Best Buy Business Analysis

Best Buy Contemporary Business Abstract This research paper focuses on the functionality of Best Buy’s website. It further discusses the how Best Buy promotes their products. There is a description about how their website informs the consumer about the capabilities of their products. Further there is an evaluation of the contact information which includes the many options for contacting them. Due to the large variety of the products offered by Best Buy there are many ways for them to customize products to the customer needs which they attribute their sustainability. Also there is a discussion about the marketing strategies and what is in place on their website. Additionally there is an analysis of the corporation’s privacy policy and response to a security breach with recommendations on how to prevent further compromises. Describe and evaluate a major corporation’s Website in these four areas: (1) product information, (2) corporation’s contact information, (3) customization of products for customers, and (4) customer information at purchase. Best Buy Incorporated, founded by Richard Schulze in 1966, is a top provider of electronics (Form 10K, 2011). Best Buy is also a Fortune 500 hundred company is considered the largest retailer in its class who dominates the market by accounting for 21 percent of the market (Form 10K, 2011). Best Buy Inc is also globally diverse with stores in Canada, China, United Kingdom and Mexico (Form 10K, 2011). Best Buy conduct online operations through many different brand names; BestBuy. com, BestBuy. ca, BestBuy. co. uk, BestBuyMobile. com, CarphoneWarehouse. com, Five-Star. com, FutureShop. ca, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Napster. om, and PhoneHouse. com (Form 10K, 2011). Each brand name targets a specific market internationally. Best Buy employs a robust website which features all of their electronics, home office and entertainment products, appliances and services. When selecting an item the consumer has access to a multitude of information about the product. For example, when selecting a flat screen television the first thing that stands out is â€Å"free shipping† then right underne ath is the price, both which is very important to the consumer. Also on this page are credit card advertising and solicitation, protection plans and the ‘buy back’ program. Additionally they have a general description of the product features which gives basic information about the television. As a show of confidence in their product and the service they provide, there is a section dedicated for ‘customer reviews’ where those who has experienced the product can voice their opinion on a 1 to 5 scale. Best Buy shows the individual reviews and an average of the totals. This can prove valuable to the consumer when needing the opinion of someone that has experienced the products functionality to give an assessment of its operation. Additionally there is a ‘specification’ section which gives more detailed description about the characteristics of the product. Further there is a ‘learn’ section which educates the consumer about the featured terms used when reading technical information on the product and a featured guide section which gives detailed information about research and development of the various types of products. Finally Best Buy offers a ‘accessories’ section which give the customer suggested product that are compatible to the specific item which also can be purchase from their store. Best Buy’s corporate contact information link presents the customer with a whole host of information about the organization. The ‘about best buy’ link opens the book about the company. This link gives stock quote and the latest news releases on what the company is offering, tips on shopping and more. There is also information on careers, a link for the investors and developers, sustainability, community relations, site map, and affiliate programs. The ‘contact us’ link offers many avenues in which to contact several departments within the corporate umbrella. The Best Buy corporate customer care supplies their postal and e-mail addresses and phone number. There is also a means to get in contact with the public relations department and vendor inquiries. On the ‘Sustainability’ link Best Buy takes pride in educating customers on technology so they can make the correct decisions when in the market to purchase products to fit their use (Sustainability, 2011). Their site states, â€Å"Through education, influencing public policy and driving industry innovation, we want to help you learn about technology solutions and how to use them to enrich your life and our world at the same time (Sustainability, 2011). † With the large variety of products and their willingness to educate consumers on their products shows they make a great ffort to satisfy their customers’ needs and to influence them to purchase products from them. When checking out Best buy provides the customer and option to purchase matching accessories and protection packages. Then there is an opportunity to subscribe as a recurring customer by checking out and building your profile which will save the customers information for future purchases that wil l speed up the checkout process or there is an option to check out as a guess which will only save the consumers information for the purpose of checking out. Either way at this point is where the customer enters billing information to include; name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Once the free delivery date has been selected then the customer is directed to the payment method window where the option to pay using a credit card or PayPal to pay for the items. This page also offers links to; conditions of use, legal notices, and privacy policy. On the privacy policy link Best Buy Web site employs TRUSTe and uses encryption technology to protect personal information. Describe and evaluate three (3) of the corporation’s Internet marketing strategies and the competitive advantages its Website provides. Best buy utilizes differentiating product by applying the positioning concept by establishing their products in the mind of the consumers as soon as you visit their web site. They accomplish this by showing an array of products to gain the attention of the customer giving the impression since they have a large variety of products then there will be an item the consumer will want to buy. In comparison the H. H. Gregg site which has a limited selection to choose from. Best Buy also uses the provide information strategy providing detailed information about each of their products and affording customers to write a review about their purchases gives the customer the most up to date information about their experience with their new item. In marketing, people, is a very important element in the promotion of the organizations product (3 Keys, 2009). Word of mouth is the most effective advertisement to influence others to patronize the company (3 Keys, 2009). They also accentuate product value by offering extended warranty plans in addition to the factory warranty and they have also implemented a ‘buy back’ plan where the customer buys into the plan which guarantees the price Best Buy will pay for product purchased. All of these incentives prove Best Buy backs and has a strong confidence in their wide variety of products which gives them the competitive advantage. Analyze and evaluate the corporation’s privacy / security policy and the corporation’s response to the security breach. Best Buy employ’s TRUSTe and encryption technology to protect the privacy of their customer personal information (Privacy, 2011). Within their privacy policy they advertise they take the customers privacy seriously (Privacy, 2011). It tells what information is collected, how it’s used, how it’s shared how they protect you information, and the customer choices regarding their personal information (Privacy, 2011). They collect highly sensitive information to include; name, postal address, e-mails address, phone number, credit card number, driver’s licenses number, social security number when applying for credit and demographic information (Privacy, 2011). All of which if compromised would cause grave consequences for their customers. Additionally Best Buy admits they collect information through cookies which saves data on the customer’s personal computer (Privacy, 2011). But advertises the cookies are used to create a personalized shopping experience on their websites (Privacy, 2011). Best buy uses this information for marketing practices, customer’s transactions, research and analysis, managing customer accounts, e-mail communications, and advertising (Privacy, 2011). They maintain this information for as long and the customer has an account with them and to comply with legal issues (Privacy, 2011). Best Buy shares customer’s information within their organizations other websites and legal ramification may require (Privacy, 2011). There is also a disclaimer Best Buy will share personal identifiable information in the event of a sale, merger, or disbanding (Privacy, 2011). Best Buy victim to hackers recently which acquired access to customer files (Security Breach, 2011). Their reaction to the security breach was to inform customers of the breach and warned them to ignore emails asking for confidential information but acknowledged there credit card information was safe (Security Breach, 2011). Recommend and provide rationale for two (2) methods and/or tools to ensure greater security for customers One thing which seems to stick out the most is Best Buy will share personal identifiable information in the event the company disbands. It would be better to purge this information to avoid compromise. When disbanded there is no guarantee the information would have the same protection engines in place as the company had while in business. There is not any mention of an outside computer security organization to monitor their systems for hacking. Since hacker have stepped up their effort and have been successful on many occasions it would be wise to step up security measures in order to prevent future compromise. Conclusion This analysis was conducted to provide a description of best Buy’s website and its functionality. How the products are displayed, promoted and the robust details they give about each of their item. Best Buy uses many marketing strategies to promote their products which give them the competitive advantage. Additionally there is a look in Best Buy’s security practices and a how compromises are handled. References United States Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10K (2011, May). Best Buy Corporation, Commission File Number 1-9595. 4-7. Retrieved November 25, 2011, from http://phx. corporate-ir. net/External. File? item=UGFyZW50SUQ9NDI0NDcyfENoaWxkSUQ9NDM5MjU1fFR5cGU9MQ==&t=1. Best Buy. com (2011). Sustainability Report. Retrieved November 25, 2011, from http://sustainability. bby. com/management-approach/sustainable-solutions/. DesignDamage. com (2009, July). 3 Keys to Improve Your Brand in Social Marketing. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http://www. designdamage. com/tag/best-buy/. Best Buy. com (2011, July). Privacy Policy. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from https://www-ssl. bestbuy. com/site/olspage. jsp? id=cat12102&type=page&contentId=1218227255732&entryURLID=pcat17011&entryURLType=page&h=488. MPRNEWS (2011, April). Best Buy, US Bank Among Companies Warning of Security Breach. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from http://minnesota. publicradio. org/display/web/2011/04/04/data-breach-best-buy-epsilon/.

Becoming a Person of Influence

Success is not easily attained but because of the influence of other people, it can easily be attained with new enthusiasm. The kind of influence other people impose make the other person response no matter what kind of influence it is. There are different kinds of advantages like in a certain company with the right influence from managers their employees respond with a new sense of interest.Because of parents influences they can bond with their children on a deeper level, players bloom because of their coaches. Sales person will excel in their sales and break records and can achieve higher income for their products market.Every person should be born a leader in their own right but to become a leader we should always be a good follower and belong to a particular organization. Being a good leader we can always be an influence to other person, there are factors we need o consider to become an influence but the root of it started in a religion where we belong it is where we could learn many passages from the bible which we can analyze the deeper meaning of life how it is to be leader, to be a person of influence starts up with being humble and humane.An act of obligation on others, when other people do good deeds for other people there is always a strong need to return the act of kindness for the other person because, returning the favor liberate the obligation because this is always a part of social conditioning in every society. It could go further than that an ethical regulations does not need to be educated but should be understood.When someone gives a compliment it can be returned by another smile, even these gestures are unwanted, and there is always a sense of requirement to repay the person who has created the mental and psychological debt.People often carefully trigger feelings of indebtedness and obligation in others by carrying out an unsolicited favor. The mental and emotional burden created by such situation is often great enough that people would rat her be unable to find the benefits of the favor by not asking for it, rather than to experience the humiliation and rejection that might come from asking.Studies have shown that the discussion is true when individuals break the reciprocity rule by showering special treatment on someone without giving them the chance to repay; there is the same amount of discomfort.The drive to lessen feelings of obligation is so powerful that it can make people turn to others that they don’t even know. The anxiety to respond is strong enough that when people don’t return the favor, they are viewed with disdain and disgust.Accepting gifts or favors without attempting to return them is u generally viewed as selfish, voracious, and heart less. It is often strictly due to this internal and external pressure that people become conventional to the rule of reciprocity. People feels justification when they see others do what they want or intend to do.It was learned early in life that people ma ke fewer mistakes when they follow the social norm. There are two types of norms, explicit and implicit. Explicit norms are openly spoken or written like road signs, employee manuals or game rules. Implicit norms are not usually established openly.If humans don’t know the norms, they look around and find it. Social corroboration becomes a way to save time and energy to put up what is correct. Other actions were use by people to direct their own actions, to validate the right and wrong.They don’t always seems to emerge at the positive and negative way in every situation, this automatic triggers what saves people from thinking, if they find inconsistency between what is observe and what is done; they tend to make change in the direction of the social norm.Social corroboration compels to alter behavior, attitudes, and an action, what was observed by a person doesn’t really contest his true feelings, style and opinion. People go opposing their judgment because they always wanted to be liked, accepted, and found to be in agreement with everyone else.In seeking out for social norms it helps an individual to know what should be felt and done. Most components, this is not an attentive process because subconscious acceptance of behaving is determined. Almost sixty percent of daily activities are spent in verbal communication, in which an individual could convince and explain influence, negotiate, counsel or instruct. They can create society, excitement and vision with the words they use. The right words are captivating; the wrong words are devastating.The right words make tings to life, create energy, and are more persuasive than the wrong words. The bottom line is that the words people use attract or repel their prospects. The more a skillful is in the the use of language, the more persuasive the person. In two contrasting situations, items must be presented right after the other. It affects decision making on group meetings, in certain meeting wh en the great idea is forward after another great idea, it will not have an impact as if it just followed another’s poor idea. This is all about human insight.The human mind has to find a standard of comparison to make judgments, especially when an unfamiliar situation is being talked about. People need to make comparison with their past experience and knowledge. By presenting your prospects with contrast comparisons are created.The mind cannot process everything at once and so it develops shortcuts to help make decisions. Instead of making a completely internal judgments people always look for boundaries, patterns and polar opposites. They want to know the difference between the options so that they could naturally contrast the two items.Humans place things in their mind from best to worst An expectation has great influence to reality and creates results. Individuals tend to make decisions based on how others expect them to perform. As a result, people fulfill those expectati ons whether positive or negative.Expectations have a prevailing impact on perfect strangers. People will gratify the expectations of others in order or gain respect and likeability. People rise to meet your expectation of them. This is a powerful force that can lead to the improvement or destruction of a person.They can always express an expectation of doubt, lack of assurance, and skeptism. Those who believe in someone’s ability confidence should be showed in them and expect them to be successful and different results will be seen.When expectations are created, people’s behavior are changed, expectations can communicate in a variety of ways. It may be through language, voice. The influences of a person to other person are not measured but what a particular person has attained, it can never be a replacement for fundamental, sincere truthfulness of influencing others.People started in failures to reach success, it happens not only once but for several times, small achie vement comes out for the first time, we need to fail to learn and make the incoming to work. A good kind of reputation can be compared to gold therefore; having sincerity is like owning the mine. People should not worry what others would think and should focus on what is within a person’s character, to take good care of it, and reputation as a whole.When a person criticize the other, integrity will be responsible to keep a person going, and climb the mountain of success of not striking back, and when this criticism is legal, integrity will help to admit what other people say, be taught from it and keep growing. The opportunity in the future of an individual is brilliant when the attitude is right, but a person should always enjoy the present because it is where the future lies. The voyage of a positive person comprehend that the journey is as pleasurable as the destination.

American folk Essay Example For Students

American folk Essay The dancer is a man wearing leather boots, loose fitting red silk pants, and a white shirt with colored embroidering down the middle. His hair is shaved to the scalp except for a small circle on the top of his head, where the hair is about half a foot long. He squats down low, and kicks his feet out with his body upright and his arms folded. The dance has a historic meaning behind it, dating back to when Russia took over Ukraine. A group of organized rebels known as the Cossacks, who hoped to end Russian Rule, isolated themselves in a fort in the Carpathian Mountains. The dancer symbolizes a triumphant Cossack warrior. During festivals and other celebrations, the Hopak was a common dance. This dance is still taught to Ukrainian Americans today, starting at age seven. At Ukrainian debutante balls, the men who know the dance do it during a specific song, which is played at every ball. There are also professional dance groups who perform the Hopak around the United States and Canada. The dancers today still wear the traditional clothing, but the hairstyle has become much less common. Many Ukrainians forget the dance with time, but those who remember it take great pride in their ability and perform the dance at nearly every ball and celebration they attend. This dance exists as a representation of Ukraines history, in particular the conflict with Russia. However, in the past, it served an entirely different function. The Hopak originates from the Kozac, which is an older Ukrainian dance. The Kozac is named after the Cossacks, who performed it, and its essentially the workout they performed to warm up for battle. The movements were part of a regime of calisthenics to keep the Cossacks fit for battles. The refined Hopak is similar, but with more difficult dance maneuvers, such as leaping and twirling. To Ukrainians, the Hopak represents the Cossacks, who gave their lives to protect Ukrainian culture as Russia outlawed the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian books. The Hopak exists today to remind Ukrainians of their heritage and to serve as a source of nationalism. Ukrainian debutante balls have many similarities to American debutante balls, but the differences are important.

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Physician Assisted Suicide - Essay Example In the film, Jessie states: â€Å"And I can’t do anything either, about my life†¦..like it better, make it work. But I can stop it. Shut it down, turn it off like the radio when there’s nothing on I want to listen to.† (www.storyispromise.com). This profound statement implies that the control over a person’s life is in their own hands, however, does this also imply that a person can choose to end his or her life simply out of a desire to stop living? Jessie’s life is more or less normal; therefore her desire to end her life seems inexplicable because it is motivated purely out of the desire to put an end to a life without purpose or meaning. It may be argued that there needs to be a more substantial reason for a person to seek death, yet the single-minded determination of the character to terminate a life not worth living is one that raises the issue of patient choice where suicide is concerned; should physicians always respect the autonomy of the patient that seeks to die through physician-assisted suicide and help them achieve their ends?. Terminally ill patients most often seek the release of death because their lives are too painful or unbearable and request their physicians to assist them in achieving their death. Surveys have been conducted in order to ascertain the thoughts of physicians in the matter of physician-assisted suicide. These surveys have found that physicians are of the opinion that the high levels of physical and mental suffering that some patients go through are most often the reason why they seek to die, while others seek to die in a dignified manner and are tired of life, or do not wish to be dependent upon others (Van Der Maas et al 39-49; Back et al, 919-25).  

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Compare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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We were soldiers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Essay of leotard in spanish Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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The impact of advertising in our daily life Essay

The impact of advertising in our daily life - Essay Example This essay "The impact of advertising in our daily life" outlines the importance, functions, and advantages of the print advertisement over the ad on the Internet. The print ad of Coca-Cola Company published in 1969 presents the image of the chilled Coca-Cola bottle and a glass filled with coke and ice placed with some fruits and other food stuff. The body copy of the ad written at the top left side of the image conveys the message that coke goes with everything that people eat because it is a real thing that gives them a real taste and real satisfaction. The same message is also written at the bottom of the image that Coke is the real thing. This advertisement has been created with attractive visuals and balanced combination of text and images. This print ad is based upon explicit claim because it directly makes the claim that coke is a real thing just like all the other things people use to have in their lives. The ad places coke with the natural things to make audience believe that coke is not an artificial thing and they could be sure about its real taste and satisfaction. The explicit claim made in the ad is an example of fallacy because it tries to position a carbonated drink like the natural things that is not true. Coke unlike the natural edibles has several health effects and could not be regarded as a real or natural thing like apples, grapes and oranges etc. The ad effectively communicates this idea by making claim about coke as a real thing. There is another print ad published in 2008 by McDonald that promotes McDonald’s Drive. ... The ad conveys implicit meanings because it gives the message indirectly that people can enjoy McDonald’s product alongside all their routine activities by visiting Drive-Thru. The ad claims that in the multitasking world McDonald does not interrupts the activities of the people but it gives people benefit that that they can continue with their activities and can still enjoy McDonalds. The ad makes the implicit claim by showing a real newspaper article coming out along with the fries. The claim could not be regarded as fallacy but it is an intelligently created ad that very well demonstrates the brand benefit and convince people come at McDonald’s drive through even if they have no time to sit and eat the meal at the restaurant. The ads informs about the option of eating out while the other tasks would also be carried out and so separate time would be required to go for meal. There is another very interesting print ad with funny appeal created for EPhone 900 that shows a snake ready to bike a person and the person is searching Google to know how to dodge a snake bite. The ad makes the explicit claim about the fast internet access at any place and time when the user need and for making this claim more interesting and real they have shown a real life problem that any person might face anytime. However, the ad has a fallacy because the tough situation shown in the ad could not really be handled in a way shown in the ad. The ad basically aims to make audience imagine that the EPhone 900 allows them such fast access to internet anywhere and anytime that they can reply upon the EPhone for the solution of their problems. The problem shown in the ad is very serious needs urgent solution. Likewise, the ad claims that the

International Business - F.D.I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

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Planning for the Future Essay Example for Free

Planning for the Future Essay Hopes and Dreams A. Even if you have not done much research on the topic what are your hopes and dreams for your employment future? â€Å"What do you want to be when you grow up? † -When I grow up I want to be an ultrasound technician. I’m very interested in the female body and reproductive system. I also love babies so it was keep me interested in my studies. I want to be able to help women out with the beautiful experience of birth and child development. B. What do you want your life to look like in 10 years? In 10 years I want to be a successful ultrasound technician. I will also make my own schedule so I can spend time with my amazing future family. I want to be living by the beach with my husband, Jason Zeigler, and my two children, Carson and Brayden. I will be in the upper-class and have a river house. We will have two dogs, Jackson and Parker. C. What do you want your life look like in 5 years? -In 5 years I will be in college. Hopefully University of Riverside after I get my general education done at Chaffey. I will also be moved in and engaged to Jason Zeigler. That will be the biggest turning point of my life in my own personal opinion mainly because I will be focusing on my major and my career, which will in turn determine the rest of my life. Either successful or a failure. D. What are you doing now that will affect the rest of your life? -Things that I am doing now that will affect the rest of my life is graduating high school, going to college, and working and becoming independent. Graduating is a huge step in life. It’s the start of the rest of our lives. There’s no more messing around anymore. We are growing up and now we must be independent and do things on our own. Going to college is another big step in what is going to affect the rest of my life. There is no more free education. Especially when your parents are making you pay for it by yourself like I am. At least I have a very good, well-paying job, In N Out. In N Out has really taught me how to be responsible with my money. It has made me realize how fast your money can disappear. It has also broken me out of my shell. In N Out has taught me how to deal with angry customers and how to talk to anyone. These are some very important traits I feel that I will need for the rest of my life. Step 2: Evaluate your Current Job A. What are the tasks that you are performing in your current job that will transfer to future jobs and your career? * The tasks that I am performing in my current job that will help me transfer to future jobs and my career is dealing with agitated people, working at a fast pace, being able to talk to anyone, and being able to do what people tell me quickly and efficiently. Dealing with angry and/or agitated customers is probably the hardest part of the job. Not only is it awkward, but it is also very agitating for you. I normally want to just scream in their face that it’s not my fault but I always keep my cool. Working at a fast pace without stressing is also a very good skill to have. You have to be able to work very fast at In N Out. We are constantly busy and having to please hundreds of customers a day. B. What are the possibilities for advancement at this current job, and what are the skills you could still learn at this job? * In N Out runs off of a level system. A level 1 cleans the dining room. A level 2 takes orders and can work the back pay window. A level 3 can take orders outside with something we call a hand held, and can also hand out food for the drive through. A level 4 works fries. A level 5 dresses, puts the condiments, on the burger. A level 6 actually cooks the burgers. Lastly, a level 7 is a manager’s assistant. They help run the shift when the manager isn’t around. Then after all those are the managers. Each separate store has 4 different mangers. They move up as well. They all start out as 4th managers and then move up to a 1st manager, which is a â€Å"store manager†. After that they can move up to district managers and then a regional manager. I am currently a level 3 but I am hopefully getting my level 4 soon. I’ve been working and learning fries. In N Out is definitely my fall back if the ultrasound technician fails. Step 3: Interests A. What do you like to do? * I love to hang out with friends, my boyfriend, go out to eat, and sleep. I can hang out with my friend and Jason for days. Probably like every other teenager but that’s when I have the most fun. Going out to eat is my favorite thing to do. I don’t really care if it’s bad for you. I love food. Sleeping is what I do in my free time. I am constantly tired so I love sleep when I actually have the time to do so. B. What is the best experience you have ever had? The best experience I’ve ever had was probably my senior prom. Basically it was the best night of my life. It was amazing. From getting ready, to pictures, to dinner, to the bus, to the dance, to the bus again, and then Kyle Wades spa. I got to get ready with my best friends and my boyfriend’s mom paid for me to get my makeup done. I love that woman. The pictures were great with m y boyfriend and best friends. We got some really cute ones. Dinner was delicious at chilis. The bus was the best part in addition to the actual dance. We had a stripper pole and all the guys got on it. This is the irst dance I’ve been to that the teachers didn’t care how we danced. By the time we got off the dance floor everyone was dripping sweat. My legs were sore for 3 days after. After that we hopped back on the bus, made a quick stop to In N Out and then chilled in Kyle’s spa. Jason and I had to sleep in my truck that night but we woke up early and went to Denny’s for breakfast. C. What makes you the happiest? * My boyfriend and friends are definitely my top priority at this point. They have made me who I am today. D. What makes you feel most satisfied? * Making everyone around me happy and accomplishing a new goal. E. When have you felt the most rewarded? * When I reached my level 3 and got my raise because I earned it all on my own with no one else’s help. Step 4: Aptitudes A. What are you good at? * I am very good at following orders. When someone tells me to do something I will get it done right away and get it done very well. B. 1. After the first set of questions, what are the top 10 careers that come up? * 1. Choreographer / Dance Instructor * 2. Correctional Officer * 3. Director of Photography * 4. Director * 5. Athletic Trainer * 6. Security Guard * 7. Vending Machine Servicer * 8. Kinesiologist * 9. Auto Detailer 10. Stock Clerk 2. How do you feel about these careers? I don’t this a lot of these careers suit me at all. 3. What are the results now, how did they change? 1. Bailiff 2. Artist 3. Special Effects Technician 4. Computer Network Specialist 5. Stuntperson 6. Director of Photography 7. Cardiologist 8. Doctor 9. Anesthesiologist 10. Nurse Practitioner 4. Did your t op 3 interests appear? What are they and why do they interest you? My top 3 interest groups did not appear at all. Ultrasound technician, Crime Scene investigator, or working in advertisement. They all seem like jobs you can’t get bored of.

A comparison of tabloid and broadsheet newspapers Essay Example for Free

A comparison of tabloid and broadsheet newspapers Essay To understand the subject of this essay, I thought it would help to briefly look at the history and background of newspapers, because I believe this gradually influences peoples decisions on buying a paper today. In earlier years, the majority of people buying newspapers were all well educated, middle class intellectuals. As a result of this many papers actually tended to follow the broadsheet format. Most people that bought a newspaper would have full intention of reading from front to back. Most papers had between four and nine pages with a lot of columns and very small print; there were not many pictures and very little graphics. This was generally because of the lack of technology available to the publishers and their printers. As time progressed, so did the technology that went into the newspapers. With this improvement in technology this enables the publishers to focus on more specific readership. In a newspaper you can find that they can now devote sectors of the newspaper to individual interests, at the same time as having more illustrations and advertisements. We investigated how tabloids and broadsheets have appeared to combine these new ideas, but somehow still have different techniques, writing styles and format. We did this by using interviews and surveys to help us gain the results we wanted. To gain further understanding of the type of people that read tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, the pupils in our class carried out a survey. The principle was to find out if there were any links between our research and the class survey, it helped us gain more knowledge on the time that papers are read during the day and what days they are tended to be read on. When the survey was complete we collected the results to find that there was quite an even spread of readers for both the tabloid paper and the broadsheet paper. Another interesting fact was that mainly broadsheets were read on the weekend rather than the working week. I recognize that this must be because of the size and depth of the broadsheet which becomes a immediate fault of the paper has it makes it very hard for somebody going to work on the train or bus to read a large paper such as The Telegraph in such tight compact spaces. Our class also carried interviews with their friends and family to try and find out the reason behind this predilection. In the majority of cases, the time available and the content of the newspaper were concerns. Many people believed that a broadsheet were more detailed and focused on finance and politics, whereas tabloid papers tended to be more light-hearted and entertaining. There were a lot more gossip columnists and many pages devoted to entertainment and celebrities featured in The Sun. As I expected the size of the newspapers were a big matter into deciding which paper someone would buy. According to the interviewees, broadsheets were understandably an inconvenient size if they were to be read on a coffee brake or a journey as they were just too big. Tabloid papers were popular because of the advantage of there size as they can be read at spare moments during the day and contained a television guide. Personally I tend to read newspapers at the weekend and the members of my family generally make the choice of paper, I enjoy reading a tabloid a lot more than I do a broadsheet because broadsheets cover a large quantity of business and finance and I am not interested in these subjects. I enjoy reading The Sun as it contains a lot of sport news and celebrity news. Tabloid papers in my opinion are a lot easier to read as u dont have to take a lot of time reading each article like you do in the broadsheet newspapers. Before we actually started to examine individual articles, we made some general assertions concerning the papers contents. We all noticed that there were a surprisingly large amount of adverts in the broadsheet newspaper, which included a completely covered double-page spread on just adverts. A British Airways advert, covered a page of the Daily Telegraph the size made it eye-catching and very effective to the reader. For further exploration we compared two articles, which at the time were concerning the situation in Saudi Arabia. The first article was featured in The Sun, entitled, Saudi Aid. The second article was found in The Daily Telegraph entitled, Arab states back Bush over Iraq. My immediate observation was the difference and contrast in headlines. The tabloid headline was much shorter than that of the broadsheet, therefore the information given was. Saudi Aid gave the reader a suggestion of the articles content, but did not make any kind of effort to enhance on the subject. On the other hand The Telegraph was more informative and had a much more detailed headline, Arab states back Bush over Iraq. This headline refers to a specific incident which is very straight forward it also includes one of the most well known names in the world, this is a clever way of using someones name involved in the issue to draw in the reader the also tone suggests controversy. The Sun followed its brief headline with a more detailed summary, giving us further amplification on the subject. The Telegraph on the other hand had a sub headline of Way cleared for countdown to war. Again the focus of the piece was narrowed down to ass impact on their first headline. The sub headline included and extremely emotive phrase, Countdown to War. This gives no definite answer to the question most people were asking themselves at the time, it just leaves the possibility that it could happen in the future if the situation deteriorates. The Sun also included a sub headline in its article. Saudis to aid attack on Iraq again this repeats the word aid from the headline but this time expanding on the content of the article. The reporter actually uses rhyme, which increases the articles appeal, because it becomes captivating and memorable. In continuing to study the format of the article, I noticed that the front pages of both pieces were very different. The Telegraphs report was split into four columns, with an enlarged quote dividing the second column. In this article there was clearly more writing, and whilst I could perceive a summary, it was not highlighted in any way, like The Suns report, which had a summary in bold type and a sub heading of Weapons halfway through the first column, such use of a sub headline created drama and tension. The summary uses colloquial language, and emotive writing such as the Saudis fear they will never be safe while Saddam rules. With added patriotism, the summary lures the reader to read on through the article, to reach the main point of the piece. Unlike the broadsheet article, there was a picture featured in the tabloid newspaper. The picture was of Jack Straw and by adding a picture the information in the article is authentic and may entice the reader to look more closely at the piece, and maybe value the reporters opinion more. Another creative effect is The Suns use of italics. By placing a chosen phrase or paragraph in italics, the readers attention is drawn to the chosen area, showing that the specific phrase is important, and so the reader should pay attention to it. The general tone of the suns article is informal throughout the piece. The reporter remains biased and doesnt believe that the possibility of war may be resolved. The piece in The Telegraph takes an objective style and presents both sides of the argument, and continually stating that there is no definite war. The miscellany in reporting styles also includes the use of more formal language with words such as repercussions. I would presume that the readers of a broadsheet newspaper are more middle-class. This is a generalisation but that the fact that there is more business, finance and culture in the broadsheet newspaper. There is one similarity between the articles it is that they both include the national security adviser Conddeezza Rice. Overall the broadsheet newspaper includes more concept language and is rather informal, whilst the tabloid newspaper has short headlines with a catchy theme to it, instead of a more sophisticated and simple headlines brought to us by the broadsheet newspapers.

Threat Of Substitutes And Bargaining Power Of Customers Marketing Essay

Threat Of Substitutes And Bargaining Power Of Customers Marketing Essay As mentioned earlier in part 1.3, I will be using Porters Five Forces to analyse the external environment to obtain a comprehensive understanding of a given industry. My focus here will be the fast food industry. BK is my chosen company to evaluate the effect of globalisation has upon fast food industry. The analysis will be done in four areas as below and there may be some overlapping of points as they can be interrelated. There are six major sources identified as barriers to a market entry which include economies of scale, product differentiation, capital requirement, switching cost, access to channels of distribution and government policy (Porter, 1980). All these have had impact on BK especially as from the point of view of globalisation. In my observation, it is very possible to open one or two outlets but to globally have a chain of outlets with the same branding requires tremendous capital requirements. Thus globalisation has directly impacted BK in the way it structured its business model through franchising. BK could afford to do so as with agreements such as US- Canada Free Trade Agreement and North American Free Trade Agreement (Reference for Business, 2010). BK took advantage of the relative free flow of resources under globalisation to expand globally. Franchising is a relative low cost and low risk business model. Most of the US franchisors often use this method to enter a new market with diverse economical, cultural and political environment (Alon, 2006). For instance, 88% of BKs restaurants worldwide are franchised in fiscal 2009, contributing to $412.5 millions of total revenue globally (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009). Franchising enables the business to develop in an unfamiliar market relatively quickly on a larger scale, allows the use of local partners who are familiar with local environment and also to create a standardised, global brand image, generating marketing economies of scale (McDonald et al., 2002). Charts below will provide further information on BKs franchise restaurants. Chart 1: Percentage of BKs Franchise Restaurants and Company Restaurants Worldwide ( Burger King Holdings Inc.,2009; SEC Info, 2007) Chart 2: Revenue Breakdown From BKs Total Revenue Worldwide (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009) However with globalisation, competition is globalised and relentless. McDonalds is actually BKs largest competitor as it provides better menu variety with more valuable and affordable prices (CNN.com, 2009), biting into BKs revenue by securing a larger market share. McDonalds is also more a pioneer compared to BK because it opened its first restaurant in 1940 (Spiritus-temporis.com, 2005) compared to BK with its first restaurant in 1954 (WikiAnswers, 2010). Being a pioneer, McDonalds has many advantages which includes entrenchment of position in consumers minds, creating higher thresholds for later entrants in terms of quality, advertising and distribution support, enjoys long-term market share advantages and reputation benefits (Gass et al.,2003). It is the effect of globalisation where McDonalds has built around 32,000 outlets in more than 117 countries (McDonalds Corporation, 2010). With its expansion into international markets, the company is famous throughout the world and is the leader in this industry followed by BK only at second place. The difference in number of outlets worldwide which also translates into sales volume differences between these two fast food chain can be seen clearly in the diagrams below. Chart 3: The total number of restaurants worldwide for BK and McDonalds. ( Burger King Holdings Inc.,2009; McDonalds Corporation, 2009) Chart 4: Comparison of Sales Revenues Between BK and McDonalds (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009, McDonalds Corporation 2007; 2009, SEC Info, 2007) Based on the charts, McDonalds is approximately 3 times larger than BK in terms of outlet and 10 times larger in terms of sales revenues. Substantial capital is also needed in terms of advertising to build up BKs brand. The advertising cost of McDonalds is approximately 8 times higher than BK thus creating a higher barrier entry when BKs brand name is lacking compared to McDonalds. To compete with McDonalds, BK needs more capital to increase its advertising as it is very much needed in globalisation to introduce BK in new markets and building up its image that they may otherwise not known about (Coulter, 2001). To ease comparison of the advertising cost, it is illustrated in chart below. Chart 5: Advertising cost of BK compared to McDonalds (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009; SEC Info, 2007; McDonalds Corporation, 2007;2009) With these type of cost outlays, for other competitors to come into the same scale as these two companies is extremely daunting indeed, thus the threat of entrants is low, though for smaller players is possible to find niches that are under or not exploited as yet. Luckily the advertising costs have resulted in branding, which builds a better image globally and flows ultimately into higher sales and profitabililty. Table below provides Best Global Brand Ranking 2009 highlighting few of BKs major competitors and where BK succeeded in positioning its brand among top 100 in year 2009. 2009 rank 2008 rank brand country of origin sector 2009 brand value ($m) 6 8 united states restaurant 32275 61 64 united states restaurant 5722 79 81 united states restaurant 3876 90 85 united states restaurant 3263 93 new united states restaurant 3233 Table 1: Best Global Brand Ranking 2009 (Interbrand, 2009) It is clear that BK lags behind McDonalds though in many ways this is to be expected given its much lower advertising cost outlays, which besides outlet costs, form a significant barrier of entry as mentioned earlier. 3.1.2 Product Differentiation With globalisation, BK differentiates itself from other fast food giants by acknowledging culture and country specific needs. For instances, Pork-based Bulgogi Burgers are offered in korea and the ultra-spicy Rendang Double in Singapore (Wikipedia, 2010). Picture 1: Pork based Bulgogi Burger Picture 2: Rendang Double (flickr.com, 2008 ) (therealnurulle.blogspot.com, 2010) BK also keeps its promise of Have it your way with customers having 221184 possible ways of ordering a Whopper meal (Swabey, 2007). This will help to ease its penetration into new market with different local conditions. BKs response to globalisation is obviously to cater to local tastes, as the pictures above testify. Another response to globalisation has been the move towards becoming more healthy by offering healthier menu with less salt and also with its product innovation to provide food with higher nutrition contents. At all times, BK is trying to differentiate itself to meet customers demands. Further details regarding food offerings will be mentioned in later part. 3.2 Threat of Substitutes and Bargaining Power of Customers Various global fast food chains have successfully make inroads in diverse market settings around the world (Watson, 2006). These restaurants stand the most conspicuous symbol of globalisation and modernity in countries worldwide (Wilk, 2006). Hence, they are often viewed as the cutting edge of emerging global consumer culture which have caused societies worldwide to become increasingly homogeneous and deterritorialised (Friedman, 2000). Although the expansion of Western quick-service eateries outside America and Europe has done much to transform established notions of service, taste and lifestyle (Schlosser et al., 2001), their spread has also given rise to rival domestic chains whose extensive knowledge of local preferences offers real advantages in attracting and retaining customers (Matejowsky, 2008). It is the strong bargaining power of customers which intensify the competition among various food chains with more substitutes available. To deal with these forces on a global basis, BK resorted to differentiate itself through innovative marketing and menu items. 3.2.1 Innovative Marketing BK has adopted a strategy which helps to differentiate them from their competitors. The company appointed TMP Worldwide Advertising Communications to create an exclusive company-wide employer branding campaign based on the concept Fun with a Future which concentrates on brand recognition, employee engagement and delivering on brand promise. BK decided to differentiate itself through its product and people with its employee as brand ambassador where all employees at all levels are linked to the company brand featuring in BKs advertisements and posters (Business and Finance Week, 2008). This is in line with the concept of globalisation where people of different races, culture and family background will have a common global identification as BKs brand ambassador. Pictures below feature BK employees who are of different races and cultures. Picture 3: Employees of BK in Tokyo Picture 4: Employees of BK in U.S. (associatedcontent.com, 2010) (farsons.com, 2010) BK also uses a creative marketing strategy by building an edgy, hip image with young men, who are targeted consumers (Jargon, 2006). For instance, in November 2006, BK began offering BK Xbox and Xbox 360 games with their value meals. After one month, 20 million of BK Xbox games had been sold. The games could only be bought with a value meal which means that BK attracted a lot of customers with this promotion, earning a nice profit from it. Comparing with BK, McDonalds on the other hand only places Nintendo mascot toys in their Happy Meals (Mattie, 2007). A picture of both BK Xbox and McDonalds Nintendo toys can be seen below. Picture 5: Burger King Xbox Picture 6: McDonalds Nintendo Toy ( blogs.ft.com, 2006) (toadcastle.net, 2006) The successfulness of BKs innovative marketing was already proven in 1999 in a TV campaign where Whopper was proclaimed as Americas Favourite Burger. That claim was based on the result of a research where 700 consumers were asked to name their favourite burger. 33% of them picked Whopper and only 12% chose McDonalds Big Mac (Cebrzynski, 1999). Having innovative marketing is a response to the threat of substitutes and bargaining power of customers as BK tries to embed itself on consumer consciousness globally. 3.2.2 Menu Options and Changes BK tries to reach out more customers through its menu to reduce threat of substitutes, which of course with globalisation is a full time and relentless force. As mentioned in part 3.1, health consciousness was rising among people with the obesity crisis hitting globally. It was found that United States tops the hierarchy for obesity with 30.6%, followed by Mexico and United Kingdom with 24.2% and 23% (NationMaster.com, 2010). Even though BK tries to blunt customers bargaining power and the threat of substitutes through aggressive marketing as seen above, in truth they are obviously much stronger with no switching cost. New Products Thus a response from BK is to try to be almost all things to customers. For instance, provide healthier food options. The company in its social responsibility statement promises to work with its trained chefs and nutritionist to develop new menu options that meet customers nutritional needs globally (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2010a). BKs efforts could be seen when it unveiled a healthy eating adaptation of its Have It Your Way strategy where posters in restaurants tell customers how to order a low carbohydrate, low fat and low calorie meal (Walker, 2004). The famous Whopper can also be served without the bun, mayonnaise and ketchup (MacArthur, 2004). BK also launched a new salad line offering shrimp and sirloin steak with grilled peppers and onions on it (Walker, 2004). Besides, health drive was initiated by BK by reducing salt and fat content in burgers and fries. Even children are targeted where childrens menu also comes with a choice of apples or grapes, milk or fruit juice (Forte, 2006). In 2008, BKs kids meal underwent makeover with the introduction of apple fries as part of the meal (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2010b). A list of BKs healthier options with their calorie contents are provided in Appendix 3. Pictures below show two healthy options from BK. Picture 7: Kids meal with Apple Fries Picture 8: Bunless Whopper (fastfood.ocregister.com, 2009) (hungry-girl.com, 2010) In addition, BK also later launched its Joe Coffee. This made-to-order coffee processed from 100% Arabica coffee beans (The Franchise Mall, 2005). This is actually a response to global economic crisis where it was found that consumers were trading down from more expensive coffee such as starbucks into lower ranking choices, providing a perfect option for BK. Thus even though globally the economic situation was dire, for instance it was found that 2009s world economic growth rate was only half percent (International Monetary Fund, 2009). BK found a new market segment to exploit to further reduce the threat of substitutes and bargaining power of customers. Latest initiatives include where in February year 2010, BK decided to replace its own coffee brand BK Joe with Seattles Best Coffee, a brand owned by Starbucks to increase falling sales by improving its product offerings (Tice, 2010). Pictures below show BKs Joe Coffee and its replacement, Seattles Best Coffee. Picture 9: BK Joe Coffee (ebay.com, 2010) Picture 10: Seattles Best Coffee (myalohavibe.com, 2010) BK also imitated a McDonalds breakfast item. BKs Breakfast Muffin Sandwich was promoted through an advertisement where a cleverly disguised BK breaks into McDonalds Headquarters to steal the Top Secret Blueprints for the Sausage McMuffin With Egg (Dave, 2010). Picture below shows the contrast between the two breakfast offering from McDonalds and BK. Picture 11: McDonalds Sausage McMuffin with Egg Vs BKs breakfast Muffin (davescupboard.blogspot.com, 2010) New Pricing It is not just menu changes were offered but also menu pricing as well. To meet the changing economic conditions as an impact of global recession, BK also announced that it will offer $1 double cheeseburger in order to gain market share back from McDonalds (Johnson, 2007). This has cause BKs franchisees to file a law suit challenging BKs right to dictate maximum prices as the products costs is at least $1.10 per sandwich (Glover, 2009). Thus even though BK tries to satisfy customers other stakeholders may not be happy, showing the complexities in managing relationships in the era of globalisation. Further in many ways, as seen in breakfast, and even in pricing, since the RM $1 cheeseburger, BK is imitating McDonalds. 3.3 Bargaining power of suppliers With globalisation, BK is required to maintain the quality of services in its restaurants worldwide. As a measure of quality control, BK will evaluate before approving the existing or potential manufacturers and distributors of food, packaging and equipment products used in the restaurants. Evaluation is done based on their delivery, timeliness and financial conditions. To ensure consistency, franchises are required to purchase their products from approved suppliers. (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009). 3.3.1 Purchasing Power of BK Restaurant Services Inc. (RSI), a not-for-profit independent purchasing cooperative leverages purchasing power of the BK system in United States by negotiating the purchase terms for most equipments, food, beverages, toys and paper products used in the restaurants (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009). RSI currently involves in the negotiation of purchase with BK for more than $3 billion a year in goods and services, managing supply agreements with over 300 suppliers and 27 distributors (Sterlingcommerce, 2009). For company restaurants and franchise restaurants in Canada, a subsidiary of RSI is responsible to purchase the products. However, there is currently no appointed purchasing agent that represents franchisees in other international regions. BK will work closely with their franchisees to implement programs that leverage their global purchasing power and to obtain lower product costs outside the United States and Canada. (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009). Globalisation has increased the purchasing power of BK and therefore reducing bargaining power of suppliers with the ease of selection of suppliers who meet the company criteria 3.3.2 Suppliers of BK Food As a global fast food chain, it is important for BK to maintain its brand name worldwide. The image of the global brand could be destroyed in a day due to globalisation where news travels billion times faster than it used to be in the past. BK was labelled Murder King by animal activists forcing the company to implement new policies that are more closely monitor its suppliers. Thus by 2001, there were guidelines that require the egg suppliers battery cages to contain two water bottles, allowing the birds to stand upright and be at least 75 square inches (Detweiler, 2001). BK further discourages its suppliers from trimming chickens beak and breaking their wings to save packing space when transporting (Detweiler, 2001). Reports in media of one or more cases of food-borne diseases in one of BKs restaurant also negatively affect its sales worldwide when being highly publicised (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009). During an earlier case in year 1997, BK cut off its ties with one of its biggest beef supplier, Hudson Foods Inc. as its beef supplies were contaminated with E.coli..Hudson voluntarily recalled the beef after the severity of E.coli contamination was discovered at its plant in Columbus, leaving some BK restaurants without sufficient beef supply for 24 hours to 48 hours (Papernik et al., 1997). Soft Drinks In fiscal 2000, BK decided to enter into a long term contracts with The Coca-Cola Company and Dr Pepper/Seven-Up Inc to supply all restaurants of BK in United States with their product (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009). BK prolonged its long term liaison with The Coca-Cola Company as an approved soft drink supplier for its international region covering Greater Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific (PRNewswire, 2003). With the effect of globalisation, consumers in around 200 countries enjoy Coca-Cola products of more than 1 billions servings per day (The Coca-Cola Company, 2010). BK International President believes that with this renewed alliances, Coca-Cola Company, recognised as the worlds best known brand (The Coca-Cola Company, 2010) will help to grow the BK brand rapidly by providing the best burger experience to their consumers in all restaurants globally (PRNewswire, 2003). Getting into alliances with suppliers is a good way to also set up higher barriers of entry. From my analysis, bargaining power of food suppliers are strong but over soft drinks especially in terms of dealing with companies with strong brand name is weaker. Obviously, the extent to which the other party uses branding and distribution network as leverage globally as well. Employees Other than external suppliers, internal supplier is also an important piece of puzzle which without, BKs supplier network would not be complete. Hence, the bargaining power of its employees should not be shoved aside. BK had approximately 41320 employees in its company restaurants, field management offices and global headquarters as at 30th June 2009 (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009). As mentioned in part 3.2.1, there are diversity of employees with different backgrounds, race, religion and cultures. It is clear that like globalisation, the factors in Porters Five Forces are interlinked and do not stand alone. The success of BK is highly dependent on its ability to attract general managers with necessary competences to be part of the management team to motivate the employees to sustain high service levels and maintain sales growth. The competition for the right employee candidates causes higher payment of wages featuring the high bargaining power of employees (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009). However, where boundaries between countries became narrower and communication made easier with globalisation, the search for the right employee is more efficient and effective through online application, which could perhaps reduce their bargaining power. The selection of employees is important as a wrong choice would lead to negative publicity. In one of the cases, a BK employee in Jacksonville had tried to poison a customer as he was pissed due to his suspension for misconduct (Morbid, 2010). In another case, a Washington State Deputy, Edward Bylsma after discovering a spit on his Whopper ordered fr om a BK employee decided to sue BK seeking $75,000 of compensation (Ryan, 2010). No doubt with globalisation, these news would definitely spread fast and adversely impact the companys brand. Further, since a large portion of outlets are franchised as a result of BKs decision on this bus model to move globally, employees become even more important as front link assets to keep sales and profits up. With payroll expenses on the increase as seen in the chart below, it is clear that for employees, their bargaining power is, in my opinion, rated medium to high. Chart 6: Payroll and Employee Benefits for BK ( Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009) 3.4 Rivalry among Existing Competitors Globalisation has increased the competition among the fast food chain. With various quick service restaurants mushrooming worldwide, other than competing on a national or regional basis, they are competing with each other globally. As an effect of globalisation causing increases in degree of awareness among consumers, there has been intense competition among the competitors globally to gain market share. Increasing prices of raw material, agitation by social organisations, slow down of U.S economy and also increasing fuel prices has prompt many fast food chain to divert their attention to eastern part of the world especially China ( Naim, 2008). Although globalisation has ease the expansion of fast food chain worldwide with the ease of information transfer and seeking global suppliers, entry into China and other Asian countries still pose logistical and political challenges. As quoted from Martin (1994) in Nation Restaurants news Among the most frustrating obstacles are the scarcity and inordinately high cost of prime locations in most markets as well as the steep tariffs and patchwork of inconsistent regulations that impede imports of commodities and equipment. 3.4.1 New Geographical Regions and New Ventures Taking a closer look, even though globalisation has blurred boundaries, there are still differences in cultural issues between United States and other countries resulting in different eating habits of consumers ( Glazer, 2007). From consumer point of view, globalisation has resulted from development of sophisticated media contributing to the creation of a borderless market but it does not mean it is without internal differences or local tastes (Ziedman, 2003). When a company goes global, they are bound to satisfy the demands of local customers. For example in India, cows are sacred and worshipped by the Indians, beef could not be served and the muslims, they could not consume pork (Kulkarni et al., 2009). Hence, it is a must to substitute the beef and pork in the product offerings. To further compete globally, BK invested in Whopper Bars. BK opened their first Whopper Bar in Orlando during spring 2009, and the first in Asia in Singapore during September 2009 (International Wire, 2009). It offers a specialised burger menu with more than 20 toppings (Ruggles, 2010). On 8th February 2010, BK further announced that beer sales will be added at a new unit opening in South Miami. ( Ruggles, 2010). BK changes may not be rapid enough to obtain further market share from McDonalds but the company has been spending more effort in improving its sales in this global competition ( Anderlini et al., 2010). Competing on a global scale gives rise to global income streams. This would help BK to sustain the worldwide competition where the profit from a restaurant would balance the loss in another. The pie charts below show the distribution of revenue from different geographical region. Chart 6: BKs Geographical Sales from Year 2007-Year 2009 (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009) In a way, the company is more dependent on its home market, as showed in the pie chart above where most portion of global stream income is generated. In a recent case in 2009, BKs advertisement for Texican Whopper burger in Europe had angered the Mexicans where a small wrestler featured in the advertisement was dressed in a cape resembling a Mexican flag. Mexicans have high respect for their flag and therefore could not tolerate such an insult from BK ( The Assiociated Press, 2009). This adverse publicity could have adversely impact its profits. Still, the company had not done unduly badly as seen in the charts below. Chart 7: Revenue, Gross Profit and Net Profit of BK from Year 2005 2009 (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009, SEC Info, 2007) It is clear that BK has done well as seen in increasing absolute figures of all sales, gross profit and net profit. A look at gross profit and net profit margin also shows that on a relative basis the company is handling itself well in the world of globalisation. Chart 8: Gross Profit Margin and Net Profit Margin of BK from Year 2005- 2009 (Burger King Holdings Inc., 2009, SEC Info, 2007) Even though Gross Profit Margin has been decreasing slightly, its net profit margin has been increasing with a drastic improvement from year 2006 to 2007. This is definitely a good sign. 3.5 Conclusion and Recommendation Globalisation can be a threat to the company and also it may help its expansion. Being a global brand, BK has a lot benefits which include cost-efficiencies, sharing of resources and ability to attract partners, employees and customers on entering new market. It all depends how the company took opportunities and work towards their goals. Management of globalisation is the key to success and most importantly, BK need to balance between global and local control (Samli, 2008). The company has retreated back to the US market, which is why the share prices have been sliding back down in recent times as seen below. Chart 9 : BKs Share Price Ups and Downs from 2001 till 2010 ( Yahoo Finance, 2010) Recommendations made to companys performance are as follows: Moving In Developing countries, Especially India and China Aggressively: India and China both has a steady high economic growth rates of 8.8% and 10% in 2010 (India Brand Equity Foundation, 2010) and will probably be the major players in the world economy. It is definitely a wise option to expand BKs growth in these two countries by using local partners, local employees and local ingredients. Furthermore, BK could also offer limited promotions during festive seasons or special events, for instance during Chinese New Year or Deepavali as this will help to attract more customers during that period. Broader Menu Selection: As mentioned earlier in the project, BK should continuously provide more choices of menu which allow customers to pick from wider choices. This step should be taken to also reduce threat of substitutes from new entries and existing competitors. Its product offerings must also be ensured to meet the local taste. As mentioned by the officials of market research firm of the NPD Group, quick service operators who are expanding their brands outside the United States must customise each unit to meet the specific needs of consumers in the country and region they seek to enter (Glazer, 2007). Promotions and Advertising: As observed so far, BKs advertising has been giving positive impact on its sales. Hence, BK should continuously invest in its promotions and advertisement to gain market share. BK could perhaps invite its employees to give their opinion as they are also the brand ambassadors. This would allow a fresher and a more creative in flow of idea and to boost the motivation of the employees as they are invited to participate in the companys program. However, BK should avoid price wars with its competitors ie. McDonalds as this would pull down the profits of all burger chains. BK should choose to differentiate from its competitors. There is only one winner in cost strategy but there may be more than one winner in differentiation strategy. Relationships with Franchisees: There has been cases where the franchisees are not happy with the decisions of BK Inc..The most obvious example is the sale of doublecheese burger at $1. BK should strengthen its ties with the franchisees by encouraging them to provide ideas and feedbacks on how to improve sales. When there is a disagreement between them, BK should understand the reason behind and to solve it on a win-win situation. If this could be practised, law suit against BK Inc. could be avoided. In conclusion, Porters Five Forces Analysis that was used to analyse BKs stand in the industry gives a birds eye view of the company and industry globally. Globalisation plays a major role in pushing and shaping the company. The survival of BK is dependent on its ability to adapt to constant changes in business environment due to globalisation. With BKs effort in improving its performance, it will definitely survive in this field and could perhaps be the number one fast food chain worldwide in the future.

How to Win Friends and Influence People - A Personal Analysis Essay

How to Win Friends and Influence People - A Personal Analysis â€Å"The more you get out of this book, the more you’ll get out of life.† This is the claim that Dale Carnegie makes in reference to his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Carnegie proposes that there are four main ideas that one should use when dealing with people: 1) Know how to handle people, 2) Make people like you, 3) Win people to their way of thinking, and 4) Be a leader. These skills are essential not only in being a good manager, but also in dealing with people in day to day life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1) Fundamental Techniques in Handling People   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first thing one must know when handling people is â€Å"don’t criticize, condemn, or complain.† When you criticize someone, you put yourself at a level above them. Even if you get your point across, the only thing that will come of the situation is that the other person will have a feeling of remorse and you will have bruised their self-esteem. Often times I’ve been involved in group projects in school where I have been paired up with people who have a very different method of doing things. I tend to think that my way of doing things is the most efficient; however I don’t shoot down the ideas of others. Rather, I try to understand where they were coming from and find a way work together. This is exactly the point that Carnegie is trying to get across.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next tip is â€Å"give honest and sincere appreciation.† A recurring theme in this book, is that people want to feel like they are important. There is a driver forcing you to do everything in life. For example, as a chairperson of the Business Week publicity committee, I am working hard to promote the Business Week activities and increase attendance using creative tactics. When people show up to events because of a promotion I created, it makes me feel important and gives me a sense of fulfillment. Such is the case when dealing with others. If they know they are appreciated, they will feel important and will continue doing a good job in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And finally, â€Å"arouse in the other person an eager want.† Find what it is that gives a person their sense of importance. And utilize that knowledge to drive them to want to do their job to the best of their ability. When I in high school, I used to baby-sit children. Often the most difficult part of the evening was getting the kids to... ...l work harder, take pride in their task, and in turn they will do a better job. â€Å"Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.† As a waitress, customers would sometimes complain about the speed of the service. Although this was often times the fault of the cooks, it reflected poorly on me to the customers. I couldn’t find a tactful way to tell the cooks to hurry up, so I took a different approach. One day, there was a new waitress on duty and I noticed a cook made an order especially fast. I made the comment both to the cook and the new waitress at what a great job this cook does and how you can always count on him to get orders out fast. From then on he took pride in being the â€Å"fast cook,† even though that had not always been the case before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I learned a lot about myself from this book. I realized that I already incorporate a number of the principles that Carnegie preaches. I also picked up some valuable information that I know I will be able to use in the future. I feel that this book is a great learning tool and helps to cover things that students don’t necessarily learn in the classroom. In fact, I have already recommended it to a number of my friends.

Kate Chopins Awakening - Edna Pontellier as Master of Her Destiny Essa

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Kate Chopin's The Awakening, the main character, Edna leaves her husband to find place in the world. Edna believes her new sexually independent power will make her master of her own life. But, as Martin points out, she has overestimated her strength and is still hampered by her "limited ability to direct her energy and to master her emotions" (22). Unfortunately, Edna has been educated too much in the traditions of society and not enough in reason and independent survival, admitting to Robert that "we women learn so little of life on the whole" (990). She has internalized society's conception of woman as guided by her emotions and not her mind and, therefore, in the search for another man to fill the void of love in her life, lets her goal become clouded instead of learning to depend on herself alone. Edna wants to overcome gender stereotypes, and is already using behaviours such as assertiveness and independence to question them, but the struggle is new to her and she fails to discover a method that would allow her to successfully leave behind society's preconceptions. Martin writes, Ambition, striving, overcoming odds, the focusing of energy on a goal are habits of mind associated with masculine mastery. A woman who wants to develop these skills has to defy a centuries-old tradition of passive femininity[.] . . . But Edna Pontellier does not have the emotional resources to transcend the conventions that regulate female behavior, conventions that she has, in fact, internalized. (22) Even in her defiant disobedience to her husband, she is subconsciously aware of the futility of her struggle. During a fit of violent frustration with her marriage, "she stopped, and taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon th... ... Giorcelli, Cristina. "Edna's Wisdom: A Transitional and Numinous Merging." Martin 109-39. Martin, Wendy, ed. New Essays on the Awakening. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1988. Papke, Mary E. Verging on the Abyss: The Social Fiction of Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1990. Seyersted, Per. Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1969. Showalter, Elaine. "Tradition and the Female Talent: The Awakening as a Solitary Book." Martin 33-55. Skaggs, Peggy. Kate Chopin. Boston: Twayne, 1985. Stein, Allen F. Women and Autonomy in Kate Chopin's Short Fiction. NY: Peter Lang, 2005. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. Wells, Kim. â€Å"Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Critical Reception.† Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Critical Reception. N.p., Aug. 1999. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.

A Short History of Reproductive Politics in America Essay -- health, pr

Abortion refers to a medical procedure which at times is surgical, that is used to terminate an ongoing pregnancy by expulsion of the placenta and the fetus before it is mature or viable. There are several reasons why abortion may be procured. Some reasons could be personal in the case of a pregnancy that was not planned for, others could be medical. Medical reasons could be a wide range but focusing on the health of the mother or the baby. If carrying a pregnancy to term would affect the health of the mother either physically or mentally an abortion would be recommended (Solinger 2005).cited with MLA styles When abortion is done in consideration to the health of the unborn child it is when it’s determined that the child could have dire mental or physical disabilities. The mode and means undertaken to perform the process depend on how advanced the pregnancy is, the safety and also in some cases the legality. Abortion has been performed for long periods of time and has been passed over the generations. The methods used have evolved over these generations with some proving fatal and others working like they had been expected to. In recent times, abortion can be performed safely due to numerous advances in technology and in medicine. Before 1973 abortion was not legal in the U.S and various methods were used in procuring abortions. Some of these were crude in every sense and were performed in back-alleys either, by medical professionals or by crooks (Solinger 2005). Many a time, they proved fatal to the young women who sought them and resulted in death. Some died of the abortion procedure itself while many more died of infections after the procedure. As a result, many women struggled to keep abortions a secret due to its i... ...urces. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. . Blake, J.. "Abortion And Public Opinion: The 1960-1970 Decade." Science 171.3971 (1971): 540-549. Print. Halfmann, Drew. "Historical Priorities And The Responses Of Doctors' Associations To Abortion Reform Proposals In Britain And The United States, 1960-1973." Social Problems 50.4 (2003): 567-591. Print. Hull, N. E. H., and Peter Charles Hoffer.Roe v. Wade: the abortion rights controversy in American history. Lawrence, Kan.: University Press of Kansas, 2001. Print. Williams, Mary E.. Abortion: opposing viewpoints. San Diego, Calif.: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Print. Brown, James. "Study findings from Linkoping University broaden understanding of induced abortion.." New York Times 22 Apr. 2010: 45-47. Print. Alphabetize and indent all 2nd, 3rd of citation Italicize tittle of books

Marriage: Is It in Crisis?

Marriage in America Burin Bianca Ramirez October 11, 2012 Marriage: Is It In Crisis? In America, it is the traditional thing to do to get married to someone in order to spend the rest of your life with. Someone to go through the ups and downs of life with, someone to be there to support you no matter what, and even in most marriages someone to have children with and to create a family. All these are perfect examples of why people get married, so why wouldn’t you want all of these things in your life? Well society as we know it today is declining in all aspects including, economics, the work force, and even health care.It is no wonder why people have come to the realization that marriage is in crisis because of everything that is going on around us. In the articles I read, â€Å"The Marriage Crisis†, â€Å"Pimp My Bride† and â€Å"Few Good Men† there are different viewpoints and takes on my marriage is in trouble. The most important points I will be making and elaborating on in this passage about why marriage in in crisis today will be the realization people are coming to about a worthy marriage, how the media portrays marriage, and the economic and emotional state of marriage.While explaining these points we will ask ourselves, is marriage in crisis? In the earlier 1900s people were getting married for usually one reason: Stability. Times were hard back then and the only way people could make a living was if they had a â€Å"partner† to help out with a household/farm while the other spouse went out in the work force to earn a living and put food on the table. Having someone help you out with things at home makes things easier and that’s why they formed almost a business like partnership. In the article â€Å"The Marriage Crisis†, it explains the declining of marriage and the rising of cohabitation.This brings up my first point which is the realization people are coming to about a worthy marriage. In other words, people can now fend on their own, especially woman. Today, women have more rights and are able to participate in the work force just as much as men are. Woman are more independent now more than ever before and because of this they don’t need to force themselves in a marriage they don’t want to be in just so they are financially stable. This is why cohabitation exists. People want to know a person for a long time before they make any commitment and rush into a marriage without fully knowing the good and bad in a person.In addition to women’s rights, marriage is declining because women also have the power of education. Women are now getting degrees, making their own money (not having to rely on a man), and gaining a sense of personal fulfillment and to some women personal fulfillment is a lot more rewarding than fulfillment from a marriage. On the topic of marriage and society now, media comes into play. Technology has emerged excessively in the last decade, and w ith technology comes media. Of course there are many different sources of media but we’ll just focus of television.In the article â€Å"Pimp My Bride†, the author Judith Halberstam explains the world of marriage on reality television based program. She includes shows like The Bachelor, Average Joe, and Joe Millionaire. All these shows portray one message: how marriage is outside of normal society which includes financial responsibilities, children, families, work, and other outside conflicts that usually affect a normal relationship/marriage. Halberstam explains how these reality television shows are known as â€Å"survival of the cutest† where these shows are simply based on looks, although they try to mix in personality with it, it usually doesn’t work that way.Shows like The Bachelor are scripted programs that only get our hopes up and make us think that marriage is perfect and nothing gets in the way of that relationship. Well that is totally wrong. W hat they don’t show is how marriage really is outside of that program. Usually with these shows, once the couple returns back to reality and to their normal lives, the relationship rarely lasts because conflicts that normal couples go through are suddenly hitting them and they realize that the perfect relationship they had before is not going to work in reality.This is why it is important to realize that these are just shows and you need to be smarter than to believe that your relationship/marriage is going to be as perfect as the ones you see on television. Those shows are strictly for entertainment purposes. Stepping aside from reality television marriages, and their â€Å"perfect† relationships, there is a need to talk about the reality of marriage. Do people get married? Of course they do. Do people get divorced? Of course they do. Why?When you marry someone it is because at that time you can see spending the rest of your life with them, but things can change and p eople can change and if you can’t seem to accept those changes divorce is usually the answer to get away from that and that is perfectly okay. I am a firm believer that if you are not happy in your marriage you have the right to divorce. I understand the spiritual side of marriage and how that can be a process and that there needs to be an appropriate reason for an annulment but overall people still have the right to break off a marriage that isn’t happy anymore.Why spend the rest of your life with someone you can’t be fully happy with, that is just making yourself suffer and can affect you in many different ways. If you do get divorced, you can always remarry and hopefully find your soul mate. On the other hand, remarrying is not for everyone. In the article â€Å"Few Good Men†, we notice a focus on single low-income women and their views about marriage. In their eyes marriage is more of a risk than a reward because they feel that nothing is certain or p romised in a marriage.With all the hardships they already have to go through now, having a marriage in which the husband beats them, abuses their children, who is controlling, or is unfaithful is just not worth the risk, and they’d rather stay single and fend for themselves rather than depend on someone who is not suitable for them. Now, they are not saying that they wouldn’t marry a man; he just has to be the right one, and to be completely honest there aren’t a lot of those kinds of men left. Marriages in low-income couples are not likely to last because of affordability, respectability, trust and control.Low-income couples sometimes do not work out because they depend of both the husbands and wife’s income. If a husband were to lose or quit his job the amount of necessities they can afford is very little. And when you add children to a household with two parents but only one income in an already low-income marriage, there is only enough supplies to go around for the children and very little left for the one providing and the one that is jobless, in this case the husband, is the one that doesn’t get anything which leads to marriages falling apart.In communities that are low-income based you would think that people there would not take marriage seriously but that is not the case. Women in those communities think of marriage as a â€Å"sacred† thing and they take it seriously. They all want that big, huge wedding that is magical just like everyone else. So they stray away from marriage because they’d rather not have a marriage in which the partner doesn’t take it seriously enough and doesn’t meet their expectations. Trust is also a big reason why women in these communities aren’t getting married.They simply just cannot trust men enough to marry them. They explain that at the end of the day â€Å"men will be men† and engage in an outside affair with another woman, and they will not put up with someone who is unfaithful. They also cannot trust them with handling money. It is not fair to the hard working women who are trying to pay the bills when the husband is spending their money on junk when they should be saving up and keeping that money handy for their children. And lastly, women feel that they cannot trust their husbands with their children.In the communities that they live in things like drugs and narcotics are easy to get a hold of and the women fear that the husband could be exposing their children to drugs and sadly, even sexually abusing their children. These make up all of the characteristics as to why poor women don’t marry. Based upon the evidence provided by the authors and their articles, I do in a way think that marriage is in crisis. People have such high expectations in what they want their marriage to be like, and they should aim for something high. In everything that is going on in the world now, people are entitled to be in a happy marr iage.Now, I am not totally convinced that marriage is in crisis. For those that do get married usually do it for the right reason: to be with the one you love for the rest of your life. Those marriages, I feel, are not in crisis. They understand the true meaning of loving someone unconditionally and they want to be in a marriage. So I other words, those who marry and don’t take it seriously are the ones that have marriages in crisis, but those who value marriage as a scared union help me believe that a happy marriage is still out there and it can be something to look forward to.In conclusion, society view marriage is in crisis because of all the changes that are going on around us and how it affects the institution of marriage. Economics and the work force take a toll on marriage today and put a strain on some aspects of marriage. People realizing the worthiness of a good marriage and the expectations they have on marriage has affected the decline of marriage and couples foun d cohabitation as an alternative of marriage. Media has affected the institution of marriage immensely through the works of reality television and how they portray marriage in a â€Å"fantasy world† rather than the real world.And lastly, marriage in low-income based communities is declining because of characteristics such as affordability, respectability, trust and control. So in essence, is marriage in crisis? I believe there is not right answer simply because the marriages in which the couple does not take the union seriously does put the institution of marriage in crisis but the few marriages that are perfectly happy are the ones to look up to and strive towards later on in life.