Media Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media Relations - Essay Example Now that knowledge of how the Internet is used in the business of public relations is considered an entry-level skill, what will future PR professionals need to develop their careers Charles Fremes, president and CEO of Edelman Public Relations (Canada), offered the following in an article for Strategy Magazine. An advertising pal of mine was complaining over lunch recently about how the list in the paper of key advisers to ONEX, Canadian Airlines, and Air Canada included lots of public relations people, lots of lawyers and lobbyists, "but not one ad guy. " He went on to lament that as little as 5 years ago, the CEO would have lunch with the president of his advertising agency at least once a month, just to gain another perspective on his competition and his business. "Today, " he said, "he's having lunch with the PR guy or gal. " The role of the public relations practitioner in the United Kingdom business has changed dramatically over the past 5 years. This change has been driven by most of the same external drivers that have affected every aspect of our lives. The ones that have had the most impact on the public relations discipline are: the pace and application of new technology, including the "virtual" workplace, the increased speed of information transference, teleconferencing, satellite media tours, and the arrival of new media, including the Internet, specialty channels, and e-commerce; the globalization of business and its impact on competitiveness; the restructuring of corporations and governments and its impact on employees, services, and consumers; and the rediscovery of the importance of customer service. Report into the current state of the U.K. job market for graduates In the early 1990s getting a job any time is difficult. When time was bad and companies were downsizing, or even worse, going out of business, finding a job in PR was a Promethean task. Well, 8 years later the task is not quite Promethean; let's just call it formidable. Much has changed in public relations in this short time span. Corporations that spent huge sums on advertising have redirected their spending and turned to public relations as a potent promotion and marketing medium. Many advertising agency groups have purchased public relations counsel firms, and the largest firms have gone global in a big way. In 1993, I wrote that Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, then the sixth-largest PR firm in the world, employed 500 people. In 2001, Edelman is still the sixth-largest firm worldwide and employs more than 1,000 in the United States alone and 2,000 worldwide. Another major development is the relationship of high tech and PR. Most of the top firms have substantial high-tech divisions, and today, there are many firms whose practice is exclusively in this area. An article in the booklet of the Council of Public Relations Firms, A Student's Guide to Public Relations Education, notes that the new century marks the golden age of public relations. Professionals are employed at an estimated 6,000 PR counseling firms, thousands

Write about short fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Write about short fiction - Essay Example In many ways, this adds to the subject of self-identity echoed by other writers as well. The story is written by Jhumpa Lahiri who is an Indian American author. She has been an experience writer from debut short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies and won the 2000 Pulitzer Fiction Prize. Her reputation and experience has not been hidden in her work of Hell-Heaven as a short story. Hell-Heaven talks about the struggles of living in the America with a Bengali culture. The struggle is shown in this short story from the characters Pranab Kaku and Usha. They both make decisions that make them prefer one culture over the other. Jhumpa Lahiri in her book Hell-Heaven explores geographies of intimacy and the manner in which various spaces control intimacies, re-form intergenerational intimacies and disrupt traditional narratives of intimacy. The author specifically focuses on second-generation immigrants of Bengali, detailing the unique challenges or experiences they encounter from a banished sense of the â€Å"familiar† intimacy of their motherland and the similar narratives of advances with which their fathers struggled. The woman in this short story is fundamentally responsible for depicting the boundaries of the old and new geographies of intimacy. This is a story that looks at simple human emotions like loneliness, jealousy, love and describes how various individuals change drastically over time due to geographical. The title is taken from this paragraph from the story Hell-Heaven: â€Å"He used to be so different. I don’t understand how a person can change so suddenly it’s just hel l-heaven† (p, 112). In Hell-Heaven, Pranab Chakraborty, is an MIT graduate student, Boston is considering returning to his motherland in Calcutta because of being homesickness. Through this thought, one can argue that despite the many privileges that these individuals in the Diaspora may have,

International Trade and Finance Speech Essay Example for Free

International Trade and Finance Speech Essay This speech delivered by the Speaker of the House to a group of reporters surrounding the topics of international trade, foreign exchange rates, import surplus and how they each impact different constituencies. It will also explain why the government would not be able to restrict importation of goods from China, or if wanted to impose tariffs. The Economy and international Trade The United States was once the highest exporter in all the world. Today, the United States has a negative balance of trade, because of the fact that we now import more goods than we export goods. An example of an import would be oil. The oil that we have imported impacts our businesses and our consumers by making gasoline and other oil derivatives more expensive. This makes prices increase because consumers will have to pay for goods from the fact that the cost of driving will go up. This is a major reason why the government is trying to encourage the development of alternate forms of energy such as coal or natural gas. The goods that the United States imports are not always negative. American consumers have benefited greatly from the imports such as electronics or apparel that is made mostly in Asia. The cost of production for these goods are lower in China and most other Asian countries, making it much cheaper for Americans to buy these types of goods that are being manufactured overseas. The reality of international trade is that production will naturally shift to places where goods can be manufactured more efficiently and at a lower price. What the United States has to focus on is developing new technologies and products of higher quality. With a focus based on innovation and quality instead of labor costs. International trade has an impact on the country’s GDP, the financial markets, and importantly university students. The GDP of the United States becomes stronger when we export goods more than we import goods. If negative trade balances become consistent it can lead to deficits, which will in turn cause the government to borrow more. If the government borrows more this will have an impact on the financial markets which could in time make it more costly for the United States to cover all its deficits. We need to promote our exports in order to help the GDP and make our country more impressive to investors. A healthier economy will create enough employment for those needed, especially university graduates that will be trained for the field. The quotas and tariffs regarding the government’s choices has a direct impact on our trade and the relations that we have with other countries. Reducing tariffs and participating in free trade agreements helps our export businesses. This is a reason why our government has in the past worked for establishing trade agreements with countries as South Korea, Panama, and Colombia. When a free trade agreement takes place the trading partners will erase their quotas or tariffs against products from America, this makes it easier for us to send our products to those countries. Trade is a two way engagement, where both are finding a way to benefit, with consumers benefiting as well and our exports getting higher. Foreign exchange rates are the rates of one type of currency converted to another. Such as the rate for exchange between American dollars and Japan’s Yen which is 76 Yen per dollar. Some currencies are fixed with others. The rates of floating currency is determined by the supply and demand. An example is if the European demand for the dollar increases, the supply and demand relationship between them will cause the price to increase of the dollar in relation to the euro. There are many factors that affect exchange rates that include interest rates, unemployment, political instability, inflation, and GDP. When our GDP becomes higher and our exports become level with our imports, the stronger our currency will be and we will have a better overall financial health. There are some people that believe in protectionist policies that include restricting goods that are coming in from China and several other countries, including imposing tariffs that would increase costs for purchasing of goods in the United States. This kind of policy would be populist and fueled with the good intentions of trying to protect our American jobs, its actual consequences would be an elevating trade war with an opposite effect. History proves that when governments have attempted to restrict trade and enforced protectionist measures, other countries will attempt to retaliate and adopt similar policies. An example is the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which broke records by increasing tariffs on 25,000 goods which had an end effect of reducing imports and exports by 50% as trade partners began with similar style tariffs. This will translate into more unemployment as companies that will export their goods will see a drastic demand drop. Restricting imports from China woul d bring drastic measures from the Chinese government, and our companies would struggle as they would be unable to export goods to that part of the world. References Colander, D. C. (2010). Macroeconomics (8th Ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin International Trade, ISSN 0020-7810, 2011, Volume 45, Issue 1, p. 79 The Journal of Economics, ISSN 0895-3309, 2007, Volume 21, Issue 3, p. 105 Foreign Policy, ISSN 0015-7228, 11/2003, Issue 139, p. 20 The American Foreign Trade, ISSN 0002-8282, 12/1928, Volume 18, Issue 4, pp. 706 713

Waitroses Brand Expansion

Waitroses Brand Expansion In 2000, Waitrose purchased 11 stores from rival Somerfield. During 2004, in order for Morrisons to meet competition regulations following its acquisition of Safeway, Morrisons had to sell 52 of the Safeway stores. The first batch of 19 stores were sold to Waitrose. In August 2005 Waitrose purchased a further five former Safeway stores from Morrisons. This took the firm as far north as Durham (now closed), fitting with its long term strategy to evolve into a national retailer. In December 2005, Waitrose also bought another store at Biggin Hill, south east London, from Morrisons. In March 2006, Waitrose announced the purchase of five additional branches, including two branches in Edinburgh, situated in Comely Bank and Morningside. The other three locations included Balham in South West London, Barbican in the City of London and Buxton in Derbyshire. In July 2006, Waitrose announced it had purchased another six stores from Morrisons and also a former Safeway regional distribution centre in Aylesford, Kent expanding Waitrose to 182 stores. The six stores which were rebranded into Waitrose are located at Hexham in Northumberland, Eastbourne in East Sussex, Formby in Merseyside, Parkstone in Poole, Dorset, Lymington in Hampshire and Portswood in Southampton, Hampshire. Since Morrisons began selling Safeway stores in order to meet competition regulations, Waitrose had purchased 31 stores from Morrisons since 2000 and 16 from Somerfield. In 2007 four new Waitrose branches opened, the first of which opened in Harborne in Birmingham. This was followed by Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester in July. The company also revealed plans to extend and refurbish a number of branches. During 2007, Waitrose opened branches across the United Kingdom including Ampthill, Bedfordshire, replacing a Budgens store in September, a second Waitrose branch in the South at College Town, Sandhurst, Berkshire in November and also a newly built branch in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. In March 2008, three branches were purchased from Budgens, in Buckingham, Bayswater, in West London. The same year, branches opened in Cardiff (Pontprennau), Crewkerne, Kenilworth, Newcastle upon Tyne, White City (Westfield London), Chiswick, Clapham, Edgware Road (the latter three purchased from Woolworths) and Nottingham. A Waitrose store in Banstead was destroyed by fire in December 2008. In June 2008, Waitrose announced the acquisition of four Woolworths store sites for conversion to Waitrose branches in Chiswick, Battersea (Clapham Junction), Edgware Road (Marylebone) and Chapel Market, Islington. All these stores are now trading. In January 2009, Waitrose announced that they had acquired 13 sites from The Co-operative Group to be converted into Waitrose branches in Bridport, Dorset; Headington, Oxfordshire; Haslemere, Surrey; Saxmundham, Suffolk; Ponteland, Northumberland, Croydon, Surrey; Upminster, Essex; Stamford, Lincolnshire; Holsworthy, Devon; Alcester, Warwickshire; Torquay, Devon; Caldicot, Monmouthshire/Sir Fynwy; Leigh-on-Sea, Essex; as well as building another nine branches to make a total of 22 new branches. On 12 November 2009, Waitrose opened a new branch on Byres Road in Glasgow. This is after having purchased the preceding Somerfield store in this location. This is the first Waitrose branch situated in Glasgow. Also, a former Somerfield store in Stamford opened in June 2009. Waitrose cited it was the largest expansion in the history of the company, by adding 4,000 partners and increasing to around 220 supermarkets. Waitrose has entered into a licensing agreement with Spinneys of Dubai, United Arab Emirates to open three purpose-built branches, of which the first opened in the Dubai Mall in October 2008. Spinneys will convert 20 of their own stores to the Waitrose format by 2010. The company has a long term goal of opening 400 branches across the UK by 2017 and doubling its revenue to  £8bn by 2016. Recent developments: Waitrose is involved in a new scheme to operate food halls in key stores of sister chain John Lewis. The stores are officially branded as John Lewis Food Hall and use of the Waitrose brand is limited, but the stores do carry some Waitrose own-brand product lines. The staff uniform is also different to that of Waitrose. The first John Lewis Food Hall opened at the flagship London Oxford Street department store in October 2007; a second opened at the Bluewater branch in August 2009. Also in early 2009, following a fire which destroyed a Waitrose main store in Banstead, Surrey, Waitrose took up temporary residence in the towns former Woolworths store, vacated as a result of Woolworths collapse. The store was smaller than the damaged site but allowed Waitrose to maintain its presence in the area until the rebuilt main store re-opened on 26 November 2009. In April 2009, Waitrose announced a franchise deal with Welcome Break (a motorway service area operator). The two Waitrose stores which are the smallest stores in the partnership opened at Welcome Break services in Oxford and South Mimms on 1 and 15 May 2009 respectively. In Autumn 2009, Waitrose announced plans to expand its presence in the convenience store sector after successful trials of the format. These stores are smaller than the main Waitrose stores but allow the chain to retail a selection of keynote ranges in areas where there is not a suitable site for a large Waitrose supermarket. The firm also plans to expand on its presence at Welcome Break service stations. The firm has also signed a deal with Alliance Boots which will see Boots operating branded pharmacies and retailing health and beauty products through Waitrose stores; in return Boots stores will sell Waitrose food products.

Dying To Be Beautiful :: essays research papers

â€Å"Dying† to be Beautiful   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beautiful or else --a message often presented in society, is often detrimental to the American public. The desire to be beautiful has received more attention by blinding the public with images of the â€Å"beautiful people.† The extent of the message the media portrays to our society is more harmful than beneficial to the average person. The images depict the common person as unattractive which causes many to alter their figure to attain the media’s vision of beauty. Unfortunately, these unrealistic pictures mostly affect self-conscious adolescents who are surrounded by images of what the media considers beautiful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each day, adolescents are exposed to magazines with models who appear extremely emaciated along with men and women who have a perfect, muscular physique. These Calista Flockhart- and Arnold Schwarzenegger-like clones are not representatives of normal, everyday people, so they should not be considered images of beauty. However, many young adults look up to these fake role models and imitate their appearance. Due to the impact that celebrities have on individuals from the younger generations, people now find themselves bombarded by young Brittany Spears â€Å"wannabes† wearing tiny mini skirts and naval-bearing shirts. Seventeen magazine even has a ludicrous section on how to look like a favorite celebrity; it includes ideas as to what clothes to wear and what kind of makeup should be used. The media’s influence is driven by the spending power of the younger generation and has purposefully created a superficial generation. Many teenagers and adults have gone to extremes to attain the best, often deadly, appearance possible. Millions of misguided people, including celebrities, have died due to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa; they are willing to risk their job, or their life to attain the image the media expects. In 1983, Karen Carpenter, the promising lead singer of The Carpenters, died of heart failure due to anorexia nervosa, which can be attributed to the pressure she received from the media. Unfortunately, Karen Carpenter’s story is not uncommon; many teenagers starve themselves due to self-image problems brought on by the media. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are just two reasons why the images the media portrays is disastrous to the American public. Likewise, to gain the Arnold Schwarzenegger image, the use of steroids has also increased among young adults resulting in health problems. Using steroids is a deadly risk since it can cause serious nerve and hormonal damage and affects the user’s ability to control his temper. Dying To Be Beautiful :: essays research papers â€Å"Dying† to be Beautiful   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beautiful or else --a message often presented in society, is often detrimental to the American public. The desire to be beautiful has received more attention by blinding the public with images of the â€Å"beautiful people.† The extent of the message the media portrays to our society is more harmful than beneficial to the average person. The images depict the common person as unattractive which causes many to alter their figure to attain the media’s vision of beauty. Unfortunately, these unrealistic pictures mostly affect self-conscious adolescents who are surrounded by images of what the media considers beautiful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each day, adolescents are exposed to magazines with models who appear extremely emaciated along with men and women who have a perfect, muscular physique. These Calista Flockhart- and Arnold Schwarzenegger-like clones are not representatives of normal, everyday people, so they should not be considered images of beauty. However, many young adults look up to these fake role models and imitate their appearance. Due to the impact that celebrities have on individuals from the younger generations, people now find themselves bombarded by young Brittany Spears â€Å"wannabes† wearing tiny mini skirts and naval-bearing shirts. Seventeen magazine even has a ludicrous section on how to look like a favorite celebrity; it includes ideas as to what clothes to wear and what kind of makeup should be used. The media’s influence is driven by the spending power of the younger generation and has purposefully created a superficial generation. Many teenagers and adults have gone to extremes to attain the best, often deadly, appearance possible. Millions of misguided people, including celebrities, have died due to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa; they are willing to risk their job, or their life to attain the image the media expects. In 1983, Karen Carpenter, the promising lead singer of The Carpenters, died of heart failure due to anorexia nervosa, which can be attributed to the pressure she received from the media. Unfortunately, Karen Carpenter’s story is not uncommon; many teenagers starve themselves due to self-image problems brought on by the media. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are just two reasons why the images the media portrays is disastrous to the American public. Likewise, to gain the Arnold Schwarzenegger image, the use of steroids has also increased among young adults resulting in health problems. Using steroids is a deadly risk since it can cause serious nerve and hormonal damage and affects the user’s ability to control his temper.

Cults Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word cult is defined as an alternative religion. Most cults are started because someone doesn’t like the way the world is, and feels that his/her church isn’t doing anything to make it better, so they leave and create what they believe to be the perfect religion. Then this person strives to make others believe as they do so they will join (Miller, 1991, p. 15). There are somewhere around 3,000 to 5,000 of these cults throughout the United States, but only 75 to 100 are documented (Miller, 1991, p. 15-16). Satanism is the oldest form of such cults. A few other commonly known cults are Reverend Jim Jones and the People Temple, Heavens Gate, and Charles Manson and the Family. In the early 20th century, Allistar Crowly, AKA â€Å"The Black Pope†, started modern Satanism. It is said that Anton Lavey brought Satanism to the United States. Anton believed that he was the reincarnation of the â€Å"Black Pope†. He set his church up in San Francisco in 1966. Within one year Anton’s cult grew to more than 200,000 members (Miller, 1991, p. 28-29). Anton then went to Hollywood to help make movies about Satanism. He succeeded in doing so and was involved with the making of many movies including Rosmary’s Baby (Miller, 1991, p. 29). During this time Lavey and his assistant Michael Aquins wrote The Satanic Bible, which instantly became a best seller. The Satanic Bible told of the main concepts of Satanism. Basically, it is the reverse of Christianity. The main idea projected is â€Å"Do what thou will† (Miller, 1991, p. 31). One of the peculiar rituals of Satanist is the sacrifice of a newborn child. They believe that the newborn has a special power, and if they sacrifice the baby immediately after birth, that its power will go into the coven (Miller 1991, p. 33).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reverend Jim Jones was the leader of The Peoples Temple. Jim thought of himself as the reincarnation of Jesus and Lenin. His vision of world domination was nuclear war, and the only cities that would survive are Ukiah, California and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Because of this belief, he moved his cult to Ukiah and awaited the war (Cults R Us, 2000, September 27, p. 1). After awhile he grew tired of waiting for what he claimed would be â€Å"WW 3†, so he relocated his church to San Francisco. There he practiced a ritual know as â€Å"White Nights†. In this ritual members prepare... ...ly where to go first. Manson’s first victim was Terry Melcher. Several members of â€Å"The Family† went to his house and killed him. When they were finished they wrote â€Å"POLITICAL PIGGY† on a wall to make it look like the Black Panthers had committed the murder. The next victim was Cielo Drive. Once again several members of â€Å"The Family† went to her house and killed her. They killed five other people. One of the members wanted to cut a baby from the stomach of a pregnant woman they had killed and take it to Charles. She also thought about cutting out the baby’s heart and eating it (Cults R Us, 2000, p. 1). Manson’s antics were put to an end one day while â€Å"The Family† was out in the desert riding dun buggies where marshals arrested Charles and other members of the Cult (Cults R Us, 2000, p. 1). Statistics have shown that most Satanist lack self-confidence. They enter the religion because of the false sense of power and security it offers. Although   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cults R Us (2000, September 27) [online] Available: www.mayhem.net/crime/cults1/html 2. Miller, M (1990). Coping With Cults. Rosen Publishing Group, INC. New York.

Devise a Marketing Strategy to present to the Marketing Director Essay

In this case study, I have been given a number of roles and my task is to consider and provide appropriate answers in the relevant business context where you apply learning from my course of study so far and my own work experiences. Question 1 I am the supervisor in the marketing department and I believe that there is scope for gaining more sales in the standardised sector of the market because of quality differences between my product and those of larger competitors. Devise a Marketing Strategy to present to the Marketing Director designed to achieve this objective Corporate Objectives The Furniture Company, based in a small town in Lancashire, develops, manufactures and markets quality furniture. The firm has a very good reputation throughout the entire region for all its products. The Furniture Company’s Supervisor of the Marketing Department is at present pursuing a strategy to grow its market share in the standardised section of the market because of quality differences between their product and those of larger companies. Marketing Audit Internal Product – High quality standardised products targeted at C1/C2 segments. Considered to be higher quality than those of larger competitors. The firm has a very good reputation for quality products. Pricing -Currently sold to up market retail outlets and on all sales are there is a very high profit margin on a relatively low turnover. Prices are higher than for similar type products in the large retail outlets due to economies of scale in purchasing. Place – Customers mainly consist C1/C2 for the standardised furniture. Potential customers visit the company’s display showroom, fully manned by an accounts clerk, a salesperson, both of whom are full-time and two part-time salespersons at weekend. Promotion – Very little advertising is done. Current advertising is mainly done via local press, and via direct mail all aimed locally. Advertising spend tends to be about 3% of revenue, with higher marketing spend within peak months. External Social – Since consumer trends are always changing, as are several of the products. With the traditional furniture, trends have small effect on sales. Economic – Figures to be confirmed. There is a spend of over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½750,000 within East Lancashire in the furniture market. The predicted growth for next year is 2% due to current consumer spend (interest rate currently stands at XX, and inflation 2.6%). Competitive – The Furniture Company faces many competitors, on its retail side are many, and on local scale there are approximately 10 similar sized companies, although, the firm has a very good reputation throughout the entire region for all its products. Customer Audit Standardised products are aimed at C1/C2 segments. The competitions products were viewed as inferior to those of The Furniture Company, due to highly skilled craftsmanship. SWOT Analysis Strengths * Availability, either via local showroom, situated just off motorway or via retail outlet * Access, Full showroom with manned staff * Established, very good reputation throughout the region * Established up market retail outlet supplier * Higher quality than those of larger competitors * Innovation, constantly designing new furniture for changing market Weaknesses * Prices are slightly higher than for similar type products Opportunities * Market Development * Selling to mid-market retail outlets Nationwide * Expanding product into Europe & worldwide Threats * Prices are higher than for similar type products in the large retail outlets * Unable to keep up with supplier demand Marketing Objectives and Strategies Market Development Ansoff’s Matrix is a well-known Marketing Tool for deciding upon strategies for growth. First published in the Harvard Business Review (1957) in an article called Strategies for Diversification (see below example). Market Penetration By marketing our existing products to our existing customers, thus increasing revenue, by promoting the product, repositioning the brand. The aim is to encourage people to switch from other furniture manufacturers. Market Development Marketing the product in a new market/target audience. By introducing the product into a new region and also exporting the product. Market Extension/Product Development Selling the existing standard furniture into new markets, nationwide and worldwide, as the product already has a strong marketing competence. Diversification Not required Example of The Ansoff Matrix Product Life Cycle (see diagram below) Launch/Introduction – The product is introduced into new markets and heavily promoted to create awareness. High costs. Due to success in the current markets, risk is fairly low. Growth – Higher volume of sales enables The Furniture Company to benefit from economies of scale. Products become more profitable as sales rise and costs fall. Advertising spend is still high and focuses on building upon a brand name, ready for the maturity and decline stage to introduce new furniture after the brand has been established. Maturity – Sales grow at a decreasing rate and then stabilise. Brand awareness is crucial in continuing success. The company retains its share of the market by capturing sales from weaker rivals by ensuring consistently quality furniture. Decline – At this point there is a downturn in the market for this particular product. Sales and profit decline. New products are introduced or consumer tastes have changed. Product can be removed from the market at this stage and replaced by new furniture or profits can be improved by reducing marketing spend and cost cutting. Elimination/Withdrawal (or extension) When faced with decline in sales, the company will need to decide whether the decline is Temporary, Terminal and Irreversible or Capable of being reversed by an adjustment in the marketing mix Extension To rejuvenate the product to prolong its life by changing the product, the brand, the way it is promoted or the distribution channel. Question 2 As supervisor in the marketing department one of my roles is to devise expansion strategies as question 1. I believe, however, that the high quality hand crafted furniture could sell to a national and ultimately international market especially if at some future point the U.K. joins the single currency. At present these products sell to a regional market and I have already put this idea to the Marketing Director and received a positive response to the extent that he wants you to do a presentation to the full board of Directors on this idea Devise a promotional campaign to be presented to the Board that would reach a national market for the higher quality products. Marketing is defined as the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying the requirements of customer profitably. Product Introduce the standardised range and also high quality furniture into mid-market and up-market retail outlets nationwide. The standardised range is higher quality than those of competitors. The handcrafted furniture provides high quality furniture aimed at the higher end of the market. Price Cost for the standardised product is slightly higher than its competitors. This can stand being higher due being higher quality than the products of competitors. Place The standardised products and the high quality furniture both sell currently to larger retail outlets and also to individual order. Introduction of the furniture into a national market and also international market. Promotion Offer trials to nationwide retail outlets, both mid-market and up-market with the relevant products, with trial offers. Pay for advertising spend to promote the product within the area via local media, and also promote product and brand via in-store advertising and display stands. Brand awareness is very important at this stage. The Promotional Plan * Description of products available * A description of target audience * Identification of the price * Information on where the product will be sold * Methods to be used o Posters – placed at locations in store and places frequented by your target audience o Press Release – Informing of the product to be selling locally o Local Newspaper Advertising – Advertising within locality using established media within the area promoting brand and product o Radio Advertising – Informing of product and brand launch, aimed at prime time listening, selecting stations geared to 35+ and homeowner audience. Question 3 I am employed as the supervisor in the Personnel Department and am responsible for the overseeing of the day-to-day tasks of the department. I am currently studying for the Institute of Personnel Management qualification and have become more familiar with the concept of human resources. Present a paper to the Personnel director outlining the benefits of introducing a HRM approach to the management of people and in particular how this would improve both productivity and motivation. Motivation (Definition) †¦ a set of processes concerned with the force that energises behaviour and directs it towards attaining some goal. A strategic, coherent and comprehensive approach to the management and development of the organisations human resources in which every aspect of that approach is wholly integrated with the overall management of the organisation. HRM is essentially an ideology, quote M. Armstrong, taken from Handbook of Human Resource Management, Kogan Page, 1999. Human resources management activities relate to employees pay, welfare, conditions of employment and training. HRM is based on four principles * Employees must be seen as valued assets in which to invest. It is human capability and commitment, which, in the final analysis, distinguishes successful organisations from the rest, Storey. * HRM is of strategic importance and, therefore, needs to be considered by top management in the formulation of the corporate plan. * Commitment not compliance. The key levers (the development of human resources; evaluation of performance and the rewarding of it) are to be used to seek not merely compliance but commitment. In other words, employees should not be forced to work grudgingly, but by obtaining their wholehearted commitment * Strategic implications of HRM. HRM is therefore, seen to have long-term implications and be integral to the core performance of the business. It must be the intimate concern of the line managers. Line managers have the responsibility of managing their staff. The role of personnel function is to enable the line managers to fulfil their HRM responsibilities effectively. Soft and Hard Approach to HRM The soft approach can be closer than the traditional personnel approach. Soft HRM is an integrated strategic function that is concerned with nurturing people because they are human beings whose feelings should be considered and, developing this valuable resource is the best way to achieve results. The Hard approach is based on the belief that human resources are the key assets, with emphasis placed on * Getting more out of people * Using them in a more productive way The aims of HRM are the same whether hard or soft and as follows * Enable management to achieve organisational objectives via its workforce * Enable people to utilise their full potential * Foster commitment * Integrate human resources policies with business plans * Establish an environment to unleash the creativity and energy of the workforce * Encourage flexibility in the interests of an organisation that is able to adapt to the environment and achieve excellence The main areas of management activity associated with the HRM philosophy * Organisation, design and effectiveness especially in relation to teamwork, communications, customer service and change management * Resources providing human resources required by means of recruitment, retention and training programmes. * Performance management improving performance by means of appraisal * Reward management for example, linking pay to performance * Motivation redesigning jobs and devising rewards to motivate employees * Commitment The integration of the needs of the individual with those of the organisation * Employee Relations Policies and procedures to encourage cooperation to the mutual benefit to all * Flexibility by means of mulitskilling redesigning jobs and new patterns of work * Quality as a way of life * Culture management influencing behaviour and thereby attitudes by means of resourcing, performance management and reward strategies Leadership and Motivation In the HRM school, Leadership should be democratic rather than authoritarian, managers should consult employees on matters that affect them, important in gaining respect of both the manager and the company, motivation rewards of social and psychological, not just financial. Motivation is defined as in influence that cases people (employees) to want to behave in a certain way, and combined with ability can result in performance. The motivated worker will be keen to work, take pride in their work, will not display negative attitude towards the company, display high level of commitment and get satisfaction out of work, benefiting the organisation with higher productivity levels, lower labour turnover, lower absenteeism, improve quality with less waste, greater willingness to accept change, willingness to contribute ideas and take on additional responsibility, allowing the company to overall reap the benefits of even greater financial gain. In production department, for example, possible financial reward could be brought into place looking at Hertzberg’s Hygiene factors of Pay and Benefits, Working Conditions, Company Policy, Status, Job Security, Supervision, Office and Personal Lift all set to motivate Achievement, Recognition, Job Interest, Responsibility and ultimately Advancement. HRM could look at setting up motivating factors with the sales department by setting targets based on achieving sales to new retailers nationwide with additional financial gain based on and over achieving rewards. The key concepts to adapting a HRM approach to the company would provide the following Competition advantage – Aspects of the company that give it an advantage over its rivals Human Resource Management – A strategic, coherent and comprehensive approach to the management and development of the company’s human resources Personnel Management – Management/administration of recruitment, welfare and training of the employees McGregors Theory x and Y (1960) McGregors Theory X and Y (1960) about managerial behaviour had a profound effect on management thinking and practice. His Theory Y principles featured in management training courses for a decade or more. They influenced the design and implementation of personnel policies and practices. The legacy today permeates the axioms of participative and total quality management and the continued practice of staff appraisal. McGregor defined assumptions that he felt underpinned the practices and stances of managers in relation to employees. These were evident from their conversations and actions. Two sets of propositions were dubbed Theory X and Y. He was saying that – what managers said or showed in their behaviour revealed their theories-in-use. Their predisposition led managers to pursue particular kinds of policies and relationships with employees. McGregor’s Theory Y was interpreted and promoted as a one-best-way, i.e. Y is the best. Managers or aspects of their behaviour became labelled as Theory X, the bad stereotype and Theory Y – the good. McGregor ideas were much informed by Maslow’s need satisfaction model of motivation. Needs provide the driving force motivating behaviour and general orientation. Maslow’s ideas suggested that worker dissatisfaction with work was due to poor job design, managerial behaviour and too few opportunities for job satisfaction. On the basis of these ideas about drives – Maslow suggested a classification of needs related to the development of the person – lower level needs giving way developmentally to higher order needs. Thus a hierarchy is suggested although not claimed by Maslow. Example of Maslows Hieratchy Benefits If we introduced a HRM approach to the company ultimately employees at all levels will feel motivated and productive as quoted by carrot & stick philosophy acceptance, and produce the most productivity. Employees will feel more worthy with a much easier line of communication with everyone feeling a valuable part of the organisation. The company needs to introduce a leadership mentality rather than management leadership and nurturer a new leadership approach. At present the organisation’s communications systems are mostly paper and telephone based Present a discussion document to the Personnel director explaining the concept of this electronic office, including explanation of the relevant technologies and their potential benefits You should also point out any potential drawbacks from this innovation and conclude with an evaluation of whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks or vice versa While predictions of the paperless office have yet to be fully realised, modern business now relies on a vast array of electronic equipment to function efficiently and effectively. The concept of a paperless office is to ensure productivity improvement and to use time more efficiently. At present most of the organisations communications are paper and telephone based. Initially, by utilising e-mail (electronic mail, which is the main use of the internet) the following advantages are gained by replacing paper & telephone communication * Speed of movement and data * Paperless office * Accessible via any modem line * Delivery is faster than snail mail (post, especially useful when dealing overseas) * It overcomes the problems of timezones. The recipient does not have to be there to receive it * Like fax, it is possible to send messages to more than one person * E-mail addresses are portable * It enables users to exchange information with people * The cost is not dependent on the distance travelled * It is cheaper than fax or telephone * Cuts out general chat on the telephone * Less formal than a letter * The message will remain in the recipients e-mail account until it is collected * Can be sent with document or picture attachment * E-mails can be stored until recipient discards information Installing computerised systems with each department will also benefit from enabling all staff to access shared data from different departments computerised filing systems, e.g. access into word documents, spread sheets and other programme files. With transportable laptops, the office can be taken anywhere and even used worldwide, to assist in presentations and retrieving documents on a more global scale. Document Management System Another new form of the Electronic Office is the Document Management System offering solutions from the standalone scanner to a whole enterprise solution. E-Business solution companies analyse and advise on new business solutions. The Document Management System is a small step in the way forward for the paperless office, the benefits of incorporating the system is * Reduce office staff non-productivity rapidly locating folders and documents * Retain corporate knowledge and know where it is * Access paper documents within your business application * Scan your cabinets full of documents to secure them in case of Fire, Flood, Burglary or damage * Enable multiple people access to the same document or folder * Safely secure your documents for archival * Reduce boxes of stored paper * Automatically recognise forms and characters on incoming documents and locate them based on their content * Fax and receive documents directly from your desktop * Establish document privacy Electronic Office Manager It is a Human Resources and Process Management System that focuses on the internal operations of your business. The EOM provides businesses with a computerised Office Manager, with everything defined as a procedure, checklist or form. Job Descriptions become daily â€Å"to do† lists. To help manage time with automated reminders covering everything from training events to holiday management. EOM also provides Electronic Human Resource and Training Departments with employee files, applicant databases, and pre-written and editable employee handbooks and job descriptions. It also includes a system for creating and scheduling training. EOM even helps with financial forecasting and business planning features and point-to-point web navigation and link management. Operative Procedures, HRM, Business Development, Scheduling and Education & Training are all available via EOM programme. Electronic Drawbacks Training and monitoring of training will be required at each stage to ensure competence and understanding of new system. With regular meetings required, and management of the change in system. Staff may be dissatisfied with the paperless office, and reluctant to the change. System failure. Without the adequate after support service and/or training there could be potential problems with system errors, which may result in non-productivity if staff rely on PC’s when there is a breakdown. A recent example pf a paperless office is one department of Glasgow Borough Council, who recently had a computerised system developed solely for the use. Originally, each site manager called into an office each morning to collect information on various sites requiring repair assessment visits (approx 20 throughout the day) followed by a visiting to each site and manual completion of an in-depth form, and followed by manually inputting information on the computer for someone else then to call out to complete the repair work. The Borough Council have now developed a computerised system to enable them to receive the site information via electronic organiser, input the repair requirements, and return information upon completion for repairs to be carried out. Not only did this save much time on paperwork, but also time is more effectively managed by receiving full details of jobs throughout the day, which may be in areas the site manager is already working in.    BIBLIOGRAPHY Jewell Bruce R, An Integrated Approach to Business Studies, Longman, [2000] ISBN 0582 40542 4 Ansoff’s Matrix, www.marketingteacher.com/lessons/lesson_ansoff.html [accessed 31/05/02] How do I market My Inventions, http://www.montanaedu/wwwcxai [accessed 20/05/02] The Electronic Office, www.walters.co.uk/brochure/elecoffice1.htm [accessed 06/06/02] Imaging and Document Management Solutions, www.cabinetng.net/paperlessoffice.htm [accessed 05/06/02]