¢Take reasonable care of their own health and safety †¢Without the correct level of training you are not allowed to carry out certain tasks relating to health and safety. Here are a few examples: †¢Moving and handling †¢Administering medication †¢Emergency first aid †¢Giving injections †¢Peg feeding †¢Colostomy †¢Fighting fireIf you are unsure about what you can and cannot do, you must discuss this with your Proprietor or manager.

Wizard of Oz Political Allegory

â€Å"There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home†, repeated Dorothy. A young girl trying to go back home to Kansas after a cyclone lands her and her dog, Toto, in the Land of Oz. There Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the TinMan, and the Cowardly Lion who are all in need of something that is considered important to them; a brain, a heart, and courage. Along the way, they have to travel to Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz, directed by the Good Witch of the North, especially for Dorothy to get back home.However, Dorothy and the gang run into problems with the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants Dorothy’s ruby slippers (which was originally the Wicked Witch of the East shoes). In America, in the late 1890’s, the Populist Movement was in full throttle. Populism is â€Å"government of, for, and by the people†. The Populist Party was a political party, which was a collection of various social groups ag ainst monopolies and the rich. In these social groups, included poor white farmers from the South; wheat farmers in the Mid-Western states such as Kansas, Nebraska; African- Americans; and Northern factory workers.These oppressed groups naturally didn’t agree with banks, railroads and the rich. The Populist Movement relates to the Wizard of Oz because it portrays the people of these places as fools because some actually do listen to these presidents who really don’t have the American people best interest at heart. Also, the events that occurred during the Populist Movement involving farmers, their hardships, oppressed workers, and politics mirrored Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion. Therefore, this shows how the Wizard of Oz proves to be a political parable.In the text, Dorothy is a young girl who is always laughing and playing with her dog, Toto. She lives in the dry, Great Plains of Kansas with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, who is a farmer. The y live in a rundown looking house, and all around them was dull and grey. Dorothy represented an everyday women living in Kansas, just living a normal life during this time period. She also represents their values as well. Auntie Em and Uncle Henry show the everyday farmer. In the historical content, they portray the farmer who works day in and day out, but not seeing any benefits from their farming.In the book, a cyclone appears to come and takes Dorothy and Toto to this magical land named the Land of Oz. It turns out Dorothy’s house landed and killed the Wicked Witch of the East. The cyclone is supposed to represent the Populist Movement and the political upheaval it brought involving William Jennings Bryan, and the Granger movement. The cyclone could also represent a Silverite victory, when the Senate adopted a bill that prohibited the government from issuing money bonds without the consent of the Congress. It was basically to stop the government from using only gold at ti mes.During this time, farmers were suffering from issues involving supply and demand. They were making more and more of wheat/grain but the value of it was becoming less and less. They were receiving less money for their goods. They wanted money to be both silver and gold so it can be easy for farmers, and workers to make the same money, and have the rich make their money. The Land of Oz is a utopia where there was color, flowers, beauty, and birds singing in the tree. In the Land of Oz, lived Munchkins. They were supposed to represent other average American workers as well.When the Wicked Witch of the East died, they were freed of oppression. The Wicked Witch of the East represented factories and industrialized settings. Many of the farmers from the West blamed their problems on the wealthy and industry. Later on in the text, Dorothy meets the Good Witch of the North. The Good Witch represents a Northern electorate who had supported populism. The Good Witch sends Dorothy to go to t he Wizard of Oz, down the yellow brick road to Emerald City, who has the power to send her back to Kansas.The Good Witch also gives Dorothy the silver shoes, which also serves as protection. This can relate to the Bimetalism vs. Gold Standard. I say this because Dorothy shoes are silver and she is sent to go down the yellow brick road, which can be seen as gold bricks. This can be known as gold money. In this time, it was clear that silver vs. gold was important to the farmers involving the economy. The silver was supposed to be available for the working class, and would increase the amount of money for the working class. In the text, Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion.The Scarecrow represents the western farmers, and how their hardships and troubles from inflation caused them to have doubts and problems with their money. The Tinman represents the American worker who mostly has populist views. He also represents how the worker felt dehumanized and was hel pless. In addition to this, the Wicked Witch of the East put a spell on him that every time he swung his axe, he would chop a piece of him off. This would make his body smaller, in relation to his work being minimized by the government.The Cowardly Lion represents William Jennings Bryan. He supported the free silver movement. Bryan had a large impact during the Populist movement and fought for the rights of the common people. He wanted to make silver available as money for the working class, and not only support the industry and the rich. Together, all four of them took the yellow brick road to Emerald City. Emerald City represents Washington, D. C. The city is green and stands for money, and the economy. The green spectacles could be used as propaganda to cloud American people mind.When they get to the Wizard, he is a powerful and majestic character that seems to hold many powers. He orders Dorothy and the rest to kill the Wicked Witch of the West and bring back her broomstick. In the text they go through many obstacles due to the Wicked Witch. Soon after Dorothy, kills the Witch with water. It shows that the Wicked Witch of the West represents the untamed, and dry, drought plains in the West. When they returned back to the Wizard of Oz to bring back the broomstick, it was revealed that the Wizard was a regular, ordinary man, who really didn’t hold great power like his title.He represents a president, presumably from Grant to McKinley. It shows he fooled people into thinking he’s something that he’s not. He helps the scarecrow, the tinman, and the cowardly lion by giving them a brain, a heart, and courage. At the end of the story, it showed the wizard provide objects of self-illusion to clearly make the scarecrow, the tinman, and the lion feel better about themselves. The Good Witch of the South tells Dorothy that all along she had what it takes to go home, and by tapping her shoes three times she was able to go home.The fact that they ha d to have a â€Å"wizard† â€Å"fix† them and then at the end for Dorothy to lose her silver shoes showed that in the beginning, populism was strong but after the election of 1896, McKinley won, the issue of silver decreased. In conclusion, this story showed that the characters and events depicted in the text relate to American history. It showed problems with American society, economy, and politics. It therefore shows in some way that this is a political parable.

Car Crash While Hitchhiking Essay

1. In the story, â€Å"Car Crash While Hitchhiking† the protagonist is characterized as an outsider. Reason being, is because he is he’s evidently a drug addict who wakes up in the middle of nowhere. It even mentioned in the story that he had been to detox. He’s abandoned by the fellows whom he did drugs with. Clearly he did not fit in with most social groups, and he had a hard time being accepted. Due to him being an outsider, I believe that there was some type of event that lead him to be an addict. Maybe he was neglected, or he had a midlife crisis.In the story, he implicated that he wanted to die. As he said when he was inside the car and put all his bags on one side of the car and said that he did not care whether he lives or dies. Certainly all this man was living for was so that he can reach his ultimate nirvana. 2. The central theme in Susan Minot’s short story, â€Å"Lust† is running on empty. Reason I chose this to be the theme is because the protagonist in the story is seeks and she’s in search for the right guy to fall in love with her. Yet, as she continues to be promiscuous activities trying to find the right one, she realizes that they all want her for one reason. She knows that they just want her for sex, and every time she has sexual encounters with them she feels empty inside afterwards. We know she is empty because her parents don’t give her attention, she has no family, and she just wants her heart to be fulfilled. But as you read throughout the short story, you realize all this promiscuity is her fulfillment. This is what makes her content. When she’s in the act of it she has nothing to worry about, bc the sex is hot and passionate. She’s running in empty because she’s absorbing all these guys with the gratifying attitude of not b eing loved. And that is why she continues to lustful.. 3. In the short story, â€Å"The Half Skinned-Steer, the story takes place a in Chicago on a ranch somewhere in the country outskirts. The setting also causes me to think that it’s set in the 1900’s due to the Chicago stockyards. In the short story, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† the setting of the story takes place in Atlanta, Ga, somewhere maybe in the city, or the suburbs. The reason I believe that the setting is in the city or suburbs, is because it took the family twenty minutes to reach the outskirts of the city. You can also assume that the setting of the story is in the city due to how the family are dresses. In the story, â€Å"A Worn Path† the setting of the story is in a country town Natchez, Mississippi on an early chilly cold morning on a path of pinewoods while the sun is rising.

The strongest argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The strongest argument - Essay Example It shows that Lott has a stronger case, because he presents validated claims with relevant examples, statistics, and authority, though he has some weak assumptions, while Mitchard focuses too much on anecdotal evidence and one authority to support her claims. Lott presents stronger claims than Mitchard with pervasive use of statistics, logic, and ethos. Lott claims that carrying guns in school can deter violence, which happens outside schools already. First, he establishes the pervasiveness of gun-carrying laws through the historical trend that supports carrying guns: â€Å"In 1985, just eight states had right-to-carry laws...Today [2003], 35 states do.† Second, he uses more statistics to demonstrate that where there are guns, violence is lesser: â€Å"[studies give evidence] that on average, states that adopt right-to-carry laws experience a 60% drop in the rates at which the attacks occur, and a 78% drop in the rates at which people are killed or injured from such attacks.† These statistics are relevant, although the last one mentioned here is a bit outdated. Still, they offer information that having guns can deter violence. Lott also uses relevant authorities to support him. He says: â€Å"Annual surveys of crime victim s in the United States by the Justice Department show that when confronted by a criminal, people are safest if they have a gun.† This means that people feel they are safer, since they can protect themselves. This has no correlation though with lesser violence rates. Lott also conducted studies on gun violence. This gives him ethos on why and how guns can reduce and stop school violence. Lott also handles objections to his claims. He notes that one of the main sources of objections that people use comes from the media. The news alone shows many people dying because of guns, and even from law-abiding citizens who had sanity lapses and use their guns during intensely emotional events. Lott underscores that the â€Å"2 million times

PESTLE Analisys Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PESTLE Analisys - Essay Example There is minimal political interference since the company deals with entertainment products. Though, the government once ordered the CDs produced by HMV to be investigated. This is simply because the company was making too much profit that led to a rise in suspicions of the eligibility of the CDs. Economically, several factors pose a great effect on the company. The crash on the company finances due to the acquisition of Waterston’s agency had a severe impact. The company’s shares performed poorly in the London stock exchange. The great impact made the company to have a partial closure. The unstable currency in the past recession years had a great impact on the company’s economy. This is because currency exchange from the signed deals produced futile results. Another factor that greatly affects the economy of HMV is the decline in the company’s performance in 2009.This affected the market as many customers felt that the company did not offer the best. The overall decline in the entertainment industry by 3.4% in 2008 had diverse effects on the company too. Firms in other countries working under the brand name of HMV contribute revenue to the company empowering it economically. The sales revenue of the company rose by 3.1% in 2010. This increased popularity of the brand and the cash inflow. On the sect of social factors, change in consumer demands or else lifestyle changes affects the company. This is whereby the customers drift their demand from one product completely to the other. If there were large stocks of the product, the company may experience a loss. It is mostly brought about by celebrities and other influential people. Advertising these items on a more apparent note helps to adhere to the lifestyle changes by reducing stock. The tapping of music and entertainment is another social factor. Most people can easily burn personal CDs posing a great challenge on the markets of HMV. They can also transfer music from one device to t he other without necessarily purchasing it. On the technology trends, several factors are considered. These include; Online business. Most of the music and computer games can be sold online. This is in line with business protection. The use of DVD s may not be applicable anymore since the sale of music can be easily done through the internet. The company can direct its focus on dealing with such issues to keep up with the pace of the fast developing technology.HMV has created a website whereby it sells its products through an online market. Another one is filming technology. There is the use of high filming technology that provides a live coverage of events. It can be used to record live performances of celebrities. The performances can be sold online for example through YouTube. This easily copes the growing technology. The company also utilizes the social media sites, for example face book. These sites can be used as advertisement centres. This is because they can be accessed by a large number of people. The various products offered by the company are displayed to the customers giving updates on the trending issues (Adams, J. L, 2002, 44). There are ecological factors that can be depicted. The shift from plastic DVDs to using the internet in order to protect the environment is a considerate factor. The plastic CDs that are not re-used but instead disposed off, can affect the environment since they are non-biodegradable. The cost of purchasing CDs is higher than that of selling music

Judiasm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Judiasm - Essay Example One needs to include the thinking of a modern national identity that has a link with a specific land and culture and lastly, the description of Judaism must include the diverse sense of ethnicity allowing for secular Jews. Judaism cannot be generalized to refer solely or primarily to a religious faith as not all Jews believe in one God. There are some Jews who do not take part in the synagogue or home rituals. It is not, therefore, enough to say Judaism is merely faith among the many world religions. It should be clear to people that Jew and Judaism are relatively modern terms that need not be applied to the scriptural description of Judeans, Hebrews, and Israelites. This is to mean, the Judaism and Jews of this modern time have nothing to do with the scriptural description of the Hebrews, or the Christian scripture or the later church tradition. Not all Israelis are Jews, at the same time, it is important to understand that not all the Jews have a connection with the State of Israel. The scriptural Israelites should also not be confused with the todays Israelis. At the same time, the Jews should not be confused with the Hebrews or the scriptural Hebrews in either the Old or New Testaments. In each instance above, the term Jew has a different meaning. Judaism celebrates having both rich weekly and annual calendar. In their calendar, the Sabbath becomes their holiest day. The Sabbath here begins from Friday night to Saturday night. Both the creation of the universe and the Egypt exodus are related to the Sabbath, hence because its holiness. The period 1000-1650 C.E is referred to as the medieval period by the Jews where their relation with the major cultures and religions of both Islam and Christianity, took place. During this period, there was a tormented relationship between Judaism and Christianity. The period is also marked with the expelling of the Jews from the major

Integrated Seminar in Hospitality and Tourism Management Case Study

Integrated Seminar in Hospitality and Tourism Management - Case Study Example Riley (2012) states that the economic balance between exports and imports has been achieved gradually in the year 2000 due to increase in exports to the U.S.A, Europe, Africa and Asia. India’s contribution to world exports has risen from 0.6% in 1993 to 1.5% in 2010, symbolising 150% increase. In addition, India has balanced its trading in Asia, especially China. India’s major advantage is notably its large population and demographics. According to IMF population statistics, the number of working citizens from the age of 15-64 years has been increasing over the years due to rapid population increase. However, the fertility rate has decreased; therefore, leading to the workforce, increasing as the amount of dependants increase. If the low fertility rates persist, India will face an increased ageing population and the dependency ratio will rise. However, the demographic advantages will increase and continue until 2050 (Riley, 2012). The Indian government will continue to be cooperative to foreign investors since they are the main contributing factors for the economy. The government’s policies have created a business environment attractive to foreign investors. The government has taken initiatives in sectors such as telecom, securities exchange, defence, and oil refineries in a bid to encourage foreign investments. 2) Do the deeper pockets (cash and other resources) of international hotel chains give them a competitive advantage over domestic chains? If the advantage exists, is the advantage of deep pockets a sustainable advantage? Starwood Hotel and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has an added advantage over the local chains due to its capital and infrastructure. Over the years, the distress in India’s hospitality industry has crippled local hotel chains with debts. As a result, Starwood capitalised on this to save on costs by simply branding already existing hotel properties throughout the

Critical Issues Review #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical Issues Review #2 - Essay Example In identifying future strategy for imminent war, Clausewitz states that a determination of necessary resources will entail an examination of the political aims of both the potential warring states; the strength and nature of political aims and the abilities of government and people of both.2 It is also necessary to factor into this equation, the political sympathies of other states and the implications of war on the directly warring states as well as other states which may be affected by it, which in itself is a colossal task and thus requires flexibility in military planning and execution. Moltke;s views on war strategy were also in line with Clausewitz, in that he accepts the major role played by chance and uncertainty, and also the existence of a moral element in war which contributes towards victory. However, he differed from Clausewitz in his belief that politics and war cannot be mingled with each other; policy should not be the guiding force that influences military operations. In his view, â€Å"policy uses war for the attainment of its goals; it works decisively at the beginning and end of war† but where strategy is concerned, it â€Å"works best for the goals of policy, but in its actions is fully independent of policy.3 Thus, according to Moltke, while it is likely that policy decisions may set out the initial objectives of war, once war has been declared, political ends are to be achieved only through military means; battle becomes the single means for military and grand national strategy. Machiavelli recognizes the importance of adaptability, in view of its changing nature of war and offers the view that â€Å"he errs the least and will be most favored by fortune who suits his proceedings to the times† and illustrates this with the examples of Hannibal and Scipio.4 Machiavelli points out that the ability of

Global Credit Crisis and Emiratization Research Proposal

Global Credit Crisis and Emiratization - Research Proposal Example The earlier part of the study comprises the deductive perspective resulting in shape of the derivation of a framework to collect primary data through the consideration of general principles or theories. The inductive perspective provides the foundations of the conclusions and generalisation of the results of the survey. The study will be undertaken by using both types of data, qualitative and quantitative. The types of data to be used in the study include both and combine quantitative and qualitative data. Qualitative research is an accurate research with "explicit sampling strategies, systematic analysis of data, and a commitment to examining counter explanations. Ideally, methods should be transparent, allowing the reader to assess the validity and the extent to which results might be applicable to their own clinical practice". -- BMJ 1998; 316:1230-1232 (as cited by Simon, 2002) Qualitative data normally provides answers to the questions including the how and why (Gill & Johnson 1997; Creswell 2003). The qualitative data provides a deep in sight to the objectives of the study. On the other hand the Quantitative data is the measurable information represented in numbers (Kervin 1992; Gill & Johnson 1997) to answer what, who, when , where and how much but limited in providing answers to how and why. The study involved the combination of both the data types. In order to analyse the relationship between the different variables in the study the SPSS software is used for data interpretation. 1.3 Data Requirements In order to get the clear understanding of the causes and effects of new MoL laws and credit market crisis on the Emirates economy it is important to use both primary and secondary data. Secondary data has been collected by undertaking the review of books, journal studies, articles, papers and commentaries. Secondary data forms the corner stone at which the framework of the study can be formulated. It helps in undertaking the investigation regarding the concepts or theories which further needed to be explored. Primary data can be collected through the suitable data collection methods. Primary data is specifically collected for the purpose of the study being undertaken and provides direct and clear response to the queries of the researcher. Together the primary and secondary data provides useful information in order to acquire conclusions regarding the issue being studied. 1.4 Research Methods There are two data collection methods in the study. One is structured interviews and the second is the semi-structured questionnaire for the derivation of the primary data. The framework for the preparation of the data can be drawn by using secondary data. Structured interviews are conducted by the researcher when the exact information is needed through a prepared list of questions. The interview questions will focus on the effects and consequences of the law implemented by the MoL and the credit crisis in the world. The questions have been designed after undertaking the study and analysis of the literature related to the subject area (Saunders et al. 2003). The interview will be undertaken face to face as it has many benefits which can improve the clarity of responses. 1.5 Rationale for Using Questionnaire Questionnaire survey is an important tool of collecting the primary data. The advantage attached with

Marks of an Educated Person Essay Example for Free

Marks of an Educated Person Essay Holmes describes a liberal arts education as providing â€Å"an opportunity to steward life more effectively by becoming more fully a human person in the image of God.† (The Idea of a Christian College, Pg. 36.) The liberal arts that include subjects such as language, history, speech, philosophy etc. help in making the student a more complete person. Every student approaches learning with a subjective view based on his or her background, beliefs and opinions. A Christian liberal arts education teaches the Christian how to â€Å"be in this world but not of this world† (II Cor. 10:3) It not only addresses the practical aspects of educating for the purpose of career and employment, but it also offers Biblical concepts that help develop the spirit filled and spirit lead life. This adds depth to the liberal arts student that can be applied to the Christian’s witness to the world. The liberal arts education must encompass a broad range of subject matter regardless of the career field. Holmes offer examples such as the healthcare field. Because wellness involves physical as well as mental and emotional and is influenced by such factors as environment and the human spirit, the physician would, according to Holmes benefit from such studies as psychology, sociology in addition to the medical studies. A student’s depth of understanding is dependent on their concepts of communication and speech. For the student to fully integrate their knowledge base they must have basic communication skills. What does the word mean? The Christian liberal arts college incorporates all of these areas into a comprehensive education plan that not only helps to prepare the student to make positive career choices but it also enables the student to broaden his or her spiritual experience as his life witnesses to the world around him. In a world whose values vacillate with whatever is the popular ideology of the day, a Christian liberal arts program helps the student to build on a foundation anchored by God’s Word. As previously stated, we are able to be in this world but not â€Å"of this world.†

The Changing Face Of Youth Transitions Social Policy Essay

The Changing Face Of Youth Transitions Social Policy Essay Whether a young person is from a richer or poorer family may determine the age and the level of difficulty of going from a young person to an adult. The definition of youth transition seems vague. It generally means the time period when young people take increasing responsibility for themselves, their relationships and the decisions about their lives that shape their future prospects (HM Treasury, 2007). It is a principle that can be applied that to several key areas of adulthood, such as transition from education to work, moving out from home and starting a new family. The aim of this essay is to look at how social background could affect how long the speed of someones transitions in the mentioned areas. It will attempt to come to a conclusion afterwards. For simplicity, social class will be divided into working-class and middle-class. First of all is the transition from education to work. The main theory linking social class with this transition is that adolescents from middle-class backgrounds are more likely to stay in education at university level than youths from less well-off backgrounds. This could be because of more than one reason. This is because a persons level of education is likely to affect their childrens. For example, a mother from the working-class probably would not have had a higher education and may not have performed well in school as a child or adolescent herself. As a consequence, she may not have seen education as important as a parent from a middle-class background. This could possibly affect her childs education in two ways. The first way is that the parents unfavourable attitude towards education means that they are unlikely to encourage their child to pursue a university education. This is referred to by Jones (2002, p.9) as cultural capital. The second way is that parents who did not do well academically might have, as a result, low expectations of their children, expecting them to be similar to their parents. This would also mean parents not favouring university education. The importance of these two relationships between a parents social background, cultural capital and low expectation, is that children who do not study at university level (normally a three year course) are likely to get some form of employment sooner than those who go to university. For the same reasons, teenagers from wealthier backgrounds probably have better educated parents and are, perhaps, expected to attain a university degree. From this, it can be said that social class may influence the timing of transition to adulthood as children from less well-off backgrounds are more likely to move from education to employment earlier than those from middle-class backgrounds. It can also be said that this transition is made earlier and easier for working-class youths simply because their parents cannot afford to pay for their university fees. Therefore there is little choice for them but to get a job. This is another example of the influence of social class. Teenagers from a wealthier background could have the option to delay transition into work by furthering their qualifications at university, because there is money available from their parents or other sources. On the other hand, however, this theory is may not be very convincing. This is because there is usually financial aid available to those who do not have the money themselves, such as government loans, grants and university bursaries. According to Jones (2002), 68% of student income is from loans. This suggests that a high amount of higher education students are from backgrounds that cannot themselves afford it. The relevance of this is that it gives the impression that the influence of social class on transition from education to work is minimal, as many working-class children are also pursuing higher education in recent times. It is also crucial to consider domestic youth transitions. The first is the change a young person experiences from living in their parents houses to living independently. Living independently means that the adolescent is living in accommodation financed by his or herself. This links together with the education-employment transition as university students, although most of them are living away from home, are not living fully independently because it is most likely their parents who are responsible for their childs education and university accommodation fees. It was claimed earlier in this essay that middle-class adolescents are expected to go to university more than those from a poorer background. From this it could be said that the moving from home transition may occur earlier for those from the working-class as they will go into employment sooner than those from wealthier backgrounds. The relationship between social class and standard of living may be important. Using economic intuition, it can be said that higher income and wealth leads to a higher standard of living as more luxury goods and services become affordable. Therefore young people from middle-class backgrounds would enjoy a higher standard of living than youths from working-class backgrounds. This is surely influential over the time and ease of the transition of leaving home. This is because high living standards may reduce the incentive for young people from middle-class backgrounds as they are enjoying a higher quality of life while living with their parents. It is probable that moving away from home and earning their own living would reduce their quality of life as they will not be able to afford it in the short-term. Those from working-class background, however, do not have this quality of life and therefore have more reason and enticement to move out of home and aim to make a better living from hi s or her self. Another domestic transition is a youth going from their family of origin to starting a new family. This could mean having children. Before this, it is important to consider why a young woman would have a planned pregnancy. According to Carter and Coleman (2006), an unsettled childhood can be a key factor in this fast-track transition. Separation of parents and domestic violence are usually more associated with people of working-class background than any other. It can be claimed that teenagers that have separated parents and difficult family relationships desire a baby to achieve more stability in their lives something which they believe being a parent may bring. An unsettled background could also result in the youth abandoning home. This suggests that teenagers from less-wealthy backgrounds may make the family transition or the leaving-home transition earlier than those from richer families. Another theory is that poor educational achievement and bullying may prompt young women to c hange to a different life course such as parenthood (Carter and Coleman, 2006), but it is difficult to link this to social class. In fact, the issues of separated parents and domestic violence affect middle-class families too, undermining the strength and validity of the previous point. From the analysis above, it can be said that social class seems to have some influence over the timing and ease of youth transitions. It appears that all the mentioned transitions employment, moving out of parental home and parenthood seem to happen earlier and with more ease for children of working-class background. However, it is difficult to conclude the extent to which social class affects youth transitions. There are also other factors that need to be looked at such as the individual characteristics of a young person or the role of ethnicity in youth transitions (Cassidy. et al, 2006). Overall, social class might has some influence over the timing and ease of youth transitions through the family situations, academic expectations and living standards typically associated with that particular social background. Reference List Jones, G. (2002). The youth divide: diverging paths to adulthood. Joseph Rowntree Foundation Carter, S. and Coleman, L. (2006) Planned teenage pregnancy: Views and experiences of young people from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation Cassidy, C. et al (2006). Young peoples experiences of transition to adulthood: a study of minority ethnic and white young people. Joseph Rowntree Foundation HM Treasury Department for Children, Schools and Families (2007) Aiming high for young people: a ten year strategy for positive activities [Online], Available: http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/PU214.pdf [July 2007]

Edgar Allen Poe: An analysis

Edgar Allen Poe: An analysis Here is something to ponder: Edgar Allan Poe once expressed, Dream dreams that no one has ever dreamed before (Poe, The Raven). Even if a person is only a little familiar with the life of this prolific writer, he can immediately identify some irony in the former quotation. It is very ironic in the sense that a man who suffered such incredible losses in his life was still able to pursue his dreams. Edgar Allan Poe came from a life of poverty, but is now considered one of Americas most prolific writers. Indeed, the reality that Poe came from nothing makes his achievements, as both a writer and a person, even more awe-inspiring. Therefore, Poe is certainly right about his wise saying, as it reflects the story of his life. Perhaps he was so successful because he wrote about his own life and both his physical and mental experiences. All of the unfortunate events in his life serve as the framework for many of his famous pieces, including Annabel Lee, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher. In fact, many of his themes delve into the things Poe experienced in his life, particularly death. The life of Edgar Allan Poe is characterized by various unfortunate events, which influence the themes of his writing: love, lust, and death. The first and most prominent is the presence of a deceased or dying woman. This is no surprise as all the women in Poes life died from tuberculosis. In Annabel lee, the title character happens to be the deceased woman. It is unclear to whom Poe addressed Annabel Lee as his mother, adoptive mother, and wife were all candidates (Peltak 91). Many believe the deceased character represents all the women he loved and lost (Peltak 91). Regardless of who she personifies, she is idealized as a youthful, beautiful lady. There is also a relation between decaying beauty and the physical signs of tuberculosis. The physical signs of tuberculosis include pale, luminous skin and red cheeks which corresponds to the victim in Annabel Lee as her beauty faded away (Peltak 15). Perhaps Poe is successful at raising the dead so believably because it was such a constant fact of his life (Peltak 15). Another aspect of Poes poetry that reflects his personal life is the element of the grieving man. Poe was left grief stricken after the death of his mother, adoptive mother, and wife. The feeling Poe experienced is similar to the torture and grief the man in Annabel Lee exhibits. In this circumstance, the speaker is a surviving husband or lover. The narrator laments his lost love, his beautiful Annabel Lee. The plot twist at the end of the poem is that the narrator ends up in the sepulcher by the sea. Such an action can be a sign of the narrators true love. The narrator almost seems obsessed with the love the two shared, which is analogous to his relationship with Virginia. A prominent theme is the love of beauty and the mourning of its passing into death (Otfinoski 6). The repetition of the name Annabel Lee proves how much this woman meant to the grieving man. Poe truly wants the reader to experience the same pain he felt after losing the loves of his life. The insanity of the narrator impacts the poem immensely. The narrator thinks Annabel Lee was taken away because people were envious. He believed her death was supernatural rather than an illness. After the death of Annabel Lee, the narrator is left in solitude, and thus becomes insane. Edgar Allan Poe was left in complete solitude various times in his life since he was abandoned by both father figures and all the women he loved died. Poe was also known as a depressed and morbid man, especially during the last few years of his life. The gothic themes of perversion, death, and insanity all reflect the pain in his life. More importantly, they contain a meaning throughout the work itself. Insanity is present as the narrator experiences a destruction of his mind, body, and soul. The plot is twisted because the reader discovers that the narrator may be in the tomb with Annabel Lee at the end of the poem. Death is important to the narrator as he ponders what happens before, during, and after passing away. All of the former themes have an underlying meaning that is related to Poes life. He experienced perversion, death, and insanity in his life and making them all of the major themes of his works is the way he conveys himself. Poes best known poem, The Raven, was published in 1845 and certainly made Poe famous. The poem became so famous that people referred to Poe as the raven' (Oakes 3). Similar to Annabel Lee, specific themes in The Raven correlate to Poes personal life. Some important themes to make note of include insanity, death, loneliness, and the element of supernatural. Each theme is relevant to Poes life in at least one perspective. The most obvious theme is the longing over a lost loved one. Specifically, the talking raven reminds the narrator about his dead love, Lenore. Although Poe mourned the deaths of various women in his life, many critics believe this poem was written for his wife, Virginia. When The Raven was published, Virginia had been wasting away from tuberculosis for three years (Peltak 13). It is strongly believed that The Raven was written in portrayal of the tragedy that existed for the two lovers (Oakes 2). Nevermore is the ravens repetitive message that is instantly recognizable even outside the context of the poem (Peltak 12). The effective repetition of this phrase gives the poem a dramatic intensity that carries the story and the reader to an ultimate realization (Otfinoski 5). The narrator, who is the mourning husband, finally realizes that his soul will Nevermore be freed from the shadow of his former love (Whiting 36). It is very possible the intensity and intricacy was intended as a mea ns to represent Poes complex life, especially regarding women. He lost one loved woman after another, and mourned each death more than the other. The repetition of the demonic message, Nevermore emphasizes Poe will no longer be reunited with his deceased mother, adoptive mother, and wife. Poe is extremely talented in his ability to intensify his prose and give his audience an alluring mix of accessibility and mystery (Peltak 12). Critics are convinced that it is a mystery and increase of anxiety that allows The Raven to resonate generation after generation. Yet, despite the element of horror and fantasy, The Raven is ultimately a Poem about remembering (Peltak 13). The steady reply of Nevermore haunts the narrator, who is unable to reconcile the loss of Lenore, and thus loses insanity (Peltak 13). The husband serves as a grieving man who goes insane by the end of the poem. The raven refuses to leave the door of the library, just like the pain from Lenores death will never fade. A few parallels between Poes life and literature can immediately be recognized. The grief-stricken narrator resembles Poe because both men will never be relieved from the death of a loved one. The maddened narrator reveals that the raven remains in the library and that he can never be free of its torment, just like Poe will never be free of the torment of his grief (Peltak 12). It is also clear that Poe correlates the death of a loved woman to the loss of beauty because Lenore is idealized as youthful, beautiful, and perfect (Peltak 16). This also implies the beauty he saw in the women he lost, which possibly sparked more despair. Poe stresses the concept of beauty like no other writer. Since Poe views beauty as perfection, and it is impossible to attain perfection, it is essentially impractical to maintain beauty. This statement is feasible because Poe lost all beauty in his life; nor was there anything beautiful about his life. The loss of beauty only deepens the torture the grieving narrator experiences. Poes emphasis on Lenores beauty greatly affects her husband and drives him insane. The themes of death, loneliness, and insanity are not only evident in The Raven, but also in Poes life. The supernatural element is the talking raven. Poe definitely believed in the supernatural because he thinks death is somewhat supernatural. For instance, in Annabel Lee, the narrator believed Annabels death was utterly supernatural. Because both Poe and the characters of his stories believed in the supernatural, they were often seen as insane. In The Raven, the narrators madness is sparked by the ravens taunting; he is convinced the raven will never leave. The financial anguish and Virginias death drove Poe to depression and self-destructive drinking (Peltak 37). Poes downfall is very similar to the destruction of the narrators mind, body, and soul. The narrator becomes depressed because he will Nevermore see his love again, thus his breakdown begins. He is lonely after the death of his wife, which is analogous to Poes loneliness after Virginias death. After her death it was nearl y impossible for Poe to find stable love and support. Like Annabel Lee and The Raven, the recurrent themes of death, perversion, and destruction of the mind, body, and soul are only a few of the numerous themes found throughout The Fall of the House of Usher. When first studying The Fall of the House of Usher, the reader will immediately note that Roderick Usher is mentally sick. Because of his mental illness, Roderick represents the mind, which evidently reflects the mental conflict Poe suffered in his life. Between his depression and the addictions, it is fair to say that Poes life gad been mentally rough. Roderick Usher characterizes all of Poes mental battles. Poe was certainly, attracted to ghost stories and the supernatural (Otfinoski 4). It is no wonder why he is fascinated by horror stories since his life was similar to one. Both are full of death and madness. Since the male represents the mind, it is logical that the female signifies the body. Rodericks sister Madeline is physically sick. Madelines illness essentially reflects the illness the women in Poes life had. The tortured or grieving man, dying or deceased woman, a supernatural element, a creepy or gloomy setting and various symbols and omens are all easily recognizable in The Fall of the House of Usher. The crumbling house with a crack provides the gloomy and creepy setting in The Fall of the House of Usher. It would be unreasonable to expect a man who has experienced a great amount of death and loneliness in his life to write about cheerful subjects. Madeline, the body, needs Roderick, the mind, to die. Both represent to halves of the whole which indicates an incestuous relationship. Edgars relationship with Virginia was indeed incestuous, since they were cousins. After Madeline and Roderick die, the house, representing the soul, splits and falls. Since Poe experienced all the elements within his story, it was probably relatively simple for him to include such great detail and intensity. It happens to be this personal intensity, more than any other literary characteristic, that makes Poes best tales so haunting and unforgettable (Otfinoski 4). In Poes literature, the same terrible themes occur in story after story (Otfinoski 4). Every theme and element is relevant and related. The enigmatic quality of the strange is evident in the gloomy setting and perverted plot twist. Madeline was alive all along, and eventually kills her brother causing the house to fall. There were many strange aspects of Poes life, particularly the fact that the three women he loved the most died of the same disease. The destruction of the mind, body, and soul exemplified through the downfall of Roderick, Madeline, and the crumpling house. The collapse of Poe and the people in his life can be easily seen through this ambiguous symbolism. Just like the rest of Poes literature, there is insanity, which is mostly epitomized by Roderick. It would take an infinite amount of pages to explain every correlation between Poes life and Annabel Lee, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher. However, it is most essential to recognize that he expresses his emotions through the imperative themes of his literature. Every poem and story contains relatively the same elements: a grieving man, deceased women, the supernatural, insanity, love, and of course, death. The redundancy of these themes indicates the importance of these elements, and also how much they impacted Poes life. The tortured and grieving man concurs with Poes loneliness all throughout his lifetime. The deceased or dying women symbolizes the writers mother, adoptive mother, or wife who left him alone after death. Poes feelings toward love and death are very unique and are shaped by the events in his life. Poe loved all three women and venerated their beauty, even after they died. There is always a character that goes insane in Poes literature, which acts as a r eflection of Poe himself. Poe is a literary genius because he is successful at turning the unfortunate troubles of his life into the major themes of his stories. Life threw him terrible situation, but with them he created literature, both brilliant and expressive.

Cry, The Beloved Country: The Breakdown And Rebuilding Of South Africa :: Cry, The Beloved Country Essays

Cry, The Beloved Country: The Breakdown and Rebuilding of South African Society â€Å"...what God has not done for South Africa man must do.† pg. 25   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book, Cry, the Beloved Country, written by Alan Paton, some major conflicts follow the story from beginning to end. Two of these conflicts would be as follows; first, the breakdown of the ever so old and respected tribe; and second, the power of love and compassion and how that it can rebuild broken relationships. This story gives the reader the perfect perspective in learning about the injustices that have taken place in South Africa, and it gives us a sense of the trials and hardships the blacks went through then. Cry, is a story about a Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and how he sets out to bring his family back together. While he sets out about doing this he realizes that his family is completely in the shambles and his family has strayed from the church and tribal traditions. Kumalo eventually learns to deal with this and while he is doing this, he makes a friend, James Jarvis, that changes the way he has looked on life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tribal breakdown starts to show in book I, with the land that the tribe must use and how the people have used up the natural resources that used to lay there. The whites pushed them out of where they used to reside where the land is so good that it could be even referred to as â€Å"holy, being even as it came from the Creator.† (pg. 3). In the rural areas such as this the decay comes as a result of making the blacks live in confined areas where the land is so bad it can't be farmed any more, and the taking of the strong males out of these areas to go work in the mines were things are unsafe and people rarely return. Because of this, the people leave the tribe to go on the roads to travel to Johannesburg, because â€Å"All roads lead to Johannesburg.† (pg. 10).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Kumalo arrives in Johannesburg he finally realizes what a problem he has stepped into. He realizes that nobody in his family, neither brothers, sisters, sons and daughters, even cousins, have any moral ties with each other anymore. He sees his brother get caught up in worldly beliefs, such as: fame, money, power, greed and lying. He also sees his sister and his son living in a horrible life of crime and sin. Kumalo even starts to lose hope for his son, he states that â€Å"I can do nothing here, let us go.

How to quit smoking :: Argumentative Persuasive Example Essays

How to quit smoking Cigarettes and cigarette smoke contain over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known to cause cancer. Many of these chemicals are added in the processes of tobacco farming and cigarette production. The tobacco burns while a cigarette is smoked, exposing the smoker to these deadly chemicals, tars and gases To quit smoking, the smoker must put a plan to work on it. This plan has three phases: deciding to quit, preparing to quit, and following through. Deciding to quit: each smoker has his or her own reasons; here are three good ones: The family needs his financial and emotional support. If he dies prematurely from a smoking-related illness, who will do all the things he does for his family? Kids exposed to secondhand smoke at home are more prone to colds, ear infections and allergies than children of nonsmoking parents. By age 7, they may be shorter than their friends, lag behind in reading ability and have behavior problems. Worse still, they will likely become smokers themselves. Himself it’s never too late to quit smoking. Right away, he’ll look better (no more yellow teeth and fingers), feel better (good-bye hacking cough, hello vitality) and enjoy life better (flowers smell sweeter, food tastes better). He knows why he wants to quit. Now he must choose a date and put a big red circle on the calendar. Every night before going to bed he’ll state his reasons for quitting out loud 10 times. Preparing to quit: He’s ready now to look into smoking cessation options. He may want to discuss this with his pharmacist or other health care professional. In choosing the method that's appropriate, consider these factors †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How long he has been smoking. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How many cigarettes he smokes a day. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What triggers his urge to smoke? †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether he smokes on a regular schedule or randomly. How to quit smoking :: Argumentative Persuasive Example Essays How to quit smoking Cigarettes and cigarette smoke contain over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known to cause cancer. Many of these chemicals are added in the processes of tobacco farming and cigarette production. The tobacco burns while a cigarette is smoked, exposing the smoker to these deadly chemicals, tars and gases To quit smoking, the smoker must put a plan to work on it. This plan has three phases: deciding to quit, preparing to quit, and following through. Deciding to quit: each smoker has his or her own reasons; here are three good ones: The family needs his financial and emotional support. If he dies prematurely from a smoking-related illness, who will do all the things he does for his family? Kids exposed to secondhand smoke at home are more prone to colds, ear infections and allergies than children of nonsmoking parents. By age 7, they may be shorter than their friends, lag behind in reading ability and have behavior problems. Worse still, they will likely become smokers themselves. Himself it’s never too late to quit smoking. Right away, he’ll look better (no more yellow teeth and fingers), feel better (good-bye hacking cough, hello vitality) and enjoy life better (flowers smell sweeter, food tastes better). He knows why he wants to quit. Now he must choose a date and put a big red circle on the calendar. Every night before going to bed he’ll state his reasons for quitting out loud 10 times. Preparing to quit: He’s ready now to look into smoking cessation options. He may want to discuss this with his pharmacist or other health care professional. In choosing the method that's appropriate, consider these factors †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How long he has been smoking. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How many cigarettes he smokes a day. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What triggers his urge to smoke? †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether he smokes on a regular schedule or randomly.

Introduction to Marketing Revision Notes

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