Development And Implementation Of Business Strategy Marketing Essay

Development And Implementation Of phone line Strategy Marketing EssayThe purpose of this paper is to critically discuss the strategical orders Bavarian Motor deeds (BMW Group) applied to become bingle of the major leading automobile defect today. With reference of BMW automobiles Case Study by Mr. Valeriano Lencioni, I result further examine what happened with the company, what argon the different business schema approaches the company could use to overpower the gamey competition in the automobile industry, and what is in the prox for the company.Like any some other business companies, BMW went through rough time when they continuously keep on losing their mart sh argon and with the presence of bastardly competition, everything would direct been un favored. With the use of business strategies, BMW was able to determine what went wrong and what they could do to survive the pressure in the industry.Organisations in a similar milieu ar not identical unless(prenominal) ha ve different capabilities. BMW has strategic advantages that sets them a business office from its competitors. BMWs re characters and competences developed over years for the company to survive and grow. Every company necessarily a foundation to continuously keep up with its changing purlieu and with competition.Presently, BMW is a multi-billion company that formulates several of the best-known railroad cars in the foodstuff. BMW has gone way cold ahead from its competitors even with the pressure from competition and still manage to survive and even growing and expanding planetaryly.What are these business strategies BMW applied all these years to purport there on top? How did the company even manage to be one of the biggest car manufacturers in the present time knowing the company went shatter in the year 1961? What is happening in the automobile industry and what is the position of BMW in the competition? Will it still manage to survive in the future? What are the challen ges in store for the company for the next 10 years?BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND MAIN TRENDS IN 2004The global car securities industry started decline in 2003, led by the drop in the market in North the States and Western Europe. Other regions of the world led by eastward Asia are instructing further car market expansion in 2003. In 2004, projections for livelier economical appendage strengthen the continuation of car market crop in Western Europe and North America.Although how laws hatful get stricter and how badly it flowerpot impinge on the companies earnings, it also develop vernal technologies and markets. Another major out-of-door compute affecting the current situation of BMW is that industry structure is becoming more(prenominal) than intense. BMW is a business which could face problems in the future if it doesnt give in into devotion strategic alliances. Although, the problem was that the economy in North America and Western Europe has been affected by the overc apacity in the automobile industry. It became a global economic instability as consumers from the said part of the world decided to reduce spending on non essential honorables. There was lower car adopt and so, sales was automatically affected.The automobile industry is becoming more and more competitive, with 6 major groups which have recently formed. Car manufacturing presently is largely affected by external social and environmental pressures, which influence both current proceedsion practices and the development of future products and technologies. Environmental standards are mostly set by political relation regulation and even associations within the automobile industry. These acts aim to as anti-emission laws get stricter every year, and companies look to double or triple their fuel efficiency, alternative technologies are being developed to replace the traditional gasoline engines, and have started to hit the market. incrementd fuel-economy and decreasing vehicle weight are gradual changes that slowly ameliorate automobile performance disruptive technologies include new fuel sources much(prenominal) as electricity, solar energy, and fuel cells. Please refer to supplement III UK car issue in Year 2003.Within the automobile industry, it had too more difficulties and the players in this field have experienced the troubles of surviving. The change is needed as uprightness scathes drops and geopolitical tensions arised, including the related menace to oil prices, all having a negative impact on the economy. Increasing the guard duty standards for automobiles also mean that nowadays cars take broader time to be developed and manufacturers should now focus on pre-marketing activities, making cars look more desirable to consumers due to their safety. Competitive forces determine the market power of competitors, the kind of competition they engage in, the factors that give some of them a competitive advantage, and the invokeive force of that ma rket compared to others.BMW GROUPBayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (BMW) or Bavarian Motor Works is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1917. The BMW Group is now one of the ten largest car manufacturers in the world and, with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands, possesses trine of the crockedest premium brands in the car industry. The group also has a solid market position in the motorcycle sphere of influence and operates a achievementful monetary services business. The company aims to generate emolumentable growth and above-average returns by focusing on the premium segments of the international automobile markets. With this in mind, a wide-ranging product and market offensive was initiated in 2001, which has resulted in the BMW Group expanding its product range visualiseably and strengthening its worldwide market position. The companys brand is extremely starchy and is associated with heights performance, engineering e xcellence and transition. Indeed, the BMW brand is often cited as one of the best in the world, and the company continues to launch a stream of modernistic products as part of its battle with German peer Mercedes to be the worlds largest luxury car maker.II. PESTEL Analysis for BMW its impact and how these influenced its systemOrganisations, such as BMW, need to look into the macro environment in which they exist, as these factors will have an impact and influence upon their industry. The macro environment is broken up into six main categories forming the PESTEL analysis. Automobile manufacturers must(prenominal) pick up and select the issues which are most spell outant to their industry in order to conduct a valid external analysis.Political/ Legal FactorsTrade barriers and restrictions, import tariffs and tax policies are critical factors to consider specially for global manufacturers as they can influence the pricing levels of their products in for each one market and aff ect the positiveness of a company.Also, Environmental protection laws regarding the CO2 emissions In 2007 the European Commission proposed binding rules to cut CO2 emissions on new cars to 130 gms/km and it shows Porsche whose cars have highest CO2 output fell 2% as a result and average BMW emissions drop to 170g/km. With the threat of legislation looming BMW has shown that even premium car makers can seriously reduce CO2, stated by Jos Dings, Transport and Environment Director. Please refer to Appendix IV CO2 Emissions by Car check off frugal FactorsThe overall economic health of the car industry will have a great effect on each of the industry players. Interest rates, deepen rates and the level of unemployment can also depress demand. Most importantly the level of consumers disposable income is a critical issue particularly for manufacturers such as BMW and Jaguar, who compete in the luxury car market, as an economic downturn can seriously damage sales and revenues.Socio-cultur al FactorsThis is an important factor to consider especially with regard to the luxury car market such as BMW. The particular lifestyles of consumers determine which strategy the organisation should pursue in order to capture the call for of its market effectively. Levels of education also affect the industry, as a highly skilled labour force is required in order to produce high performance and excellently engineered cars. Other factors are the Population demographics, Income distribution, Social mobility, Attitudes to work and leisure and Environmental concern of the market.TechnologicalWith many organisations competing with one another innovation and technological developments can help differentiate the companys product. Years ago the level of applied science that was available, limited and restricted the models and designs car manufacturers could produce. Nowadays, engineering has significantly moved on and companies can deliver more and more to their customers resulting in fie rce competition amongst industry players to stay ahead of the market and be the best. By incorporating the latest technology cash advances, car producers can lead the market in this field and carry out a competitive advantage.EnvironmentalAlthough not a major driving force, manufacturers must be aware of the advantages in producing cleaner cars as there is now greater emphasis on protecting the environment. BMW have taken this into conside dimensionn and launched their crossbred model. The result is a reduction in fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent compared with a comparable BMW running on a combustion engine alone or it could be driven by electric power only, on the combustion engine alone, or with a junto of both power units.III. BMWs competitive advantageAccording to Mr Lencioni, the car market was already full of sober quality cars and consumers found very few slipway to distinguish between many of the available brands and models. Quality was no longer an issue in the i ndustry since most models were considerably built and reliable. Design and Brand Appeal became the distinguishing elements and customers choice factors. Companies that had given attention to the look of their automobiles, even this strategy can only make small gains, rather than losing market share.With this realisation, Design became the biggest factor in the fight for market share, as this feature grabbed customers attention. And with this action, automobile companies had to hire the most talented car designers which leads to massive costs for the company as well as the car prices.Pursuing quality and appeal in design was putting pressure on companies resources, so was brand building and management. It had become faint that a brand identity was one of the most effective ways to be more competitive in an industry where more and more products came to the market.BMW brand which is the circular blue and white logo represents an aircraft propeller. As company grew, the emblem evolved as the white and blue colours of the flag of Bavaria. The logo has made it easier for heap to remember and has given the company more recognition. The BMW logo represents power, stylish and elegance, thus making BMW much more competitive in the market. Please refer to Appendix V BMW logo.Apart from brand and design, BMW has able to survive through developing strong customer knowledge, special levels of service and access to distribution channels. Another method we could clearly understand the competitive advantage of BMW is through its strength of five forces. Please refer to Appendix VI The Five Forces that Shape Industry Competition. curse of new entrantsAnalyse shows that threat for new entrants is low mainly due to huge capital and cutting-edge technology. Car industry is highly depended on their suppliers, because of advancement of technology and materials needed to build car. Even though all firms produce cars, no two firms are totally different and no two firms are exactly the same.strategic group maps display different competitive positions that bear upon firms occupy. Based on Information contained in perceptual map it is easy to lineup that more and more firms are going into all sort of alliances which help to offer more and more cheap cars. Additionally, there are many substitutes, but these decrease if the special features of material increase.Bargaining power of suppliers and buyersOverall suppliers are weak because they are spread all over the world and cannot easily commingle forward, however more and more companies move into close partnerships with suppliers, even by acquiring them in order to reduce costs and exclusivity. The buyer concentration ratio and information availability is high as well as ratio of firms producing cars, on the other hand the power of buyers is weak due to low demand for non-consumer goods- automobile, high switching costs and low ability to backward integrate. The threats of substitutes are moderately strong beca use there are many different and less costly transportation facilities.On the other hand, intense rivalry is strong because the major players are dominant in the market by nearly same technology and manufacturing processes, suppliers relationship and distribution systems. The ease of differentiating cars and price based competition. BMW is looking at entering into alliances, joint ventures, partnerships as it is the safest way of securing a market share, product attractiveness and competitive prices. In a decision to purchase a BMW product or that of the competitor, an individual will be influenced by a group of batch that he or she wants to join people in a certain social class or in a certain income level. There are also three factors that affect the buyer behaviour that a marketer must consider they are social, personal and psychological. It will therefore be highlighted how these factors affect the consumer behaviour and in turn how the consumer behaviour affects the buying de cisions.Competitive rivalry within industryBMWs attractive product variations were a very good source of strength. BMW is having a repetition of building a driving machine that respond really good and enjoyably to their drivers commands whilst also providing the safety, style, quality, reliability, and durability that help make long term ownership. On the other hand BMWs factories are measured very supple and most dynamic in Germany utilising the latest technology in each phase of its hold dear chemical chain. All the above strengths and many others has places BMW in a good position with respect to the main strong competitors in ground of performance, features, trader networks , foreign markets, for example Lexus, Mercedes-Benz or Cadillac where rivalry among these competitors increases when they compete globally in US car market, Europe and Eastern Europe and South-east Asia, but BMW strong brand is more costly to be switched especially for quality conscious customers which mak es strong competitors. Please refer to Appendix VII Global vehicle production and financial performance 2005-2006.Threat of substitute productsThe global securities industry is in jeopardy by lower car demand in North America and Western Europe, both comparatively established car markets that have been badly impacted by high-energy prices and very less consumer response.The global automotive market is extremely competitive. Many large businesses operate on a worldwide scale. Competitors are constantly trying to find new technologies and markets to increase global market share. Recent years have seen globalisation and consolidation strategies increase by competitors resulting in competition intensifying. BMW faces strong competition worldwide in the luxury prevention market. Traditional competition, which has always been strong from Mercedes and Audi, has intensified with the emergence of Lexus as a major player, along came Fords new model, Lincoln.IV. The future challenges for BMW BMW has modernised model almost by and by every few months that might shift emphasis on getting a new model to market rather than focusing on issues that whitethorn develop with existing models, issues such as software, and mechanical problems. Reflecting this possibility, BMW stock shares have dropped 41% in year 2002 as it was relying too heavily on one model, the 1 serial publication to uphold its high edge.BMW also earning profits due to the strong sales of the loaded models of the Mini but need to diversify, or in other words not keep all their eggs in one basket. Although this can also be identified as strength it can also be a true weakness. Strong competition with the major players that BMW needs to look out for, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and even Cadillac. As an example, the Lexus RX300 SUV rivals the BMW X5 the Mercedes E-Class still outsells the BMW 5 Series worldwide Audi 3, 6 and 8 Series compete directly with BMWs 3, 5 and 7 Series Cadillac which has a whole new gen eration of models, leaving buyers with strong power in building preferences. The 1 series may weaken the BMW trademark with comparison to 7 Series buyers, the 1 Series models may be viewed as cheaper cars with less quality. It could also be viewed as a tactic for BMW to obtain higher sales volumes.V. The Global crease EnvironmentA conclave of strategic models and frameworks will be used to critically evaluate the competitive landscape of the car industry in order to identify the prevailing conditions in the wider environment and the dynamics of the industry that can ultimately impact and influence HONDA and BMW car manufacturers. Car industry represents oligopolistic type of market with differentiated product features, open-plan but hard to force entry barriers, strong competition and few dominant firms that hold most of market share. Governments rely on the car sector as well as related suppliers and services in terms of employment, taxation, GDP and balance of payments.Demand f luctuations are appearing between country markets. Increase in taxations of production which represents significant government revenue. In 1980 there were thirty car manufactures, by 2000 this had fallen to thirteen where smaller manufactures (Saab, Rolls Royce, Jaguar, and Volvo) were bought by larger companies (General Motors, BMW, Ford) changing the upstream supply chain as component suppliers split into layers and become total solution providers. Full cell technology will replace safety as the number one technology issue. The volume of traffic in many cities around the world is forcing governments to consider a range of road pricing, over-crowding charging, and car and petrol taxation measures to encourage more use of public transport, potentially reducing demand for cars. High competition encourages manufacturers to locate plants in low-wage countries (Hungary, Brazil, Romania) generating play loss and resentment in traditional car manufacturing countries (Britain, America) G lobal demand has also emerged extensively. Please refer to Appendix VIII Development in global demand in from the year 2004 to 2012.VI. Development and implementation of Business StrategyThe automotive industry is always seeing new legislation appearing on matters such as safety and the environment. For example legislation on end of life of vehicles changed practices of many car manufacturers in 2002 and 2003 regarding materials used in car manufacture and other factors. BMW successful competitive strategies are grounded on the brand representation of BMW as a constructive and powerful BMW reflects typically style, high value, up-to-date manufacturing and good performance to an object audience. Customer Feelings BMW is perceived as Quality Company and therefore seen as producing quality products. As a result, it is accepted among customers that BMW might way higher prices. The BMW Group stays in fifth place amongst the worlds car manufacturers. Based on the external challenges, opp ortunities and potential future trends in the industry BMW should consider technological innovations looking at government policies concerning environmental issues. BMW should consider product innovation to reduce toxic emissions and to develop more efficient engines such as full cell technology which will replace standard car engines.BMW should consider all opportunities and take advantage of its strengths. Looking at the macro environment BMW should carefully examine world sales of cars, customers behaviour and shift in economy such as interest rates. For BMW to stay ahead in terms of competition and remain gaining market share, the company should understand the increasing weight in the global automotive market in developing countries and emerging markets. collaboration between companies should be maximised in order for BMW to remain competitive and create strong links with suppliers due to soaring prices for steel, aluminium, precious metals and plastic. Cross boarder alliances a nd mergers should be considered by BMW in order to draw near to the Asian car manufacturers.BMW has noted that sales of its 7-Series model are up in the US, the product has been met with less enthusiasm in Europe. As Germany remains the companys most important market, this may be classed as a risk. A commonly held view is the radical restyling of the 7-Series has failed to foment the traditional BMW driver. This may be especially worrying given the releases of the new 5- and 6-Series models, as they are believed to have undergone restyling as well. If the designs prove to be too innovative or radical, the companys short-term growth could be seriously impacted. The risks associated with the introduction of a number of new models into an underperforming segment are only likely to increase the threat of failure within the segment.Competitive Strategy fitting with the Maturing Automotive industryLooking on the Automotive Industry in general we can see that it is in a maturing life cycl e, where nearly all potential buyers are already users of the industry products, demand consists mainly of replacement, with growth totally depends on the competing firms abilities to attract new buyers and convince existing buyers to upgrade their usage, also the critical success factor (CSF) is mainly the cost efficiency. Throughout the firms Industry Life Cycles (ILC) many challenges faces the BMW embodied managers that needs to tailor BMW strategy , these changes on the strategy called the Strategy Fit , essentially managers will depend on certain input factors which are burden when choosing the best strategy to fit the current ILC, these factors that affects managers decisions in choosing the company strategy depends on the industry life cycle phase introduction, growth, mature, decline, focusing on maturing and growth ILC phases as they are related to the selected companies. Maturing industries challenges are mainly the slow growth in demand which generates more head to head competition, buyer become more sophisticated more familiar with competing brands with hard bargaining due to repeated purchases, for BMW more focus is on service and price combination competition, challenge of innovating new product feature of find further use of the product current features to keep attracting buyers attention.VII. BMW Strategic Effectiveness in the MarketBMW took good steps in driving the costs down by focusing on the design and production, it activates Operation activity in the value chain, although the shared component is a good idea for cost reduction, but also BMW high different in the prices of its product series could be an important factor in customer experience to the concept of the product features and design, perhaps focusing more on other cost reduction areas and avoid disturbance to customer perception can be a recommended option .Based on the research it is possible to distinguish customers who follow standard patterns buying affordable but comfortabl e medium sizing cars, are those aged between 20 and 40 years old, regardless of the sex but dependant on income and household status. These clients tend to have more urbanised and settled lifestyle. On the other hand those at middle age, male with high income and preferences tend to pay fortunes regardless comfort, fuel usage or environment issues. With regards to a variety of car models it is impossible to aim at mass market just with standard type of car. More applicable is a differentiated marketing strategy like those developed by GM, Ford and Daimler Chrysler which target clients at high and low income and offers cars with separate marketing and mixed variables.This strategy favours merger and acquisitions to overcome mobility barriers and gain presence also in luxury car segment. Strategic success for BMW in maturing industries by introducing a wide woof of features in the products, enhancing the industry value chain for example increase use of advanced technology, integrate the suppliers by internet to streamline various value chain activities, drive down unit cost, developing more economical product design, increasing sales to present customers using promotions or more services, acquiring rival firms at bargain price, expanding internationally, adapting core competency according to customer requirements and expectations and pushing it towards distinctive competency where the firm better then rivals .As part of BMW strategy tailoring by developing more economical product design, and focusing more on the technology innovation that reduces the cost in the overall value chain, for example BMW has been using new technology called RoDip-3, it is a new method for pre-treatment of the electro coating vehicle bodies that provides many enhancements and reduce cost to this process as explained by Christoph Klocke from BMW group. The first of these new pre-treatment and electro coating plants to be installed anywhere in the world is now operating in BMW group. Be ing one of the market leaders, BMW was very successful in adapting its Sales strategy with customer new needs and new preferences, BMW offered the BMW financial service to facilitate the customer financial payments utilising the Internet technology and many payments facilities.VIII. ConclusionIn order for BMW to compete effectively within their industry, they must first identify which issues are critical in achieving successful competitive strategies. Decisions concerning the steerage and development of the company must take into consideration the whole range of external issues, which have been covered throughout this report.The significant factors affecting BMW have been increase and are summarised below. These issues are critical to BMWs success.Size of organisationThere are many acquisitions and mergers between industry players and so a small sized companies such as BMW must understand their vulnerability have merged with other companies to fight off industry giants. Mass marke t organisations also need to achieve economies of scale to remain profitable, whereas for manufacturers in the luxury niche markets this is not as vital as they charge premium prices and achieve very high profit margins.Quality of resourcesHigh quality of resources can help companies achieve a competitive advantage over others. Quality is seen as a key success factors to becoming successful within the market.Technology and InnovationCustomers are demanding newer products and developments in technology and innovation can achieve this. Using the latest technology will once again strengthen the companys competitive position in the marketplace.Strong Brand imageBMW has and can continue to build up a strong brand image through high quality resources. This is essential in the automobile industry as it creates a unique position in the marketplace and builds up customer loyalty making it difficult for other competitors to steal market share.DifferentiationThis is the key to survival. Compan ies can either differentiate themselves on price or through their unique characteristics of their products. Differentiating themselves from competitors gives the company a strong competitive advantage as they offer customers something exclusive, which competitors do not already provide.IX. ReferencesAhlstrom, J. and E. Sjostrom. (2005). CSOs and Business Partnerships Strategies for interaction, Business Strategy and the Environment 14(4), 230240.Balogun, J., and G. Johnson. 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(2004), The Governance of Global Value Chains, Review of International Political Economy, 12, 1, 78104.Gertler, M. S. (2004). Manufacturing culture The institutional geography of industrial practice. New York Oxford University Press.Gharib, M. and E. Wahlqvist (2004) A calibration Story and its Paradox Creating Credibility for the Business Social Compliance Initiative.Goetschalckx, Mark, Bernhard Fleischmann. (2005). Strategic network planning. H. Stadtler, C. Kilger, eds. Supply Chain Management and Advanced Planning, 3rd ed. Springer, BerlinHeidelberg, Germany, 117-137.Hart, S. L. and S. Sharma. (2004) Engagin g adorn Stakeholders for Competitive Imagination, Academy of Management Executive 18(1), 7-1.Holmstrom, J. and D. Robey. (2005). Understanding its Organizational Consequences An Actor Network Theory Approach, in B. Czarniawska and T. Hernes (eds.), Actor Network Theory and Organizing (Copenhagen Business civilize Press, Copenhagen), pp. 165187.Jarzabkowski, P. (2004) Strategy as practice recursiveness, adaptation, and practices-in-use. Organisation Studies 25/4 529560.Johnson G, Scholes K and Whittington R (2008), Exploring Corporate Strategy Text and Cases, 8th Edition, FT Prentice Hall.Johnson G. Scholes K. and Whittington R. (2005) Strategic analysis of BMW Exploring Corporate Strategy.By signing this page I am stating that the work contained in this report is my own work and has not been plagiarised from other sources. I understand that my work will not be marked if more than 15% of the content is found to be plagiarised.NameDate tactual sensation

Spice Mobiles: Sales and Distribution Strategy

Spice Mobiles Sales and statistical distribution StrategyIndian wireless sector has been an abstract of growth and success story all along as the cellular subscriber base increased from 1.9 million as on March 31, 2000 to 584 million as on March 31, 2010. As the sector has matured, the baton of growth has been passed-on to novel concepts such as Telecom Infra anatomical structure Companies (commonly known as the reign companies), Value Added Service providers (popular application beingness Caller Ring Back Tone-CRBT) and to a greater extent(prenominal) tardily the residence-grown Mobile Handset (HG) players.The Indian Mobile Handset grocery is predominate by established multinational cross outs such as Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, LG etc. Nokia has been a sack up market leader followed by Samsung, a distant second. on that organize has been a continuous jostle for the third position with players like Motorola, Sony Ericsson, LG vying for the spot. Apart from the braded cel l-phones, the market is excessively flushed with cheap, unbranded imported mobile phones that get routed by grey markets to reach domestic consumers ( more or less of these unbranded mobile phones, hitherto, were without any International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers).When mobile phones were introduced in India in the mid-90s, US based Motorola, Swedens Ericsson and Finlands Nokia dominated the handset market in India. Over the years, the old order has changed. Asian players like Samsung and LG, European brands Philips and Siemens now compete with Motorola and Sony-Ericsson. Now with the emergence of local anesthetic players like smallmaxx, karbonn and Spice etc., the competition has got all the more intense and the fight for consumers pocket has increased. Nokia, the undisputed leader is now challenged by local players like smallmaxx which has replaced Samsung to work the third biggest mobile selling vendor in the country. If we look a bit deeper, its not only the price or technology, but the reach of these spic-and-span players in terms of distribution that has presumption them such a big chunk of the market and that to so soonHOME-GROWN MOBILE HANDSET PLAYERSGiven the backdrop of the growth in the domestic wireless subscriber base coupled with no dominant mobile handset player in India apart from the international brand, Nokia, provided business opportunity for Indian firms to take a plunge into the market thus, the creation of HG players including Spice Mobiles, smallmax, Karbonn, Lava, Videocon etc.The business model followed by most HG players is relatively simple. These players demand research and innovation teams that provide India-centric design specifications to contract manufacturers in neighbouring countries of China, Taiwan etc. These phones are shipped to India which are therefore routed by means of the domestic distribution channel for sale in the domestic market. Time-to-market from design-to-production-to-end market is critical in this sector as such players have set-up three-layered distribution administration that includes regional distributors to support micro-distributors that in turn service the retail outlets.The initial part of the success of HG players was largely attributable to the price-elasticity of demand prevalent in the Indian market. These players provided phones loaded with various features at an affordable price. Other key aspect of the strategy followed by these players was to initially tap the rural markets where consumers are relatively less brand conscious and more price conscious. We believe it was not just the price differential that made these players tick the home-grown players provided innovative offerings to rural markets (such as multi SIM handsets, mobile phones with 30-day battery back-up) that provided value-for-money rather than mere price-differential a key success mantra to tap the fortune at the bottom-of-the-pyramid. (Hitherto, the key market segment for th ese players)The inflection point for the growth of HG players in the recent times in like manner came from the reign everywhereive from the Government of India to bar handsets without IMEI numbers to be used in India. These handsets were a direct competition to the HG players and a ban on them provided huge growth opportunities for these players. Encashing on this opportunity, the HG players have grown from intensity-to-strength and are slowly but surely cementing their place in the Indian Mobile Handset market. Attuned to its primary(a) market segment i.e. Tier-I and Tier-II cities, the marketing by HG players were hitherto more of the push-strategy whereby greater pass-through margins were given to Distributors and Retailers. However, off-late they have also initiated the use of pull-strategy by venturing into brand building initiatives such as roping-in of brand ambassadors and sponsoring of sports tournaments. We see these initiatives as a prelude originally venturing int o more lucrative urban markets. However, going forward the HG players shall have to contend with various challenges such as to constantly invest on innovation and brand building to build and strengthen their distribution network after-sales services to move-up the value mountain chain both in term of technology (providing 3-G Technology, QWERTY format phones) and markets (from Tier-II/ Tier-III segments to Urban markets) and to buffet direct competition from Chinese players who are looking to set-up shops in India. Here in this study, we will discuss the key distribution strategies and challenges of one such home grown player Spice Mobile.A DIFFERENT dispersion MODELThe distribution of mobile phones varies considerably from that of other consumer electronics and appliances such as LCD TVs or Air conditioners. This is because the pace of sales of mobile phones is a lot faster than the other consumer electronic goods. Also, the physical size of the products also is a factor. The mobile phone, being a quite fast moving product, hence is not handled by the distributors handling TVs and audio products or washing machines and refrigerators. Hence the supply chain forethought and logistics management of the two products distribution becomes very different. The great Indian mobile revolution is all set to move to the rural part of the country, with handset manufacturers railroad train up to come out with market-specific products to acquire maximum share. The next big opportunity for telcos will be in the hinterland where two-thirds of the countrys 1.17 bn population lives.There are umpteen factors driving handset manufacturers and operators to the rural market. Though India is emerging as one of the biggest telecom markets, metros and tier-2 cities are already reaching saturation point. Hence, companies have no option but to explore newer markets to sustain the growth. As of now, India is adding around 9 mn subscribers a month, and in June 20010 the country a dded 11 mn subscribers.E.g. if we look into Samsung Indias distribution chain, we make that every Samsung product other than the mobile phone (and IT products, which again has a different distribution chain) are distributed by the same wholesaler. For mobile phones, there is a totally different Distribution. This is a result of the above two major factors (pace of sales and physical size of product).Example Distribution of mobile phones by SamsungThe Distribution of Samsung mobile phones is divided by zones primarily. This strategy is more or less similar for all major mobile phone manufacturing companies. The northern region, comprising Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, have 4 distribution partners for Samsung Mobile. Now for better reach and response to consumer demands and to cater to them efficiently Samsung are looking to add five more distribution partners to the Northern Region. Samsung has recently stren gthened its distribution network in the country by appointing SSK and Link as its distributors for mobile sales in the tungstenern and Eastern part of the country, respectively. The alliance already has Telemart and United Telelinks as its distributor in the Northern and Southern parts of the country.There are normally two distributors between the ships company (Samsung Mobile) and the retailer. E.g. there is a chief distributor for the products for the western zone. Under that distributor, there are other wholesalers for the mobile handsets which are usually for particular cities in case of cities with massive size and market. E.g. Ahmedabad has two distributors which supply to the retail firms in the city. While some of the smaller cities/towns have a distributor in common. Also, some of the premium retail firms might buy directly from the chief distributor (only if the quantities justify it).Example strategy Franchisee retailersAlso, Franchising Strategy for some companies ha s also helped in driving sales and positivity. E.g. Nokia precession franchisee showrooms. Nokia has setup priority dealers to boost growth in organized trade. The following have been the benefits for Nokia as a result of the success in franchisee retailing imperious brand figure across segments in a controlled environmentChannel drives retention for Nokia Win the war before the battlePositive retail experience drives higher avg. selling pricesHarnessing entrepreneurship spirit of franchiseesRetail space investment by franchiseeNokia drives location selection, branding merchandizing support, media supportTackles fakes pieceivelyThe Value contribution to Nokia by Nokia priority dealers in 2007 was around 10% of the total revenue generated by Nokia in India. It is expected to be around 20% by 2010.A TYPICAL DISTRIBUTION thoroughfare FOR MOBILE HANDSET VENDORSConsumerManufacturerMobile DevicesNational DistributorRDSRetailer/ strike AccountWhen we contacted retail outlets like H otspot, The mobile store, which comes right before the end user in the distribution system, they gave us similar details regarding the channel members which are above them for various hand set providers. This information was tho substantiated by visiting the redistribution stockists of companies like nokia, samsung, LG, spice etc. However, although the above structure is pretty common in industry, the Indian players like Spice, Micromax etc have gone international with the concept of national distributor. We will discuss the implications of this decision by taking Spice Mobile as our information source.INDUSTRY LEADER NOKIA DISTRIBUTION CHANNELNokia India(ND)HCL India(ND)Bright point India(ND)GSM HandsetsSouth and west IndiaGSM HandsetsNorth and East IndiaMargin 3.5%CDMA HandsetsNational DistributorMargin 3.5%Redistribution StockistPan India150 NosMargin 2.2%South and West India90-100 Nos(Urban+rural)Margin 2.2%Redistribution StockistRedistribution StockistNorth and East India90- 100 Nos(Urban+rural)Margin 2.2%Micro Distributor(Rural)500 NosMargin 3%Retail Outlets (includes Telecom Outlets, Electronics Stores, Nokia Priority Dealers, Key Accounts, Modern Trade, Operator Stores)100,000 nos. (Nokia has a numeric reach of 99% and a weighted reach of 99%Margin 3-5%TRANSPORT OF GOODS mental synthesis NOKIAThis is the flow of goods from the production/assembly units in chinaware and Malaysia to the end user. For Nokia, central warehouses are located in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi, which then transfer handsets to regional warehouses, typically 1 in each state. From these regional warehouses, handsets are then transferred to the redistribution stockist wherein the actual sales to retailers happen mostly on ready stock basis.SALES TEAM STRUCTURE NOKIAFor Nokia, the last level in its sales pull back is Area sales manager. Earlier, they used to have sales officers and sales managers under nokias direct control and pay scale but now these two profiles have been shifted or in some cases omitted to/by distributor. Sales executives, ISDs all are on the pay scale of distributors.SPICE MOBILE DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL STRUCTUREAfter sales SupportCentralized Repair CenterModern TradeState/Regional DistributorsLocated in Delhi telephoner operated request sum totalDirectly by Spice MobileDedicated sales team at regional levelMargin 6-7%Pan India56 Nos (state wise)Margin 2.2%Micro Distributor (RDS)500 Nos (Tier2, Tier3 cities)Margin 6%Authorized regional repair center (ARC)Central distribution and collection center for parts and faulty handsets32 (in each state)Authorized service center (ASC)Multi brand service centresTotal 76 in number across IndiaRetail Outlets (includes Telecom Outlets, Electronics Stores, Hotspot Dealers, Key Accounts, Modern Trade, Operator Stores)50,000 nos.Margin 3% atleast rest depends on consumers bargainingAs opposed to other rivalrys, the differentiating factor about spice distribution chain is the removal of one layer in the distr ibution chain, namely the national distributor level. They distribute their products directly to regional distributors, who in turn distributes to the micro distributors and then, to retailers. Micro distributors provide the extensive reach to them as they have sound presence in the rural areas/villages where they operate.The key advantage of operating such a structure according to our discussion with Spice sales team is the margins that the national distributor makes, which bay window be passed down the chain to the regional distributors and retailers. This results in higher profitability for channel partners ie. regional distributors, micro distributors, retailers, which in turn results in them being more aggressive in promoting the Companys products to its customers.The entire warehousing and distribution management has been outsourced with effect from 31st October, 2005 for the period of 5 year to AFL Logistics, a division of AFL Pvt. Ltd. (AFL), one of the logistics managemen t companies in India, which is responsible inter alia for shipment of goods to regional distributors through its irresponsible warehouse based in Delhi.KEY PARTICIPANTS IN DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL ROLES AND RESOURCESNow lets discuss in details the various function of channel membersCompany Spice mobile manufactures the goods in Himachal plant or assembles them once procured from China and send the same to the distributors. The logistic partner (AFL) assist the company in the same. The company does the negotiations and promotion activities on its own. The credit and payment policies are also handled and negotiated between the company and distributors. Also company directs certain promotions to retailers.Regional Distributors Ownership is transferred once handbill is generated by spice to state/regional distributors. They transfer the products from company to distributors. They basically take order form the distributors and provide them with the products. They bear risk and negotiations are also handled by them. These parties absolve company from appointing more personnel and funds for the activity of mere transportation and inventory holding from warehouse to the distributor.Micro Distributors They are the primary buyer of company. The sharing of information, risking and payment are carried out between regional distributors and distributors and then between regional and company. Distributors provide market coverage to the company also create orders. In Spice mobile, promotion activity is carried out by distributors.Retailers They usually undertake all the functions and transfer the physical possession and ownership to customers. They usually only perform promotion along with company, for rest of the function they interact with distributors. They act as the final source of information and payment to the company.MembersRegional distributors/StockistStockist / Micro DistributorRetailerRoleInvolved in the business of re-distribution to authorized micro distributorsRe sponsible for warehousing, transport of goods to next tier and payment collection may be non-exclusive, but have separate set-up for each businessInvolved in the business of re-distribution to wholesalers and retailersMay be exclusive to the businessIncludes all classes of retail outletsInvolved in counter sales and not in the business of redistributionNot required to be exclusive to the businessResourcesHigh financial strength with ability to hold stocksInfrastructure Office, IT capability, godown spaceHigh financial strength with ability to hold stocks and provide credit in the marketInfrastructure IT control spend on localized sales promotionAppropriate store location and sizeSALES TEAM STRUCTURE SPICEISSUES IDENTIFIED IN SPICE SALES AND DISTRIBUTIONMultiple Micro distributors in a given territoryHaving multiple distributors in a territory dope whirl bothers for the company because when two or more distributors supply to the same retailer it can cause disputes. Also the dis tributors do not pledge loyalty to the company. This problem is faced in dense markets like NCR where distributors are very closely located. Like in Gurgaon sector 14 market, spice distributor itself is doing retailing as well although there are other retail stores in the market whom he himself sell There is a clear limited control over distribution i.e. spice people cannot take action against any non performer or in some cases high performer doing some leakage in the system.The company does not have any MIS at the distributor levelThe company does not have any MIS at the distributor level where it can measure the sales done by the distributor. The distributors have their own software in which they fill in their sales of a period and send it to the company. and so secondary sales are not captured frequently and spice is dependent on distributor for this data. It seems spice is not at all interested in tracking the final sales.There is no clear cut liability of goods damaged in tran sportationAs told by the distributors, there is no clear cut rule for the liability of the goods damaged in transportation. Sometimes it is borne by the company and sometimes by the distributor. But if the value of the damaged goods is significantly high, it can result in a conflict between the company and the distributor.No exclusive retail stores to capture urban marketsSpice has a very strong presence in tier 2 and tier 3 towns. But, in metros and tier 1 cities they fall way behind Nokia, Samsung etc. One rationalness is that spice on mobile store, Hotspot doesnt work on exclusive spice model but carry a full range of competitor products. Thus to capture the interest of urban consumer, apart from new higher end models, spice also need a strong independent stores more in the lines of Nokia priority dealers as part of its distribution network.No dedicated sales force to monitor distributorAs per our discussion with Spice distributor and Spice sales team, sales person or ISDs are o n a pay scale of State distributor. Although their targets and region is set by distributor, sometimes with the help of Area sales manager, since ASM does not have any ownership of sales force, all push efforts and execution of sales plans cannot be tracked to a definite level.

Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay -- essays research papers fc

In "The Compartment," one of Raymond Carvers bleakest stories, a man passes through the French countryside in a train, en route to a rendevous with a watchword he has not seen for many years. "Now and then," the narrator says of the man, "Meyers saw a farmhouse and its outbuildings, everything surrounded by a wall. He thought this might be a good way to live-in an old house surrounded by a wall" (Cathedral 48). Due to a last minute change of heart, however, Meyers chooses to stay insulated in his "compartment" and, remaining on the train, reneges on his promise to the boy, walling out everything external to his selfish world, paternal obligation included.Meyerss tendency toward insularity is not, of course, unique among the characters in Cathedral or among thecharacters of earlier volumes. In Will You Be Quiet, Please? there is the paranoid self-cloistering of Slater andArnold Breit, and in What We Talk About When We Talk About Love we admit of Jame s Packers cantankerous,self-absorbed disgruntlement about lifes injustices. In Cathedral appear other, more extreme versions of insularity,from a husbands self-imposed confinement to a living room in " rescue" to anothers pathetic reluctance to leave an attic garret in "Careful." More strikingly in Cathedral than before, Carvers figures seal themselves off from their worlds, walling out the threatening forces in their lives even as they wall themselves in, retreating destructively into the claustrophobic inner enclosures of self. But corresponding to this new extreme of insularity, there are in several stories evenly striking instances where--pushing insularity the other way--characters attempt to throw off their entrapping nets and, in a few instances, appear to succeed. In Cathedral, and in Cathedral only, we witness the antiquated moments of their comings out, a process of opening up in closed-down lives that comes acrossin both the subjects and events of the st ories and in the process of their telling, where self-disenfranchisement isreflected even on the level of discourse, rhetorically or structurally, or both.As one might expect, "de-insulation" of this kind necessarily involves the intervention of others the coming out ofa self-enclosed figure depends upon the influence of another being--a bread maker or a babysitter or blind man, o... ...alk About When We Talk About Love. New York Random House, 1981.--. Where Im Calling From. 1st edition. Franklin Center, PA Franklin Library, 1988.--. Will You Be Quiet. Please? New York McGraw-Hill, 1977.Howe, Irving. "Stories of Our Loneliness." New York Times Book Review. 11 Sep 1983 42-43.Lonnquist, Barbara C. "Narrative Displacement and Literary Faith Raymond Carvers Inheritance from FlanneryOConnor." Since Flannery OConnor Essays on the Contemporary American Short Story. Ed. Loren Logsdon andCharles W. Mayer. Macomb, IL Western Illinois University, 1987. 142-50.Saltzman, Arthur. Understanding Raymond Carver. Columbia U of South Carolina P, 1988.Skenazy, Paul. "Life in Limbo Raymond Carvers Fiction." Enclitic 11(0000) 00-00.Stull, William. "Beyond Hopelessville Another Side of Raymond Carver." Philological every quarter 64 (1985) 1-15.Verley, Claudine. "Narration and Interiority in Raymond Carvers Where Im Calling From." Journal of the ShortStory in English 13 (1989) 91-102.Weele, Michael Vander. "Raymond Carver and the Language of Desire." Denver Quarterly 22 (1987) 00-000.

Essay --

Learning objectivesTo provide exercise professionals with an overview of resistance training benefits, safety issues, and programming guidelines for patients who bring in been diagnosed with osteoporosis or at risk of getting it.Key wordsOsteoporosis, Bone Mineral Density, Resistance Exercise, Quality of life, Postmenopausal Women, Strength Training, Osteoporosis is a major man health problem that will likely escalate as the population ages. Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by a significant decrease in bone mass, which can lead to an increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Women are three times more likely than men to be diagnosed with osteoporosis during their lifespan. 2,6,9,17,21,24,33,50 Bone is a dynamic tissue that continually adapts to its functional demands to produce a structure that is strong enough to prevent fractures during typical activities. 3,14,23,29,32,33, Studies have distinctly shown the importance of regular physical activit y for optimal skeletal growth during development and maintenance of mineral mass and density in adulthood. Because this disease is characterized by a progressive decline in bone density, resistance training is often recommended as a complementary treatment. This article will review both(prenominal) the current body of knowledge with respect to the effects of resistance training on osteoporosis symptoms as well as the current recommendations for a resistance-training program. Disease reasonOsteoporosis is a manifestation of bone atrophy that leads to great susceptibility to fractures, which snuff it even as a result of small trauma. The most common fractures occur in the spine, wrist and hip and are not uncommon in the ribs, humerus and pelvis.3, 18,20,26,3... ...ng is preferable to lower intensities and is generally safe because the load is relative to individual capacity.In middle-aged and older persons, especially postmenopausal women and patients treated with medications tha t may cause bone loss should be given an exercise prescription. Resistance exercise targeting major muscle groups is recommended 2 to 3 days per week at 70% to 80% of 1 RM, 2 to 3 sets, and 6 to 8 repetitions per set. They should begin with illumination loads, adding weight in small increments until desired loads are achieved. Proper posture and lifting technique are crucial concerns, so that they do not vilify themselves during exercises.Exercise programs for elderly women and men should include not only weight-bearing endurance and resistance activities aimed at preserving bone mass, but also activities designed to improve balance wheel and prevent falls.

Clyde Beasley and Social Influence :: essays research papers

Prison A Social Nightm beSocial psychology is the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another. What happens when there is only one way to do things without world teased, mimicked or ever bullied? We conform. Even though the standards are different now than is has been in the past, the theory is the same for most people, whatever they think will make their life easiest, they will conform to.Clyde Beasley has been a very good example of conformation in his life time, even though he is a highly independent person now. He has been imprisoned in two ship canal for running a drug operation and been incarcerated a in level four maximum security prison. Only during the second sentence of over 10 years did he realize how he needed to change his life and since he has been free he has led an entirely legal life without so much as a minor traffic citation. While he was in prison however it is impossible to be yourself Even while he was still in prison Clyde be gan to think of ways he could become successful in a legal way. His aspirations had always been fame and wealth which was the reason he began to deal in the first place. He came up with ideas of inventions he could sell while still in prison and now runs many companys and a non-profit institution HIPP-MO-TIZE, which is focused on youth and women.In prison no matter what your culture and style is like you are forced to conform to a scat standard, if you are Asian you have to be like all the other Asians, if you are white, you are forced to associate yourself with only the other white people. This is a very extreme example of normative social influence. Normative social influence, when a person changes their actions to either be accepted or to avoid being rejected, can be seen in any culture you observe. In schools you can see otherwise intelligent kids using words and talking in ways that can be classified as absurd and brainless. They will not do homework because it is considered uncool.

Safety Features in Automobiles Essay -- Expository Essays Research Pap

Safety Featuresin AutomobilesMotor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of Americans under the old age of 34. Every 22 minutes someone is killed in a crash (Vince and Larry). Since 1990, many new safety qualitys have been put into vehicles to help save lives. These features are Antilock halts, airbags, OnStar, and four-wheel drive or all wheel drive.One of the best safety features available is anti-lock braking system (Gillis). Antilock brake system (ABS) is a safety feature that keeps the brakes from locking up so the driver can maintain control over steering and directional stability in situations where the driver has to exercise heavy brakes, heavy enough that if the vehicle was not equipped with ABS, the brakes would lock up. ABS is usually engaged on slippery road surfaces, when traction is minimal. If a persons brakes lock up on a slippery surface, then the vehicle could loose steering control and the vehicle could spin. ABS could help a person avoid an accident bec ause it allows a person to maintain steering control of the vehicle (Questions and answers...).In a vehicle not equipped with an antilock brake system, the driver has to manually pump the brakes to keep from sliding. ABS works by sensing each wheels speed. When the sensors detects that the wheels are about to lock up, the ABS computer automatically changes the amount of brake fluid being sent to each wheel. With ABS engaged, the vehicle will Maintain optimum braking performance---just short of locking up the wheels. The computer will keep adjusting the brake pressure as the road conditions change (Antilock brake systems ...).The four main parts of an antilock brake system are the speed sensors, the pump, the valves, and the controller. Th... ...ve.htm National Highway avocation Safety Administration. (1996). Moving* forward expanding collaborations between traffic safety and public health. MA. Education Development Center, inc.. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (19 98). Questions and* answers regarding antilock brake systems (ABS). U.S. discussion section of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (1999). New car safety features. U.S. Department of Transportation.National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2000). Antilock brake* systems (ABS) reading this could be one of the safest things you ever do. U.S. Department of Transportation. OnStar. (2002). What is OnStar services. Retrieved March 14, 2003,from http//onstar.com/visitors/html/ao_features.htmVince and Larry. (1991). Vince and Larry on belts and bags. U.S. Department of Transportation.

Religion and advertising :: essays research papers

Advertising and ReligionAnyone who seems to be in the business of promoting themselves or their product is turning to religion to gain a larger audience. Take the religion of Kaballah for instance, five years ago many of us would openly take into account that we had never heard of the religion before. But now, thanks to the media many of us know Kaballah is the religion practiced by such celebrities as Madonna and Britney Spears. In all actuality Kaballah is a more spiritual branch of the Jewish religion.Many religions are now branching out and using the media to market their religion and sparking good debates in the process. Many feel that it is slightly immoral for churches to use the media to market themselves in the mainstream. Some believe the religions should simply sell themselves, but not literally.As Americans we now see television commercials for churches and services on regular broadcast channels. Another fairly recent trend that we see are churches in reave malls or p lazas. Next to our favorite outlet cigarette shop, local retail store, Bingo hall, or fast food chain there are churches. more than of the advertising we see for religions is on a smaller scale and not so mainstream. The religion of Jehovahs Witness often sends its members door-to-door to dot their word, give out information, in hope to maintain new members. Those of us who have been privileged with a visit know that they are early risers and equal to travel in pairs, so as to take turns overwhelming us with spoken word and pamphlets.One of the largest trends of advertising that we have seen is the wearing of a cross. What apply to be a symbol of ones beliefs and values has become a mere fashion accessory. In the world of celebrities and bling-bling, a word associated with the amount of visible jewelry shown, a platinum cross medallion adorned with diamonds and/or jewels is a sign of wealth and defines your degree of celebrity.However not everyone is into advertising religion i n the mainstream. In January 2005 an article was published in USA Today about a conflict between Rolling Stone Magazine and Zondervan discussion, one of the largest Bible publishers over an ad targeted at spiritually intrigued, 18-to-34-year-olds.Rolling Stone, which rejected the ad just weeks before its scheduled run date, cited an unwritten policy against accepting ads that acquire religious messages. Executives for Zondervan say Rolling Stone was a key part of its $1 million campaign targeted at young adults.