Research Project World Wildlife Fund Marketing Plan Essay Example

Research Project: World Wildlife Fund Marketing Plan Essay 1. Situation Analysis As the costs of decades of environmental negligence are now clearer than ever, the support for fundamental reforms has passed its critical mass. This state of affairs has been brought about as a direct effect of decades of efforts made by environmental organizations, many of those efforts can be related to these organisations’ ability to recruit financial resources and to allocate them skilfully between its various operations. However, despite the noticeable success throughout the past, the new global awareness takes its toll on the bodies who nurtured it. In an age of greater sensitivity to the WWF’s core objectives, companies, governments and numerous other NGOs challenge the WWF efforts to retain its relevance and to justify its ongoing and future operations. As its main source of income is donations, the WWF must not only rethink its goals and objectives, but also to adjust its fundraising operations to the fast-changing market. 1. 1 Main Customer Segments We will write a custom essay sample on Research Project: World Wildlife Fund Marketing Plan specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Project: World Wildlife Fund Marketing Plan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Project: World Wildlife Fund Marketing Plan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer WWF’s three main donors’ groups, namely governmental organisations, corporations and individuals, can be further segmented into specific groups using more than a few segmentation methods. This section, however, will suggest personality analysis; by considering personality traits (as well as the sets of needs and wants derived from them) as the leading factor, it may be possible to identify several segments, which may prove themselves as highly potential when treated in a suitable manner. 1.1.1 The Government Sector Revenues from government and other public sector bodies account for 29% of WWF’s total income in FY2008 (WWF, 2009). The sources of motivation for this expenditure may vary, but it is clear that the WWF enjoys its position a sound and responsible actor in the global level. It should be noted that the responsible image of WWF is a major strengths of the organisation; for example, Greenpeace, who deals with similar issues to those of the WWF, is perceived as rather â€Å"subversive† and thus does not report any donations from the public sector (Greenpeace, 2008). However, this very own approach towards governments and international institutions require adaption of the organisation’s operations to some extent, as direct conflicts with such bodies (e.g. in the form of unfavourable reports) may diminish this primary source of income. Moreover, since governments are much more interested in environmental issues than before, they may shift their expenditure to their own wildlife protection programs and/or to local organizations. Hence, the WWF should strive to use its professional strengthens to nurture local and international public sector initiations. That is, these bodies should be convinced that the WWF can be an effective and efficient means to promote their own plans and to actively participate in policy making. Given that the WWF can succeed in extending its role to public institutions, it should be assumed that governments and aid agencies will retain their predominant role in the WWF’s donations pie. 1.1.2 The Business Sector The WWF’s (2008) income statements from the last two years show two opposite trends: on one hand, donations from corporations have declined by 25% between the two years, presumably due to the crisis-related drop in profitability. On the other hand, revenues from royalties have increased by 110% to about ˆ765,000, more than four times higher than the traditional income from legacies and bequests. These figures clearly imply a wind of change in the market potential of corporate donations. In addition to the weakening economic environment, companies prefer to maximize their benefits from corporate social responsibility (CSR) operations, and prefer to make direct investments rather than to donate almost anonymously (i.e. most of the companies’ stakeholders are not aware of the donation). Combining the opposite trends of donations and royalties, the WWF should use its strong brand name and highly positive public image to engage in business initiatives, as discussed in detail in the next chapter. 1.1.3. Individuals As funding from more than a few sources is shrinking or growing slowly, private individuals continue to increase their donations and prove once more the power of the individual in an open economy. More precisely, in addition to a 22% increase in individual contributions between 2007 and 2008 (WWF, 2008), Black (2009) reports a single $50 million donation from a Mexican billionaire, who wish to establish a fund to promote environmental projects in his country. Even if this is an unrepresentative example, one should not avoid considering specific cases and general trends in regard to individuals. The WWF has more than a few market offerings for individuals, including merchandizing, travel packages and educational seminars. In addition, individuals are a target market for the WWF’s core operations in matters such as nutrition, responsible tourism and reduction of the demand for products such as furs and ivory. 1.2 Market Analysis 1.2.1 Partnerships with Governments, NGOs and Humanitarian Agencies Governments are not only a leading financer of the WWF, but are also a collaborator and a target for many of its operations. In the US, the WWF’s Government and Policy operations aim to develop cooperation programs with President Obama’s administration, the US Congress and governmental agencies (such as the Agency for International Development and the Department of state) and promotes public-private partnerships (PPPs) with numerous international bodies. Moreover, the WWF takes an active role in various campaigns in cooperation with other NGOs. These include, among others, humanitarian responses to catastrophes with the Red Cross and a proposal to Copenhagen Climate Treaty in collaboration with a battery of other environmental organizations such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and IndyAct. 1.2.2 Collaborations with the Private Sector As more and more businesses and corporations become aware of their environmental responsibility and the merits of maintaining a sustainable way of conduct, the WWF’s professional capabilities are effective means to promote tailor-made solutions, in particular with international behemoth such as Coca-Cola, Nike and IKEA. The same holds true for several major financial institutions, which understand the prospective long-term resource scarcity and invest in environmentally responsible RD projects. Most importantly, both of these directions do not merely come from plain CSR, but are a result of the clear link between sustainability, profitability and long-term growth. Such partnerships involve, among others, issues like transformational projects (i.e. building sustainable capacities towards ISO 14000), Philanthropic contribution, and Marketing ventures (which also serve as sources for royalties for the WWF). 1.2.3 Recent Trends and Events that Affect the WWF As mentioned earlier, the current political, economical and social conditions pose both threats and opportunities for the WWF. Among all major developments, several are worth to mention as the most critical for the success of future marketing efforts: Pace of recovery from the economic downturn in developed countries: a crucial factor for the WWF’s revenues is the ability in all levels and sectors to spend of the organization’s operations, from governments’ budgets to individuals’ propensity to buy WWF-related consumer goods. A new set of priorities of the Obama administration: unlike his predecessor, who refused to sign the Kyoto treaty and did not admit the American responsibility for nature preservation, President Obama seems to be more supportive of environmental considerations. This can be seen, to state a pair of examples, through the promotion of the Clean Energy and Security Act in the Congress and the president’s intentions to establish the US as a global leader in the fight to prevent the climate change. Greater openness among Third World governments: foreign regimes have gained a great deal of their high growth rates in the past on weak environmental legislation and enforcement. Recen tly, however, major forces such as China, who positioned itself as the world’s â€Å"omission trashcan,† cooperate with the WWF and many other bodies to protect their natural resources. As a result, it should be assumed that those countries will show great improvement in this field and will need further support. 1.3 Positioning The WWF belongs to the top line of international environmental NGOs. Some of the organizations in this group have a deep degree of affiliation with major international bodies; these include, for example, the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (which belongs to the United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP) and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, a part of the WHO (World Health Organization). Other NGOs, who can be perceived as direct competitors to the WWF on donations, are to be found in the independent category. Table 1summarizes findings on the major members of this category, in comparison to the WWF. Organization Contributing Members Revenues in $,000 US (FY 2007) Geographical reach Basea World Wildlife Fund (WWF) 5 million 151,426 100 countries Switzerland Greenpeace International 2.8 million 69,977 41 countries The Netherlands Friends of the Earth 2 million Not reported 16 affiliates and 77 member groups worldwide The Netherlands Table 1: Selected independent international environmental NGOs(Adapted from the respective organizations’ websites) aall the organizations in table have dozens of local offices. As can be seen in the table above the WWF has a clear predominant position comparing to its main competitors in all performance measurements. This is due to several differences, as described below and in Figure 1: First, the WWF is concerned primarily with preservation of flora and Fiona, and usually does not deal with more controversial issues such as globalization, nuclear energy and human rights. In contrast, the other major organizations take a more holistic approach, involving economic and social matters in their environmental campaigns. As a result, they are perceived as more radical and receive narrower support. Second, the WWF cooperate with more governmental and private bodies than the competitors. This approach brings about more awareness to the WWF’s messages and direct donations from a wide range of bodies, even such parties with whom the WWF has disputes. Greenpeace, for example, refuses to accept donations from corporations, in order to avoid bias on the organization’s policies and actions. Consequently, Greenpeace and other competitors in this category receive less favorable attitude and significantly lower donations, even though their environmental agenda is rather similar to the WWF’s core activities. Third, the professional capabilities of the WWF and its powerful brand (the panda symbol) allow it to offer more diversified product portfolio relatively to the others. Unique examples from the WWF’s offering include ISO 14000 transformation services, â€Å"green† financial consulting and the availability of much better academic and practical innovation projects. On the other hand, some smaller competitors such as Friends of the Earth and Green Cross International are structured in a much more decentralized manner. That is, their operational approach is based on connecting activist groups in one network, whereas the international headquarters provide services to those groups, whose goals and means differ according to regional factors. This structure keeps most of the expenditure and the income on the regional level, thus reducing overhead expenses to minimum and allows operational flexibility, which better match expenditure to income. 2. Proposed Marketing Mix Based on our market analysis, it can be soundly assume that given the difficult situation in which the WWF conducts its fundraising operations, the current situation of the organization is relatively stable in the short run. However, as the world economic and political conditions are going through rapid changes, the WWF should consider several adaptations in its fundraising policies and operations. The underlying idea behind this program is that the WWF is doing rather well despite, not because, its position as an environmental â€Å"charity† fund. That is, as donations diminish because of economic reasons and the attempts of potential donors, governmental and private alike, to promote their own environmental initiatives, the WWF manage to maintain its predominant position only thanks to the organization’s ability to find alternative sources of income. Hence, as described in detail below, the main objective of this program is to nurture an organizational attitude, which will be supportive towards market-oriented innovation in all aspects of the marketing mix. This idea follows the assumption that the WWF has the right set of means to provide great value to a large array of stakeholders in other means than showing its success in environmental campaigns. We will further argue that although the plan requires some changes within the WWF, it can be safely assumed that the basic structure and capabilities of the organization will not be damaged. 2.1 Product Our market analysis described three customer segments as the WWF’s key stakeholders, namely the public sector, businesses and individuals. It was also suggested that former sources of motivation to donate money to the WWF are diminishing gradually but surely, either because of economic reasons (i.e. lower profitability) or as a result of political and social changes (e.g. the rising power of local activists’ groups). One thing that did not change, and even increased, is the awareness to the WWF’s environmental agenda and a growing will to act. In response to these trends in the market, the WWF should strengthen its position as a provider of products and services to the main target market. By doing it profitably, the organization will flourish financially and will be less dependent on donations. 2.1.1 Services for the Public Sector Governments, international organizations and inter government organizations (IGOs) are concerned with sustainability in the macro level. Typical matters are issues of legislation and reinforcement, nature protection, waste management and water. As opposed to the lobbying approach, we argue that those organizations need much more than public pressure to act. Instead, the WWF can offer feasible solutions to promote the public organizations’ inherent motivation to act. Such services may include: Assistance in developing environment protection legislation Project management and financial structuring of â€Å"big-ticket† project such as alternative energy and water desalination facilities Marketing and PR agency in behalf of the government/IGO Educational projects for all ages 2.1.2 Services for the Business Sector Companies and corporation are characteristically the most profit- and growth-derived players in the economy. Even CSR initiatives are measured in terms of cost effectiveness and compared to their benefits on a financial or public image perspective. Furthermore, profitability is a critical factor in donation decision-making, as donations are deductibles from other taxed items in the Profit and Loss Accounts. However, similarly to governments, there is a growing demand in the private sector for services, which can be delivered through a substantial expansion of the WWF’s networks in the business community. Private sector operations should include: Expansion of the current operations (e.g. ISO 14000 consulting, resource management of large multinationals) Joint ventures with financial bodies to establish WWF’s â€Å"branded† line of eco-friendly financial products (such as trust funds and insurance policies for sustainable operations) Outsourcing services for tasks in the WWF’s core competencies such as omission management and HR training Establishing a â€Å"think tank† with logistics companies to improve their efficiency. 2.1.3 Products and Services for Individuals The main value proposition for the individual market is twofold. First, by supporting the WWF efforts, people can perceive themselves as â€Å"greener† and get a sense of belonging to an elite social group. Second, the WWF’s unique knowledge and abilities may enable the organization to offer valuable products and services in fields such as tourism, education and science. The main recommendations as for (average income) individuals are: Extending the current line of WWF consumer goods (which focus today mainly on logo-bearing products, see Figure 2) to other FMCG (e.g. vegetarian food products) as well as to be able to offer better prices on environmentally-friendly home products such as water-saving filters for taps. Continue to develop tourism packages for all kinds of travelers, from those who look for exotic spots to Sunday morning families. The WWF should consider establishing a non-formal education system, which will provide private classes in fields such as science and biology. 2.2 Price The proposed line of the WWF’s products and services assumes that the marketing offerings must be profitable, as the organization does not have the means to invest in slow-yielding projects. Moreover, the WWF has a good reputation as a leading wildlife protection organization and has a strong brand. Therefore, the organization should ensure its margins. It is not likely that there will be a serious price competition on the public sector, but the pricing policy in regard to the private sector should be modular to some extent. That is, the WWF should tailor its prices to the available financing instruments in the market and to base some of its prices to corporate services on performance-based commissions, which may reduce price sensitivity. Agreements with marketers of the WWF’s FMCG line should be based on profit sharing with a minimum annual payment. 2.3 Place Whereas the products and services sold to the open public can be marketed in a conventional way (e.g. through intermidiaries, retailers and the Internet), the marketing for the institutional market (i.e. both the public sector and companies) should be based on direct marketing through trained marketing and sales units for every sector and/or region (customer-based structure). Special attention should be put to those regions where improved environmental standards are a threshold for further development or for achieving strategic goals. Examples include, among others: Countries that need to develop their environmental legislation and enforcement I order to join international cooperation bodies (e.g. the European Union and the Kyoto Treaty) Companies in countries that give substantial benefits or pose penalties for omission reduction (e.g. the CO Tax and high waste clearing costs) Third World countries, which are currently legging behind of the rest of the world in the wildlife and nature protection policies and operations 2.4 Promotion As the institutional market is expected to retain its predominant position in the WWF’s income pie, most promotional efforts should be devoted to governments and companies. Following Kotler Keller (2006), the most effective promotion method in the context of B2B marketing is direct interactions with specific people within the organizations and building long-term relationships, which are based on trust. Hence, the task forces should locate change agents in their target institutions and give them the notion that they are valuable members of an elite group of individuals across markets and industries, all interested in bringing about environmental reforms in their organizations. The industry and government partners will be invited to specially designated congresses and excursions and will get direct connections with potential collaborators from both the private and the public sector. In addition, the WWF will provide personal consulting services for those people, who will be able to get advice on every field. The WWF will monitor the effectiveness of each such partner to promote cooperation between the WWF and his organization; this will significantly ease the process of monitoring the cost-effectiveness of the proposed marketing mix. 3. Budgets and Controls As mentioned earlier, it is imperative to avoid a risk of significant loss and not to worsen the WWF’s current 2.5% ratio between fundraising expanse and revenues. The needed funds for developing the proposed market offerings should come primarily from the fund raising budgets and partially by shifting existing operations to synergize with the new marketing approach. The appraisal system should treat each region separately and to recognize the different projects within each region as a strategic SBU that must justify itself financially. In addition to each SBU’s revenues from operations, the main KPIs are profitability, stability of market portfolio and growth rates of income against the benchmark. The main benchmarking criteria should compare the efficiency of the new plan against the former fundraising methods and a comparison between similar SBUs from other regions. Bibliography

Blade Runner and Frankenstein Essay Example

Blade Runner and Frankenstein Essay Example Blade Runner and Frankenstein Essay Blade Runner and Frankenstein Essay Mary Shelley gothic novel Frankincense, first published in 1816, and Riddled Coots science fiction film, Blade Runner, released in 1992, share common themes and ideas as well as similar warnings based on the time period. Despite being produced nearly 200 years apart, both texts reflect upon the values of their times as well as raising concerns that are timeless. Both Frankincense and Blade runner explore the implications of Science and technology, the relationships between the creator and creation and they also explore the notions of monstrosity and humanity. Science and technology is a common concern shared in both Frankincense and Blade Runner. As Shells grew up in an intellectual, educated and scientific household, aware of contemporary experiments about the imitation and creation of life I. E. Galvanism and the experiments with the frogs. He believed in natural philosophy. She was able to have Victor study the works of Cornelius Agrarian, which is a mixture of the supernatural and science. These are melded with contemporary natural philosophy and a leap of knowledge that brings Victor to the point where he can re- animate dead matter, showing a mixture of medieval alchemy and modern science. This Novel Questions the scientific processes to uncover mysteries of the time and criticizes the uncontrolled scientific experiments and the horrors of Vivisection I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave, or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay. Sexual language is demonstrated, showing how nature is generalizes, They penetrate into the recesses of nature, and show how she works in her hiding places. Similar to Victor, Walton wants to uncover and discover the unknown and is willing to sacrifice his life and the life of others. Mary Shells explores owe Science and technology influenced people of her time and tries to warn the audience of what could happen if science and technology isnt morally controlled. By the time Blade Runner was produced, Riddled Scott assumes that the audience will accept that in 2019 technology might have developed to enable the production of replicates that are unrecognizable from humans through genetic manipulation, mapping of human genome and cloning. Although during the mid 20th century optimism allowed people to believe that humans could eventually be able to do anything through scientific development, e. . Flying cars. The advances of science and technology are shown in a negative light and Riddled Scott tries to emphasis what will happen if society continues to not consider the long-term impacts of the advances of science and technology. Los Angels 2019 depicts a world that has destroyed nature and civilization. This is shown with the opening sequence of the long shot revealin g a futuristic and industrialized landscape through the use of special effects including flying cars, electrical lighting and explosions. This post-modern world shows the effects of extremely dangerous advances in science and technology. Mary Shells and Riddled Scot are both interested in what happening is happening within their time based on the advances in science and technology and both look at the consequences of what can happen if science is taken too far and is uncontrollable. The world that is depicted in Blade Runner has become the sort of world Mary Shells would have Victor may not have been motivated by greed and profit but they both share a fear of the potential of what they have created. Similarly both texts continuously have the eye motif, In Frankincense is the first indicator of life and horror: l saw the dull yellow ye of the creature open. In the same way Blade Runner has a screen-filling eye in which appears in the opening moments of the film where both of these texts are used as warnings towards their audience of the dangers of seeking knowledge susceptible to corruption by mankind. Again in Both texts, Blade Runner and Frankincense, they look at the relationships between the Creation and creators. Throughout the novel, Victor Frankincense has the idea of himself as the creator l felt what the duties of a creator towards his creature were, although the concept does not bring him any happiness, as he warns he reader to learn from his example and not to aspire to become greater than his nature will allow. Victor like one of the Greek titans thinks he can take over the role of God and create human beings. This shows that Victor is man acting as god and that he has pride in his own ability to do so. The fact that Victor uses sparks, fire and electricity Just as the titan was said to have done, Victor is compared to the Prometheus. This in turn shows man acting upon nature and highlights what can happen when men does so. Once Victor has decided that he will no longer create the eve companion for the creature, there is a significant power relationship change; The creature becomes more dominate and powerful that its creator, shown when the creature addresses victor, Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension and you are my creator, but I am your master obey! from this point Victor is hunted down by his creation, showing his loss of control. Similarly in Blade Runner, Riddled Scott highlights the destruction of nature, which has lead to cloning, and re-animation of the natural qualities within society. This is further highlighted through the setting in Trestles office where nature is artificial including the owl, showing that even the richest man cannot afford a real owl. This becomes farcical and effectively responders recognize the folly of men and the dangers of nature becoming commodity. Trestles pride creation is Roy as he talks very highly of him; a light that burns twice as bight, burns half as long and you have burned so very brightly. When Roy first meets his creator there is a sense of black and white imagery shown as Utterly is dressed in white with black hair whereas Roy is wearing black with white hair. Scott may want to show that you cant Judge one by their looks. This black and white imagery is also shown when they play chest as the checker board is black and white showing the power Utterly may have over Roy which is deceiving and may not be a true reflection of reality. In Los Angles 2019 there seems to be no families or relationships between humans, although the replicates do have a father fugue of Utterly. In Both Blade Runner and Frankincense the creator ends up not having any control over their creation in which ultimately leads to the creator being killed because of what they have created. In Blade Runner Utterly is killed by his proudest creation within his own home, whereas Victor dies on his search for the creature. The Juxtaposition of nature in both texts from different times raises awareness in audiences of the need for a change in attitude. Trestles different to how victor speaks of the creature Vile Wretch and Demon. Therefore in both texts the replicates and the creature are both searching for love and compassion by their creators and others within society. Shells and Scott also explore the notions of monstrosity and humanity, and what it means to them. My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was l? Whence did I come? What was my destination? These questions continually recurred, but I was unable to solve them The creature is continuously asking himself why he was created so inhuman like and questioning his humanity. This is Ironic because no one actually knows the answers to these questions, so in the end how do we know if were completely human or not? Unlike the ancient mariner who learns to appreciate nature, Victor throughout the chase shows how he can no longer be urged by nature, showing his dehumidification and how he is like the return and driven by violence. Shells questions what it means to be human and how humanities relationship with nature can be lost turning one into a devil. Scott questions what it means to be human throughout the film. The use of mechanical empathy test is used to identify mechanical humans. This betrays a deep confusion about how humans are managing to identify themselves. This Test for humanity is an emotional reaction, Leon fails when asked about his mother and once he is identified as inhuman like he acts in violence and shoots the detective at the start of the film. The Unicorn motif throughout the film also creates continuous questioning about humanity and monstrosity. The unicorn represents hope and understanding and the first indication of the unicorn motif is when there is a merge from the shot into the dream, which sets up the dream sequence. The dream is shot in black and white showing the Nature and beauty of the dream and it is the only time within the entire film when there is a shot of the natural world. The beautiful movement of the horse is shown through the use of slow motion. This shows the unicorn moving free (unlike he artificial animals in Los Angels), and how it is free to move compared to Declared being trapped and enclosed. This Unicorn motif questions what is human, because Declared is shown as one of the only normal human stuck in this world. Although the origami of a unicorn at the end of the film again hints that Declared may be a replicate. Throughout the film we consider Grief to be Deckers controller, who ends up giving him the unicorn, and therefore must know his dream. Scott really plays on the idea of what it truly means to be human and what are the implications if someone knows your dreams, have they been implanted? And if Declared is a replicate how can we decipher what is human? Both Blade Runner and Frankincense look at what it means to be truly human. Whether creature or replicate, they are made into monsters by the inhumane treatment they receive from the humans who reject them because they remind them if who they were or should be. This suggests that they are the personification of our human ontology: conscious and unconscious, good and evil. Although there is a difference between both texts, in the novel the humans are considered human through their appearance, thats how the creature is rejected. But in Blade runner the replicates are almost the perfect human form yet there rejected by society because of lack of emotions (Bight Jump test). Own time, reflecting on what is important to each of the composers. Both texts look at similar ideas but are based in different eras. Mary Shells and Riddled Scott explore similar ideas about the implications of Science and technology, the relationships between the creator and creation and they also explore the notions of monstrosity and humanity. These ideas do have shifting values and approaches but they are both exploring timeless issues and concerns.

Case Study Mcdonalds

It operates over 35000 restaurants in more than 100 countries on six continents. 5 It has an unparalleled global infrastructure and competencies in restaurant operations, real estate, retailing, marketing and franchising. McDonald’s website says that it is a leader in the area of social responsibility and is committed to protecting the environment for future generations. 7 Strong and wide communication channel in the market. (deng, 2009) 8 Play areas for children. 9 Large target markets. 10 Recession resistant (Birchall, 2008) 11 In September 2003 successful backing up of new products was launched with MTV’s advertising campaign featuring the new tag line, â€Å"I’m Lovin’it†. (Jennifer, 2004) WEAKNESSES 1 McDonald’s has not achieved its growth expectations in past several years. Narrow Product lines. (deng, 2009) 3 McDonald’s brand association as a junk food. (deng, 2009) 4 Few option for healthy eating 5 High employee turnover rates. (macy, 2012) 6 McDonald’s also have some bad effects on environment. (ltd. , 2006) 7 McDonald’s also faces many types of legal actions on many issues. OPPORTUNITIES 1 Product packing for McDonalds now features QR codes for customers to get nutritional information. Mcnamara, 2013) 2 Opportunity to enlarge market, the consumers who care about health issue. (deng, 2009) 3 Slightly changing market brand image of McDonalds. (deng, 2009) 4 In 2009, McDonald’s launched its hefty Angus burger in all U. S. A locations. 5 Introduction of trans-fat-free French fries in all restaurants in the U. S. A and Canada. 6 Introduction of McCafe. 7 Testing marketing fruits and vegetables as happy meal at some outlets. 8 McDonald’s franchises overseas became a favorite target of people and groups expressing antiglobalization sentiments. Entry into new and highly popular product categories. THREATS 1 Public attack about obesity issue. (deng, 2009) 2 Changing taste of consumers. (deng, 2009) 3 Unable to keep patrons as special order sandwiches offered by rivals Burger King and Wendy’s. 4 Promotional plans like McDonalds game found conspiracy with 51 people charged in a part of scam winning $24 million by stealing winning McDonald’s tickets. 5 McDonalds showed a delayed effect than other restaurants operators in switching over to zero trans-fat cooking oil. In 2001 McDonald’s was sued for hurting religious sentiments by vegetarian groups for not revealing its flavors in French fries as it added beef extract to vegetable oil and showing it as veg in menu. 7 Consum ers began filing law suits that eating at McDonald’s had made them over weight. 8 Competition from burger kings and Wendy’s. (Thomadsen, 2007) MARKET SEGMENTATION TARGET MARKET| BABY BOOMERS| GENERATION X| GENERATION Y| GENERATION Z| DEMOGRAPHICS| 45-65+| 35-44| 19-34| 0-18| GEOGRAPHICS| URBAN| URBAN| URBAN| URBAN| PSYCOGRAPHICS| More concerned with low cholesterol food| More concerned with low fat food| More concerned with physical fitness food products| Generally eats taste oriented food products| BEHAVIOURAL| Mostly concerned with good quality of food products| Requires access with quick and fresh food service| Generally catch-up food by themselves by reaching out| Check out with friends and family| ISSUE ANALYSIS In 2004,Morgan Spurlock’s documentary film Super-Size Me gave very criticism to McDonald’s fast â€Å"nutrition†, in which he shows how he gains fat and destroy his health by eating McDonald’s. 2 In 1998 McDonald’s started â€Å"Made for you† System but it was not successful. There was a decrease in growth of sales in stores. 3 In 1999 before the implementation of â€Å"made for you â€Å"scheme ,McDonald’s planned to provide about 190 million in financial assistance to its franchisees ,but the actual cost of implementing the system ran much higher than the corporation had estimated. In 2001, 51 people were charged conspiring to rig McDonald’s game promotions over the course of several years, revealing that $24 million of winning McDonald’s game tickets had been stolen as a part of scam. 5 In 2004, McDonald’s was sued for extracting a small amount beef added in to the vegetable oil used for cooking French fries. 6 Many people still complain that the food served by McDonald’s is not hot to eat. RECOMMENDATIONS PRODUCT :- 1 McDonald’s should provide hot food to eat because many customers complaint that their food is not so hot to eat otherwise it will affect sales. McDonalds should bring some new healthier products for all ages because bad effect on health is one of the weaknesses of McDonald’s and bringing some healthier food will help to overcome this image. 3 McDonald’s should provide some free snacks because it will help it compete with its competitors and increase sales. 4 McDonalds should make their products in fat free oil because it will have good effect on health. 5 McDonald’s should also provide some regional food because in this way some rural people will also start accepting its products. Launching of new fried and bone in treats in Chicago. PRICE:- 1 The price of products should be affordable because if they will not be affordable to small income group then its sale will be affected and it will also give the opportunity to competitors to increase their sales. 2 The prices of products should be regularly checked so as to compete with competition because people will buy those products which they can get in low price. PLACE:- 1 McDonald’s should open new franchises in small cities also . It will help them to expand its business and increase growth. McDonald’s should increase the number of its franchises in all countries in order to expand its business. PROMOTION:- 1 McDonald’s should provide some discount on more products purchased because in this way people will buy more. Because some people will start purchasing more items if they can get discount. 2 McDonald’s should provide home delivery service because sometimes some people can’t go to store in order to pu rchase them. It will increase sales. 3 McDonald’s should provide online sale because in this way people can place their orders online. McDonald’s is working on new salads and wraps . (wong, 2013) 5 McDonald, s will test the new fried and bone in treats in Chicago. (wong, 2013) 6 Success of mighty wings in Atlanta. (wong, 2013) BEST RECOMMENDATIONS PRODUCT:- McDonald’s should provide some healthier food for all ages because health obesity is the major problem with McDonald’s . In this way they can get good image regarding health. PRICE:- Prices of products should be regularly checked in order to compete with competition because people will cheapest product. PLACE:- McDonald’s should open new small franchises at small cities also because it will help him to expand its business and increase growth rates. PROMOTION:- McDonald’s should provide home delivery service because sometimes people can’t go to store in order to purchase product. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibliography Birchall, J. (2008). McDonalds claims fast food sales fighting off slowdown. Financial times. deng, t. (2009, may). McDonalds new strategy on changing attitudes and communication. International journal of marketing studies, 37-42. Jennifer, R. (2004). online branding :the case of McDonalds. ritish food journal. ltd. , n. m. (2006). ICCR sponsered proxy resolutions on genetically modified organisms gain recognition among shareholders at wendys McDonalds . financial wire. macy, a. (2012). financing a remodel:a case of McDonalds Franchisee. journal of case research in business and economics. Mcnamara, B. (2013). McDonalds give the people what they want. Nutrition business journal. Thomadsen, r. (2007). product positiong and competion:the role of location in the fast food industry. Marketing science. wong, V. (2013). will McDonalds mighty wings fly? Business weak.

Network Management - Quiz 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Network Management - Quiz 5 - Assignment Example A strong encryption algorithm is needed such that even if an opponent who knows the algorithm and has access to one or more cipher-texts would be unable to decipher the cipher-text or figure out the key. The secrecy of the key should be maintained and only known to only the source and the destination and protect an attacker from knowing the key. If an opponent knows the secret key then the symmetry cryptosystem is compromised. The attacker also knows the encryption algorithm, which means that he can generate the decryption algorithm by simply reversing the encryption algorithm. Therefore, knowing the encryption algorithm translates into knowing the decryption algorithm. Chosen-cipher-text can be termed as a special form of the chosen-plaintext analysis since the attacker selects the cipher-text together with its corresponding plaintext, thus the plaintext is chosen indirectly. The plaintext block is divided into two halves, L and R. The two halves of the data pass through n rounds of processing and then combine to produce the cipher-text block. The 64-bit plaintext goes through an initial permutation (IP) that rearranges the bits to produce the permuted input. A phase consisting of sixteen rounds of the same function follows, which involves both permutation and substitution functions. Substitution is performed on the left half of the data by applying a round function F to the right half of the data and then taking the exclusive-OR (XOR) of the output of that function and the left half of the data. A sequence of plaintext elements is replaced by a permutation of that sequence. No elements are added or deleted or replaced in the sequence, rather the order in which the elements appear in the sequence is changed. The permutation function implemented in each round is the same but the sub-key changes in each round. Each of the sixteen rounds produces a sub-key by the combination of a left shift and permutation. The output of the last (sixteenth) round

Subsidies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Subsidies - Research Paper Example This paper aims at examining the relationship between subsidies and economic growth in the context of developing countries. Subsidies are financial assistance provided by the government of a country to some of its domestic firms or a specific industry or sector (Schaffer, Agusti & Earle 374). The governments of different countries allocate subsidies to its industries with a variety of objectives both in direct and indirect forms. However, the central purpose of levying a subsidy is to keep the price below the level normally determined by the market forces in the sector in which the subsidy is provided and accelerate the course of development in the entire nation (Moltke, McKee & Morgan 23). In particular, subsidies are provided to those industries or sectors which are lagging behind the other sectors in the economy in terms of performance or are not being able to perform up the expected level. The subject about impact of subsidies on the developing countries is quite researched upon. Before going into the details of my research work I shall review some of the existing literature on this topic in this section. Peacock elaborates in his paper the role of subsidies is important in the overall welfare of the economy (Peocock 323-335). Although elimination of subsidies on necessary goods, such as agricultural products, medicines and other items related to health sector and the petroleum products, is a key policy prescription for the developing countries by the World Bank, no persuasive theory has been developed supporting this policy. Amegashie states in this context that the governments of the developing countries should exercise caution in following a process of removing subsidies since it might give rise to agitation on part of the citizens (Amegashie 7-15). Thus, the research will try to explore the effects and side effects of such system. The study employs secondary sources. The research will employ Qualitative method and

Catcher in the Rye Essay: The Importance of Language -- Catcher Rye Es

The Importance of Language in The Catcher in the Rye   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has captured the spirit of adolescence, dramatizing Holden Caulfield's vulgar language and melodramatic reactions. Written as the autobiographical account of a fictional teenage prep school student named Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye deals with material that is socially scandalous for the time (Gwynn, 1958). As an emotional, intelligent, and sensitive young man, Holden puts his inner world to the test through the sexual mores of his peers and elders, the teachings of his education, and his own emerging sense of self. Throughout the years, the language of the story has startled readers. Salinger's control of Holden's easy, conversational manner makes the introduction of these larger themes appear natural and believable. (Bloom, 1990).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the time of the novel, and even today, Holden's speech rings true to the colloquial speech of teenagers. Holden, according to many reviews in the Chicago Tribune, the New Yorker, and the New York Times, accurately captures the informal speech of an average intelligent, educated, northeastern American adolescent (Costello, 1990). Such speech includes both simple description and blatant cursing. For example, Holden says, "They're nice and all", as well as "I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything." In the first instance, he uses the term "nice" which oversimplifies his parents' character. This wording of his phrase implies that he does not wish to disrespect them, yet at the same time he does not intend to praise them. At best he deems them as "nice and all." Holden further cuts short his description, but in a more curt manner, when he stat... ...nage angst is apparent, Salinger carefully crafted Holden's vocabulary to create a character who would be believable. As Holden's vocabulary and outlook on life demonstrate his character as a fictional persona, the realistic flavor of his vocabulary mixed with emotion unfailingly ties him to the harsh realities of adolescence and the youth of his time.    Works Cited Bloom, HB. Major Literary Characters: Holden Caulfield. Chelsea House Publishers. New York, 1990. Costello, DP. The Language of the Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield. Cambridge, New York; Cambridge University Press, 1990. Gwynn, F. The Fiction of JD Salinger. University of Pittsburg Press. 1958 Salinger, JD. The Catcher in the Rye, Little, Brown and Co. Boston, 1951. Salzman, J. The American Novel: New Essays on the Catcher in the Rye. Cambridge University Press, 1991.

On Becoming a Leader Essay

The book I chose to review is â€Å"On Becoming a Leader† by Warren Bennis. At the crux of this book is a search to understand how leaders are made. Throughout the book, the author tries to prove through polls and observations, that leaders are not born but are made through a combination of nature and nurture. Leaders who excel tend to have similar characteristics which have been developed by a series of experiences in their lives (these include embracing mistakes, taking risks and learning from adversity). Another idea discussed in the book is that of the role of education in making leaders. Bennis notes a number of qualities and abilities that are common amongst the leaders he interacts with. Some of those are relating well to others, trusting others and in turn being trustworthy, the ability to motivate people and to not give up, inspiration and competence in the job. However, he claims that a major problem in business & leadership is the â€Å"societal disease of our time† (as said by Norman Lear to him) – short term thinking. He highlights throughout the book that this form of thinking is not beneficial to organizations and that a good leader should be able to look further and not give the short term too much importance. At one point he claims that short term thinking is what kills one of the most important attributes a leader must have – innovation. The author mentions that leaders are important to an organization since they are of paramount importance to the operational performance, stability and integrity of the organization. To this end, Warren Bennis presents in a systematic manner various attributes that are required of a leader to be able to perform well. The first attribute discussed is the ability to â€Å"Master the context†. In this chapter, the author discusses the fact that a leader must be able to understand the reasons and outcomes of different situations. Only once he has managed this, will he be able to act in the best possible way for his organization. This is in line with what we have learned throughout our course regarding improving one’s self-awareness as well as the 4 perspectives of organizational effectiveness. A leader must be able to understand the context of work and respond by being aware that he needs to look after different perspectives of people and systems related to the organization. The second thing discussed is â€Å"understanding the basics†, which is quite similar to mastering the context. In this, Warren Bennis explains that leaders need to understand the underlying concepts at work before making decisions. He lists a series of attributes that can be found in most leaders including self-knowledge, passion, vision and trust. He argues that most of the leaders are not born with these attributes but life experiences and a desire to lead people enables them to develop a good understanding of this. Their drive to acquire and learn are much higher than on average and they actively pursue these drives while taking risks and placing lesser importance on their drive for safety. In this he also discusses the difference between managing people and leading them. We have gone through various topics related directly to this effect in class. According to me, one of the strongest drives an individual has is the drive to safety. An individual would be much more comfortable if they can trust their leader. The ability to understand the thought process of their leader and their belief/trust in him helps shore up their drive for safety. Across cultures, people tend to avoid uncertainty and if a leader is able to, through knowledge and an understanding, provide people with an image of consistency; it goes a long way in settling people and reducing stress. The third lesson is â€Å"knowing yourself†. Warren Bennis argues that in order to lead others, one must fully understand themselves. To be able to trust your decisions/inner feelings is extremely important for leading people and making correct choices. The author goes on to highlight 4 lessons that enable an individual to understand themselves. They are â€Å"you are your own best teacher†, â€Å"accept responsibility†, â€Å"you can learn anything you want to learn† and â€Å"true understanding comes from reflecting on your own experience†. All these lessons are at the core of organizational behavior as we have learnt. These 4 lessons can apply even to organizations as well as being useful for individuals. Self-concept is an important part of an individual’s make up and to feed that we must be able to reflect on our past experiences to learn from them. Social learning, learning through reinforcement and learning through experience are discussed as important factors of learning in organizations in our course. I believe this same applies to individuals as they are able to develop their social identity and self-concept through these lessons. Next, the author discusses â€Å"Knowing the world†. This takes a similar route to the previous subject of knowing yourself, while developing a greater scope to the understanding. Cultural understanding is an extremely important attribute in a leader. In an increasingly diverse workforce coupled with increasing globalization, a leader must have the ability to and desire to understand various cultures and behaviors. Values and behavior are very different for different cultures, and a lot of organizations have failed due to the incompatible understanding of their leaders. The HP-Compaq merger was a major case where while it was beneficial financially and operationally for the companies to merge, their leaders were not able to fully adapt the two company’s cultures properly, causing the merger to have not performed anywhere near expectations. One point that I found particularly interesting and felt that was very important was the need for a person to find a mentor who can help them enhance and shape their cultural understanding. The social learning aspect discusses similar concepts, where a person learns from someone whom they aspire to be. Being able to find a mentor who has an in depth understanding of cultures, or at least has a desire to learn cultural differences can help an individual become a more complete leader. The next thought discussed by the author is â€Å"Operating on instinct†. This discussion focuses on the fact that a good leader should be able to believe in himself and should be able to take decisions from his gut feeling. More often than not a leader and even individuals will have to make decisions without knowing all the details they would like to know. The presence of incomplete information should not make the leader less likely to make a decision. A good leader will have developed enough self-awareness and through self-evaluation and verification be able to rely on his instinct to make the right choice. This enables the leader to be able to quickly and decisively contemplate and decide issues. The next discussion is based on †Deploying yourself†. In this the author talks about the fact that a successful leader is a person who is willing to take on challenges even though he might have failed in earlier challenges. The drive to learn and acquire are, I feel, major contributors to this topic. A good leader will be able to reflect on his past experiences and learn from them; and this gives them confidence to continually drive for newer challenges and tasks. Another topic discussed is â€Å"Moving through chaos†. In this chapter, Warren Bennis describes the difference between all individuals and leaders. He points out that everyone faces problems and issues in their career, but that leaders analyze these problems and tend to learn from these. Conflict resolution can take many forms through third-party conflict resolution or negotiation. Leaders reflect on their conflicts and develop an understanding of how to overcome those challenges. â€Å"Getting people on your side† is the next topic covered. The main point of this discussion, and a very important learning for me personally, is the ability of the leader to be trustworthy. To be trusted, a leader must display consistency in his actions, congruity – meaning what they say, reliable to their followers and have a strong integrity. This once again gravitates towards the drive for safety individuals have. To be lead by someone, an individual must trust them to act on their behalf and be able to predict to a certain extent what their leaders will do for them. The concept of romanticizing leadership is down to this ability of leaders. If a leader is able to bring their employees/followers on their side, the leader’s ability to work through tasks and challenges is increased. Even mistakes made by them will be viewed in a positive light, enabling them to continue taking risks. â€Å"Organizations can help – or hinder† is the next topic that is discussed. This focuses on the fact different organizations will have different expectations from their leaders. The culture at an organization will dictate how well a leader will be able to lead the organization. A good leader will be able to understand the context of the organization and will try to devise strategies he can implement to make changes. The author also mentions that the leader should try and develop organizational characteristics that are in line with their culture. This also transposes into the last discussion of â€Å"Forging the future†. The impediments faced by leaders in an organization can be very hard, but a good leader will be able to develop his own culture and characteristics to move the organization forward. One major issue I had with this book was that while the author continually refers to short term thinking as a â€Å"societal disease†; he himself to a certain extent subscribes to that notion. His interaction with the leaders seems comparatively very short term. Throughout the statements made in the book, it felt that the interviews were more about successful past rather than forward looking. I understand that one of the major attributes is to learn from experiences but the I’d prefer if the author also focused equally on the leader’s thoughts about the future. Secondly I felt that there was quite a bit of political commentary in the book. I knew that it was going to have some after reading the reviews while selecting the book, but the political leadership aspect seemed to be a comparatively one sided. I feel that the author could have refrained from making this political and focused instead on the corporate leadership aspect.