Marketing communication plan of MyBody Assignment

Marketing communication plan of MyBody - Assignment Example †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 Bibliography †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦15 Executive Summary Introduction MyBody is a growing force in high street premium beauty retail. With a network of 40 stores and growth plans over the next 18 months for a future of 20 more stores, this young and dynamic company is beginning to make its presence known. The purpose of this report is to provide a marketing communication plan for MyBody to show how it will continue to be sustainable in the future. Summary of Strategy and Aims of My Body We would like to create a strong market presence that will include our retail outlets and a stronger marketing presence on the Internet. We currently have 10% of our market and we would like to increase it to 20% which we believe can be done if we add the ability for people to order online. We believe that we can do this withi n the next 18 months if we add services to our website and if we increase our marketing efforts. MyBody Competitive and Brand Positioning Our biggest competitors are Penhaligens, PureBody and Boots. MyBody would be somewhere in the middle of these products because our Unique Selling Proposition would be that we are exclusively selling products for the body to make the skin healthier and the body more supple. We would expect that people who were concerned about their bodies would make a special effort to go to an expert in this field. We would be an expert because we offer these products exclusively and we do not offer other types of products like cosmetics, fragrances, or candles. Marketing and Strategic Objectives for 2011 The following marketing and strategic objectives are recommendations for 2011: 1. Create a stronger online presence using social networking to help existing and future customers know about our products. 2. To educate customers about the products they use and thei r affects on the body. 3. To promote the website online and in the local stores and encourage customers to order online. 4. To promote MyBody using FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIN as sources for social networking support. 5. To create a series of articles about skincare for various trade magazines online and offline. Target Markets and Characteristics Our target markets are women who are baby boomers and who use the Internet and Generation Xers. Both of these have different characteristics that we must be aware of as we are marketing. As an example, Boomers are more interested in staying young and beautiful. Gen Xers want to feel that they are in control. Marketing Communication Plan for My Body Introduction MyBody is a growing force in high street premium beauty retail. With a

The Impact of the Iom Report on Nursing Education Essay Example for Free

The Impact of the Iom Report on Nursing Education Essay The Impact of the IOM report on nursing education With an estimated 64 million people having seen the Institute of Medicine’s reccomendations on the future of nursing within the first year of its release, it is arguably one of the most influential pieces of medical literature of the 21st century, leaving a lasting impact on healthcare and paving an innovative path forward for the nursing profession. The institute of Medicine (IOM) is a nonprofit, unaffiliated orginazition. Its purpose is to provide advice to the government and private sector in order to make an informed health decision. The IOM was established in 1970, and for the past 40 years, the organization has been answering the nation’s most pressing questions about healthcare. â€Å"On October 5, 2010, the IOM released its reccomendations on nursing in the United States. According to the IOM report, it is crucial that nurses achieve higher levels of education and training in order to prepare themselves for the dynamic work environment in which they will participate (IOM Forum on Future of Nursing Summary, 2010, para 1. ) Higher nursing degrees provide nurses with more critical thinking skills; this will create efficiency and improved quality of care for the patient. In order to increase nursing competence, it is paramount that there is an improved education system that promotes continuous academic progression as opposed to the current disjointed system that is both archaic and ineffective. As well as increasing the percentage of nurses who attain a Baccalaureate in the Science of Nursing (BSN) to 80% by 2020, having at least 10% of BSN nurses to enter a master or doctoral program, and doubling the number of nurses who pursue doctoral degrees, the profession should institute residency training in addition to currently instrumented internship programs for novice nurses. It is not enough that nurses simply attain a BSN before heading directly into the nursing workforce; it is imperative that newly graduated nurses participate in a residency program. This provides inexperienced nurses with the opportunity to gain familiarity with leadership and collaboration, conflict resolution, and ethical decision making. This will provide nurses with the confidence and skills required to become successful, competent healthcare providers who will become future leaders and advocates of the nursing profession. The impact of iom report on nursing practice particularly on primary care and how you would change your practice to meet the iom report. Scope of practice barriers are particularly problematic for advance practice registered nurses (APRN’s) aprn’s and the expansion of healthcare organization that have increased the roles and responsibilities of nurses in patient care- such as veterans, health, administration/ remove scope of practice barriers, particularly for aprn’s. How I can change to meet the IOM reccomendations. I have taken the first step by enrolling in an ADN to BSN program. I recently got a certification in my specialty- maternal newborn nursing. With these skills, I will be able to not only advance my personal career, but also apply my knowledge to make the environment more efficient and beneficial for the patient. By incorporating research and evidence based practices in patient care, I will be able to assist the patient to the best of my abilities. A pivotal IOM recommendation was the expansion of opportunities for nurses to lead and diffuse collaborative improvement efforts with physicians and other healthcare members (The Future of Nursing Leading Change, Advancing Health Report Recommendations, 2010, pg. . ) It is an unrealistic goal to reach an improved quality of healthcare nationwide without the wholehearted cooperation and support of nurses. It is not enough for nurses to sit back and watch the changes occur; we must be proactive in the redesigning of national healthcare. By contributing the unique perspective of the healthcare providers who interact with the patients the most, the system can be improved to be more efficient and beneficial for patients, healthcare providers, and management. However, in order to achieve this level of active communication with industry leaders, nurses need strong leadership skills (The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, 2010, 5-1. ) The IOM report essentially underscores this vital need for nursing innovators. Going forward, nursing programs and employers will further encourage leadership and teamwork development in addendum to conventional nursing courses. As a result, nurse leaders will be able to effectively convey their concerns and reccomendations and with the help of physicians and management, implement ideas into innovative and insightful policies.

Teaching English In Kindergarten Education Essay

Teaching English In Kindergarten Education Essay If piety is to take root in any man ´s heart, it must be engrafted while he is still young ; if we wish any to be virtuous we must train him in early youth ; if we wish him to make great progress in the persuit of wisdom , we must direct his faculties towards it in infancy, when desire burns , when taught is swift and when memory is tenacious. The process of education is one of the most important and complex of all human endeavors. A popular notion is that education is carried out by one person, a teacher, standing in front of the class and transmitting information to a group of learners who are willing to absorb it. This view simplifies what is a highly complex process involving an intricate interplay between the learning process itself, the teacher`s intentions and actions, the individual personalities of the learners, their background, etc. This research paper aims to provide a coherent psychological framework that will help language teachers to make connections between the process of learning and the making of decision in the classroom of kindergarten. In order to do so, it is necessary to adopt a particular approach to psychology which will be helpful at the moment of teaching English to children. The infantile education across the years has been extending this field of action to children. For the 4 and 5-year-old children, kindergarten has turned into an ideal area where to share the game and the learning with other children. The progresses reached in the skills and skills motorboats focus their behavior. English learning in kindergarten has become a phenomenon to education. The most standing points are the capacities to learn a new language rapidly. Children utilize different types of mental resources to incorporate words and meanings. They do interpretations of the listened and observed around them and this relation is notable with the new language. As a consequence, children increase their attention and their autonomy increase as well. Another essential aspect at this level is listening skill considered as essential to encourage the retention of information and actions which they consider to be children`s own childhood. Teaching English to children who have not yet reached a first grade age presents challenges which may not be so noticeable at first. It is the young children who exhibit voracity and aptitude for assimilating English which definitely diminishes with age. In light of this, there are several facets to bear in mind which will make teaching this special age bracket all the more rewarding. Very young children may often not grasp that teacher does not understand what they are saying, and may be very puzzled that neither can they make this strange adult comprehend their chatter, nor make head or tail of what is being directed at them. , but their willingness to please and expressive body language easily makes up for any frustrations. Incorporating several key themes into every lesson plan will maximize learning and enjoyment potential for all. Meeting the language development needs of such culturally and linguistically diverse students is challenging for teachers. A supportive, student-centered environment will assist the language development of all students. Such an environment, which values and accepts students languages, cultures and experiences as the foundation for instruction, will support and nurture each students language acquisition and development. Teachers who are aware of students sociolinguistic backgrounds can assess individual linguistic competence and assist students in developing English abilities in familiar and non-threatening contexts. Students are more likely to experiment with language and take risks during independent and collaborative language activities if they perceive their languages, cultures and experiences as significant, and if they recognize that their peers and teachers share this perception. It is important to say that teachers have not been trained to teach English in kindergarten. However, Kindergarten and elementary school teachers play a vital role in the development of children. What children learn and experience during their early years can shape their views of themselves and the world and can affect their later success or failure in school, work, and their personal lives. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers introduce children to mathematics, language, science, and social studies. They use games, music, artwork, films, books, computers, and other tools to teach basic skills. Teachers play an important role in fostering the intellectual and social development of children during their formative years. The education that students acquire is key to determining the future of those students. Whether in elementary or high schools or in private or public schools, teachers provide the tools and the environment for their students to develop into responsible adults. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The importance of teaching English in kindergarten as well as the importance of teachers ´ role The focal point of this research is to appreciate the significance of teaching English in Kindergarten due to the fact that teachers have not been trained to deal in this level nor the use of methodologies in the process of learning. Also, it aims to take consideration the teachers ´ work. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study is: To understand how children acquire a second language To appreciate English teachers  ´role To describe the methodologies to teach in kindergarten. To appreciate the importance of teaching English to children for future levels. SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY This research is about how a new language is learned in kindergarten. I believe that this information about findings and theoretical views in second language acquisition can make a better judge and proponents of various language teaching methods. Such information can help to evaluate moment to moment of reflections about our children in kindergarten and teachers teaching a second language in this level. Also this work focuses in knowing the characteristics of the 4 and 5-year-old children of age during the process of learning. How incredibly is seeing children to manage to be orientated and to be located without having problems with what it concerns the language. HYPOTHESIS Teaching English in kindergarten is possible to fail because of: Lack of teaching training in kindergarten Lack of methods and resources to teach in kindergarten Chapter II BACKGROUND Teaching English in kindergarten must be as motivating as possible. Teachers should work with children taking into account their autonomy, curiosity, their capacity, and their willingness to do, say, listen, everything at the same time. The classes must take place in an environment full of motivation for children to acquire confidence in themselves. It is through play that much of childrens early learning is achieved. The physical, socio-emotional and intellectual development of children is dependent upon activity. Therefore, opportunity for play is a key aspect of the Kindergarten program. The program builds on, rather than detracts from, this natural approach to learning. Through touching, manipulating, exploring and testing, children find out about the world around them. Through interacting with other children and adults, they find out about themselves and their relationship to others. Through play, children imitate adults and experiment with what it means to be a caregiver, a fisher, a firefighter, a doctor and so on. Through play, they learn how to solve problems and work cooperatively with others. The features of the room of roleplaying are: a receptive and supportive environment for learning materials and equipment designed to provide for multi-level and multi-content experiences instruction based on the individual needs of each child an integration of ways of learning with understandings to be developed a total learning environment which provides for alternate ways of learning: play, games, sensory education, concrete manipulation and physical participation emphasis on language development. For the purpose of this study it is necessary to mention important authors as guides Age of acquisition We now turn to a learner characteristic of a different type: age. This is a characteristic which is easier to define and measure than personality, aptitude or motivation. Nevertheless, the relationship between a learner ´s age and his or her potential for success in second language acquisition is the subject of much lively debate. Chomsky makes a distinction between acquisition and learning explaining that It has been widely observe that children from immigrate families eventually speak the language of their new community with native-like fluency. Their parents rarely achieve such high levels of mastery of the new language. Adult second language learners may become very capable of communicating successfully in the language, but there will always be differences of accent, word choice or grammatical features which set them apart from native speakers who began learning the language while they were very young. One explanation is that as in first language acquisition there is a critical period for second language acquisition, the CRITICAL PERIOD HYPOTHESIS suggests that there is a time in human development when the brain is predisposed for success in language learning. Language learning which occur after the end of the critical period may not be based on the innate structures believed to contribute to first language acquisition in early childhood. Rather, older learners depend on more general learning abilities. According to Chomsky, learning take place in a formal environment where the learner depends on the teachers and learns form him/her. Another important author is Piaget who claimed that individuals are actively involved right from birth in constructing personal meaning, their own personal understanding, from their experiences. In other words, everyone makes their own sense of the world and the experiences around them. Piaget himself was mainly interested in the way in which people came to know things as they developed from infancy to adulthood. Thus, his theory is one which is action based, more concerned with the process of learning. Piaget ´s theory is based in learners passing through a series of stages: Sensori-motor stage : for the young infant, the most important way of exploring the environment is considered by Piaget to be through the basic senses. Intuitive or pre-operational stage: between the ages of 2 and 7. This is when the child ´s thoughts become more flexible and when memory and imagination begin to play a part. Concrete operational stage: between the age of 7 and the formal operational stage. Piaget ´s staged do have a message for the language teacher. When teaching young learners, we should not expect them to have reached the stage of abstract reasoning nd therefore should not expect them to apply this to sorting out the rules of the language. It is more important to provide experiences in the target language which are related o aspects of the child ´s own world. An original thinker in his own right, Bruner extended aspects of Piagetian theory to suggesting that three different modes of thinking needed to be taken into account by educators. These he termed the enactive, the iconic and symbolic modes of thought. These three categories are considered by Bruner to represent the essential ways in which children make sense of their experiences: through their actions, by means of visual imagery and by using language. The enactive level: learning takes place by means of direct manipulation of objects and materials. The iconic level: objects are represented by visual images one step removed from the real thing. The symbolic level: symbols can be manipulated in place of objects or mental images. How children of 4 and 5 are Kindergarten children, no matter what their cultural and experiential background, have characteristics in common with other children of their age and characteristics that are particularly their own Socio-emotional Development Children develop socially and emotionally during the Kindergarten year. At the beginning of the year some children may be shy and appear to lack initiative. However, as they come to know the situation, the teachers and peers, they usually gain confidence and begin to establish friendships and become an active part of the class. Other children may be too assertive prior to learning from experience more appropriate ways of relating to peers. It is a time of testing and exploring social relationships. Kindergarten children are eager to be trusted with responsibility. They appreciate going on errands, using proper tools, participating with grown-ups in such activities as cooking, bringing things from home, and suggesting solutions to practical problems. Although there are some senses in which Kindergarten students are still egocentric (that is, tied to their own view of things) they are also able, in a suitable group environment, to be of help to each other. They can show considerable empathy toward people and animals when their own needs do not conflict with the needs of others. When helpfulness is noticed, modeled and encouraged by the teacher, helpful behavior is likely to become more common in the classroom. Kindergarten children are developing a sense of independence but are also learning to work cooperatively with others. Kindergarten children are more stable socio-emotionally than they were as preschoolers. They are developing a good sense of humour, which they express by delighting in nonsense and playing with language. They may develop specific fears, such as the fear of death, and mistakenly assume that they have caused such events as their parents separating. Kindergarten students take criticism, name calling and teasing very seriously because they still think that what is said exists in reality at its face value. Physical Development Physical activity is one common characteristic of Kindergarten children, although children vary a great deal in the development of physical skills and abilities. Some children are slow and cautious about trying new things; others seem to accept any challenge that is presented. Most Kindergarten children are full of energy, ready to run, swing, climb and jump, and are eager to try their strength by moving big blocks or boxes. They are developing a sense of rhythm, and enjoy such activities as marching, jumping or clapping to music. These group activities need to be short and allow for more participation than standing. Required stillness is more exhausting and stressful for most Kindergarten students than movement. Sensory development is uneven. The coordination of the eyes and other senses are still developing. Physical growth has slowed down. It is a time of consolidating gains and developing fine motor control. However, over-emphasis on fine motor activities such as writing, cutting and making very discrete visual discriminations may result in tension and frustration. Intellectual Development Kindergarten children love to talk. Their intellectual development is reflected in the rapid growth of vocabulary and the power to express ideas. They are developing visual and auditory memory and the ability to listen to others. Their ears are keen but they still need help in distinguishing sounds, although they can pick up another language and accurately imitate other peoples intonations and inflections. They are especially keen to acquire new words (the names of dinosaurs, for example) and to use such words as infinity and trillion. Kindergarten children welcome opportunities to be inventive with language, to play with rhyming, to joke, to explain things to each other and even to argue. Opportunities to talk about what they do, what they see and what they hear help children construct meaning and learn from their experiences. The language and ideas shared by others enable children to gradually organize and attach meaning to their daily observations and activities. Kindergarten children have a powerful urge to find out about things, to figure things out. They ask many questions, often deep unanswerable questions and they love to play guessing games or solve riddles. Their curiosity leads them to figure out concepts and relationships, and become interested in symbols. They enjoy listening to stories, but they do not learn very much from passive attention to the teacher or mere listening to information. The intellectual growth of Kindergarten students comes from exploration, testing and investigating rather than only from listening. The children are still figuring out the properties of objects and are not yet able to reverse operations, that is, to understand that 250 ml of water in a tall narrow glass and 250 ml of water in a large, flat pan are equal in volume. Their reasoning, from an adult perspective, is still illogical. Happenings that occur together are thought to have a causal relationship to each other, for example, Because I wore my new shoes, it rained.

Celies Pain in Alice Walkers Color Purple Essay -- Color Purple Essa

Celie's Pain in The Color Purple Molestation is a topic that is painful to think about, and even more difficult to write about. Yet Alice Walker chose this as the central theme of her novel The Color Purple. Walker's work centers around a poor African American girl Celie. Celie keeps a diary, and the first section of the novel is an excerpt from her diary. After reading the excerpt, the reader comes to realize that Celie is a fourteen-year-old girl who has been molested by her father. Through this, she has lost her innocence as well as her self-worth, evident when the reader sees that the diary's words have been altered to say "I have always been a good girl" as opposed to "I am a good girl." From the moment her father molested her, Celie ceased to see herself as a good person. The events following the molestation only serve to lower Celie's confidence and hurt her relationship with her father. Her sister Nettie attempts to protect her, Nettie being the closest thing to a best friend that Celie has at this point. Nettie is the only person in Celie's life who cares enough about her to stand up to their father. "The first time I got big Pa took me out of school. He never care that I love it. He say 'You too dumb to keep going to school'. But Pa, Nettie say, crying, Celie smart too. Even Miss Beasley say so." Nettie gets Miss Beasley to go to the house to convince 'Pa' "She see how tight my dress is, she stop talking and go" The way Celie writes in her Diary reflects her lack of education and class status. She writes in the most basic and colloquial language that she would use when speaking. She spells many words incorrectly such as "git" and "Naw". She also uses her words in the wrong tense saying " I say" instea... ...Purple." PMLA 106 (1991): 1106-15. Berlant, Lauren. "Race, Gender, and Nation in The Color Purple." Critical Inquiry 14 (1988): 831-59. Bobo, Jacqueline. "Sifting through the Controversy: Reading The Color Purple." Callaloo 12 (1989): 332-42. Butler-Evans, Elliott. Race, Gender, and Desire: Narrative Strategies in the Fiction of Toni Cade Bambara, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1989. Froula, Christine, "The Daughter's Seduction: Sexual Violence and Feminist Theory." Signs 2 (1986): 621-44. Hooks, bell. "Writing the Subject: Reading The Color Purple." Reading Black, Reading Feminist. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. New York: Meridian, 1990. 454-70. Shelton, Frank W. "Alienation and Integration in Alice Walker's The Color Purple." CLA Journal 28 (1985): 382-92. Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Harcourt, 1982.

Psychological Definitions of Abnormal Behavior Essay

According to the science of psychology one’s behavior needs to follow a certain criteria in order to be deemed â€Å"normal†. If one’s behavior does not match the criteria, their behavior is seen as undesirable and wrong (requires change). For this physiologists need to be able to view a person’s behavior and be able to tell the difference between normal and abnormal. Whilst defining the â€Å"normality† of ones behavior physiologists need to be careful to remain objective and as free of any bias as possible, furthermore their experiment to determine ones behavior needs to be repeatable and reliable. In order to do this psychologists often consults the characteristics of ideal mental health proposed by Marie Jahoda in 1958. Marie Jahoda proposed 6 different characteristics for ideal mental health after surveying different doctors and psychologists; this is the list she came up with: * Positive self esteem and a strong sense of identity * Personal growth and development * Ability to cope with stressful situations (integration) * Autonomy and independence * Accurate perception of reality * Successful mastery of the environment, particularly relationships. Jahoda argued that if one does not meet these criteria then ones behavior can be deemed abnormal as a result of an existing problem. This in my opinion provides a strong applicable foundation for the determination of ones â€Å"normality† of behavior. However the problem with Jahoda’s ideal mental health scheme is the fact that the results obtained rely solely on the observer’s judgment, therefore presenting a inevitable bias not to mention the fact that no person can truly ever meet all of the suggested criteria. This mean that according to Jahoda every person is abnormal. Another way to look for abnormal behavior for psychologists is to find deviation form the social norm (majority). This is done by observing ones actions in public and seeing how normal it is. For example if you see someone wearing a bikini/swim trunks whilst walking around a supermarket, his or her behavior would be deemed as abnormal. The limitations of observing behavior in this manor lay in the fact that different cultures have different norms. Not to mention the fact that in any given culture norms evolve. What may have once been acceptable in the 80’s is not necessarily acceptable today. Abnormality of one’s behavior can also be monitored by looking at its statistical frequency. Meaning how common ones behavior is when compared to the rest of the public. If one’s behavior is shared by many it is deemed common and therefore â€Å"normal†, however if ones behavior is uncommon or rare, it is deemed abnormal. For example one may say that an individual who has an IQ below or above the average level of IQ in society is abnormal. The problem with this system is the fact that, it does not account for the desirability of the given behavior. In other words this system claims that both low and high IQ’s are an abnormality that need to be treated. Physiologists and others interested in â€Å"normality†, look over at ones behavior to see how well they can function. If one is unable to function adequately they are deemed abnormal. In order to determine how well one functions, psychologists consult Rosenhan and Seligman’s list of characteristics that define abnormality (1989). Rosenhan and Seligman argued that in order to classify someone as â€Å"inadequate in life† they must meet several of the characteristics as a pose to only one. This is their list: * Suffering * Maladaptiveness (danger to self) * Vividness & unconventionality (stands out) * Unpredictably & loss of control * Irrationality/incomprehensibility * Causes observer discomfort * Violates moral/social standards The possible limitation to Rosenhan and Seligman’s list of characteristics is the fact that â€Å"normal† people engage in activates which are potentially harmful like drinking or smoking, these people are not classed as abnormal. It is very difficult to classify behavior as to date no scheme to do so exists, which is perfect. Physiologists must tread carefully when labeling one with a disorder. Bias will always be present in one form or another, however the results can be deemed reliable if practicing psychologists consult multiple schemes in order to have a better chance of an accurate diagnosis. Bibliography * Class handout â€Å"abnormal?† Mrs campion. * â€Å"DefiningAbnormality.† AS Psychology /. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. . * â€Å"Abnormal Psychology.† Abnormal Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. .

Principle of Marketing Essay using SWOT Example

Principle of Marketing Essay using SWOT Example Principle of Marketing Essay using SWOT – Essay Example 1-Develop a SWOT for this new product. Make sure to have at least two items under each section. Strengths: Advantages from new design proprietary know-how First mover advantages Weaknesses: High business start-up costs Untested market demand Opportunities New product attracts investors who can boost your cash flow, production capacity, and marketing budget and so on. You can surprise competitors Threats Vulnerable to reactive attack by major competitors Emergence of substitute products 2. After you complete the SWOT, what two additional forms of research should you do, and why? a) Porter’s five forces analysis: This will help you analyze the kite-making industry so that you can be able to stake out a position that is more profitable and less vulnerable to attack from competitors (Porter, 2008). b) Value chain analysis: This helps the firm identify its core competencies and the activities in the value chain that it can do to create a sustainable competitive advantage either through cost advantage or differentiation. 3. Based on your SWOT, who might two target audiences be for your new kite? Advertising firms that use kites as moving billboards Traditional kite consumers 4. What would be two marketing objectives you develop for your plan? To build a customer database of at least 200,000 in the next 12 months. To achieve a return on investments (ROI) of at least 20 % 5. Define and explain the four elements of the marketing mix that you would suggest for this new product. Base your answers to 1, 2, 3, and 4 above. a) Product: The product is the tangible kite that will be offered for sale. Kites are generally multi-shaped and multi-colored thus we shall give a provision for mass customization of the kites based on customer taste. We shall accommodate for common shapes for small orders and be more flexible for larger orders so as to maximize on economies of scale. b) Price: This determines the products profit margins. We shall commence with a skimming price strategy so as to maximize on profit margins before competitors come up with substitute products. We shall give discounts for large purchases and for advertising firms so that they can increase the buzz about our product. c) Promotion: this determines how we shall spread the word about our product to increase consumer interest and eventual sales and market share. Our first strategy would be to issue discounts to advertising firms so that they use our kites as mobile billboards. We shall also participate in town fairs, festivals and set up spots around parks and beaches to gain both visibility and sales. d) Place: this determines where we shall make the kites and how we shall distribute them to the final consumer. In this case, we shall only have one manufacturing site and utilize the internet as a retail store. We shall partner with a courier service to deliver orders around the country. We shall not venture abroad in the first few months to reduce logistics costs. 6. Explain two ways you can evaluate the success of your plan (based on your objectives). After 12 months we will look at the number of customers we have in our database. If the number slightly exceeds 200,000 then we have succeeded. If the numbers have exceeded by 100,000 or more then we had done poor evaluations. If the number of customers is less than 200,000 then we have failed in our plan. We will use a similar criterion to the one above to evaluate our success based on the ROI. 7. It has been one year, and you are finally making a few dollars. You realize that an important part of your marketing plan is going to include corporate social responsibility. Keeping in mind your product, give at least two specific examples of what you can do, and two specific reasons why your company would benefit. a) Firstly, we will sponsor an event named â€Å"Keep kids outdoors†. This will be an outdoor summer festival for children where they will compete on designing, making and flying kites and other outdoor activities. This will benefit our company in three ways: (1) encouraging kids to play outside will increase the demand for our kites; (2) promoting a healthy lifestyle will increase our brand image in the minds of the purchasers who are mostly parents and guardians; and (3) the more healthy kids there are the bigger the market for our products. b) Secondly, we will start producing kites made of bio-degradable materials. The benefits of this will be: (1) we get lee-way to charge a premium price for our products, and (2) we improve our brand image as an eco-friendly brand. 8. It has been three years, and you are a success! You decide to expand beyond the US. Discuss two marketing issues you would need to address if you decide to sell your kite globally, and how you could avoid them. a) In marketing abroad the two major issues will be product and distribution. In product certain cultures abroad may abhor how we are currently packaging or presenting our products e.g. a culture may prohibit flying of black kites. To tackle this we will engage a marketing consultancy with a regional strength to give us guidance on the cultural norms of the new target market. b) On the other hand, distribution will also be a challenge because the costs of production and dispatch across the seas may be either too costly or take too long before the product arrives at the destination. However, since ours is still a proprietary technology we will partner with a local manufacturer who will be issued with pre-packed materials so that all that they do is to assemble the kite into the desired shape. 9. You become a huge success selling directly to consumers. You are approached by WindWing, an international kite manufacturer. They would like to purchase your kites to resell as part of their kite line. What will be the similarities and differences between selling to WindWing (an organizational buyer) and directly to the ultimate consumer? Name at least two similarities and two differences. Similarities: In both instances we have to provide excellent after sales service and customer support. They both require well-crafted, targeted marketing that will communicate our companies value-proposition eloquently. Differences In selling directly to consumers we simplify the buying process to a single step while in selling to WindWing the process may have several steps to accommodate for credit facilities, reverse-auctions and so on. In selling directly to customer we maximize on the value of the transaction since it may be one-time whereas in selling to WindWing we maximize on the value of the relationship so as to make it long-term. References Porter, M. E. (2008). The Five competitive forces that shape strategy. Harvard Business Review Online, R0801E, 1-18.