Marketing Is The Life Blood Of Any Organisation Marketing Essay

Marketing Is The Life Blood Of Any Organisation Marketing Essay When people think of marketing, most would immediately think of it as a business trying to get the consumer to purchase its products. However the concept of marketing and the marketing process is much more complex than that assumption. Today, practically everything is marketed to some degree. The marketing of goods is the most obvious one, however you can consider places to be marketed, think of the government ministers mass exodus every saint patricks day under the guise of marketing Ireland to the rest of the world! Organizations, such as colleges and universities market themselves to prospective students. Sporting events such as the Cheltenham race festival or the six nations rugby engage in marketing. Even people are marketed as Kotler points out, some people have done a masterful job of marketing themselves- think of Madonna, Oprah Winfrey, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Michael Jordan (Kotler, 2006 p8) The American Marketing Association defines marketing to be marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large AMA. (2007) Definition of Marketing. Available: http://www.marketingpower.com/aboutama/pages/definitionofmarketing.aspx Last Accessed 10 March 2010. As I previously stated the process of marketing is much more than a vendor trying to convince a consumer to purchase their product. It is about delivering value to the consumer, satisfying customer needs, meeting or exceeding customer expectations, creating strong brand identity, winning new customers and retaining current ones and companies being able to adapt to changing market conditions. The process of marketing occurs in a dynamic environment (Bradfield, 2010), that is constantly changing, however a core concept in the marketing process is the so called marketing mix or the 4 ps of marketing, first referred to by Jerome McCarthy in 1960. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkBvzS_fJ2gfeature=related Last Accessed 11 March 2010. The marketing mix refers to product, price, place and promotion. When you talk of a product or service, you have to offer a product that fits the need of the consumer. Today, consumers have more choice than previous generations and are more demanding. It should satisfy other criteria such as product durability, product differentiation, i.e. what makes your product stand out from the crowd, what features does your product have, is there after sales care/warranties etc. The price of the product being offered has to take into account how much customers are willing to pay for your product and for the producer to make a profit. This is a dif ficult question to answer as a product that is priced too high in relation to other products may not sell well, however sometimes a higher price in the minds of consumers equals better quality for which some consumers are prepared to pay a premium for. But on the other hand a product that is priced too low, possibly on the assumption that it will win on price alone, may not sell well either as it is considered inferior to other similar products due to its low price. The place in the marketing mix is all about how the product or service gets to the consumer. It must be convenient for the consumer to access the product. This element of the mix is evident in the rise of businesses like Amazon.com that allow consumers to shop for goods 24/7 and have the goods delivered to them. And the last element of the mix, promotion refers to how the consumer is made aware that the product exists, of the benefits it can bring to them and the value of the product. As I said at the beginning of the paragraph marketing occurs in a dynamic environment and marketing thought is constantly changing. It must be pointed out however as Gareth Morgan shows in his book Riding the waves of change, that the 4ps takes the view from that of the producer, in that everything in it is from their point of view. Whereas marketing thought today tends to put the consumer at the centre and everything is geared towards meeting their needs rather than that of the producer. From a marketers point of view, it is impossible to satisfy everyone all of the time so marketers engage in what is called market segmentation. A market segment consists of a group of customers who share a similar set of needs and wants.(Kotler, 2006 p240) When marketers identify a market segment they can they target their efforts on that group. Markets can be broken up on a number of different basis. The process of market segmentation In marketing a product or service an organization can follow a mass marketing strategy or it can use the process of market segmentation. The mass marketing strategy(tied into the production concept, which I will detail in the next section) is probably now an outdated method of marketing for most products due to the sheer variety on offer to consumers. In pursuing a mass marketing strategy, a company targets a market as whole and offers the one product or service to the whole market. The company hopes for higher profits by engaging in mass production and mass distribution techniques, thereby lowering its overall costs. Examples of previous mass marketing strategies was Coca Cola who at first only produced one size bottle of coke. (Kotler, 2003, p279) The market segmentation process is what is practiced more commonly today. A market segment consists of a group of customers who share a similar set of wants. (Kotler, 2003,p279) In defining a market segment, Kotler talks of a seven step process. The first step is to group customers who have a similar needs. For example with cars you can identify groups who have a need for people carriers. The next step is for each identifiable market segment to break it down further by classing it according to other variables such as demographics(gender, race, age etc), behavioral patterns(usage, user status etc), and geographic variables. The third and fourth step combined is to take each segment that has been broken down and to establish how attractive each segment is to the organization based on factors such as profitability and segment size. Step five, after identifying a particular segments unique needs, the company must set forth a set of benefits to satisfy those needs (The product of the marketing mix) and it must determine a price for the product. The sixth step is to determine the attractiveness of each segments positioning strategy and finally to expand the positioning strategy to include the whole marketing mix. Marketing Concept The marketing process is all about the customer. The philosophy that the customer is king and is the core of the business. Kotler again speaks of six competing concepts under which the process of marketing is carried out. They are the production concept, product concept, marketing, selling, customer and societal concepts. The production concept is as I said previously tied in with mass marketing. The production concept does not take into account the consumers needs, rather it focuss on building a product and then trying to sell this to the consumer. The production process favors low cost due to high volume manufacturing. The product concept concentrates on building better quality products, with more features in the belief that is what consumers want. The selling concept is probably the concept most people equate with marketing. This is where a producer actively tries to sell its goods/services to consumers through advertising and aggressive selling. The risk with the selling concept is producers hope that consumers who do fall for the hard sell, will actually like the product. Obviously consumers may like the product and return to do more business but on the other hand they may hate it and actually bad mouth the product to friends. The marketing concept is more customer orientated than the previous concepts. Here the customer is king and everything the business does is centered on the needs of the customer. Marketing Plan BarryDoyleDesign Jewelers 1.Executive Summary Barry Doyle Design(BDD) Jewelers is a husband and wife operation that has been in business for several years. Barry has learned the trade from his father whilst Adrianna is a qualified gemologist. It specializes in custom made high end jewelery as well as holding a range of contemporary and Celtic themed stock jewelery. The business has targeted the wedding sector quite successfully in the past and through its website is also chasing international customers, especially those of Irish ancestry who would be interested in its Celtic line. 2. Situation Analysis BDD Jewelers products have been very well received and they have a percentage of returning customers. To grow the market, product awareness is called for through marketing at trade exhibitions and wedding fairs, an upgraded web site and a more visible shop location, funds permitting. The key target markets are couples seeking to marry, individuals looking for a unique product and those who make one off purchases for special occasions etc and to expand the business through targeting of galleries willing to stock the production jewelery. Due to the weakness of the US Dollar against the Euro in the last year, international sales has been slow, however with the expectant rise in the US economy that situation is expected to revert to past positive performance. The wedding market remains stable with modest growth forecast for the next year. 3. Market Demographics Due to the the firms use of the Internet, it has no defined geographical area. However a rough estimate is that 70% is from the domestic market while 30% make up the international side. The customer base is evenly split between men and women. The largest age group who make a purchase is those in the 25-40 bracket and in the middle to high income bracket. 3.1 Market Needs BDD Jewelers provides its customers with a wide variety of jewelery. As a business it seeks to provide to its customers jewelery of the highest craftsmanship coupled with unique and contemporary designs. A first class after sales service is provided, jewelery resizing and jewelery repair. 4. SWOT Analysis Strengths Good reputation among customers Central location Quality Workmanship Good access and relationship with suppliers Weaknesses Poor shop visibility Limited marketing budget in comparison to larger retailers Due to business size possible problems in meeting supply requirements Opportunities Government incentives for small business Threats Economic slowdown can have a negative effect on the amount of discretionary income people have for luxury items Inferior quality products 5. Market Assumptions The fore casted market growth in the sector for the the next 3 to 5 years is 9%. The threat of new custom made jewelers to the market remains small, due in part to the high skill involved and start up costs, however the larger jeweler chains may become more aggressive in their pricing and marketing which could affect sales of our stock production lines. 6. Strategic Intent The businesses core marketing objectives over the next year is to make inroads into getting the stock production line into third party retailers such as niche high end jewelers (galleries)and to develop the wedding market with more visible promotion of the business at wedding fares. An overhaul of the website is required to make it look more appealing. In the mid to long term, a new future premises is needed(most likely in the same general area) with more exposure to pedestrian traffic. With projected growth in the business, the employment of more skilled craftsmen to met demand for the custom designed jewelery side of the business. The possibility of forming partnerships with Irish distributors in the US market with the help of the IDA. 7. Marketing Mix Strategies BDD Jewelers marketing mix is made up of the following A. Product..Will strive to produce the highest custom made jewelery alongside a more affordable yet equally high quality range of stock jewelery. B. Price..Will vary according to specific customer requirement such as gemstones for the setting or the level of detail required. In the stock range, price is comparable to major retailers. C. Promotion..Due to high return for custom designs, it is felt that an increased marketing campaign be engaged upon. This will be achieved through magazine advertising, networking, website links, the yellow pages and trade/fashion shows. D. Place..For internationally received orders, delivery is via UPSFedEx express delivery. Domestic orders can also be shipped with tracking or can be picked up in store. 8. Sales Forecast In year one, months 1 to 3 will be spent trying to establish a foothold within the gallery market. It is expected after month 3 sales to this sector will begin incrementally. Within a three month period sales will be rising also in the wedding market sector due to an increase in the visibility of the business at wedding fairs and an advertising campaign in magazines etc. 9. Implementation In order to achieve desired results, the following milestones must be met on time and in budget. A. The development of the plan B. Identify the channels to be used in the marketing plan C. Establish a review process

First Accomplishment in My Life Essay

It is so difficult to live in the United States, the land of opportunity, without education and the English language. Without these two things, our lives seem like meaningless. My family is one of the victims of this problem. Two years ago, when I was a senior student in high school, I almost could not graduate from high school with diploma in hand because of failing the exit exam twice and my lack knowledge of English. At that time, I really wanted to give up and ended my education at that level, but the encouragement of my parents had helped me go through this challenge to succeed the first accomplishment in my life. The first challenge started out when my family immigrated to this country. Indeed, living in an unfamiliar place is not easy at all. Everything is totally different from my own country such as the weather, culture, food, communication, and education. My first educated place in America was Rancho Cordova High School which is located in Rancho Cordova county of California. Truthfully, when I first began to learn English with eleventh grade in High school, I was just like a deaf and mute person in the class. I didn’t understand what people were saying, and of course I could not speak English as well as people here. The second day of school, I carried the schedule around the school with innocent face and lost my direction to get into the classes. At that time, I even could not express my feeling by asking the only basic question such as â€Å"Would you please tell me how to get into this class.† In that moment, I recognized myself was an alien who came from another planet. My feeling was so down, and I felt so lonely in the world. One day, when I was sitting alone in the bench at school, a white girl with a pretty blond hair whose name is Sarah dropped by to say hi and wanted to make friend with me. She asked me whole bunch of questions, but I didn’t know how to response. After few minutes, she knew that I couldn’t speak English, and she just walked away. I almost cried out in the public, and I felt myself so stupid. Time by time, I began to be familiar to the new life and my studying at school. At that moment, the goal of graduating from high school was important than anything in the world. This is not only my dream and also a significant promise to my lovely parents, because I wanted them to be proud of their only daughter in the family. Besides that, I wanted to bring an honor to my family, take fully care and support sufficiently for the rest of their life with certain status in the community. A year later, the last year of high school, I should be very happy instead of the anxiety and sadness which were carried on my face. Unfortunately, something happened out of control; everything turned out bad to my goal. The other obstacle had come to me again, and I know that I had to deal with another challenge. In that year, class of 06, the educational law had changed in California. The government had required all the students to pass the California Exit Exam to graduate or we could not walk stage. I was so worried about this problem because I already failed it twice. I only had one more chance to take it in February. Actually, with two years of learning English, this test was really a struggle for me. I totally lost self-confidence at that time. I was so upset about the promise I made. I always asked myself â€Å"what can I do now?† When my parents received the news, they didn’t feel so disappointed about me. Furthermore, they encouraged me to work harder and try all my best to do the exam as good as I can. With their support, I completely got back self-confidence to struggle with the next challenge. The morning of the exam day, I got up as early as I could to prepare spiritedly for the test that will take four hours. When I walked into the kitchen, I could sniff out the smell of delicious sunshine up egg with bread, which is ever my favorite food for breakfast, that mom cooked in the early morning. When I was ready to leave the house, my parents gently said to me that â€Å"Loss is experience of success. Mom and dad always stay behind to support you. Don’t worry! My sweetie† I looked at her with tears in my eyes and said,† Mom, I won’t disappoint you.† After two months, the result of exam was coming on May 10. At that day, when I walked into the counselor’ office to receive the result, my hand was shaking, my heart was pounding so fast, and I entered into Mrs. Tiger’s office with extremely worried face. Meanwhile, she announce my result with smiling face that â€Å"Congratulation, you pass the exam with the score 361†. At that moment, I was so surprise, excited and happy. Rapidly, my tears kept falling, and I couldn’t even hold it. Finally, my dream had come true, and I told myself that I did it. Absolutely, I could have a graduated invitation for my parents. The graduation of my senior year was celebrated at the gorgeous park in Cal-Expo. Obviously, I was so nervous and excited on that big day. There is one scene always store in my mind which was my parents’ joyfulness during the whole night. On that big day, they gave me a really big bundle of red roses. For me, whatever presents which I had received are not valuable than their happiness. After I went through this difficult time, I recognized that it was only the threshold of my life. For an English learner like me, I know that there is more obstacles will happen in the life of college. Therefore, it helps me to prepare more strength and spirit to struggle to a lot of other challenges in college. Besides that, I also received the valuable lesson of two characters that a person need to have which are persevering and hard working are so important for us. These both characters will lead us to the way of success. Also, the most valuable lesson I had learned from this challenge that parents is extremely part of my life; my parents are ever significant people in my life because they are always by my side to support me whenever I overcome the challenge or difficult problem. Without them, there is no life at all for me.

Shang Dynasty And The Roman Empire Primary Sources

Prompt 2: Shang Dynasty and the Roman Empire Primary Sources Historians depend on textual, artistic, and archaeological evidence to create narratives about various historical cultures. By analyzing primary sources, historians can determine what type of society existed, what forms of government were in power, and even what society held to high standards, such as honor. Certainties about the Roman Empire, in Europe, experiencing civil unrest, eventual re-installment of the Republic, and expectation of its citizens are supported by the primary source, â€Å"The Rape of Lucretia.† Alternatively, certainties about the Shang Dynasty, in East Asian, utilizing religion and politics together to determine natural phenomenons in life are supported by the primary source, â€Å"Shang Oracle Bones.† Ultimately, primary sources give a pretty clear and reliable picture as to how society functioned during the time periods that are being studied. The primary source, â€Å"The Rape of Lu cretia† written in 17 AD by Roman historian named Livy, who authored The History of Rome. The story is a form of propaganda that criticized the Roman monarchy while encouraging the reinstatement of the Roman Republic. The narrative depicts the rape of an honorable woman named Lucretia, who was admired for her humble, modest, hospitable, and dutiful nature. Tragically, she was raped by one of the emperor’s sons, Sextus Tarquinius. After she confides in her husband, father, and family friend Brutus about the Sextus’s crimeShow MoreRelatedAp World History Units 1-3 Study Guide Essay4374 Words   |  18 PagesRoad trade * Advanced use of technology 32. Which of the following mathematical concepts, essential for positional notation and the manipulation of large numbers, was invented by Mayan mathematicians? * Zero 33. The ultimate source of wealth in any agricultural society is * Land 34. This passage from the Upanishads explain what Hindu concept? â€Å"According as a man acts and walks in the path of life, so he becomes. He that does good becomes good; he that does evil becomesRead MoreWorld History AP8768 Words   |  36 Pagesin the empires described in this chapter? †¢ All empires controlled large areas and populations. †¢ All empires were brought together by conquest and funded in part by extracting wealth from conquered peoples. †¢ All empires stimulated the exchange of ideas, cultures, and values among the peoples they conquered. †¢ All empires sought to foster an imperial identity that transcended more local identities and loyalties. †¢ All empires ultimately collapsed. 2. In what ways did these empires differ fromRead MoreCountry Note Book of China17054 Words   |  69 Pagescontinued for centuries, was established as early as 221 BC. Although specific dynasties were overturned, the dynastic system survived. China was even ruled at times by foreign invaders, such as the Mongols during the Yuan Dynasty, from AD 1279 to 1368, and the Manchus during the Ching Dynasty, from AD 1644 to 1911, but the foreigners were largely absorbed into the culture they governed. It is as if the Roman Empire had lasted from the time of the Caesars to the 20th century, and during that timeRead MoreMuseums Essays10752 Words   |  44 Pageswhere visitors can be entertained, inspired, and introduced to new ideas. Museums enrich local cultural life and make communities more appealing places to live and to visit. For  society  as  a  whole, museums provide valuable intangible benefits as sources of national, regional, and local identity. They have the singular capacity to reflect both continuity and change, to preserve and protect cultural and natural heritage while vividly illustrating the progression of the human imagination and the natural

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores

Boston Conservatory at Berklee is a performing arts conservatory with an acceptance rate of 33%. In 2016, The Boston Conservatory (renamed Boston Conservatory at Berklee) merged with Berklee College of Music and the two became known as Berklee. While the schools have merged, each school has an Independent admissions and audition process. Founded in 1867, Boston Conservatory at Berklee one of the oldest performing arts institutes of higher education in the country, The campus is located in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood, home to several other colleges and universities as well as many of Boston’s cultural treasures. The conservatory strives to maintain a selective, intimate learning environment with very small classes and a student/faculty ratio of just 5-to-1. Academics are divided into divisions of music, dance, and theater; students can pursue bachelor of fine arts and bachelor and master of music degrees in a range of concentrations. Campus life is active, with students participating in dozens of clubs and activities as well as more than 700 performances each year at the conservatory and locations across the city. Considering applying to this selective school? Here are the Boston Conservatory at Berklee admissions statistics you should know. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Boston Conservatory at Berkley had an acceptance rate of 33%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 33 students were admitted, making Boston Conservatorys admissions process highly competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 1,711 Percent Admitted 33% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 27% SAT Scores and Requirements Boston Conservatory at Berklee does not require SAT or ACT scores for admission. Applicants may choose to include SAT or ACT scores if they believe they will add value to their application. Requirements Although not required for admission, applicants to Boston Conservatory at Berklee College may submit SAT scores to supplement their application. The writing section of the SAT is not required. ACT Scores and Requirements Boston Conservatory at Berklee does not require SAT or ACT scores for admission. Applicants may choose to include SAT or ACT scores if they believe they will add value to their application. Requirements Although not required for admission, applicants to Boston Conservatory at Berklee College may submit ACT scores to supplement their application. The writing section of the ACT is not required. GPA Boston Conservatory at Berklee does not provide data about admitted students high school GPAs. Admissions Chances Boston Conservatory at Berklee, which accepts just a third of applicants, has a selective admissions process. The most important factor in admissions is the audition. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the audition requirements for their intended major. Applicants with the necessary artistic talent are evaluated holistically by the admissions committee. The review process considers grades, test scores, letters of recommendation, and essays in making admissions decisions. Most successful applicants have above average high school GPAs and a  rigorous high school course schedule  including AP, IB, and Honors courses. All applicants must also submit an artistic resume and complete a virtual, online interview. If You Like Boston Conservatory at Berklee, You May Also Like These Schools: Applicants interested in schools with a strong performing arts or music program should also consider Berklee College of Music, Boston University, The Juilliard School, and Carnegie Mellon University. All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Boston Conservatory at Berklee Undergraduate Admissions Office.