Case studty (marketing) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Case studty (marketing) - Essay Example k due cognizance of changing customers’ requirements and used various market metrics to track customers were found to be the major facilitators for improved performance outcome of OQTA in 2004. The fast changing socio-economic paradigms and advancing technology has tremendously changed the dynamics of market strategies. ‘Organizations must change because their environments change’ (Bateman, 1990). In the contemporary times, the customer has become much more informed and technology has provided him with more options within the similar product lines, but produced by different companies. The case study of Outback Queensland Tourism Authority or OQTA is a case in point where application of marketing theory significantly improved the performance outcome of IQTA. Outback Queensland Tourism Authority or OQTA is a non profit premier organization of Queensland, Australia that is primarily responsible for the marketing, promotion and development of the tourism industry of Queensland’s Outback. OQTA promotes the interest of 21 government agencies and has around 230 members comprising of various stakeholders like tour operators, accommodation and transport providers etc It was observed that despite an intensive and focused mass communication campaign through brand building advertisements in television and radio, outback tourism saw 5% less visitors during 1999 to 2003. The present situation would be analyzed for the decreasing business and efforts would be made to identify the areas that lacked focus and new strategy that need to be pursued to turn it around and increase tourism activity in the outback. Outback covers substantial 48% of Queensland. While the lack of funds might have contributed to low business to some extent but the major factors that were responsible for low turnout of visitors were primarily because OQTA market strategy lacked of market orientation and brand building rather than the customers was the main focus of the marketing activities. The

Liberal Democracy Fostering Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Liberal Democracy Fostering Development - Essay Example This report declares that the civil societies are useful in fostering development. They are responsible for setting the priorities of the most vulnerable in the society. With liberal democracy, according to Sen, civil societies can play their roles effectively. Democracy will allow civil societies expand their choices in the way they make the needs of the most vulnerable people in the society know. This will enable the vulnerable individuals in the society to promote their freedom from poverty, fear, and violence. Sen’s argument is that, with democracy, there would be a climate where people can complain, speak out and argue. There would be promotion of transparency. Things will we be happening in the government and individuals will be aware of. This paper makes a conclusion that from Sen's perspective, liberal democracy such as the focus on rights has proven to be important. However, in some cases such as China and South Korea, this is not the case. The most important thing to note is how liberal democracy can foster development. For example, in developing countries that are democratic, how has democracy assisted the people both socially and economically? There is a need for more participation by people in movements that advocate change of political and economic system. This paper partially agrees with Sen’s views that liberal democracy fosters development, economically, either politically or socially. Nonetheless, there is growing attack on liberal democracy because it does not allow participation and co-operation at its centre.

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Strategies for Motivating Employees

Strategies for Motivating Employees How to identify unmotivated employees and help them become motivated: Some strategies for managers. An employee who is well motivated is able to produce better results quicker and is also much more creative. There are many problems that exist in the workplace. Motivation is a subject that everyone will come across and it is common to be placed in a situation where you will need to work with a colleague or subordinate who suffers from a lack of motivation. It is important for an employer to know how to deal and overcome any issues arising from motivational problems so they can make the most of their most important asset (their employees); this paper will look to analyse and overcome these problems. The first thing an employer needs to do is have a clear understanding of what motivation is. Wikipedia defines motivation as â€Å"having the desire and willingness to do something† (Wikipedia, 2007). One book states â€Å"Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which may fluctuate from one time or situation to another, This state is one that can be influenced† (Motivation, Rob Long 2005). Taking that into account a prominent American Psychologist, Abraham H Maslow (1908-1970) the inventor of Maslows Motivation Theory, stated that mans behaviour is controlled by â€Å"Internal† and â€Å"External† forces. This report will focus heavily on the Internal and External forces as they are extremely pertinent to understanding differences in motivation problems. Which leads to my personal definition of motivation as having the willingness, eagerness or desire to change or to do something that you need or are required to do by factors and influen ces that are not only External (environment) , but Internal (feelings, emotions) as well. Understanding that motivation also comes down to the individual and how they react and relate to certain situations is very important as well. Some possible signs that an employee is suffering from motivational problems are that their productivity is low, they have a lot of sick days and they look unhappy. At this point a manager may be thinking about why you should bother about motivating employees that are already paid to do the job that is required of them. A manager needs to forget any negative thoughts towards an employee and do what is best for the employee as they are the most important asset any company has. One article states that â€Å"a common mistake when dealing with motivation problems is to quickly jump ahead to solutions without knowing what is causing the problem† (Motivation Management, Green, 2000). If a manager has limited knowledge of the employees problem you are probably less likely to be successful in helping that employee than if you investigate the situation with the employee. If a manager can see that an employee looks unhappy the best thing for a manager to do is talk to him or her. Any relationship counsellor will tell you how important communication is being it in a professional or personal relationship. Motivation Management states that there are three types of motivation problems; lack of confidence, lack of trust and lack of satisfaction (Motivation Management, Green, 2000). After researching I have found it valid and essential to add a fourth motivational problem being lack of hope. I will compare these problems with Maslows Internal and External forces theory. If an employee has a lack of hope (neither influence) they have no will to succeed in or do the job. This could stem from any other motivational problem but is to a point where the employee will never (mangers opinions may vary) be able to be turned around. Whilst this happens only in extreme cases it is something that can be identified, investigated (sit down with the employee and ask why it has come to this) and prevented from happening again. If a manager is experiencing multiple cases of lack of hope, maybe other sources could be looked at such as Human Resources and Recruitment. â€Å"All the motivation in the world wont make people stay, if youve hired the wrong people† says Terry Harris President of Chicago Consulting (Motivating Customer Service Employees, Harps 1993). If an employee has lack of confidence (internal influence) he or she does not have enough trust or belief in his or her abilities. This is very self explanatory in this situation you are better off giving the employee some responsibility which in turn helps them overcome their confidence issues. Be sure to be there to assist as they will probably require your guidance from time to time. If an employee has lack of trust (both internal and external influences) they dont have enough faith in something; generally an employee will have a lack of trust in an employer or manager. Empowering Supervisors by Ern Prentice Gordon Rabey state that an employees performance largely depends on the competence and effectiveness of their immediate supervisor. Most books on motivation or empowerment tend to agree on the fact that if you ha ve a weak/incompetent leader, that your overall motivation will be low. Managers can also have a lack of trust towards their employees. The most common time this would occur would be in a strict and well disciplined working environment. An American Mill company called Nucor introduced a management style which saw an increase of profit and dividends to shareholders exceed almost 400%. They ensured managers abandoned the command and control model (charismatic approach) of leadership and go towards a worker responsibility environment. They also ensured that they shared corporate wealth with their employees. (The Art of motivation, 2006). Using the Nucor example we can determine that employees will trust a manager if the manager takes the first step and shows trust towards the employee first. This creates trust for the employee and helps eliminate any mistrust that might have existed. An example for a manager to create trust could be to (where possible) let the employee set their own wo rking hours or days, and give them flexibility with rules in the workplace, and have them aware of repercussions if they fail to meet any reasonable deadlines they themselves set out. If an employee has lack of satisfaction then they are generally not happy with the external influences revolving around their job role. Psychologist Frederick I Herzberg (1923-2000) introduced the Motivator Hygiene Theory, which states that demotivators (Isolation, poor working conditions continual pressure) need to be reduced and motivators (good pay, controlling own work (empowerment) and varied work) need to be increased. Some ways to increase satisfaction is to have an emphasis on teamwork and helping each other. It is important to ensure that employees feel they are a part of the greater good of the company and that without their input and work deadlines would be missed. Whilst pay and benefits are a good way to increase job satisfaction many surveys and research would indicate it is less importa nt to employees. One study of what motivates 31 000 men ad 13 000 women employed in the Minneapolis Gas Company between 1945-1965 shows that pay was not among the top factors but Security, advancement, type of work and being a part of a company they are proud to work for were. (http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/index.html) Managers should now have a good understanding of how motivation works in the workplace and where to start should an employee have a motivational problem. It is very important however to remember to talk to an employee, as communication is the most important aspect in any working relationship and as a manager you are responsible for taking the first step every time. References in Alphabetical Order: Maslow, A.H (1943) Conflict, frustration and the theory of threat. J.abnorm. (soc.) Psychol, 1943, 38, 81-86. ATHERTON J S (2005) Learning and Teaching:   Motivation    [On-line] UK: Available: http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/motivation.htm   Accessed: 25 March 2007 HERZBERG F (1966) Work and the Nature of Man Cleveland: World Publishing Company   Leslie Hansen Harps (1993) Motivating Customer Service Employees: The cutomer service Empowering Supervisors by Ern Prentice Gordon Rabey The art of motivation, Business week, New york (May 1st 2006) Iss 3982 pg 56. http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/index.html 2007 â€Å"MOTIVATION 2020† – or – how to constitute and properly motivate a successful and efficient work team in 2020? What factors will influence an employees satisfaction and motivation in 2020? Teodora Paligorova Wikipedia

Solar Energy Essay -- Essays Papers

Solar Energy Since the beginning of humanity, people have relied on the sun for their daily needs. Whether it is to grow the crops that they eat, dry clothes or warm their family, people have relied on the resource of the sun for sustainability. It was not until people started to get the idea of managing this energy source, that people were able to fully take advantage of the sun. In 1767, a Swiss scientist discovered a practical way to harness the energy of the sun. Horace de Saussure invented the â€Å"solar hot box,† the first devise to attract and capture the energy capabilities of the sun. The main uses of this primitive solar box consisted of cooking food, distilling water and pumping water for irrigation. It was not until the 1880’s that America caught on to this new source of energy. Introduced by John Ericcson, this engineer created solar power engines, used for power steam generators onboard ships. The most famous person credited with exposing solar capabilities to the west, however, was Clarence Kemp, the first man to patent solar water heaters in 1897. His invention caught on so well, that within seven years, thirty-percent of houses in California were using his invention. This was just the beginning of solar energy’s popularity within the US. In 1908, Carnegie Steel Company’s William J. Bailey produced the solar panels we are most familiar with today. The popularity of the solar power boom peaked around the end of World War I, when â€Å"more than 4,000 rooftop solar water heaters had been sold, and more than 60,000 were in place† (EIA). Shortly after this, scientists discovered the possibilities of solar energy in space. Even to date, many satellites and space projects take advantage of this renewable... ...olar energy has undergone many stages throughout its existence, especially within the United States. At the beginning of its discovery, carried out through its peak in popularity around the 40’s and 50’s, solar energy enjoyed its time in the spot light. Due to limits on where solar plants can be built, inefficiency, unreliability and high prices, the use of this fairly environmentally friendly, renewable energy source has dwindled. While some hope for advances in the methods of collecting solar energy, currently it does not have the ability to meet our world’s ever-growing consumption of energy. Works Cited - â€Å"Current Uses and Future Prospects.† . - Energy Information Administration (EIA). The U.S. Government.. - â€Å"Solar Power.† Energy Matters. .

Comparing Suppression of Women in Feminine Mystique, Radicalesbians, an

Suppression of Women through Isolation in The Feminine Mystique, Radicalesbians, and Trifles It is far easier to break the spirit of one human being than that of a united group of people. Betty Friedan’s "The Feminine Mystique", "Radicalesbians", and Susan Glaspell’s "Trifles" come to the same conclusion: isolation and separation caused women to be vulnerable to domination by male society. Social stigmatization by men, an inability to describe the situation, and a lack of personal identity kept women apart from one another. A fear of social stigma was one factor that kept women from supporting each other. In "The Feminine Mystique", Betty Friedan discusses how American housewives went about their daily lives "afraid to ask even of herself the silent question – ‘Is this all?’" Women were told that family, a husband, and children would bring them fulfillment and when it didn’t, they were afraid to admit that they weren’t happy. Freidan’s white, middle-class housewives were afraid of living outside the feminine ideal they had grown up heari...

MAC Brand Analysis Essay

1.0 Introduction The cosmetic industry is very competitive industry where product benefits and brand image are keys to success. The purpose of this report is to present an analysis of the brand M.A.C and its product lipstick with focus on T-C-B and I-D-U analysis, a clear positioning statement and target audience (s) including brand loyalty categories. The purpose at the end of this assignment is to have an understanding of what objective M.A.C needs to focus on for a creative strategy in the second part of this assignment. 2.0 Brand & Product Description The type of product selected for the positioning exercise is lipstick; the specific brand selected is M.A.C cosmetics owned by Estlee Lauder Corporation. It is noted that â€Å"lipstick† is a product description and is not owed but the company thus demonstrating M.A.C is one brand corporation. To determine if M.A.C has a strong market positioning within the women’s cosmetic industry particularly with their lipstick product both secondary research (trade publications) and individual â€Å"depth† interviews were conduct (see Appendix A ), and will be used for evaluation and conclusion. 3.0 Analysis The tools/models used for determining M.A.C’s market position were T.C.B & IDU models. The T-C-B model was used as a baseline for a serious of questions to guide a particular set of respondents that M.A.C caters for and is aiming to achieve a strong market position in this select category. 3.1 T-C-B 3.1.1 The Target Customer (T) Positioning The primary target demographic for any brand of lipstick is female. The types of consumers that are interested in bold colour selection, wanting to feel sexy and fashionable and want a lipstick that fit into their own personal style are M.A.C’s target audience. Thus the respondents used for this analysis are young fashionable conscious individual who seeking a look without compromising on the fashion trends. 3.1.2 The Category need (C) Positioning There are many needs that the product lipstick needs to satisfy to the consumer. The general needs that all lipstick must fill are coverage or â€Å"staying power† and hydration (lips not drying out) this was concluded form appendix A. The needs that M.A.C lipstick specifically fills can be divided into physical needs and the emotional needs. The most important physical needs as identify by â€Å"in-depth interviews† were a good range of colours and appealing packaging. The most important emotional needs stated through in depth interviews were the social and individual needs. 3.1.3 Benefits (B) Positioning To conclude that the following Key benefits were important to M.A.C target audience and the company and fill the category needs were drawn from the various responses from the in-depth interviews. These benefits are a â€Å"way in† to increase and maintain the target market (T). M.A.C fills the physical need being the large range of colours of lipstick by having the largest range of lipstick colours with 136 shades in their permanent collection not including the releases of new limited every few week. Compare to Bobbi Brown have only 36 shades in their permanent collection and Chanel which has 67 shades this was discovered through secondary research and by confirming this with in-depth interviews.When comparing the pictures of various packaging of different brands of lipstick in the in-depth interviews stimuli used to help identify benefits of the lipstick category to understand the various competing it was concluded that M.A.C packaging as describe by the respondents as simple , plastic/glass, eye-catching, chic, stylish and high product. Social needs is satisfied by belonging to a group. M.A.C associates itself with fashion, prestige beauty and youth culture and markets their product through testimonials and word of mouth via fashion shows and celebrities. Consumers who use M.A.C lipstick are â€Å"automatically† introduced to the M.A.C culture and their social need is satisfied. The need of individual is the biggest focus of M.A.C lipstick. An individual may have a need for self-expression and this is expressed by fashion and style. M.A.C realised that it could satisfy this need by simple product packaging made of plastic or glass; products have straight forward names and trend setting colours. 3.2 I-D-U Analysis 3.2.1 Central versus differentiated benefit positioning M.A.C lipstick adopts differentiated positioning on at least one important benefit. For instance M.A.C is functionally different bright range of colours and its target user is â€Å"individualists who express through fashion†. Rather than central positioning as the women’s industry is so competitive and to be successful M.A.C lipstick positioning will deliver better results for the corporation. As M.A.C lipstick is not seen as the consumer as â€Å"best of its kind† through in-depth interviews. 3.2.2 Emphasized benefit: Instinctual, archetypal, emotional or rational The benefit to be emphasized as the key benefit of M.A.C lipstick is the large range of colours to select from. This is emphasized as an both a functional benefit and emotional benefit proposition and uses type 2 of emotion. As M.A.C lipstick uses the strong appeal of being fashionable and sexy with a large range of colours to choose from as a transformational positive ending motivating emotion as evidence by the in-depth interviews. 3.2.3 Entry-tickets benefits The benefits what the consumer expects for M.A.C is to have a large range of colour for being a lipstick product category. However the consumers of M.A.C lipstick are told that M.A.C lipstick have the biggest range of colours through the professional make-up artist as employees through the M.A.C social network (twitter, Facebook) It was concluded that M.A.C lip colour range is the key benefit that make M.A.C should focus on promoting to the target consumer as it is the closes to the â€Å"ideal brand in that benefit when comparing 5 other brands. M.A.C clear delivery of the range of lip colours and their uniqueness set them apart from other brand. 4.0 Positioning Statement & Target audience 4.1 Positioning statement Determine the positioning statement for M.A.C from the TCB and IDU analysis the findings from the brand analysis are the following; The competitors of M.A.C are not just the leaders in women’s cosmetics lipstick but range from all companies that have a stake in the cosmetics industry. A perceptual map was devised from the in-depth interviews for an easy diagram showed all the competitors. (Appendix) These are all the competitors that must be taken into consideration when developing the positioning statement. Using the Rossiter-Percy-Bellman Grid it is establish that the product is acceptable in the low involvement, transformational sector this was further confirmed with the in-depth interviews. The attribute that were important to the consumers when evaluating the product of women’s lipstick these were discovered as; fashionable, sexy, range of colours, smoothness, staying power and hydration these where then rank or delivery and uniqueness by the top 5 main competitors and no-brand as all the other competitors see appendix B and C. Based on the IDU analysis and consumer research see appendix A, B &C it was determined how each competitor is positioned in the vision of the consumer. The top two main competitors of M.A.C were to be considered as Chanel and Bobbi Brown based on both higher end pricing and a large colour option pallet and are to be consider the leaders in the women’s cosmetics:- lipstick industry. So M.A.C needs to offer the consumer something very unique in the positioning statement to have brand differentiation to increase and maintain the target market. The various factors that distinguish the M.A.C consumer and their lifestyle, their purchase motivations and their different attributes that are important to them were concluded from the research (Appendix A). The positioning statement:- M.A.C is the women’s cosmetic brand that provides consumers lipstick to women who are 18-30 and belongs to the socioeconomic class of middle-high (T), M.A.C lipstick satisfies the need of self-expression in every women to be fashion forward and be accepted in the M.A.C culture (C) M.A.C’s benefit intention is to have the largest selection of lip colours, the most fashion forward of its kind in the industry and be artistic and creative for all women. (B) M.A.C needs to constantly work on their positioning statement to increase their brand market share via T-C-B & I-D-U brand analysis by doing this the company can always increase the perceived delivery of the M.A.C lipstick. 4.2 Target audience The target audience should be broadly described as 18-35 female in the middle-high social economic class. These are the follow segments that M.A.C is enter in with their differentiation marketing. M.A.C divides the market of their lipstick product into demographic segmentation being female and a specific age group because over 90% of their users belong in this specific category. However the product is not limited to this demographic segmentation. M.A.C furthermore divides the market on the basis of personality being fashion forward, artistic and creative which is a form of psychographic segmentation. The buying situations in which target market purchase M.A.C lipstick (that were discovered form in-depth interviews) where; outlets both direct through online shopping and in-store department store (David Jones), benefits sought as in the large colour range M.A.C product provides.. The consumers of M.A.C lipstick are brand loyals, however they can be routinized favourable brand switchers as well this is due to the positioning of M.A.C lipstick in the Rossiter-Percy-Bellman grid.