Uncategorized – Page 129 – Julliethewriter

MINUTES OF DISPOSAL MEETING

MINUTES OF DISPOSAL MEETING 4TH MEETING

DATE & TIME THURSDAY 28th April 2022, from 10am to 12noon

VENUE Company’s boardroom, HQ

MEMBERS PRESENT

George Gicheru

Carolyne Okango

Loice Chepchirchir

Stanley Chemweno Chairman

Member

Secretary

Apologies

Japhet Samoei Member

Agenda To receive and consider request from M/S Numerical Machining Complex Limited.

To receive and consider report on memo from the Managing Director dated 10/2/2022 on the following ;

Inventory of used tyres and tubes returned to stores.

Inventory of used computers, printers and parts returned to stores.

Inventory of used pipes and fittings recouped through replacement of water lines.

Inventory of used water meters returned to the stores.

AOB related to disposal process.

The meeting started at 10.00am after prayers by Carolyne Okango. With the requisite quorum the chairman welcomed members the meeting. 1.0 Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider request from M/S Numerical Machining Complex Limited. The committee noted that the government lifted ban on scrap metal dealings, the committee resolved to recommend that the process be

Competitively hence be advertised in the tender.

Disposal as Government to Government to M/S Numerical Machining Complex Limited since its government entity.

2.0

a Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider report on memo from the Managing Director dated 10/2/2022 on

Inventory of used tyres and tubes returned to stores. The total number of used tyres in the stores reported as follows;

1. Medium size – 129 no

2. Backhoe 7 no

3. Motor cycle 26 no

Also included are used batteries 13 no

The committee recommends for disposal through public auction. 2.0

b Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider report on memo from the managing director dated 10/2/2022 on Inventory of used computers, printers and parts returned to stores The company requires to develop a policy on disposal of e-waste. The committee recommends disposal through e-waste management upon development of the policy due to the sensitivity of matter on the environment. 2.0

c Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider report on memo from the Managing Director dated 10/2/2022 on Inventory of used pipes and fittings recouped through replacement of water lines The committee will on 5/5/2022 visit the company’s new water pipeline installations. This will be performed with the support of a guide from user department to take stock of used pipes and fittings. 2.0

d Min DC/04/2022: To receive and consider report on memo from the managing director dated 10/2/2022 on Inventory of used water meters returned to the stores The committee recommends the disposal of the meters as scrap through public auction upon dismantling to remove the gears parts. 2.0 Min DC/04/2022: AOB related to disposal process The committee recommended for capacity building or bench mark on e- waste management since it’s a new mode of disposal to ELDOWAS.

The company to explore legal and regulatory framework on disposal of assets to government institutions.

Minutes Confirmed for circulation:

George Gicheru chairman Date 28th April 2022

Stanley ChemwenoSecretary Date 28th April 2022

Marketing Communications at Noel Leeming

Author’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Marketing Communications at Noel Leeming

Only about 30% of contemporary marketers show complete satisfaction with their capability of engaging clients across marketing communication channels at scale (Salesforce Research, 2019). Any achievement in marketing cannot be accomplished without proper marketing communications. Here, marketing communications at Noel Leeming are evaluated based on relevant literature-centred evidence. The first section of this assessment is a critical evaluation of the current context of this corporation’s marketing communications. The second section includes a detailed assessment of its traditional and digital marketing communication strategies for the targeted consumer segments in the New Zealand marketplace. The last section provides an evaluation of the integration of Noel Leeming’s existing marketing communications approach. The critical evaluation of the existing offline and digital marketing communications at Noel Leeming is imperative because it unveils the company’s potential for engaging its target customer segments satisfactorily.

Current Marketing Communications of Noel Leeming

The concept of marketing communications involves the approaches, means, and techniques employed by an enterprise to convey promotional messages about the brands, products, or services it offers to clients directly or indirectly aiming at persuading them to purchase (Fill & Jamieson, 2014; Pawar, 2014). So, marketing communications are an indispensable and complex part of an organisation’s marketing practices and efforts as it encompasses both the media and the message deployed by the organisation to communicate with its target market. Marketing communications use a combination of different marketing tools and channels to create brand awareness amongst potential and existing clients. This awareness creates a mental picture of the brand or changes the brand image in customers’ minds, thereby assisting them in making purchasing decisions (Dobele, Toleman, & Beverland, 2005). In essence, marketing communications offer the avenue by which firms and their brands present themselves to their audience aiming at stimulating dialogues that ideally culminate in successions of complete and engaging purchasing behaviours.

The marketing communications tools commonly employed by contemporary firms are emails, brochures, websites, pamphlets, advertisements, exhibitions, press releases, and sales promotion campaigns. A complete marketing communication mix should have eight key elements or promotional tools, namely, personal selling, word-of-mouth marketing, sales promotion, advertising, public relations (publicity), direct selling, interactive marketing, and events and experiences (Pawar, 2014; Owen, & Humphrey, 2009). Other elements include online presence, branding, packaging, printed materials, sponsorships, sales presentations, and strategic trade shows (Fill & Jamieson, 2014).

Noel Leeming, a multichannel retailer of branded technology services and consumer electronics and electronic appliances in New Zealand, has well-established marketing communications practices. This is evinced by the fact that the corporation has the position of a marketing planning manager who manages the daily planning of communication activities across various earned, paid, and owned online and traditional marketing communication channels. The marketing planning manager reports directly to the Noel Leeming Group Marketing Manager (Noel Leeming, n.d). The company uses its marketing communications to provide its customers with the latest advice, choices, ideas, and trends, hence strengthening its position in the New Zealand marketplace.

At Noel Leeming, the marketing communications mix includes both traditional and online marketing, but the latter is more dominant than the former. The evidence for this assertion is the company’s major focus on digital marketing innovation based on customer data analytics that is aimed at driving marketing performance. The marketing planning manager develops media plans and recommendations that are consistent with Noel Leeming Group’s advertising and marketing strategies (Noel Leeming, n.d). Using heavy media campaign learnings and data analytics, The Warehouse Group, which acquired Noel Leeming in 2012, has managed to build its capabilities in automated and customised marketing communication, enabling Noel Lemming to shift from traditional analogue marketing channels to embracing digital marketing tools (McKenzie, 2018). The firm’s digital marketing communications practices are currently coordinated by the company’s current marketing communications executive (Green, 2014).

Traditional and Digital Marketing Communications for Targeted Consumer Segments

The target market for Noel Leeming includes tech-savvy New Zealanders who use its consumer electronics and electronic appliances. This target market is divided into three target consumer segments based on their lifestyles. These segments are Success-Driven Extroverts, Young Pleasure-Seekers, and New Greens. According to Watkins et al. (2015), the success-driven extroverts will be inclined to buying Noel Leeming’s consumer electronics and the related appliances because they are early technology adopters, well-informed about popular culture, and conversant with expensive brands. The young pleasure-seekers are part of Noel Leeming’s target market arguing from the perspective that they are media-savvy, have high regard for personal possessions, and engage actively in streaming and downloading their media content (Watkins et al., 2015). The new greens segment forms part of Noel Leeming’s target market because they need electronic gadgets to stay online and up-to-date as regards their green health options.

To reach these consumer segments, Noel Leeming’s marketing communication incorporates both traditional and digital or online target marketing strategies. Traditional target marketing communications apply older media such as radio, television, broadcasts, films, physical print media, face-to-face, and point of purchase (Geraghty & Conway, 2016; Gurău, 2008; Spencer & Giles, 2001). Traditional marketing communications are important to Noel Leeming because they are far-reaching, thereby reaching a broad range of the target customer segments, besides having a lifespan that is easy to define. Traditional marketing communications are also valuable because they offer a more creditable, evocative, and visually appealing aspect that leads to the provision of place, possession, and time utility for the company’s clients (Durmaz & Efendioglu, 2016; Geraghty & Conway, 2016). At Noel Leeming, the traditional marketing communication strategies or tools used to reach the three target customer segments are paid media (display ads and branded content) on television, print, and radio, sales promotion, branding, and public relations (Noel Leeming Group Limited, 2008). In agreement, Stanley (2014) acknowledges that this enterprise leverages the power of paid media in bringing to life consumer endorsements to generate the impact necessary in realising impressive results.

Apart from the traditional marketing communication means, Noel Leeming also reaches its target customer segments using digital marketing communication approaches. According to Gurău (2008), digital marketing communications employ the digital marketing equivalents of traditional marketing communication tools that are customised and adapted to befit the online marketing setting. Thus, digital marketing communications leverage digital technologies, Big Data elements, and the Internet to create interactive communication between companies and their customers, giving the clients a greater role and responsibility in the marketing communication processes (Fill & Jamieson, 2014; McAfee et al., 2012; Owen & Humphrey, 2009). According to Pawar (2014), online marketing communications are both an art and science of communicating brands with clients over digital networks, including cellular phone networks, social media, and the Internet. A complete digital marketing media mix includes a broad gamut of marketing tools that include blogs, social networking platforms, email marketing, SEO, and client-focused videoconferencing, among others (Geraghty & Conway, 2016).

Durmaz & Efendioglu (2016) submit that many companies are shifting from traditional marketing communication methodologies to adopting new digital marketing communication tools. Noel Leeming is not an exception as it has shifted significantly to online marketing communication as McKenzie (2018) confirms. At Noel Leeming, the digital marketing communication mix includes social media, the company website (where pay-per-click advertising takes place), web analytics tools, and email marketing. From the company website, it is evident that the four social media that Noel Leeming uses for online marketing communications include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter (Noel Leeming Group Limited, 2019). Noel Leeming maintains a comprehensive privacy policy for protecting the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information of clients involved in digital marketing communications processes.

Evaluation of Integration of Existing Marketing Communications Approach

Integrated marketing communication, abbreviated as IMC, is a relatively new marketing concept characterised by the meticulous incorporation of all forms of marketing communication messages to ensure consistent corporate messages are sent to diverse target audiences (Gurău, 2008; Pawar, 2014). IMC entails linking together the channels, media, and methods of communicating with individuals outside of a firm, along with the proper coordination and centralisation of the communication activities by the company involved for effective marketing communication (Owen, & Humphrey, 2009). IMC replaces limited-focus, profile-raising options by emphasising the mechanisms and means of commencing and sustaining continuing dialogues with customers and enhancing customer-company relationships (Vargo & Lusch, 2014).

At Noel Leeming, there is proof of the integration of its existing marketing communications approach. The evidence is the existence of an integrated marketing communications coordinator at the Warehouse Group that acquired Noel Leeming in 2012. This coordinator is responsible for driving the marketing communication activities and workflow for the Noel Leeming business, which are integrated to ensure the effectiveness of marketing messaging (The Warehouse Group, n.d). The company uses its IMC function to ensure that its marketing communication is brand-consistent, customer-focused and based on best practices to drive excellence in marketing teams. Also, integrated marketing communication helps Noel Leeming to maintain collaborative processes among these teams to ensure creative marketing communications that generate corresponding deliverables (The Warehouse Group, n.d).

Summary

Marketing communication is indispensable in the successful running of business operations at Noel Leeming. The employment of both traditional and online marketing communications is instrumental in keeping the company in the lead position in its different target customer segments. The adoption of integrated marketing communications enables Noel Leeming to deliver consistent and unified communication messages about its brand offerings to clients in these segments, hence augmenting chances of attracting and maintaining customers.

References

Dobele, A., Toleman, D., & Beverland, M. (2005). Controlled infection! Spreading the brand message through viral marketing. Business Horizons, 48(2), 143-149. Doi: 10.1016/j.bushor.2004.10.011.

Durmaz, Y., & Efendioglu, I. H. (2016). Travel from traditional marketing to digital marketing. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 16(2), 34-40.

Fill, C., & Jamieson, B. (2014). Marketing communications. UK. Herriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Business School.

Geraghty, G., & Conway, A. T. (2016). The study of traditional and non-traditional marketing communications: Target marketing in the events sector. 12th Annual Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference, THRIC 2016, 16th and 17th June, Limerick Institute of Technology.

Green, R. (September 10, 2014). Noel Leeming unveils a brand new look in the latest series of spots via FCB New Zealand. New Zealand. Campaign Brief. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://campaignbrief.co.nz/2014/09/10/noel-leeming-unveils-a-brand-n/.

Gurău, C. (2008). Integrated online marketing communication: implementation and management. Journal of Communication Management, 12(2), 169-184.

McAfee, A., Brynjolfsson, E., Davenport, T. H., Patil, D. J., & Barton, D. (2012). Big data: The management revolution. Harvard Business Review, 90(10), 60-68.

McKenzie, E. (January 26, 2018). The Warehouse Group to move to a single media agency for entire business. The ICG Media. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://stoppress.co.nz/news/warehouse-group-invites-existing-media-agencies-pitch-entire-business/.

Noel Leeming Group Limited. (2008). Noel Leeming Group Ltd background information. Scoop News. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0801/S00270/noel-leeming-group-ltd-background-information.htm.

Noel Leeming Group Limited. (2019). Noel Leeming. Noel Leeming Group Limited. (2019). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.noelleeming.co.nz/search.html?q=point+of+purchase#sortOrder=rel&page=1&layout=grid.

Noel Leeming. (n.d). Marketing Planning Manager. Auckland, New Zealand: Noel Leeming. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/TheWarehouseGroup/743999664886682-marketing-planning-manager.

Owen, R., & Humphrey, P. (2009). The structure of online marketing communication channels. Journal of Management and Marketing Research, 2, 1-10.

Pawar, A. V. (2014). Study of the effectiveness of online marketing on integrated marketing communication. (Master’s Dissertation DY Patil University, School of Management, Navi Mumbai).

Salesforce Research. (2019). State of marketing: Insights and trends from over 4,100 marketing leaders worldwide. Salesforce Research.

Spencer, C., & Giles, N. (2001). The planning, implementation and evaluation of an online marketing campaign. Journal of Communication Management, 5(3), 287-299.

Stanley, J. (September 2014). Media vital to marketing mix. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://commscouncil.nz/industry-voice/media-vital-to-marketing-mix/.

The Warehouse Group. (n.d). Integrated marketing communications manager. The Warehouse Group.

Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2014). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. In The Service-Dominant Logic of Marketing (pp. 21-46). Routledge.

Watkins, L., Aitken, R., Hinder, C., Lawson, R., Mather, D., Paul, A., … & Williams, J. (2015). The New Zealand consumer lifestyle segments. New Zealand Sociology, 30(1), 111-130.

Business Case for Quality improvement

Student's Name

Institution Affiliation

Professor

Date

Course

Abstract

There is an increasing belief and interest in using quality improvement to solve the more daily complex challenges in various healthcare firms, yet less literature review to assist the students in developing and evaluating a business case n return investment from quality improvement. Quality improvement is noticed in community health services and mental healthcare. The paper, therefore, discusses a framework to assist in evaluating the return on investment and understand and identify the return on investment from a more extensive application of quality improvement to healthcare providers. The framework has been developed at ELFT, a predominantly provider of community and mental healthcare services to over 1 million individuals practicing quality improvement at scale since late 2014. The case study presents examples illustrating return on investment hence improving efficiency and productivity, staff experience, cost reduction, revenue increment, and patients results

Business Case for Quality improvement

Introduction

According to Hill (2020), most healthcare providers recognize the benefits of quality improvement, which helps transform the health system through quality assurance and performance management. The transformation through quality assurance and performance management assists healthcare providers and others in progressing from good to excellent levels in healthcare programs (Rohrich & Pomerantz, 2021), increasing recognition among healthcare providers. In applying a quality improvement scale, return on investment brings about the creative, strategic ability of the healthcare providers that drive increased revenue in the firm (Fischer & Duncan, 2020). Due to innovative strategic skills in the organization, the firm is aligned more directly for a common purpose of quality improvement in care; therefore, there is cost reduction, leading to improved productivity and efficiency among healthcare providers (Chartier et al., 2019).

The comprehensive framework below helps leaders access and articulate the return on investment by using quality improvement at scale. The framework comes from the work found at East London Foundation NHS Trust. The comprehensive framework from East London Foundation NHS Trust comprises revenue, cost reduction, cost avoidance, efficiency and productivity, self-experience, and patient and family experience results. Calculating the return-on-investment process needs evaluation of benefits and costs as the framework for calculating costs incurred and systematically evaluating benefits. Therefore, calculating return on investment provides the health system providers and others an opportunity to explore, analyze and provide them with sound reasoning for the business case to qualify in health firms. The methods used by the East London Foundation NHS Trust framework for evaluating return on investment include revenue, cost reduction, cost avoidance, efficiency and productivity, staff experience, and family and patient experience results.

Analysis of Return on Investment

Staff Experience

This method of evaluation of return on investment gives the staff more control over the system they are working on, hence helping the team feel more engaged in their work, resulting in more autonomy to make changes in the healthcare organization. The research lays more substantial evidence illustrating how healthcare providers who are more engaged and happier in their work duty deliver better patient outcomes and improved financial results in the healthcare firm. According to Ogbonnaya & Babalola (2021), the quality improvement process necessitates power development for staff members to assist them in solving their issues. The quality improvement process equips healthcare workers with skills and tools to help them tackle and identify problems methodically. The figure below illustrates that the general staff engagement was highest across 57 community and mental health trusts in 2016. The figure below shows that East London Foundation NHS Trust, in the fourth consecutive year, has been in the top 5. In 2014 and 2016, the staff who were feeling to contribute towards work improvement indicated the highest score among all NHS healthcare provider firms.

Revenue

According to Shah & Course (2018), the application of the quality improvement scale explores new strategic skills within a healthcare firm, supplementing competitive merit within the market. The competitive distinction supplemented can realize the importance of attracting revenue by attaining new business reputations for improvement and quality. The figure below illustrates how East London Foundation NHS Trust's Revenue has escalated over some years. Focusing on quality helps demonstrate improved outcomes through the reputation for being a quality leader and quality improvement; contribution to new business acquisition results from health providers possessing quality leader traits. A quality improvement specialist creates an opportunity to support firms with similar endeavors, like the East London Foundation NHS Trust, that generate little revenue. The specialist delivers coaching sessions and training to different firms in the Quality Improvement journey, leading to small revenue generation through the specialist faculty. Usage of data more rigorously and with continuous improvement helps healthcare service providers to focus on matters mainly related to their service; hence services delivered are better in demonstrating the healthcare providers' work value. When the service value offered by the healthcare provider is easily explained, the healthcare personnel reduce the risk of losing service or even being decommissioned from a competing firm, thus the organization retaining its revenue.

Cost Reduction

Removing or reducing costs entirely from the firm helps support annual cost requirements directly for cost improvement existing within the NHS for healthcare providers in a firm (Kaplan & Porter, 2011). The figure below illustrates information obtained from the Ivory ward at East London Foundation NHS Trust that uses quality improvement to reduce bed occupancy on elderly adults' mental health awards. Quality improvement reduces the occupancy from an average of 89% to a sustained new level of 59% through the implementation of various changes comprising; a discharge scheduling checklist, strong social integration within discharge groups, day-to-day patient review, and good communication by providers in contact services in severe hospitals. On checking the graph values, the researcher's team spread the changes to Leadenhall, the same award in various parts of the firm; the team of researchers noticed a reduction in occupancy from 78% to 52%. The researchers noticed similar awards functioning closely to half full; they then made it possible to move only to one ward, raising the option of closing the other ward. Closure of one ward delivers a reduced cost of roughly $1 million every year. Quality improvement helps in cost improvement efforts for the English health economy since the provider's trust looks for ways of reducing their bottom line with a value close to 2-4% yearly.

Cost avoidance

Improving the firm in various areas of quality improvement work at times means avoiding substantial previous costs such as material, equipment, and staff cost incurred. The below illustrates data from East London Foundation NHS Trust on human team resources that work on improving the disciplinary trust process, therefore, reducing the average time of the research process from 110 days to 55 days, indicating a 50% decrease within 18 months. Cost avoidance reduces anxiety for individuals at the center of the healthcare activity and costs spent on staff member payment when suspended from work. ELFT finance team successfully calculated suspension costs in 2014 and 2015, using the calculations to estimate staff members suspended charges on a daily routine. From the analysis, it is probable to guess when the average disciplinary activity length can be reduced by fifty days sustainably. Cases numbers remain constant, leading to an annual cost avoidance of close to $429,000 (Brown et al., 2015).

In the examples below, ELFT has estimated costs avoided by decreasing physical violence in older mental adult health. The economic models comprise finance teams with clinicians to know what happens when a patient becomes violent in the ward and evaluate costs associated with violence. Research on adults illustrated a cost violence reduction from $100,000 for nine months before reducing to $50,000. 35% decrease in violent incidents led to a 50% decrease in violence costs.

Martorell Lackamp (2018) calculates the economic evaluation of costs of suspension per day at ELFT as per 2014 – 2015 data, as illustrated below in the calculation.

Shah & Course (2018) calculated the economic evaluation of costs attributable to violence before and after the QI projects, as shown below.

According to Taylor-Watt et al. (2017), improving staff experience and safety at work centers leads to reduced staff absence, as the examples above have computed. They use temporary agency staff, and staff sickness reduction results from relevant cost avoidance opportunities to improve staff experience and safety. Staff turnover costs such as onboarding and recruitment are easily avoided when the staff remains with the employing firms.

Efficiency and productivity

Quality improvement eliminates waste from the firm and reduces unwanted firm variations by supporting the teams to concentrate on matters related to their firm. By eliminating non-valuable adding procedures in the quality improvement process and restructuring care around the things that have valuable meaning to the service user, the teams are likely to notice efficiency and productivity improvements. These efficient and productive improvements allow clinicians and groups to concentrate on patient care. The figure below shows data from ELFT clinic clozapine in Hackney and City that reduces the time to return blood test outcomes and variation to clinicians. The efficient and productive improvement assists consumers in receiving more predictable services faster, allowing healthcare providers to plan efficiently.

The figure illustrated below shows a collaborative learning system from ELFT on improving flow and access in society teams, having 16 teams from a range of clinical services by use of quality improvement in improving the process from the referral and assessment to treatment. Clinical providers have decreased days in which individuals wait from referral to first-day appointment by 25% over two years, the non-attendance at an initial meeting by 40%, a 26% increment in referral number received at the same time a reduction of 40% and 25%. Decreasing waiting days for patients from referral to the first day of the appointment and the non-attendance at an initial meeting with an increment of referral number received makes clinicians more productive and efficient. In tariff-based systems, the firms are likely to gain income from improving throughput and flow. However, the system contains less income or discernible cost effects in the block contract system for various mental health providers in England.

Family and patient experience outcome

The key reason for quality improvement applications in healthcare firms is to improve results for patients suffering from severe conditions. In ELFT, every individual is invited to consider the critical things that matter families, service users, patients, and staff members working together to receive care. Most firms use quality improvement in solving outstanding issues affecting the firm. By concentrating on what matters to the organizations, the people in different firms delivering and receiving care are attempting to design their quality improvement work as meaningful and individual as possible. The purpose of any healthcare provider is to improve the outcomes and experience of the patients or population at large; hence the business case for the quality improvement aspect needs to align directly with the firm's core purpose.

Conclusion

Considering large-scale activities and applications of quality improvement in a firm, consider the return on investment at multiple stages. The main gear of such a strategic decision is improving experiences and outcomes for individuals receiving care. The firm earns shares from staff motivation and enhanced engagement hence improving the efficiency and productivity of the staff members, the possibility of an increase in revenue, reduction of cost, and avoidance of cost. The research proposes a framework for evaluating the return on investment from quality improvement within a reasonable time frame in the English NHS healthcare economy using a case example from the ELFT quality improvement program. The framework can be applied to large-scale quality improvement within various firms and healthcare. The framework evaluates direct customer benefits, improvement in work employees experience improvement in efficiency and productivity avoidance of costs, and business revenue increase. Efficiency and productivity improvement form the basis for calculating benefits and costs after that return on investment from quality improvement. Utilizing the framework discussed assists in articulating to main stakeholders that return on investment from quality investment can only be partially estimated in terms of costs eliminated from the firm. However, it may be a pushing need for most health economies. Multiple levels of return recognition assist in better linking quality improvement applications to the core strategic significance of healthcare by assessing impacts on patients' experience and results through the quality improvement process.

The high healthcare cost is an issue; most individuals in the United States report that they cannot afford healthcare, hence skipping not seeing the doctor. A survey conducted by the Kaiser family foundation indicates that each of the behaviors portrayed by the individuals results in serious health issues, thus increasing care costs. The daily health care issue shows it presents enormous opportunities though if not looked into keenly, it sometimes leads to various difficulties. The healthcare firm has noted the considerable disparities in healthcare results among multiple populations. The differences noted are not merely tied to the care cost and income; instead, they are connected to environmental factors that impact an individual's wellness and health. Short-term care is goal-oriented, as it involves assisting the patient in rescuing from everyday activities and returning home to a good functioning state. The benefits and costs related to the long-term are only aligned to achieve an investment for a period of a shorter time or during an investment period. However, the long-term care goal is classically conserving the patient's life and health quality for longer. The long-term costs and benefits are aligned with an organization's future betterment and prosperity. The long-term costs benefit the firm from a longer-term investment in prospective resources.

Most conflicts of interest arise when the stakeholders choose individual gain over duties of the healthcare firm where they are shareholders. When a shareholder exploits their position for individual growth in any way, the firm collapses as the shareholder exploiting the resources for self-gain uses more resources for personal benefit. The main stakeholders in a firm are suppliers, consumers, employees, and investors. When various stakeholders have varied objectives within a firm, the organization can therefore choose to satisfy varied shareholders' goals and maximize a single purpose to satisfy the firm needs.

The framework provides evidence that health system providers and others who invest in quality improvement notices a return on investment within a reasonable time frame by various methods, including; self-experience, revenue, cost reduction, cost avoidance, efficiency, and productivity. High healthcare costs can be solved by cutting down the care cost involving health actions and inputs by federal and state agencies. The vast disparity noted in healthcare firms can be solved by establishing various programs to meet a patient's needs. Various opportunities provided by the current healthcare can be looked into by using artificial intelligence that impacts administration and healthcare delivery.

References

Brown, J., Fawzi, W., McCarthy, C., Stevenson, C., Kwesi, S., Joyce, M., & Shah, A. (2015). Safer Wards: reducing violence on older people's mental health wards. BMJ Open Quality, 4(1), u207447-w2977. HYPERLINK "https://pubmed.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26734353" https://pubmed.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26734353.

Chartier, L. B., Mondoux, S. E., Stang, A. S., Dukelow, A. M., Dowling, S. K., Kwok, E. S. & Lang, E. (2019). How do emergency departments and leaders catalyze positive change through quality improvement collaborations? Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, 21(4), 542–549. HYPERLINK "https://pubmed.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31608859" https://pubmed.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31608859.

Fischer, H. R., & Duncan, S. D. (2020). The business case for quality improvement. Journal of Perinatology, 40(6), 972–979. HYPERLINK "https://pubmed.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32231258" https://pubmed.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32231258.

Hill, J. E., Stephani, A. M., Sapple, P., & Clegg, A. J. (2020). The effectiveness of continuous quality improvement for developing professional practice and improving health care outcomes: a systematic review. Implementation Science, 15(1), 1–14. HYPERLINK "https://www.doi.researchgate.net/publication/340773037" https://www.doi.researchgate.net/publication/340773037.

Kaplan, R. S., & Porter, M. E. (2011). How to solve the cost crisis in health care. Harv Bus Rev, 89(9), 46–52. HYPERLINK "https://pubmed.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21939127" https://pubmed.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21939127.

Martorell Lackamp, M. D. M. (2018) Economical analysis of the" ERTE": application to the case of tourism. HYPERLINK "https://www.doi.ilo.org" https://www.doi.ilo.org.

Ogbonnaya, C., & Babalola, M. T. (2021). A closer look at how managerial support can help improve patient experience: Insights from the UK's National Health Service. human relations, 74(11), 1820-1840. HYPERLINK "https://kar.doi.kent.ac.uk/92856" https://kar.doi.kent.ac.uk/92856.

Rohrich, R. J., & Pomerantz, P. (2021). Good to Great. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 148(5S), 33S-34S. HYPERLINK "https://pubmed.ncbi.doi.nlm.nih.gov/34699483" https://pubmed.ncbi.doi.nlm.nih.gov/34699483.

Shah, A., & Course, S. (2018). Building the business case for quality improvement: a framework for evaluating return on investment. Future healthcare journal, 5(2), 132. HYPERLINK "https://www.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502557" https://www.doi.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502557.

Taylor-Watt, J., Cruickshank, A., Innes, J., Brome, B., & Shah, A. (2017). Reducing physical violence and developing a safety culture across wards in East London. British Journal of mental health nursing, 6(1), 35–43. HYPERLINK "https://www.doi.researchgate.net/publication/313113057" https://www.doi.researchgate.net/publication/313113057.

Abstract (2)

Underlying Causes That Can Create a Serial Killer

Sayrey-Sothea El

University of Houston

Dr. Bravo

Abstract

Serial killing is, by definition, a type of crime that is perpetrated over a period of time and with multiple victims. This study wants to explore the many causes that may cause someone to kill others in such an extreme manner. The study will explore many of the theories proposed by those who have studied serial killers, looking for links between the factors that lead people towards this type of behavior. These causes will be looked at through the lens of Brenner’s theory of contingent learning as proposed by his work on sociopathy. This theory focuses on how some people are drawn to certain behaviors, such as serial killing, due to the reinforcement they get from doing these behaviors. The idea that some people kill simply because they enjoy it or because it is ingrained in them is unacceptable and must be addressed if we are ever to stop this cruel and unusual crime. Abuse can result in depression and a child’s self-esteem may be damaged, making him more likely to consider suicide. Abuse may also cause children to feel anger and rage later in life.

Literature Review

Serial killing or serial murder involves the murder of more than one person, usually with a “cooling off” period between the murders. These crimes usually have no apparent motive and involve strangers who are murdered over extended periods of time. The U.S. has a higher percentage of serial killers than any other country in the world, with nearly 25% of all serial killings worldwide taking place in America (Pace, 2019).

Based on FBI investigations, many serial killers suffer from a combination of personality disorders which are often inconspicuous. The three major categories of personality disorders include Paranoid, Schizoid, and Psychopathic. Many psychologists believe that serial killers fall into the last category. Psychopathy is a mental disorder in which a person has an antisocial, sadistic or psychopathic disposition with poor impulse control. A person who suffers from a form of psychopathy may display superficial charm and intelligence while hiding deep-rooted problems with their behavior and emotions. According to the FBI Behavioural Science Unit, serial killers have an innate ability to manipulate others, give them someone to talk to, and trust them with sensitive information.

Serial killing is one of the most complex and challenging forms of crime to investigate as there is rarely any forensic evidence left behind in cases that do not involve sexual assault or armed robbery; police rely heavily on knowledge about typical patterns to link cases together and identify likely suspects for questioning.

The standard theory is that serial killers share a long term obsession with violence, however few cases of serial homicide have been directly named as such, some of which include: John Reginald Halliday Christie (killed at least 12 people); Charlie Lyke (39 victims); Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole (17 victims); Aileen Wuornos (7 victims) (Deepak & Ramdoss, 2021). Theories about the “Mackenzie painting” are based on the observation that all five of the known cases of serial homicide involve small town American males that were around 20-30 years old.

In the United States, there has been a slight increase in the number of serial killers since the mid-1990s. The increased publicity and media coverage of these cases may be responsible for this increase. Additionally, in areas that have experienced serial killings, such as the so-called ‘killing fields’ along Route 40 near Green River, Utah and Nevada, it has also become more likely that there will be a killer or killers available to police before any bodies are found.

The first notable US serial killer is usually considered to be H.H. Holmes, who killed 11 people over 18 months between 1896 and 1897 in Chicago. Holmes is also believed to have had a hand in the highly publicized murder of his own wife, who disappeared from the home the couple shared. Holmes was never tried for his crimes due to a hung jury, and later escaped from jail. He was eventually captured, confessed to his crimes and was hanged in Philadelphia on May 7, 1896.

The United States has produced many notable serial killers, including Richard Trenton Chase (“The Vampire of Sacramento”), David Berkowitz (“Son of Sam”), Patrick Kearney Mitchell (“The Milwaukee Monster”), Ted Bundy and Aileen Wuornos. Some killers have become infamous because of the gruesome circumstances of their crimes, the total number of victims, or the length of time during which they eluded capture. Others, such as those who have committed mass killings or those whose crimes have earned them a place in popular culture, are noted for their fame. Some serial killers have even been researched and written about to such an extent that they have become synonymous with murder itself. Theodore Robert Bundy is one example. He was a serial killer who was active in several states throughout the 1970s and confessed to killing thirty women. He once said that he could “go out and kill anybody between one day and six months from now.

One of the best-known cases involving a string of serial murders was that of Ed Gein. Gein was convicted and executed in 1957 for the murder of a total of two women and a teenage girl. He was known to have been obsessed with the concept of body parts, particularly skulls and femurs, which he would retain from his victims. Another local man, Driver Ed Kearney (a pharmacist) confessed to Gein that he had killed two women and an illegitimate son for insurance money, but later recanted the confession. Another man also confessed to killing several people in a similar way but later recanted as well.

Also of note is Ottis Toole who murdered five females in Florida between 1974-1976. Toole was a drifter who worked for victims and stole their money, jewelry, and personal effects. He kept the skull, skins, bones and hands of all five women. He was arrested in 1977 after police traced a stolen money order from one of his victims to his mother’s home in Fort Myers (Toates & Coschug-Toates, 2022)

Many serial killers move from area to area to find new victims. Some are quite organized in their efforts to find new victims or avoid being caught by the law. Some killers perform violent acts to attract their victims, while others choose a method of killing that is less personal. Most serial killers are male but women are also known to be serial killers and some have been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. We know what causes a person to become a serial killer but how many of these individuals will commit serious violence and murder? It’s estimated that there are around 400-500 active serial killers in the United States alone and they kill approximately 3000 people every year (Call, 2019). This number is based on the FBI definition which is any person who has killed three or more people within a year or killed one victim up to four times during the same time frame.

Method

Participants

The main participants in this research were FBI personnel, police officers, psychologists and psychiatrists, convicted serial killers, and crime scene analysts. The research was largely based on a quantitative analysis of more than 400 serial killers who were active in the United States between 1800-2000. In addition, the FBI interviewed various incarcerated serial murderers in order to better understand what their motivations are and why they kill. The researchers sought to understand how these factors could be applied to unsolved cases that would have an impact on public safety. One such case involved Gary Ridgeway, also known as “The Green River Killer”, who was responsible for 49 killings throughout Washington state over a 20-year period. The primary research was conducted in Memphis, Tennessee as well as surrounding cities. There are numerous different theories on what could have been the motive behind the murders of so many boys at this time. One theory is that they were being killed to fulfill an order from a Satanic cult, similar to how girls were being sacrificed for the cult’s rituals in other cases. Another suggestion is that they were chosen from local hospitals because they don’t elicit any suspicion, unlike children who are often brought in for care or surgery.”

Design

The main research design in this research study was a qualitative research design. A qualitative research is a type of inquiry that seeks to provide in-depth understanding of the “whys” and “hows” behind something. It attempts to answer questions about why people do what they do or how a process works by examining the thoughts and words of subjects, rather than relying on statistical findings, surveys or experiments. Qualitative researchers are interested in figuring out what people’s lives are like, not developing generalizations, theories or predictions about them.

Through a Qualitative Research design, studying the motivations behind serial killing is accomplished through interviewing those engaged in the process of the killing. This type of study differs from other types, like quantitative research design in that it does not include all stages of a serial killing process but instead focuses on only one aspect: motivation. A qualitative study is important for this kind of research because interviewing people who are involved with or at least aware of what happens during a serial killing process can be beneficial in understanding different perspectives and motivations behind this type of crime.

A qualitative design also differs from another form, a mixed methods design, which combines data gathered through quantitative and qualitative research designs to produce information about the topic investigated as well as strengths and weakness that these two forms have to offer. Quantitative research design was also used to investigate the case of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The main purpose of this design was to look at the criminal conduct of Jeffrey Dahmer. This was accomplished using a quantitative design, being an analysis of the information provided by interviews and criminal records that indicated that he killed 17 young men between 1978 and 1991. Quantitative designs involve collecting data through statistical sampling or surveys that provide useful information to researchers without leaving much room for interpretation. A qualitative design, on the other hand, ensures that all important aspects are properly described in medical terms, with each being regarded as equally important from a medical point of view.

Procedure

The research procedure in this psychological research, is to develop the understanding of an issue that is related with serial killing. The research will be done by collecting and analysing information on serial killers’ background, behaviour, their own opinion on their actions and the reasons they do it. The procedure for collecting data involved in this research project is qualitative.

The research will be based on interviewing of two serial killers and their criminal background, behaviour and their opinion on the reason they committed these crimes. The data will be collected by using questionnaire, interview, observation and inspection. The interview conducted with the two serial killer involved in this research project is the focus of this paper because it will help to understand their criminal background, behaviour and opinions about why they commit these crimes. This paper used several sources for this paper such as newspaper articles, internet websites.

The participants in this research study were selected from the serial killer profiles on Caucasian living in Northeastern United States. The task was to conduct the study and to provide input about how the process of their crimes are defined, who they targeted, and how they carried these crimes out. In order to complete this project, each participant had to fill out a questionnaire that provided more information about them or their clients or criminals they have investigated as well as their background. Information from this research paper can be found in how serial killers select and target their victims, what type of victims attract serial killers, and how these people kill them using weapons or by strangulation or suffocation with objects such as bags or hands. There is also discussion on the different methods that are used in selecting potential victims.

Measures

Research measures involved survey questions and research questions. Researchers would ask convicted serial killers, FBI personnel, police officers, psychologists and psychiatrists, and crime scene analysts to complete surveys so they could access the thoughts of these murderers. The research involved studying the criminals’ life history, family background and childhood experiences, crime details and criminal behaviour, incarceration experiences and feelings about being a criminal. It also studied their views on victim selection, murder methods used and post-crime behaviours. We will have a close look at what can create a serial killer including their behaviors towards people who are not in their own group or of the same race as them. We will see how this is demonstrated through things like segregation from society due to mental illness or other factors that can contribute to someone’s view on the outside world based off of those that are different from them.

To enhance the validity and reliability of the standardized questionnaires, the interviewers ask the same questions from different killers to see if there are any discrepancies. For example, if a question asked is whether or not the killer feels remorse for what he/she has done and then another killer is asked the same question, it was found that all of them did not really regret their actions. In fact, when killers were asked about specifics in details about their crimes, researchers found that all of them do have a complete memory of their crimes. When serial killers are being interviewed during research and they are asked to describe their feelings as they committed their crime, they will describe feeling better after committing a murder.

The Hawley Stress Test

The Hawley Stress Test involves putting a person under extreme levels of stress to see how they react. That’s pretty much the only time, aside from an actual serial killer, when someone will experience this type of high-stress situation. It is named after Dr. Henry Hawley who developed it originally in the 1960s as an experimental test for patients, but was also used by law enforcement to catch serial killers because it can identify people with antisocial personality disorder or other features associated with psychopathy and narcissism who may not reveal their true nature during more routine psychological interviews.

The test consists of a number of simple questions, but with very unusual answers. For example, when you meet someone for the first time, you shake their hand. In this test, you would refuse to shake it. Any question involving basic human kindness or common courtesies is done in a way that is as unusual and socially inappropriate as possible. You don’t ask them if they’re married, you ask them if they have any friends. It’s meant to confuse, throw them off guard, and reveal what they really think and feel deep down instead of just giving the normal surface answer most people would give outside a laboratory testing environment.

Stress self-report

I experienced some stress through this psychological research on serial killing and found it really interesting. The study focused on stress and its effects on people, including those who commit horrible crimes for example. I studied through a lot of material around the topic to find some correlations with the different circumstances that might make someone a serial killer. For instance, if their dopamine is out of balance they are more likely to go into rage or anger when they are frustrated which then leads them to develop destructive tendencies. This is something that we need to know about as there are many lessons we can learn from this research in order to treat people with these conditions effectively, because it has been shown that psychopaths can be treated if the right treatment is taken at an early age before they have committed any crimes.

In addition, this psychological research study looked at the correlation between stress and serial killing. They found that people who experience higher levels of stress were more likely to commit serial killings. This is a good article because it gives you a lot of information about this specific topic, as well as some other articles on related topics.

Discussion

The main causes of serial killing are biological, social and psychological. Biological factors that cause serial killers include genetics, fetal alcohol syndrome, an injury to the frontal lobe or temporal lobe (which causes a lack of social or emotional empathy), and neurotransmitter imbalances. Social factors that contribute to serial killing are bullying and an over-emphasis on masculinity. Psychological causes of serial killers include narcissism and borderline personality disorder.

Serial killers are made, not born. They are created out of the interaction between their heredity and environment. Genetic factors create an opening for serial killers to emerge. To illustrate, in lab cases, certain strains of rats were bred to be extremely violent. When placed in a cage with other rats, these violent strains would attack viciously and even eat the other rats.

On the other hand, some strains of rats were bred to be non-aggressive and did not hurt even when placed in a cage with extremely violent strains of rat. The process here is that if a genetic predisposition is there, then external influences such as family and peers can activate it. In humans, studies show that adopted children who were abused as children are far more likely to be submissive and passive. On the other hand, adopted children who were raised in healthy families are less likely to become abusers as adults. This shows that even if a person has an inclination toward violence (genetic predisposition), he or she can still be shaped by society into being a non-violent individual (incapable of becoming a serial killer). The influence of genetics is undeniable. In a multiple murder case in California, the murderer was convicted because of DNA testing and stated that he had been thinking about his crimes for decades but never acted on them until he turned fifty.

In the past, serial killers were often derided as sociopaths. However, research has shown that the majority (approximately 70 percent) of those who have murdered multiple times had a normal childhood and only slowly descended into a life of bloodshed. The number of psychopaths who have murdered only one person is unknown.

While not all serial killers are mentally ill, some psychiatric diagnoses have been given to at least some serial killer offenders. A diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder has been asserted by several psychiatrists to apply to at least one serial killer (Ted Bundy). Borderline personality disorder has been asserted by some psychiatrists to apply to at least one serial killer (Andrei Chikatilo). Narcissism has been alleged to apply to at least one serial killer (John Wayne Gacy). Two murderers who were diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenics were hospitalized. However, this may have been due to their characteristic erratic behavior and delusional mental state rather than a symptom of their illness.

Although there is no consensus as to whether or not childhood trauma increases the likelihood of murder, it is widely believed that that childhood abuse can increase aggression, violence and aggression in general. Child abuse can cause a child’s self-esteem to plummet, making him more vulnerable to being mistreated. Abuse can result in depression and a child’s self-esteem may be damaged, making him more likely to consider suicide. Abuse may also cause children to feel anger and rage later in life. A child who is abused may learn that violence is an effective way to solve problems. Physical abuse by parents or other caregivers is considered the most common type of childhood abuse, but sexual and emotional abuse are also common perpetrators of childhood abuse.

Childhood trauma usually begins before the age of three and can include physical abuse, sexual or emotional neglect, or witnessing domestic violence and domestic partner homicide. The trauma is most often caused by high levels of family chaos with frequent changes in caregiver roles or being born into a single parent family. Childhood sexual and physical abuse is estimated to be roughly equal in prevalence at a rate of about 10% of children.

In the United States, one in six girls and one in nine boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. The frequency of childhood sexual abuse varies significantly across different ethnic groups according to race/ethnicity. The highest rates are among Native American (42%), Hispanic (28%) and African American (15%) children compared to European American (9%), Asian American (5%) and Pacific Islander (1%) children.

References

Call, C. (2019). Serial entertainment: A content analysis of 35 years of serial murder in film. Homicide studies, 23(4), 362-380.

Toates, F., & Coschug-Toates, O. (2022). Understanding Sexual Serial Killing. Cambridge University Press.

Deepak, S. A., & Ramdoss, S. (2021). The life-course theory of serial killing: A motivation model. International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 65(13-14), 1446-1472.

Pace, A. N. (2019). Serial killers in popular media: A content analysis of sensationalism and support for capital punishment.

Business CaseStatement of Needs

Business Case/Statement of Needs

Our company has benefited immensely from an antiquated payroll system that has been in operation for over ten years. However, it is high time that our organization determines and adopts a better payroll software to realize more efficiencies, higher accuracy, reduced operation costs, and higher transparency and sustainability.

As an organization that significantly values in employees, we should adopt a payroll system that satisfies the demands and needs of all workers. Unfortunately, our workers find it difficult and almost impossible to access and learn how their payments are processed. Accordingly, we should choose a payroll system with ease of access and use by every employee. Thus, we should determine a suitable payroll system with a Mobile App to encourage remote and convenient access. Moreover, a suitable payroll system would allow employees to access, analyze, and evaluate their remunerations and relevant deductions with relative ease and comfort.

Moreover, our company should adopt a more transparent and reliable payroll system that offers all the essential details and reports to every worker and accountants. Since our firm embraces and encourages employees to own stock, it is crucial to ensure that a highly-reliable and easy-to-study payroll system is adopted to promote workers’ satisfaction. That is, each employee would probably be more concerned with details such as applicable State and Federal taxes, the number of paid hours per employee, and the date of depositing money in banks.

Additionally, our company should adopt an appropriate payroll system that promotes continued prosperity and sustainability. As an entity whose primary focus is on sustainable development, it is crucial that we rely on a payroll system that facilitates the attainment of our goal by minimizing operation costs, encouraging more efficiency, and exhibiting reasonable adaptability to the ever-changing work environment. Accordingly, a suitable payroll system should always remain efficient and up-to-date. Unfortunately, our current system is outdated and lacks vital support services.

Further, the current payroll system is less-efficient because some of its processes are not automated. For instance, the system relies on manual updating of tax percentages. Consequently, accountants consume substantial efforts and time in processing payrolls for the workers. Therefore, we should embrace a more automated system to ensure higher efficiency, accuracy, and speed. Also, we need a system that provides a direct deposit of funds to employees’ bank accounts for speedy payments. Moreover, we would drastically reduce the amount of money that we spend on printing paychecks for employees.

Abstract (3)

Underlying Causes That Can Create a Serial Killer

Sayrey-Sothea El

University of Houston

Dr. Bravo

Abstract

Literature Review

Method

Participants

Design

Procedure

Measures

The Hawley Stress Test

Stress self-report

Discussion

References

Call, C. (2019). Serial entertainment: A content analysis of 35 years of serial murder in film. Homicide studies, 23(4), 362-380.

Toates, F., & Coschug-Toates, O. (2022). Understanding Sexual Serial Killing. Cambridge University Press.

Deepak, S. A., & Ramdoss, S. (2021). The life-course theory of serial killing: A motivation model. International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 65(13-14), 1446-1472.

Pace, A. N. (2019). Serial killers in popular media: A content analysis of sensationalism and support for capital punishment.

Marketing Concepts in Coca-Cola and Pepsi Part A

Introduction to Marketing

BUMKT1502

Business Report: PART A

Tutor’s Name:

Assignment Due Day

Week 7 Friday Table of Contents

Executive Summary………………….………….……………..…………………3

Introduction………………………………………………………………………3

Company Overview……………………………………..…………………………3

Marketing Concepts………………………………………..………………………4

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………5

Marketing Concepts in Coca-Cola and Pepsi

Executive Summary

The existence of various companies offering similar products has caused intense competition in the market. As each of them grapple to satisfy the demand, various marketing strategies have been used. In this paper, two rival companies, Coca-Cola and Pepsi would be analyzed for the marketing strategies they use and how effective these strategies have been.

Introduction

The beverage and food industry selected for this paper has been experiencing continual evolution due to global market forces. Changing customer preferences, government regulations and consolidations have been pointed out by Baldwin as great influencers of strategies used in marketing in this industry (2011). There is need to offer customers a variety of choices in accordance with their demand while being cost effective and producing high quality products. Focus should be laid on the target market and competitors. There are two beverage brands, almost causing a duopoly, widely recognized globally, namely; Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

Company Overview

Coca-Cola Company, an American public company, manufactures retails and markets non-alcoholic beverages. Its SWOT analysis by Taylor (2008) reveals a brand has been a market giant since its engineering by John Stith Pemberton in 1886 and founding in 1892 by Asa Candler. Currently, the company has over 500 brands distributed in more than 200 countries worldwide. It operates on franchising where the company produces syrup concentrate sold to those with exclusive rights worldwide. Its headquarters is in Atlanta Georgia and its stock listed on NYSE. Nonetheless, its large manufacturing capacity could make realignment so as to respond to changes in consumer preference a difficult venture. Coca-Cola has had Pepsi as its major rival for a long time despite beating it many times in their cola battle. Pepsi, with its headquarters in New York, sells soft drinks such as Mountain Dew, Slice and Pepsi (Pepsi, 2011). Sales of its non-carbonated drinks contribute most to its revenues. It remains a leader in sales of sport drinks, PET bottled water, chilled juice and bottled tea and coffee. Its over 100 brands are distributed worldwide. Just like Coca-Cola, it produces beverage concentrates and sells to independent bottlers in addition to overseeing product promotion. Its major weakness is its dependence on the American market as 52% of its revenue originates from the US.

Marketing Concepts

The two most popular products of these beverage giants are Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. Coca-Cola was voted the best brand globally in 2010 according to the Coca-Cola Company (2011). To distribute these products, various macro-environment and microenvironment factors have to be considered. Among the macro environment factors, external to the organization, affecting marketing as discussed by Kotler and Armstrong include culture, politics, technology, economy and demography (2010). The microenvironment factors to be considered, which are internal to the organization include suppliers, customer markets, competitors and the public.

In spite of targeting the same market, Coca-Cola and Pepsi have adopted different strategic marketing techniques to meet their individual objectives. Kotler and Armstrong define product positioning as “the place the product occupies in consumers’ minds relative to competing products” (2010, p.259). Both of these beverage companies have worked towards promoting their brands as the most superior in the market, hence worth purchasing. They have effectively used their websites to achieve this. Segmentation has previously worked against Pepsi when it introduced breakfast product because it could not sell to this segment of the market who did not believe in having cola beverages for breakfast. But these companies have had to come up with proper segmentation strategies by grouping countries according to their traits and producing what best fits them. This strategy has helped Coca-Cola penetrate markets like India and China. Baldwin acknowledges that these companies spend a lot in promotions, sales and advertising (2011). Other than growing their customer base, these companies also aim at retaining the existing market. They sponsor important sporting events and charity activities that would enhance their brands. For example, Coca-Cola has been known to sponsor the world cup for a long time now while Pepsi would be found sponsoring many football matches.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the two beverage giants in the industry have used innovative marketing strategies in reaching out to their target markets. They have integrated their products in entertainment including sports and music to reach out to a wider market, with the aid of the internet. Hence, strategic marketing could be pointed out as a driver of sales in these organizations, just like any other.

Reference

Baldwin, M. D. (2011). Posts Tagged ‘Market Segment.’ Retrieved 4 December, 2011 from HYPERLINK “http://www.cssp.com/strategicplanning” http://www.cssp.com/strategicplanning

Kotler, P. & Armstrong, G. (2010). Principles of Marketing, 10th Ed. United States of America:Prentice-Hall.

Staff, G. (2010, 7 February). The Coca-Cola Case Review. Retrieved 4 December, 2011 from HYPERLINK “http://www.greenmuze.com” http://www.greenmuze.com

Taylor, J. (2008, June 21). SWOT Analysis. Retrieved 4 December, 2011 fromhttp://www.tomspencer.com.au

The Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved 4 December, 2011 from HYPERLINK “http://www.cocacola.com” www.cocacola.com

The Pepsi Cola Company. Retrieved 4 December, 2011 from HYPERLINK “http://www.pepsi.com” www.pepsi.com

Miranda v. Arizona 1966

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Course Tittle

Professor’s Name

Date

Miranda v. Arizona 1966

In Miranda v. Arizona (1966), there was an order by the Supreme Court that said detained defendants needed information on their rights to get an attorney constitutionally before the questioning. The Miranda v. Arizona case started with the arrest of a resident in Phoenix named Ernesto Miranda around 1963. He was then booked on the charges of robbery, kidnapping, and rape. At that time, the suspect (Miranda) was not conversant about his constitutional rights before the police interrogation. The interrogation between Miranda and the police took about two hours. Allegedly, Miranda admitted to having committed the wrongdoings during the interrogation that the police had recorded. He was illiterate as he had not completed his ninth grade. Additionally, he had a mental disorder history and had no counsel available. At the time of his trial, the prosecution’s case comprised only of Miranda’s confession. Ultimately, he was sentenced to the crime of kidnapping and rape hence being penalized to 20 to 30 long years in jail. Later on, Miranda appealed to the Supreme Court in Arizona, and he claimed that the law enforcement agency had executed his verdict unconstitutionally. The Court disagreed and maintained the sentence. Miranda did an appeal to the United States Supreme Court, which finally revised the case in the year 1966.

The case had several participants. The Supreme Court had chief justice, Earl Warren, within a 5-4 decision. He ruled that the prosecution team would not present Miranda’s confession as proof in a criminal trial since the police did not first let Miranda be aware of his constitutional right, get an attorney, and against self-accusation. The judge, in his participation, asserted that the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution obligated the police role in offering those warnings. It offers the suspects the right to deny being self-witness on themselves and the Sixth Amendment assures criminal offenders the constitutional right to get an attorney. The Court held that the perpetrator’s right against self-accusation has been for a long period being part of Anglo-American ruling as a method to balance the helplessness inherent in being imprisoned (Ponte Carvalho, 2017). Such kind of position, if left unchecked, might every so often result in government misuse. The perpetrator’s right to get an attorney is also a fundamental right since an attorney’s appearance during interrogations, in the view of C.J Warren, allows the accused to say his incident with no fear, efficiently, and in a manner that removes the troubles in the interrogation procedure.

Therefore, to defend those rights in the existence of a widespread unawareness of the rule, the Court planned declarations that law enforcement agencies are needed to let the defendant know who is being interrogated and detained. These compulsory “Miranda Rights” start with “the right to remain silent” and goes on the words with the usual statement of “anything said can and will be used against you in a court of law.” The law enforcement agencies are bound to inform the suspected person of their right to acquire an attorney and permit for a perpetrator’s attorney who may escort him/her at the time of interrogations (Zelechoski, 2017). Miranda Ernesto was not given any of those rights, and the “confession” was therefore unconstitutionally used at the trial. The Court also had lawyer Alvin Moore; another main person involved at the trial. He came into the case when the prosecutors gave out Miranda’s written confession as proof. Moore protested that since those facts, the declaration of guilt was not truthfully voluntary and ought to be left out. Moore was involved in filing the suspect’s appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court, asserting that Miranda’s admission was not entirely voluntary and should not have been utilized during the Court proceedings. Another participant was John Paul Frank, the Attorney, who was a former law clerk. He also represented Miranda in his appeal. The other participants were the five justices of the U.S. Supreme Court who made up the majority and merged a view put down by C.J Earl Warren. The judges ruled that since the forced nature of the questioning by police, no admission might be allowable under the Fifth Amendment’s self-accusation clause and the constitutional rights to get an attorney under the sixth amendment (Dressler, 2017). Justice Tom C. Clark, also a participant of this case, argued that C.J Earl Warren Court went a bit too far and too fast. In his place, Justice Tom Clark said he would utilize the entirety of the situations test articulated through Justice Goldberg in Haynes v. Washington.

Miranda Ernesto was re-tried in 1967 after the novel case against him was dismissed. At that period, the prosecution, as an alternative to utilizing the prior self-confession, came up with a different kind of proof and called upon witnesses. Twila Hoffman was one of the witnesses. She was a woman who used to stay with Miranda during the crime period. As a witness, she claimed that Miranda told her about committing the offense. Ernesto Miranda was sentenced in the year 1967 to 20 to 30 years in prison (Douglass, 2017). In 1972 Miranda Ernesto was paroled. He was then set free. He went back to his long-time neighborhood, and his job was to autograph police officers’ “Miranda cards” that had the text of cautioning for interpretation to arrestees. He met his death by being stabbed to death at a time of a bar argument on January 31, 1976.

Miranda v. Arizona, a legal case, resulted in the Supreme Court of the United States creating a police interrogation code of conduct for the illegal suspects detained in custody. Early Warren maintained that prosecutors could not utilize statements formed by defendants under interrogation in the custody of police lest specific minimum routine safeguards were adhered to. Warren assisted in the criminal justice system reform. He specified fresh guidelines to ensure that a suspect is given the freedom not to be forced to do self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment (Douglas, 2017). These fresh guidelines were known as the Miranda cautions. The fresh guidelines comprised informing persons arrested before interrogation that they possess the right to stay silent and that whatever they say can be utilized against them as proof. Those suspects have the right to acquire an attorney, and that in the circumstance they cannot pay for an attorney, the state will be assigned for them. In his declaration, C.J Warren declared that the law enforcement agency could not continue questioning a suspect in detention if at any phase of the process the suspect shows that he does not wish to be questioned or shows that he needs to ask an attorney. All this helped shape criminal justice reform in terms of policy processes, trial processes, and court proceedings. As these reforms took root in the ground, critics of the Miranda decision claimed that the Court’s undertaking to guard the individuals’ rights had significantly damaged law enforcement.

Reference

Douglass, D. L. (2017). Department of Justice consent decrees as the foundation for community-initiated collaborative police reform. Police Quarterly, 20(3), 322-336.

Dressler, J. (2017). Miranda v. Arizona: Be Grateful for Small Favors. Tex. Tech L. Rev., 50, 51.

Zelechoski, A. D., Wolbransky, M., & Riggs Romaine, C. L. (2018). To waive or not to waive? Miranda rights and due process.

Mireya Ibanez (2)

Mireya Ibanez

March 7, 2021

BME 295C

Ms. Barton

Annotated Literature Review:

1. Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury.Hasan A, Deeb G, Rahal R, Atwi K, Mondello S, Marei HE, Gali A, Sleiman E.

Front Neurol. 2017 Feb 20;8:28. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00028. eCollection 2017.

PMID: 28265255

The review introduces the use of the Mesenchymal stem cells in Traumatic Brain injury. Studies have shown that using a MSC approach can be a treatment to patients who have a TBI. One study conducted by Cox involved implanting Mesenchymal stem cells into 10 children. The results showed improvement for 7, and no significant result on the remaining children. The most effective result reoccurred the sooner the patient received the Mesenchymal stem cells. MSC is growing to be an enormous opportunity for helping people post- TBI repair.

2. Potential of mesenchymal stem cells alone, or in combination, to treat traumatic brain injury.Willing AE, Das M, Howell M, Mohapatra SS, Mohapatra S.

CNS Neurosci Ther. 2020 Jun;26(6):616-627. doi: 10.1111/cns.13300. Epub 2020 Mar 10.

PMID: 32157822

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy has been showing promising results in ongoing clinical studies. There is different therapeutic approaches for a Traumatic Brain Injury in combination with clinical Mesenchymal stem cell trials. The clinical trials have at least entered the beginning stages (safety phases) for multiple diseases and injuries including TBI’s. Researchers have been able to get a better understanding of what occurs to the body after sustaining a TBI and how Mesenchymal stem cells repairs the brain and improves functional outcomes. A lot of research and clinical trials is still needed to be able to create an effective therapy for patients suffering from Traumatic Brain injury.

3. Systemic administration of cell-free exosomes generated by human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells cultured under 2D and 3D conditions improves functional recovery in rats after traumatic brain injury.Zhang Y, Chopp M, Zhang ZG, Katakowski M, Xin H, Qu C, Ali M, Mahmood A, Xiong Y.

Neurochem Int. 2017 Dec;111:69-81. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2016.08.003. Epub 2016 Aug 15.

PMID: 27539657

A study has been conducted to see if the administration of cell-free exosomes derived from h-Mesenchymal stem cells can promote functional recovery and neurovascular remodeling in rats after a Traumatic Brain injury. Wistar rats were tested by giving them an induced TBI and 24 hours later injecting them with the exosomes. The exosomes treatment significantly improved functional recovery in rats after obtaining a Traumatic Brain injury. The results included promoting endogenous angiogenesis and neurogenesis and reducing inflammation. hMSCs have the potential to be a cell-free therapy for a TBI and exosomes can possibly enhance spatial learning.

4. Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells for acute and sub-acute TBI.Ruppert KA, Prabhakara KS, Toledano-Furman NE, Udtha S, Arceneaux AQ, Park H, Dao A, Cox CS, Olson SD.

PLoS One. 2020 May 26;15(5):e0233263. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233263. eCollection 2020.

PMID: 32453741

There are many attempts of intervention focusing on protection and, repair or regeneration when traumatic brain injury occurs. The use of stem cells from a variety of sources and applications has been studied in many disease and injury models. This study involves administering h-Mesenchymal stem cells into a rat. The earliest administration at 3 days after and delayed administration 14 days after a controlled cortical impact injury. The treatments show improvements in neurocognitive outcome and a change in the neuroinflammation one month after the injury. There is significant data and results that support the idea of using adMSC to treat a TBI. There is still ongoing research to find the optimal time to administrate the therapy to have the most successful results.

5. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells combined with Sox2 increase the functional recovery in rat with traumatic brain injury.Hao Q, Zheng J, Hu Y, Wang H.

Chin Neurosurg J. 2019 May 15;5:11. doi: 10.1186/s41016-019-0158-7. eCollection 2019.

PMID: 32922911

In many studies, it is found that the stem cell transplantation holds potential results for modifying motor dysfunctions caused by Traumatic Brain injuries. 26 rats were used in a study, with 2 rats being bone marrow stem cell donors. 2 days after a Traumatic Brain injury, the rats were induced with SOX-2 and the study examined the effects of SOX-2 with the differentiation of bsMSCs. The motor function was tested using NSS. (Neurological severity score) The study showed there was neurological function improvements. This treatment is another step to creating a promising therapy for Traumatic Brain Injuries.

6. Transplantation of R-GSIK scaffold with mesenchymal stem cells improves neuroinflammation in a traumatic brain injury model.Sahab Negah S, Shirzad MM, Biglari G, Naseri F, Hosseini Ravandi H, Hassani Dooghabadi A, Gorji A.

Cell Tissue Res. 2020 Dec;382(3):575-583. doi: 10.1007/s00441-020-03247-0. Epub 2020 Jul 27.

PMID: 32715374

Neural tissue engineering has been introduced by using Mesenchymal stem cells and R-GSIK to provide a therapeutic strategy for a Traumatic Brain injury. The study was designed to promote the behavior of the stem cells by incorporating R-GSIK in rats. There was significant recovery of motor function observed in the rats that received Mesenchymal stem cells and R-GSIK. Compared to other control groups there was a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines. This helped to strengthen the idea that R-GSIK and Mesenchymal stem cells are a step in helping patients who suffer from a Traumatic Brain injury.

7. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells genetically engineered to overexpress interleukin-10 promotes alternative inflammatory response in rat model of traumatic brain injury.Peruzzaro ST, Andrews MMM, Al-Gharaibeh A, Pupiec O, Resk M, Story D, Maiti P, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL.

J Neuroinflammation. 2019 Jan 5;16(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s12974-018-1383-2.

PMID: 30611291

Traumatic Brain injury are major causes to long term disability with a limit on the treatments available. In order to see responses of the methods, researchers look at the Neuroinflammatory responses. One specific method involves transplantation of Mesenchymal stem cells. These Mesenchymal stem cells release trophic and pro-repair cytokine, specifically interleukin10. The study tests the therapeutic effects when transplanted into rats that endured a Traumatic brain injury in the frontal cortex. There were significant improvements to reduce inflammation and promote functional outcomes, although further testing and research needs to be conducted. This could be very good in human research, if the rats continue to show good results.

8. Treating childhood traumatic brain injury with autologous stem cell therapy.Dewan S, Schimmel S, Borlongan CV.

Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2018 May;18(5):515-524. doi: 10.1080/14712598.2018.1439473. Epub 2018 Feb 15.

PMID: 29421958

A significant contributor to developmental disorders occurs from childhood related Traumatic Brain Injuries. Stem cell therapy, meaning using stem cells from the own individual is a believed therapy to enhance the repair of the injured neonatal brain. The use of autologous stem cells can delay ad possibly stop the neuroinflammation that causes cell death to occur. This therapy has very promising potential to treating neuroinflammation related with acute and progressive stages of neonatal Traumatic brain injury. There is a bunch of room of new information that can help the therapy, such as introducing new components to ensure a good outcome.

Marketing Mix- Toyota

Marketing Mix: Toyota

(Author’s name)

(Institutional Affiliation)

Introduction

The current economic crises have affected the sales of most products in the global market today. Specifically, the automotive industry has experienced a reduction in the demand for their products, and for that reason are wavering n the brink of possible bankruptcy (Halbright & Dunn, 2010). The world’s biggest manufacturers of cars including General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have been affected and have experienced low sales of vehicles owing to the increased fuel prices and lack of substitute fuels to enhance gas mileage. However, Toyota Motor Corporation, which is ranked as the world’s leading automobile company by sales and production, has managed to stand out in this harsh economic times through the sale of the infamous hybrid car; the Toyota Prius. Observably, Toyota has managed to strategically market this car to its target markets better than any other company has, hence increasing the sale of this car in the automotive industry.

Accordingly, the market segmentation of Toyota has solely been founded on consumer buying behavior, which is known to change over time. The Toyota Prius market hybrid segmentation for example has been focused on buyers who are interested in efficient and environmentally friendly cars (Halbright & Dunn, 2010). The company also emphasizes the need to provide superior products to their consumers at competitive prices, while ensuring that the products are eco-friendly and in harmony with society at all times.

This paper examines the marketing mix of the Toyota Prius. Specifically, the paper provides a discussion of the product, its pricing element, its place element, as well as, the promotional strategies that have been used to market the product to its target customers. The paper concludes by providing recommendations for the Toyota Prius marketing mix.

Marketing Mix:

Toyota Prius

The term marketing mix in business refers to the elements of marketing, which when combined together promotes a company’s products and services so as to ensure efficient and effective customer delivery. Accordingly, researchers and academicians have identified four elements of the marketing mix, also known as, the 4p’s of marketing. These elements of marketing include, product, price, place, and promotion (Kotler et al., 2008). Product refers to the tangible products and services that a company offers to its consumers with emphasis placed on how these products differ from those of competitors. Price, on the other hand refers to the cost of the products and services offered. That is, the amount of money that the consumer will need to part with so as to purchase the product or service. The place element of the marketing mix refers to the location where the company’s chooses to sell its products or services. Lastly, promotion refers to the methods employed to inform consumers of the value of the products in their lifestyles (Kotler et al., 2008).

The Toyota Motor Corporation has created a lucrative marketing mix for their product, the Toyota Prius, which has been specifically designed for their specific target markets. Accordingly, the marketing mix for the Toyota Prius has incorporated the four elements of the marketing mix for the execution of marketing campaigns for this product. Toyota motor Corporation have attributed the great sales of the Toyota Prius to the implementation of the right combination of the 4P’s of marketing (Gusta, 2009). Research studies on the same illustrate that Toyota’s customer loyalty has been a result of their careful consideration of the 4p’s of marketing.

Product

As a hybrid vehicle, the Toyota Prius has been endorsed with other features that go beyond its eco-friendly attribute, hence making the product easily acceptable in the market. Not only does the Toyota Prius have the characteristic hybrid engine, it is also fuel efficient, which is a great attribute in this time of financial strains. As Halbright and Dunn explain in their study, the Toyota prius was not initially designed to be a hybrid car. For that reason, it incorporated other features that were useful to the consumers (Rodriguez & Page, 2004). Accordingly, when the company decided to incorporate the hybrid approach in the design of the Toyota Prius, the product has been gradually increasing in its sales, making it one of the leading products in the automotive industry.

The features that customers care most about in the Toyota Prius include its functionality, stylish design, practicality, mileage, as well as, fuel efficiency. The 2010 model, for example, is estimated to have a fuel capacity of about 11.9gallons with the consumption estimated at 50miles per gallon (Halbright & Dunn, 2010). This means that the car’s maximum range is around 595miles (Halbright & Dunn, 2010). In addition to that, the car is obviously economically friendly and its sleek design makes it attractive and modern. The car’s interior was designed with comfort in mind and safety has been given special attention in the design of the car. Accordingly, he key features in the Toyota Prius are better than those of competing products in that the car has added innovative accessories that are optional based on the customers preferences (Gutsa, 2009). Two such preferred accessories include the intelligent parking assistant and the solar powered moon roof. The intelligent parking assistant allows the car to parallel park itself thus reducing the possibility of parking lot accidents. The solar powered moon roof allows the car to cool when the weather is hot, a feature that customers residing in hot areas prefer.

In addition to this, the design of the car differs from that of its competitors in that it incorporates a curved design, whereas the competitors model’s have a straight design. As previously mentioned, hybrid vehicles are unique products in the automotive industry, which in turn makes them hard to market and sell to target consumers (Gutsa, 2009). However, this does not mean that consumers have stayed clear of purchasing the product. Consumers who opt to purchase the hybrid vehicle often choose the vehicle based on the leading trends, as well as, the benefit the product has on the individual and the environment. For that reason, most consumers place emphasis on the car’s ability to save on fuel cost, brand, and benefits with minimal sacrifices. Accordingly, the Toyota Prius satisfies these needs for its customers, which in turn makes it a leading product in the industry. With relation to branding, the name, sign, and design are affiliated to the Toyota brand, which has a good reputation for excellence and reliability (Rodriguez & Page, 2004). This, in turn, identifies the car as a Toyota and not a brand of other competitors. Such branding allows consumers of the Toyota Prius organize their knowledge of the product, as well a, make informed decisions regarding the purchase of the car.

Price

As a product of Toyota Motors Corporation, The Toyota Prius has quickly become one of the most eye-catching vehicles in the world today. The success of the sale of the Toyota Prius is based on the company’s ability to manufacture high-quality cars at tactful and affordable prices. The price of the Toyota Prius, has been differentiated from that of its competitors, which has changed from the traditional pricing set-up of other competing companies. As compared to competing products, the Toyota Prius is priced based on the penetration pricing strategy as opposed to its competitors’ skim pricing strategies. The rationale behind using this strategy for the Toyota Prius is to allow an increase in the sale of these cars even while the price declines. This is based on the increasing demand for hybrid vehicles as they gain mass appeal faster than other types of vehicles in the global market.

Toyota’s penetration strategy is further divided into four main pricing strategies including differentiated/location pricing, Promotional pricing, as well as, optional feature pricing (Gutsa, 2009). The differentiated/location pricing of the Toyota Prius allows the car to be sold at different prices in different states and markets. Promotional pricing strategy, on the other hand, is used for the promotion of the product to its target markets. Toyota Prius’ promotional pricing is provided in two methods including low interest financing and longer payment terms. Lastly, the optional feature pricing strategy allows the car to have different prices based on the optional features that the consumer wants for his or her car. In addition to the above pricing strategies for the Toyota Prius, the company also offers competitive financing and lease rates for the Toyota Prius, allowing bulk buying of the car by the consumers.

Place

Like all other brands of the Toyota Motors Corporation, the Toyota Prius is sold at almost all countries and regions in the world. Approximately the Toyota Prius is sold in more than 70 countries worldwide with the largest market being Japan, the United States and Europe (Halbright & Dunn, 2010). The Toyota Prius is slowly gaining entry into Asia, Africa and other regions, thus expanding their market share globally. The locations selected for the sale of this car have allowed smooth distribution of the product to its consumers through dealership networks, as well as, retail outlets. The locations have been selected because they provide larger markets than any other locations in the world. Additionally, the selected locations for the sale of the Toyota Prius have also been identified as those with the largest potential for the purchase of the product. This is because the target market in these regions have a common characteristic that is suitable for the sale of the car.

Observably, the locations where the Toyota Prius is sold are all urban countries that, in terms of technology, are ahead of the rest. Therefore the consumers found in this regions tend to look for similar features and characteristics when purchasing a vehicle, more specifically a hybrid vehicle. Because Toyota has established good distribution systems in these locations, access to the Toyota Prius by consumers has been made easier, thus allowing them to purchase this product at ease. Though e-business is considered a trend in the buying and selling of goods and services, the company does not sell the Toyota Prius online. However, consumers can attain the details of the car from the website, thus aiding them in the purchase of the car from their local dealers.

Promotion

Toyota Motors Corporation has embraced various communication strategies to promote the Toyota Prius to its target consumers. The Toyota Prius has been promoted in various diverse ways including advertising, sales promotions, public relations, as well as, personal selling. Wit relation to advertising, the company has advertised the Toyota Prius in both print and electronic media. The car has also been featured in various company exhibitions as a way of promoting the sale of the car to its consumers. Not only has the company produced brochures, pamphlets and posters of the Toyota Prius, it has also promoted this car by featuring it in a number of TV programs and movies. With relation to sales promotions, the Toyota Prius has been featured in various trade fares and motor shows, which give the consumers an opportunity to compare the products to other competing hybrid cars. Public relations has also been used to promote the sale of the Toyota Prius in that the activity the company takes part in give it a good image, thus promoting the sale of its products.

Personal selling allows the sellers of the Toyota Prius and their customers to communicate to each other about the product. This allows the consumer to understand the benefits of owing the car, whereas the manufacturer is given feedback on how to increase the efficiency of the car. With each promotional activity, there is a message that the consumers are given with regards to the Toyota Prius as a product. Accordingly, the 2010 campaign of the Toyota Prius was entitled “Harmony between man, nature and machine. This, in turn, gives the consumers the impression that the car is not only beneficial to them, it is also beneficial to the environment. The main message and image that is provided in the promotion of the Toyota Prius is that it is ‘Cool’ to drive a Toyota Prius (Halbright & Dunn, 2010).

Recommendations

When marketing a vehicle that will require the consumer to part with a sufficient amount of money to save the environment, there is need for the manufacturer to establish extra features as well as sell the product proactively. Accordingly, the Toyota Motors Corporation should consider the possibility of selling the Toyota Prius online, so that the product can reach other markets that it is currently not accessible to. Globalization has seen the rise of e-business, and for that reason most countries that were previously ot connected to the rest of the world through the internet are now able to connect. By allowing consumers to buy the products online, the company will experience an increase in sales, hence profitability.

Conclusion

Critics of the hybrid vehicles would argue that these products are not competitive with relation to features and prices, and for that reason, present no financial reward for their eco-friendly features. Accordingly, car manufacturers are therefore, faced with the challenge of marketing the hybrid vehicle and convincing consumers to buy these products. However, the Toyota Motors Corporation has succeeded in the marketing of their Toyota Prius, which in turn, has allowed the company to gain profits from the sale of this car. Regardless of its eco-friendliness, the Toyota Prius has been developed with features that are competitive, and for that reason, can be sold to the target consumers in all markets. The uniqueness of the product will allow it to enjoy a considerable market share, and the marketing mix only adds to this.

References

Gutsa, N. H. (2009). Marketing Mix in Action. Associated Content. Retrieved from:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1804334/marketing_mix_in_actiontoyota_prius.html

Halbright R. & Dunn M. (2010). Case Study: The Toyota Prius: Lessons in Marketing

Eco-friendly Products. Retrieved from: http://www.maxdunn.com/files/attachments/maxdunn/PMBA:%20Presidio%20MBA%20Home/Prius_Marketing_Case_Study.pdf

Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Wong, V. & Saunders, J. A. (2008). Principles of marketing. New

York: Pearson Education, Prentice Hall.Rodgriguez, A. & Page, C. (2004). A comparison of Toyota and Honda Hybrid Vehicle

Marketing Strategies. Retrieved from: http://www.solsustainability.org/documents/cultivatingmarkets/A%20comparison%20of%20hybrid%20vehicle%20marketing%20strategies.pdf