The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights Essay Example

The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights Paper Digital information technology has contributed to the development of information and technology by enabling easier modification and copying of information. While computers have the ability to achieve this for the well-being of mankind, the system of copyright serves as a hurdle in this as it assigns owners to software programs, most of whom are reluctant to share the potential benefits of their software with others (Stallman, 2009). â€Å"To use free software is to make a political and ethical choice asserting the right to learn, and share what we learn with others† (Free Software Foundation, 2014). Copyright protection only enables the developer of software to deter the software’s copying or copying of the source code. Software copyright does not provide protection against the copying of any process, method of operation, procedure, system, principle, discovery, or concept in the software. In addition to that, software copyright does not provide any surety against independent development of software of the like. A vast majority of the software products cannot address the variety of requirements set forth to get broad protection that the patent law can afford. Most applications of software patent face problems because of the requirement for the invention to be not obvious and be new. Nevertheless, this requirement helps in the process analyzing if or not an individual should pursue copyright protection or patent. â€Å"because copyrights protect the implementation (the actual code) but not the concept, copyrights do not prevent someone from implementing an algorithm in a different programming language or with a different set of routines, for example, offering almost no protection for something as complex and flexible as software† (Zeidman, 2011, p. 93). We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The look and feel of software amount to behavior and thus copyright should not be used to protect them in software; the Computer Law Review Committee (CLRC) did not recommend addition

Contributions Of Max Webers Bureaucracy To Public Administration

Contributions Of Max Webers Bureaucracy To Public Administration Introduction This assignment is a discussion on the topic of bureaucracy as described by Max Weber. The discussion looks at the theory in general and its effects in public administration in terms of advantages and disadvantages. It will be argued in the discussion that the approach is characterized by hierarchical distribution of power and authority in both public and private sector organizations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Contributions Of Max Webers Bureaucracy To Public Administration specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The major advantage is that it ensures that jobs are done only by those employees who are qualified to do them; that is, the employees are selected purely on merit. Its major short coming in public administration is that it is too rigid especially when it comes to making decisions. This delays the delivery of services as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of public organizations. The Bureau cratic Approach This theoretical approach was formed by Max Weber in 1947.The approach conceptualizes organizations as being guided by hierarchical chains of command, in which decisions are made based on the top down approach. Those who are at the top management positions are responsible for making the decisions while their juniors are responsible for the execution of those decisions. In the hierarchy, each position is composed of specific roles and responsibilities as well as some amount of authority to make decisions or to command other workforce down the hierarchy (Rainey, 2009). The approach conceptualizes organizations as being characterized by division of labor and specialization. Each position in the hierarchy is held by specialized individuals or bureaucrats who have acquired education and training on that particular position. The specializations are accompanied by some specific authorities depending on the position in the hierarchy (Shafritz, 2011). The approach views organ izations as being guided by formal regulations and rules which are formed and communicated well within the organization (Fry, 2008). There are the rules of conduct in the work place which govern things like working hours, holidays, offs, the language to be used, communication protocols within the organization based on the hierarchy, and the communication channel regarding assignments for specific positions in the hierarchy.Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These rules and regulations govern the procedures and the processes of the organization so as to give it an identity as well as stability and make it possible to predict the output of the organization because everything is planned in advance and followed to the letter without failure or compromise (Fry, 2008). The approach views organizations as being characterized or guided by rationality. Employees are selecte d not on the basis of friendship but on merit and their qualifications. The approach does not encourage the mixing of friendship or family issues with organizational business. All employees are therefore selected in a transparent and competitive process which is free from any bias. The same applies to employee remunerations. Each and every employee is remunerated as per his or her position, qualifications, and rank in the organization, meaning that those who are at the top get higher remunerations than those who are at the bottom in the hierarchy. In terms of responsibilities, those at the bottom are more involved with organizational activities while those at the top are mostly concerned with policy issues and public relations activities and are less involved in the daily running of the organizations (Hamilton, 1991). The approach recognizes positions in the hierarchy by their designations but not by the individuals who hold them. This is to say that there is no personification of r anks within the organization which ensures that authority is respected and reduces subjectivity as it increases objectivity in organizational undertakings. This idea of addressing positions by their designations in the hierarchy also ensures that there is no conflict of interest or unnecessary arguments or exchanges between various officials in the chain of command, which in turn increases efficiency in the organizational business (Hamilton, 1991). Advantages of approach In Public Administration Bureaucratic theory is characterized by clearly defined rules and procedures in the work place. These rules make work easier for the employees because there is no ambiguity and therefore each and every employee is able to focus on his or her duties and responsibilities on the required time.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Contributions Of Max Webers Bureaucracy To Public Administration specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The cl ear chain of command also ensures that there is good communication because every employee knows where to receive commands from; which reduces conflict of interest between various levels in the organizational structure (Hamilton, 1991). The recruitment of employee is also based on merit and professional qualifications which ensure that the correct people are employed for the correct jobs. This ensures that there is efficiency and high quality production in the organizations or businesses. The separation of employees’ personal issues and those of organizations makes employees focus solely on their duties and responsibilities (Naidu, 2005). Disadvantages of bureaucratic approach in public administration The theory has however been described by critics as being too rigid. It has also been accused of losing rationality especially in the issue of decision making, which its critics argue that it takes a lot of time before the bureaucrats in the chain of command procure a decision, w hich in turn compromises the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. Other critics argue that the approach tends to build empires within organizations which discourage creativity and innovations of junior employees thereby hindering organizational progress and growth (Hamilton, 1991). Bibliography Fry, Brian. 2008. Mastering public administration: from Max Weber to Dwight Waldo. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: CQ Press. Hamilton, Peter. 1991. Max Weber: critical assessments 1, Volume 1; Volume 3; Critical Assessments of Leading Sociologists Series. New York, NY: Routledge. Naidu, S.P. 2005. Public Administration: Concepts and Theories. Andhra Pradesh.: New Age International.Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Rainey, Hal. 2009. Understanding and Managing Public Organizations; Essential Texts for Nonprofit and Public Leadership and Management. (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Shafritz, Jay. 2011. Classics of Public Administration. (7th ed.). New York, NY: Wadsworth Pub Co.

Homeschooling in New York State

Homeschooling in New York State In New York, you will find homeschoolers from all backgrounds and philosophies. Homeschooling may not be as popular as in some other parts of the country perhaps because of the large number of select private schools and well-funded public school systems. Homeschoolers themselves run the gamut from the deeply religious to those who choose to teach their own children in order to take advantage of all the learning resources the state has to offer. According to the New York State Education Department (NYSED), the 2012-2013 numbers for homeschooled children in the state between the ages of 6 and 16 outside New York City (which keeps its own records) totaled more than 18,000. An article in New York Magazine put the number of New York City homeschoolers for roughly the same period at nearly 3,000. New York State Homeschooling Regulations In most of New York, parents of students who are subject to compulsory attendance regulations, between the ages of 6 and 16 must file homeschooling paperwork with their local school districts. (In New York City, Brockport and Buffalo its 6 to 17.) The requirements can be found in the state Education Department Regulation 100.10. The regs specify what paperwork you must provide to your local school district, and what the school district can and cant do in terms of overseeing homeschoolers. They can be a useful tool when disputes between the district and the parent arise. Quoting the regulations to the district is the quickest way to resolve most problems. Only loose guidelines are given as to what material should be covered math, language arts, social studies including U.S. and New York State history and government, science, and so on. Within those topics, parents have a lot of leeway to cover what they wish. Getting Started in New York Its not hard to get started homeschooling in New York State. If your children are in school, you can pull them out at any time. You have 14 days from the time you start homeschooling to begin the paperwork process (see below). And you do not have to get permission from the school to start homeschooling. In fact, once you begin to homeschool, you will be dealing with the district and not the individual school. The districts job is to confirm that you are providing educational experiences for your children, within the general guidelines set out in the regulations. They do not judge the content of your teaching material or your teaching techniques. This gives parents a lot of freedom in deciding how best to educate their children. Filing Homeschool Paperwork in New York (Note: For a definition of any terms used, see the Homeschooling Glossary.) Heres the timetable for the back-and-forth exchange of paperwork between homeschoolers and their school district, according to New York State regulations. The school year runs from July 1 to June 30, and every year the process starts over. For homeschoolers who start midyear, the school year still ends on June 30. 1. Letter of Intent: At the start of the school year (July 1), or within 14 days of starting to homeschool, parents submit a Letter of Intent to their local school district superintendent. The letter can simply read: This is to inform you that I will be homeschooling my child [Name] for the coming school year. 2. Response from the District: Once the district receives your Letter of Intent, they have 10 business days to respond with a copy of the homeschooling regulations and a form on which to submit an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). Parents are allowed, however, to create their own forms, and most do. 3. Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP): Parents then have four weeks (or by August 15 of that school year, whichever is later) from the time they receive the materials from the district to submit an IHIP. The IHIP can be as simple as a one-page list of resources that may be used throughout the year. Any changes that come up as the year progresses can be noted on the quarterly reports. Many parents include a disclaimer like the one I used with my children: Texts and workbooks listed in all subject areas will be supplemented by books and materials from home, the library, the Internet and other sources, together with field trips, classes, programs, and community events as they arise. More details will appear in the quarterly reports. Note that the district does not judge your teaching materials or plan. They simply acknowledge that you have a plan in place, which in most districts can be as loose as you like. 4. Quarterly Reports: Parents set their own school year, and specify on the IHIP what dates they will submit quarterly reports. The quarterlies can simply be a one-page summary listing what was covered in each subject. You are not required to give students a grade. A line stating that the student was learning the minimum number of hours required for that quarter takes care of attendance. (For grades 1 through 6, its 900 hours per year and 990 hours per year after that.) 5. Year-End Evaluation: Narrative evaluations one-line statements that the student has made adequate academic progress according to the requirements of Regulation 100.10 are all that is needed until fifth grade, and can continue every other year through eighth grade. The list of acceptable standardized tests (including the supplemental list) includes many like the PASS test which can be given by the parents at home. Parents are not required to submit the test score itself, just a report that the score was in the 33rd percentile or above, or showed a years growth over the previous years test. Students can also take tests at the school. Since parents are not required to submit paperwork once the child reaches age 16 or 17, its possible for those wishing to minimize standardized tests to only have to administer them in fifth, seventh and ninth grade. The most common disputes with districts occur with those few who refuse to allow the parent to write their own narrative assessment statement or administer the standardized test. They can usually be resolved by finding a homeschooling parent with a valid teaching license to provide one or the other. High School and College Students who homeschool through the end of high school do not receive a diploma, but they have other options to show they completed the equivalent of a high school education. This is particularly important for students who want to go on to earn college degrees In New York State since showing some form of high school completion is required to receive a college degree (although not for college admission). This includes both public and private colleges. One common course is to request a letter from the local district superintendent stating the student received the substantial equivalent of a high school education. While districts are not required to supply the letter, most do. Districts usually ask that you continue submitting paperwork through 12th grade to use this option. Some homeschoolers in New York earn a high school equivalency diploma by taking a two-day standardized test (formerly the GED, now the TASC). That diploma is considered the same as a high school diploma for most types of employment as well. Others complete a 24-credit program at a local  community college, while still in high school, or afterward, that grants them the equivalent of a high school diploma. But no matter how they show high school completion, both public and private colleges in New York are welcoming to homeschool students, who are generally well-prepared as they go on into adult life. Helpful Links New York State Education Department Codes, Rules, and Regulations include information on homeschooling, compulsory attendance, student employment, and other issues.NYHEN (New York State Home Education Network) is a free online support group open to all homeschoolers. It includes a website with easily-accessible information on state regulations and several email lists where parents can ask questions and get advice from experienced homeschoolers (including, occasionally, me!).LEAH (Loving Education at Home) is a statewide Christian-only membership organization with local chapters throughout the state. It presents two homeschool conferences every year. Participants are usually asked to sign a Statement of Faith before participating in LEAH activities.PAHSI (Partnership for Accurate Homeschooling Information) is a New York City-based group offering information on homeschooling in the city and state.

Library extension Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Library extension - Essay Example The roof beams are supported by the exterior main columns and are placed as a rafter. A truss is not included since a roof beam can carry the roof loads and also for the reason of abiding by the design intent of having a "high ceiling" and unobstructed natural light from the glazed section of the roof. The foundation is composed of isolated footings and retaining walls for the basement part. The longest span involved is 13 meters which is located at the faade of the building. Since the requirement is for the faade to be entirely composed of glass, two columns are supporting two roof beams propped against each other. The load transfer is synonymous to that of an arch frame. The two columns are supported by a main beam at ground level and beams that connect it to the next span. In the event that a huge lateral load or a very heavy roof load is applied way beyond the structure can support, these columns likely would be the first components to fail. No attachments are made to the existing museum and library, thus the new extension is structurally independent from them. Spans of 4.5 meters and 9 meters are designed for the beams wherein intermediate beams are provided for beams supporting a span of 9 meters. This would yield smaller members in the subsequent analysis and design. Tie beams are also found in the foundation and ground floor framing to support lateral movements. Further, aside from beam-to-column connections, there are beam-to-beam connections as well, and a planted column supporting the stairs. 3. Accommodation of Services Building services are accommodated and are given 0.8 meters. For services located in the basement, ground floor, and first floor; there is enough space for the conveyance of building utilities and at the same time, their pipe runs can be concealed. However, cladding must be made at the 1st floor overhead utilities (e.g. lighting), since there is no ceiling at the 1st floor. C. Scheme 2: 1. Functional Framing Scheme 2 is designed to have the least number of structural members as possible. The advantage to this approach is less members and longer spans that would give to larger uninterrupted spaces. However, members would have to be bigger or deeper to support longer spans. The framing for the basement remains the same as in the previous scheme. The framing support for the ground floor is remarkably decreased. This is for the reason that tie beams have been eliminated considering that the ground floor slab would be slab-on-fill. A wall footing tie beam is designated as support for the admin office wall. For the first floor framing, only one intermediate beam is designated for the slab at the adult's reading area. The span of 9-meters on the side of the cavity wall side is supported by two columns only. The roof framing is the same as in scheme 1. 2. Load Transfer and Stability Aspects As in scheme 1, the area of concern is on the supports at the faade since no column is located on the center of the faade that would possibly support a

Business Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Research - Essay Example NatWest traces its origin to the year 1968 when the National Provincial Bank merged with the Westminster Bank. NatWest has remained one of the â€Å"biggest four clearing banks† in the United Kingdom and it has opened over 1,600 branches and 3,400 automated teller machines across the UK (Jones, 2012, p.258). The bank currently has nearly 7.5 million customers and over 850,000 accounts specifically tailored for small businesses. It operates through a subsidiary bank known as Ulster Bank in the republic of Ireland. As per the year 2003 NatWest was a wholly owned subsidiary of the RBS. However, it has currently become the ultimate holding company of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS). Basing on this, it is evidently cleat that the shareholders, competitors and interest groups of RBS are directly linked to the National Westminster Bank. The government of the United Kingdom acquired majority of the shares of RBS in 2008 to become the majority shareholder of the bank. Currently, the UK government owns over 67% of the ordinary shares floated by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group in the stock market. OWNERSHIP Government Ownership of National Westminster Bank As already stated, NatWest is the main holding company of the Royal Bank of Scotland. ... The government went further to acquire B shares in December thus making the cumulative government ownership of the RBS Group to stand at 81.15 percent (Waller, 2000, p.31). Stephen Hester is the chief executive officer of the Royal Bank of Scotland, a company which by extension owns the National Westminster Bank. Since the majority of the shareholding comes from the government whose main source of income is the taxpayer’s money, it is also true to say that NatWest is a bank owned by the public (Steiner, 2000, p.18). UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI) was then charged with the mandate of overseeing the government’s investments in financial institution including Royal Bank of Scotland Group. In connection to the desire of promoting economic stability and healthy competition in the banking sector, the UK government has given UKFI the duty to manage the orderly but active disposing of government’s shareholding in some of these institutions. Norwich Union is a compos ite insurer and owns about 1.12 percent of the original shares of NatWest Bank. Before the â€Å"takeover† of the company by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the managers of this bank were in full support of the bid presented by the RBS. COMPETITION NatWest, which by extension refers to the Royal Bank of Scotland, faces competition from several banks that include HSBC, Credit Suisse Bank, Barclays Bank and Standard Chartered. About HSBC: It is ranked as the top most banks in the whole world. According to the financial statements of the bank released in the first quarter of 2011, this bank recorded the largest profit of 4,153 billion dollars. It highly trusted in emerging markets such as China. This factor

Rules About School Essay Example for Free

Rules About School Essay Students tend to break the rules once in awhile that that is because of peer pressure or rebellion against or with someone else. Teenagers explore and do things others wouldn’t do to look â€Å"cool† or to prove something that they could do something with their life, or to look â€Å"superior† to someone else. Imagine a smart and decent student could do inappropriate behavior just to prove they are fit in that society and to not be called names like â€Å"nerd† or â€Å"loser†, that’s how rules are made in school. But I think that we have a little too much of that. Imagine having fewer rules it would be knowledgeable only if it could help students and help the school, having a lot of rules tend to put stress on students that they want to break out of it and just do whatever they want. With less school rules, student would be in school more often, they have the chance to freely do things they could do, less stress for the students and for the teachers, meaning teachers would have an easier job because bad students wouldn’t be so bad anymore because they have less stress on their mind and now they could pay attention and pass grades. Rules that are forced by the securities and faculty staff are sometimes straining and stressing the students involved in such activities. These activities affect the student’s mentality and social behavior because of aggression and rebellion that has been formed on a student’s mind. An example of an activity is sport. When someone is a student athlete they tend to stay after school and hang out for awhile before a game or a practice start, but some securities have a rule that you can’t stay after school that long and you would have to go home right away, for a student athlete to go home would be a waste of energy and stressing that causes aggression towards the school and the school securities which could resolve to conflict. Another School Rule that students are against is â€Å"contraband† this includes Cell phones, iPods, and dress codes. This rule shouldn’t be forced highly and shouldn’t be taken that seriously by the staff of the school. Technology has been a part of this generation and without them a student could be devastated and again could cause aggression towards a staff. I know that it is rude for a student to use such things during class, but if they do they face a consequence of failing in class due to inattentiveness and no participation, they have the choice to do it or not. And even during recess or lunch securities tend to take peoples and  iPods away, they take it too seriously, iPods should not be that bad it’s called â€Å"Break Time† for students and now music is part of our lives so shouldn’t that become an exemption? Then we have our Tardy/Late rule that students break a lot. This rule is good for some parts and bad for some part. The good part of this rule is to teach students to have discipline and be prompt most of the time. But the bad part of this rule is the consequence or the punishment of it, the punishment is â€Å"calf duty† or ISS(In School Suspension). Which most of the students dislike, if Radford really wants its student to be successful academically it wouldn’t be fair to have rules like these: ISS is a punishment that makes students to rake leaves, clean the gym, wipe tables on the cafà ©, throw the thrash, and clean the baseball field on a SUNNY day for one whole class or more. I personally do not think that this punishment is fair because students need to go to class and learn, not to learn how to rake and clean, that is why we have custodians that does that for us. Not only that but again this things causes hate and aggression towards the school and with that, a student will not be able to focus on studies and they would cause an outrage or break more rules, It doesn’t help the student It makes it worst for them. â€Å"Cafà © duty† is not so bad because they provide free lunch for student, but some other classes HAVE to do it without doing anything bad, and that causes the class to be pulled back academically, again the custodians could do their job and serve the food to the students. It’s a learning environment not a job orientation. Consequences for students are a little bit too much, if the staff thinks that by making these type of consequences would stop the student s to break the rules, I don’t think it will because it causes a student to be rebellious and would want to hate the school for making him/her do all the stuff that REGULAR student does not do. School rules are good but it matters on how staff pushes them and how strict they could be. Deviance has its own punishment and it could be being unsuccessful in life or being a pariah in our school society. A person has a choice to do bad things or good, but there are always consequences for our actions.

Development of a Sustainable Democracy in East Germany and Poland :: Political Politics

Development of a Sustainable Democracy in East Germany and Poland Linz and Stepan list and describe a set of five elements that determine a consolidated democracy. Civil society, political society, rule of law, usable state of bureaucracy, and an institution of economic society all interact in complex ways to bring about democratic consolidation in countries. This paper focuses and emphasizes the interactions between the ^development of a free and lively civil society . . . [and] an institutionalized economic society . . . [which] must be present, or be crafted, in order for a democracy to be consolidated^ (Linz and Stepan pg. 17). Two former communist countries, East Germany and Poland, will be analyzed and critiqued about the prospects for sustainable democracy. Specifically, an analysis of the civil societies in the countries and how they react to their current economic situations will be used as a determinant for their chances of sustaining democracy. Both East Germany and Poland are considered success stories. Both countries have undergone free elections that have brought about new leaders in the country that have represented the citizens needs and wants, but the transition for these countries hasn^t been easy. Many citizens in both of the former Soviet bloc countries feel that their votes aren^t changing the social and economic conditions, and are rejecting the system with this ^learned helplessness^. An increasing number of citizens in both countries are turning to right wing policies as a result of the new and challenging social and economic order. Where before workers were guaranteed jobs, allowances, and other provisions from the state, now they face the cutthroat competition that defines capitalism. The economic societies in the countries have been approached from very different angles. Whereas East Germany was immediately incorporated into the strong economic and social conditions of West Germany, Poland was forced to handle the transition alone. While in East Germany labor and initiative collapsed and flowed West, Poland had no where to go, and the capitalist West flowed into their economy in the form of investments. The result has been very positive for Poland, which is now one of the fastest growing economies in Europe, but very negative for East Germany which is dawdling in high unemployment and low foreign investment. In societies where the party aspired to control all aspects of life, including persecution for unauthorized association, social life was very weak. Martial law and danger of persecution for unauthorized activities encouraged citizens in both countries to restrict their social ties to kin and very close friends. The result of this phenomenon has had a profound effect on the quality of civil

Marketing Mix

Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION3 II. MARKET STRATEGY4 A. Product5 B. Price5 C. Place5 D. Process5 E. People6 F. Physical evidence6 G. Promotion6 III. ENVIRONMENT7 A. Macroenviroment7 B. Microenvironment8 IV. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR9 V. MARKET TARGETING & POSITIONING10 A. Segmentation10 B. Target market12 C. Market positioning12 VI. CONCLUSION13 VII. References14 INTRODUCTION This report aims to identify various factors for success in the quality take-away food market. This will be accomplished by comparing two food service companies with a similar strategy – Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars and Real Burger World (RBW) – ended up with remarkably different results from the following aspects; marketing strategy, the environment, consumer behavior and target market and positioning. MARKET STRATEGY The foundation of both Crust and RBW was animated by a similar desire to provide a gourmet or higher quality take away food in the competitive fast food industry. Though, they came up with slightly different plans and implementations. |Crust Gourmet Pizza |Real Burger World | |People |†¢ Founder : previous experience as a manager of |†¢ One of the founders : successful experience in | | |a Pizza Restaurant |starting up a business | | |†¢ Training and management support for their |†¢ General manager replaced because of his lack of| | |franchises |experience in the industry | |Process |†¢ Long |†¢ Long | | |†¢ Preparati on in view of the customers |†¢ ‘guest' burger, customer invited to suggest a | | | |menu item |Physical Evidence |Dynamic, fashionable and modern : upmarket look |Typical burger shop | | |for upmarket target | | |Product |†¢ High quality and fresh |†¢ Real, natural and wholesome ingredients | | |†¢ Broad choice from traditional to original |†¢ Choice more or less diversified | | |taste (‘Asian touch') |†¢ Dynamic menu with gourmet burgers, handmade | | |†¢ Product on demand |fries | |Price |Restaurant prices, more expensive than the |Slightly above competitive brands (1? ore than | | |competitors |the existing competitors) | |Place |Shop, Internet Website, Phone |Shop | |Promotion |†¢ Heart Foundation Tick of approval & medias |†¢ TV Show â€Å"Risking it all† in 2episodes, | | |†¢ radio, local papers, letterbox drops, |†¢ Brochure handouts in the street | | |sponsorships |†¢ Protest in front of their co mpetitor store | | |†¢ Website | | | |†¢ reward card | | Table 1 Marketing strategy of both companies through the 7P’s 1 Product Both companies offer better value to their customers through the high and fresh quality of their product. This is the main advantage that differentiates themselves from their competitors. o Quality QualityWhile RBW provides â€Å"real, natural and wholesome ingredients† (Naz Choudhury, http://books. google. com. au/ ), Crust, sensitive to the new trend of healthy food, provides not only high quality food -with premium ingredients such as prosciutto, tiger prawns or smoked salmon- but also healthy food with six Heart Foundation Pizzas. o Variety They both offer a broad choice from traditional to original taste (‘Asian touch’ for Crust). What seems an advantage for Crust over RBW, and pizza restaurant is that Crust customers can compose their own pizza, though a common doing in the pizza fast food industry. 2 Price Because it is not trying to be cheaper than or as affordable as its competitors, unlike RBW, Crust chooses a clear different position from its competitors. Crust gets a premium price based on the product differentiation. 3 Place The place for the first shops gives an indication on the position of the firm. While Crust established their first shop in a suburb where people may have more time to wait for a longer process, RBW had their first shop in a dynamic street, in the city and a close walk from its competitors. Also Crust developed a delivery service with as many ways as possible to make their product available to overcome their geographic limitation. 4 Process Due to their position as higher and fresh quality food, both of these companies need a longer processing time for their product, than its competitors. Though, Crust found a way to compensate. The preparation in view of the customers increases the interaction between the staff and the customers and is visually exciting. This tactic is a way of creating delight for customers. A good point for RBW is the ‘guest’ burger. The customer is invited to take part in the creation of menu items. 5 People People working for the company are important since they contribute to the image of the firm. Crust understood this well, they made it an important part of their plan. They provide training and management support for their franchises to preserve brand identity and so, the atmosphere of the first shop. On the contrary, RBW showed an mistake from the start, the first General Manager of the store had no experience in the fast food industry. 6 Physical evidence The look of the store conveys the marketing message of the firm. It has to be in adequation with what the firm claims to provide, that includes also the differentiation from their competitors. Crust chose distinctive colours and a high class decor just as a gourmet firm would do. It gives satisfaction to customers who would expect greater value. On the other hand, though they hired professionals to design their store, RBW appeared to have missed the upmarket look and ended up looking like any other burger shop. 7 Promotion By earning the Heart Foundation Tick of approval, they consolidated their image differentiation, got the media attention as a short term promotion but also undoubtedly a long term promotion through this kind of sponsorship. They also use radio, local papers, letterbox drops, and sponsorships. Those tactics are important to build a strong brand identity. Crust is omnipresent so that they stay in potential customer’s minds. They developed a Website to go along with the technology orientated society and targeted customers. The use of a reward card is a way of retaining profitable customers. Whereas in the case of RBW, it is appearing in a TV show, the firm benefited from a priceless mass promotion to make their brand known. Nonetheless, they didn’t sustain themselves to this level and came up with only short term promotion. Protesting in front of their competitor store can be regarded as a desperate move to attract customers. From the analysis of these parameters, we can say that Crust has a well more developed strategy than RBW. When RBW’s main (unique) advantage is the higher quality food, Crust has developed a more complex strategy around the higher quality and healthy food and the service cape, regarded as a key to success. ENVIRONMENT This section discusses external and internal factors affecting Crust’s and RBW’s business. Four factors were chosen to outline their success/failure – Demographic forces (macro), socio-cultural forces (macro), corporate culture (micro), and competitive environment (micro). Macroenvironment are fairly common to the two firms as Australia and UK have similar cultural background and economic level. The factors which led these two firms to contrastive results could be found in microenvironment. [pic] 1 Macroenviroment o Demographic forces Understanding the demographic environment is of great importance as it â€Å"involves people, and people make up markets (Kotler, Adam, Denize and Armstrong, 2009: pp. 89)†. Changes in household types are beneficial trend for fast-food industry. The important demographic trend for fast-food industry is changes in household types. Increased number of one person, childless couple households increases the demand for convenient, ready-to-eat meals. Dual-income families made quality food affordable. The two firms targeted those new-type households. o Socio-cultural forces Businesses exists within society, therefore businesses can be influenced by society. To keep up with social changes may provide businesses with competitive advantages. The increased health awareness in society led the changing trend in consumer preferences to better-taste, fresher fast-food which perceived as healthier. Crust and RBW met this consumer trend. Another socio-cultural force is the trend towards choice. Both firms dealt with this trend by offering broad range of menu. 2 Microenvironment o Corporate culture Strong corporate culture helps to develop strong brand because people, internal and external to the company, can share similar values. Strong brand equity enables businesses to establish firm customer base and brand royalty, which in turn give businesses long-term growth and profitability. Crust has a clear corporate culture of â€Å"personality driven† based on â€Å"professionalism†, â€Å"entrepreneurship† and â€Å"teamwork and partnership with stores and customers† (www. crust. com. au, 2010). This is expressed to customers through store presentation and service, which serves as physical evidence to the customers. On the other hand, RBW’s culture was based on co-founders’ friendship. The business built on friendship can be fallen into amateurism resulted in various operational problems, which could reduce customer satisfaction. o Competitive environment Fast-food industry is highly competitive market and the competition is complex. Players in the market have to compete with huge multinational organizations such as McDonald’s, Subway and Pizza Hut as well as thousands of local take-away stores. To provide greater customer value and satisfaction than competitors, strategic analysis of competitive environment is crucial for businesses. Crust identified a gap in the pizza market in Australia, and then develops the strategy to fit them into the gap. Differentiation against competitors is the key factor to be successful in competitive market. Reflecting the tough competitive environment, crust aims to grow slowly and steady through good relationships with the stores and the customers (www. crust. com. au, 2010). RBW didn’t take it seriously compared to Crust because RBW were confident with the products and believed that consumers choose them once they tried their burger. The location choice for the first store was made by financial reason rather than strategic point of view. This resulted in direct competition with established fast-food brands such as McDonald’s and Burger King. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR [pic] There is little difference between the fact that RBW and crust pizza are located in England and Australia respectively because both are industrialized nations and both are very similar culturally. As such, both are positively affected by the growing awareness of the benefits of healthier food, as well as an active desire for such food, especially in the age groups that both Crust and RBW caters to. There are three driving psychological influences on a customer to eat at crust pizza. The first is an aspirational one. The existing perception of high dining atering to educated, high earning professionals that crust has worked meticulously to build, and one of the results is that being seen to eat there is indicative of being a member of that particular demographic. [pic] Figure 3. Reasons for eating Fast Food http://shansenta. blogspot. com/2006_10_01 _archive. html The second influence is the imperative and willingness to pay for high quality food by the more discerning consumers. The third is one of safety, in the sense that crust delivers on time, with the correct pizza, in the same quality as in the store due to its specially made base. While the time take is longer, customers are satisfied as it is what they expect. RBW’s customers have different set of influences due to its geographical location in a less well off part of London where price is a significant factor. For the majority of consumers that frequent that particular part of London, the health benefits that RBW provided were not enough of an incentive to try the burgers. Also, it is the nature of burgers that they are quick. The reason for eating them is that it is a convenient way of eating and customers are unwilling to wait more than ten minutes for a burger that elsewhere they can get within one or two minutes. MARKET TARGETING & POSITIONING 1 Segmentation The basis of a long term marketing strategy, as well as the initial success of the business requires a target market to be identified and the business positioned satisfy the needs of the chosen market. |Crust Gourmet Pizza |Real Burger World | |Geographic segmentation |- Distributed around Australia ; NSW, ACT and |- Opened the first store in London in mid 2003 | | |Victoria – An expansion in |- Located in a street with other fast food stores| | |Singapore | | |Demographic Segmentation |- Targeting the age of 18-39 years old including|- Targeting the people with the age of 20-40 | | |families and high incomes including middle class|years old and high incomes | | |and upper class. Targeting | | | |consumers from diverse nationality | | |Psychographic Segmentation |- Targeting the people with a healthy lifestyle |- Targeting consumers with a healthy and busy | | | |lifestyle | |Behavioural Segmentation |- Targeting for the middle and upper class who |- Some of consumers would have negative attitudes| | |would have purchase occasions frequently |due to some failure on plans. | Table 2. Comparison of segmentation between Crust and RBW o Geographic Segmentation Most firms have national marketing programmes which adjust their products and promotions to satisfy the individual needs of geographic units. Geographic Segmentation can be the most important process which  brings to light  the  difference between the case of Crust and RBW. For Crust, it  is distributed in the main cities of Australia include d Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and Victoria. The stores  are located in various suburbs. This implies two factors of geographic segmentation being region and population density. This  indicates a  greater opportunity  for the  success of  the company due to its location. On the other hand,  the first RBW store  was located in a street with other fast-food stores containing McDonald’s and Burger King. This evidently demonstrates that there is more competition and hence  the  potential of losing customers to  the other major food chains. RBW would be forced to compete against eminent and familiar  fast-food outlets. In this case, having just  launched their first outlet,  it would contribute to decreasing their earnings. o Demographic Segmentation The Crust has targeted  an age group ranging between 18-39 years of age. Additionally,  they are more likely focussing on middle and upper class demographics. We can assume that RBW also has targeted  a similar  demographic of consumers  to that of  the Crust. This can be classified  as demographic segmentation. Each business  targets a specific demographic that they feel the product or service would be most likely to attract. With that, the company will be able to set out its goals, marketing strategies and prices according to that chosen demographic. It clearly shows that both the Crust and RBW have targeted  appropriate level of consumers who would become big fans of the restaurant. In addition demographic factor is very influential on marketing strategy because consumer usage and needs are variable since each individual has different taste desires in  products depending on how old they are, what family life cycle they have or what occupation or income they have. o Psychographic Segmentation The Crust has an aim to change the perception of pizza from  that of a  cheap food to more of one that can be classified as a healthier choice. Accordingly, this will appeal to  those people who have a healthy lifestyle  or are conscious about their diet. This strategy  would lead to  further success in their business as not only will they be able to  maintain the number of existing customers,  they would also  be  attracting a new line of customers. For instance, through education and the media people are  increasingly gaining more awareness with regards to their diet and healthy living. With that in mind, the public will be less inclined to  eat unhealthily and would begin to focus  on maintaining a healthy diet. This  is a  clear indication  that people would  choose Crust rather than Dominos or Pizza Hut because of their marketing strategy. As well as in the case of RBW, they  have tried  to develop  the idea that burgers, if  served correct, can  be considered as  an extremely healthy  meal and not simply  another form of junk food. This also would appeal to  the public to  dine  at RBW as it appeals to the present values the public upholds. o Behavioural Segmentation One of the factors in behavioural Segmentation is purchase occasion. In the case of both Crust and RBW, they have targeted  a demographic of  high income earners  and this has  lead to  an escalating  chance  of increasing their earnings. Since pizzas and burgers are the most favorable food for parties, gatherings and meals,  the public is guaranteed  to purchase these foods on a frequent basis. But consumers may have different attitudes towards Crust and RBW. The Crust has been well-known as a  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœpersonality driven culture’ whereas the RBW has negative aspects associated with their food chain  since they failed with some launch tactics such as brochure handouts and a free burger day. With knowledge of such aspects, the public will most likely respond accordingly and think twice about RBW and it's few slip-ups. 2 Target market For target market there are several different strategies ; undifferentiated marketing, differentiated marketing and concentrated marketing. Firstly, undifferentiated marketing is to ignore the specific market segments and approach the whole market with one market offer. Secondly, differentiated marketing is a marketing that determines to target several market segments and design separate offers for each. Lastly, concentrated marketing is choosing one large market or few submarkets. It clearly shows that both Crust and RWB are concentrated marketers since concentrated marketing provides a means  for small firms to compete against other larger companies and to gain a foothold in the food industry. 3 Market positioning Market positioning is the final part of step, involving developing a positioning for the target market, followed by the marketing mix. Crust pizza positioned their stores to be attractive to the market outlined. The relatively high price per pizza reflects their positioning as a gourmet pizza restaurant, though offering delivery services as well to expand the reach of their business. The restraint ambiance and staff trained in customer service helps differentiate Crust as a higher class of dining than its competitors. It’s certification by the national heart foundation also gives proof to its claims of healthy pizza, swaying those skeptical of those marketing gimmicks and again differentiating it from competitors. RBW however, positioned both physically and otherwise to be in direct competition with existing fast food outlets. Located in a part of London where price is the defining factor, it is similar in price to McDonalds, contradicting its projected image of gourmet burgers. Customers have also commented that the shop feels similar to burger king, losing the perception of healthy food, and thus customers. Unlike crust, it’s burgers are not certified as healthy, though it’s stating of nutritional values of its burgers is a positive move, similar actions by McDonalds and other fast food outlets dilutes the impact of that move. Had it gone with its initial location at a more high priced part of London, the outcome may be very different. CONCLUSION In conclusion, there are a number of factors that determine the success or failure of a business such as those of a gourmet fast food such as RBW and Crust pizza. These factors range from the elements in the marketing strategy to the target market and market positioning, both planned and execution. The importance of these factors can be illustrated by the difference between Crust Pizza and RBW, given the similarity of their environmental and cultural factors. It is RBW’s failure to understand the nature of their product and the behavior and influences on their customers that lead to RBW’s eventual downfall. Crust pizza, on the other hand, well understood these factors and created an appropriate strategy and focused on the correct target market to claim success. References INTERNET Crust website, http://www. crust. com. au/ Momentary Musings, http://shansenta. blogspot. com/2006_10_01_archive. html Wikinvest, http://www. wikinvest. com/stock/Wendy%27s_International_%28WEN%29 BOOK Kotler P, Adam, S, Denize S, & Armstrong, G. , 2009,. Principles of Marketing, 4th ed, Pearson Education. Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW ———————– Figure1. Market shares of the Major Players in the Fast Food Industry http://www. wikinvest. com/stock/Wendy%27s_International_%28WEN%29 Figure2. Pie chart of Consumer behaviour on Frequency of Fast Food http://shansenta. blogspot. com/2006_10_01_archive. html Marketing Mix According to Eddie Robinson, â€Å"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential†¦these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence. † In this competitive business world, it is imperative that business owners’ develop and create unique products in order to be differentiated from its competitors. Business owners can use a set of tools called the â€Å"Marketing Mix† to provide the unique quality that the item for consumption is a need.This tool is made up of a set of controllable factors that can be adjusted until the precise combination is established to satisfy the needs or wants of consumers in a particular target market while generating a profit. The Marketing Mix is made up of four factors. They are product, price, place and promotion. The product can be referred to as the physical product or service that satisfies what a consumer wants or need. Price refers to the amount that customers will pay for a par ticular good or service after taking into account factors such as profit, competitor’s response, business survival and probable pricing.The channel of distribution that serves as a means of getting the product or service in a convenient location to the target consumers is referred to as place. Promotion represents the methods of communication used to provide information of a particular good or service to its target market using various mediums. The proposed product we have decided to discuss in this essay is a self-cleaning bathtub. This product would satisfy the wants and needs of luxury hoteliers and people who are interested in living a luxurious life around the world.Generally, majority of the people who perform cleaning services usually avoid the time of cleaning their bathtub because it is very tedious task and the effects of the noxious fumes from the cleaning products. The idea of a self-cleaning bathtub would solve these problems, while satisfying the many wants and in some cases, the needs of a wide cross-section of people. This product will be sold in two variations and will range in different sizes. These variations include free standing tubs and drop in tubs.The self-cleaning bathtub boasts of its quick drain plus fast-action integral pump for rapid water changing, self-cleaning system that simultaneously removes surface debris and cleans the bottom of the hot tub with its built in vacuum. It also has premium LED lights that create ambiance and tranquility. It comes with an installation crew and technicians standing behind 10 years of warranty to give customers peace of mind. In addition, the economic theory asserts that in a free market economy the market price reflects interaction between supply and demand: the price is set to equate the quantity being supplied and demanded.In turn, these quantities are determined by the marginal utility of the asset to different buyers and to different sellers. In reality, the price may be distorted by o ther factors, such as tax and other government regulations. When a commodity is for sale at multiple locations, the Law of one price is generally believed to hold. This essentially states that the cost difference between the locations cannot be greater than that representing shipping, taxes, other distribution costs etc.In the case of the majority of consumer goods and services, the distribution costs are quite a high proportion of the overall price, so the law may not be very useful. In practice, it may well make economic sense to offer a product or service for sale at a higher price in a wealthy area than in a deprived area as the marginal utility of the asset for purchasers will be higher in the former. With that being said, several factors can be taken into consideration when looking to price an item such as this one.Since the price of a product is normally the deciding factor in choosing one brand over another, it is a common area of the marketing mix that can be used to make s trategic changes. The customer would not expect to pay the regular price of a regular bathtub. However, they may not expect a significantly high price. For instance, if you take the price of a regular bathtub, add on the cost of products and tools usually used to clean the tub, the customer will not expect to pay a price that is 50-100% more than the total of the two. They might as well decide to continue cleaning their tub on their own.Smart retailers sell good items cheap, with small profit per item because cheap prices increase sales and overall profit. In other words, it is better to sell forty (40) items at ten dollars ($10) profit rather than five (5) items at forty dollars ($40) profit. This will ensure business survival for a very long time as long as the quality of the product in maintained. Competitor’s response will have no effect on this product as long as the affordable price and high quality is maintained. As long as the cheapest possible manufacturing method is utilized, the competitor will find it very difficult to compete.Furthermore, it is important that the self-cleaning tub is available when and where the customer wants it. Distributing the product to its consumers will be done through direct channels for the customers who wants customized tubs and through dual distribution. This product will be accessible to customers with few obstacles. Moreover, mass marketing is a market coverage strategy in which a firm decides to ignore market segment differences and go after the whole market with one offer. It is the type of marketing (or attempting to sell through persuasion) of a product to a wide audience.The idea is to broadcast a message that will reach the largest number of people possible. The target market for this product would be very huge. Quite frankly, every single person who owns or lives in a home should be interested in a self-cleaning bathtub. However, the most strategic channel of distribution should be among person building or looking to build new luxury homes, apartment buildings or hotels. Many new business customers can be obtained since apartment buildings and hotels would want to utilize this product.The benefits range from cheaper cost of janitorial service to additional attraction to apartments and hotel rooms for guests and tenants to choose from. In order to get all prospective customers interested in the product, public demonstrations will have to be made at strategic areas of business in the city or main towns. Invitations should be sent out to all hotels, luxury home owners and apartment building owners to attend this public event where usage of the bathtub will be demonstrated for all to see. Generally, promotion is communicating with the public in an attempt to influence them toward buying your products and/or services.How does promotion differ from advertising? Promotion is the broader, all inclusive term. Advertising is just one specific action you could take to promote your product or service. Promotion, as a general term, includes all the ways available to make a product and/or service known to and purchased by customers and clients. Promotion of this item would be done through various mediums. These mediums include television advertisements, billboards, radio advertisements, newspaper advertisements just to name a few.In summary, the success of the self-cleaning bath tub relies greatly upon proper marketing. The company must have the right combination of all the elements of the marketing mix in order to produce desirable sales results. The mix will include the variables and apparatus that the company will use to satisfy the business objective and the needs of the potential customers. The marketing mix is the foundation of a marketing strategy, unless a new theory is developed and can convincingly replace it will continue to serve that purpose.The market mix is designed to accommodate the customer. Therefore, each aspect of the marketing mix is equally important . When the mix is being developed, all final decisions about the elements should be made at the same time. To summarize the marketing mix, a company develops a product that meets the needs and desires of customers. Then determines how the product will reach final customers. A promotion plan is then developed to inform the customer of the product. Finally, a price is established while ensuring the company earns a profit. Marketing Mix Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION3 II. MARKET STRATEGY4 A. Product5 B. Price5 C. Place5 D. Process5 E. People6 F. Physical evidence6 G. Promotion6 III. ENVIRONMENT7 A. Macroenviroment7 B. Microenvironment8 IV. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR9 V. MARKET TARGETING & POSITIONING10 A. Segmentation10 B. Target market12 C. Market positioning12 VI. CONCLUSION13 VII. References14 INTRODUCTION This report aims to identify various factors for success in the quality take-away food market. This will be accomplished by comparing two food service companies with a similar strategy – Crust Gourmet Pizza Bars and Real Burger World (RBW) – ended up with remarkably different results from the following aspects; marketing strategy, the environment, consumer behavior and target market and positioning. MARKET STRATEGY The foundation of both Crust and RBW was animated by a similar desire to provide a gourmet or higher quality take away food in the competitive fast food industry. Though, they came up with slightly different plans and implementations. |Crust Gourmet Pizza |Real Burger World | |People |†¢ Founder : previous experience as a manager of |†¢ One of the founders : successful experience in | | |a Pizza Restaurant |starting up a business | | |†¢ Training and management support for their |†¢ General manager replaced because of his lack of| | |franchises |experience in the industry | |Process |†¢ Long |†¢ Long | | |†¢ Preparati on in view of the customers |†¢ ‘guest' burger, customer invited to suggest a | | | |menu item |Physical Evidence |Dynamic, fashionable and modern : upmarket look |Typical burger shop | | |for upmarket target | | |Product |†¢ High quality and fresh |†¢ Real, natural and wholesome ingredients | | |†¢ Broad choice from traditional to original |†¢ Choice more or less diversified | | |taste (‘Asian touch') |†¢ Dynamic menu with gourmet burgers, handmade | | |†¢ Product on demand |fries | |Price |Restaurant prices, more expensive than the |Slightly above competitive brands (1? ore than | | |competitors |the existing competitors) | |Place |Shop, Internet Website, Phone |Shop | |Promotion |†¢ Heart Foundation Tick of approval & medias |†¢ TV Show â€Å"Risking it all† in 2episodes, | | |†¢ radio, local papers, letterbox drops, |†¢ Brochure handouts in the street | | |sponsorships |†¢ Protest in front of their co mpetitor store | | |†¢ Website | | | |†¢ reward card | | Table 1 Marketing strategy of both companies through the 7P’s 1 Product Both companies offer better value to their customers through the high and fresh quality of their product. This is the main advantage that differentiates themselves from their competitors. o Quality QualityWhile RBW provides â€Å"real, natural and wholesome ingredients† (Naz Choudhury, http://books. google. com. au/ ), Crust, sensitive to the new trend of healthy food, provides not only high quality food -with premium ingredients such as prosciutto, tiger prawns or smoked salmon- but also healthy food with six Heart Foundation Pizzas. o Variety They both offer a broad choice from traditional to original taste (‘Asian touch’ for Crust). What seems an advantage for Crust over RBW, and pizza restaurant is that Crust customers can compose their own pizza, though a common doing in the pizza fast food industry. 2 Price Because it is not trying to be cheaper than or as affordable as its competitors, unlike RBW, Crust chooses a clear different position from its competitors. Crust gets a premium price based on the product differentiation. 3 Place The place for the first shops gives an indication on the position of the firm. While Crust established their first shop in a suburb where people may have more time to wait for a longer process, RBW had their first shop in a dynamic street, in the city and a close walk from its competitors. Also Crust developed a delivery service with as many ways as possible to make their product available to overcome their geographic limitation. 4 Process Due to their position as higher and fresh quality food, both of these companies need a longer processing time for their product, than its competitors. Though, Crust found a way to compensate. The preparation in view of the customers increases the interaction between the staff and the customers and is visually exciting. This tactic is a way of creating delight for customers. A good point for RBW is the ‘guest’ burger. The customer is invited to take part in the creation of menu items. 5 People People working for the company are important since they contribute to the image of the firm. Crust understood this well, they made it an important part of their plan. They provide training and management support for their franchises to preserve brand identity and so, the atmosphere of the first shop. On the contrary, RBW showed an mistake from the start, the first General Manager of the store had no experience in the fast food industry. 6 Physical evidence The look of the store conveys the marketing message of the firm. It has to be in adequation with what the firm claims to provide, that includes also the differentiation from their competitors. Crust chose distinctive colours and a high class decor just as a gourmet firm would do. It gives satisfaction to customers who would expect greater value. On the other hand, though they hired professionals to design their store, RBW appeared to have missed the upmarket look and ended up looking like any other burger shop. 7 Promotion By earning the Heart Foundation Tick of approval, they consolidated their image differentiation, got the media attention as a short term promotion but also undoubtedly a long term promotion through this kind of sponsorship. They also use radio, local papers, letterbox drops, and sponsorships. Those tactics are important to build a strong brand identity. Crust is omnipresent so that they stay in potential customer’s minds. They developed a Website to go along with the technology orientated society and targeted customers. The use of a reward card is a way of retaining profitable customers. Whereas in the case of RBW, it is appearing in a TV show, the firm benefited from a priceless mass promotion to make their brand known. Nonetheless, they didn’t sustain themselves to this level and came up with only short term promotion. Protesting in front of their competitor store can be regarded as a desperate move to attract customers. From the analysis of these parameters, we can say that Crust has a well more developed strategy than RBW. When RBW’s main (unique) advantage is the higher quality food, Crust has developed a more complex strategy around the higher quality and healthy food and the service cape, regarded as a key to success. ENVIRONMENT This section discusses external and internal factors affecting Crust’s and RBW’s business. Four factors were chosen to outline their success/failure – Demographic forces (macro), socio-cultural forces (macro), corporate culture (micro), and competitive environment (micro). Macroenvironment are fairly common to the two firms as Australia and UK have similar cultural background and economic level. The factors which led these two firms to contrastive results could be found in microenvironment. [pic] 1 Macroenviroment o Demographic forces Understanding the demographic environment is of great importance as it â€Å"involves people, and people make up markets (Kotler, Adam, Denize and Armstrong, 2009: pp. 89)†. Changes in household types are beneficial trend for fast-food industry. The important demographic trend for fast-food industry is changes in household types. Increased number of one person, childless couple households increases the demand for convenient, ready-to-eat meals. Dual-income families made quality food affordable. The two firms targeted those new-type households. o Socio-cultural forces Businesses exists within society, therefore businesses can be influenced by society. To keep up with social changes may provide businesses with competitive advantages. The increased health awareness in society led the changing trend in consumer preferences to better-taste, fresher fast-food which perceived as healthier. Crust and RBW met this consumer trend. Another socio-cultural force is the trend towards choice. Both firms dealt with this trend by offering broad range of menu. 2 Microenvironment o Corporate culture Strong corporate culture helps to develop strong brand because people, internal and external to the company, can share similar values. Strong brand equity enables businesses to establish firm customer base and brand royalty, which in turn give businesses long-term growth and profitability. Crust has a clear corporate culture of â€Å"personality driven† based on â€Å"professionalism†, â€Å"entrepreneurship† and â€Å"teamwork and partnership with stores and customers† (www. crust. com. au, 2010). This is expressed to customers through store presentation and service, which serves as physical evidence to the customers. On the other hand, RBW’s culture was based on co-founders’ friendship. The business built on friendship can be fallen into amateurism resulted in various operational problems, which could reduce customer satisfaction. o Competitive environment Fast-food industry is highly competitive market and the competition is complex. Players in the market have to compete with huge multinational organizations such as McDonald’s, Subway and Pizza Hut as well as thousands of local take-away stores. To provide greater customer value and satisfaction than competitors, strategic analysis of competitive environment is crucial for businesses. Crust identified a gap in the pizza market in Australia, and then develops the strategy to fit them into the gap. Differentiation against competitors is the key factor to be successful in competitive market. Reflecting the tough competitive environment, crust aims to grow slowly and steady through good relationships with the stores and the customers (www. crust. com. au, 2010). RBW didn’t take it seriously compared to Crust because RBW were confident with the products and believed that consumers choose them once they tried their burger. The location choice for the first store was made by financial reason rather than strategic point of view. This resulted in direct competition with established fast-food brands such as McDonald’s and Burger King. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR [pic] There is little difference between the fact that RBW and crust pizza are located in England and Australia respectively because both are industrialized nations and both are very similar culturally. As such, both are positively affected by the growing awareness of the benefits of healthier food, as well as an active desire for such food, especially in the age groups that both Crust and RBW caters to. There are three driving psychological influences on a customer to eat at crust pizza. The first is an aspirational one. The existing perception of high dining atering to educated, high earning professionals that crust has worked meticulously to build, and one of the results is that being seen to eat there is indicative of being a member of that particular demographic. [pic] Figure 3. Reasons for eating Fast Food http://shansenta. blogspot. com/2006_10_01 _archive. html The second influence is the imperative and willingness to pay for high quality food by the more discerning consumers. The third is one of safety, in the sense that crust delivers on time, with the correct pizza, in the same quality as in the store due to its specially made base. While the time take is longer, customers are satisfied as it is what they expect. RBW’s customers have different set of influences due to its geographical location in a less well off part of London where price is a significant factor. For the majority of consumers that frequent that particular part of London, the health benefits that RBW provided were not enough of an incentive to try the burgers. Also, it is the nature of burgers that they are quick. The reason for eating them is that it is a convenient way of eating and customers are unwilling to wait more than ten minutes for a burger that elsewhere they can get within one or two minutes. MARKET TARGETING & POSITIONING 1 Segmentation The basis of a long term marketing strategy, as well as the initial success of the business requires a target market to be identified and the business positioned satisfy the needs of the chosen market. |Crust Gourmet Pizza |Real Burger World | |Geographic segmentation |- Distributed around Australia ; NSW, ACT and |- Opened the first store in London in mid 2003 | | |Victoria – An expansion in |- Located in a street with other fast food stores| | |Singapore | | |Demographic Segmentation |- Targeting the age of 18-39 years old including|- Targeting the people with the age of 20-40 | | |families and high incomes including middle class|years old and high incomes | | |and upper class. Targeting | | | |consumers from diverse nationality | | |Psychographic Segmentation |- Targeting the people with a healthy lifestyle |- Targeting consumers with a healthy and busy | | | |lifestyle | |Behavioural Segmentation |- Targeting for the middle and upper class who |- Some of consumers would have negative attitudes| | |would have purchase occasions frequently |due to some failure on plans. | Table 2. Comparison of segmentation between Crust and RBW o Geographic Segmentation Most firms have national marketing programmes which adjust their products and promotions to satisfy the individual needs of geographic units. Geographic Segmentation can be the most important process which  brings to light  the  difference between the case of Crust and RBW. For Crust, it  is distributed in the main cities of Australia include d Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland and Victoria. The stores  are located in various suburbs. This implies two factors of geographic segmentation being region and population density. This  indicates a  greater opportunity  for the  success of  the company due to its location. On the other hand,  the first RBW store  was located in a street with other fast-food stores containing McDonald’s and Burger King. This evidently demonstrates that there is more competition and hence  the  potential of losing customers to  the other major food chains. RBW would be forced to compete against eminent and familiar  fast-food outlets. In this case, having just  launched their first outlet,  it would contribute to decreasing their earnings. o Demographic Segmentation The Crust has targeted  an age group ranging between 18-39 years of age. Additionally,  they are more likely focussing on middle and upper class demographics. We can assume that RBW also has targeted  a similar  demographic of consumers  to that of  the Crust. This can be classified  as demographic segmentation. Each business  targets a specific demographic that they feel the product or service would be most likely to attract. With that, the company will be able to set out its goals, marketing strategies and prices according to that chosen demographic. It clearly shows that both the Crust and RBW have targeted  appropriate level of consumers who would become big fans of the restaurant. In addition demographic factor is very influential on marketing strategy because consumer usage and needs are variable since each individual has different taste desires in  products depending on how old they are, what family life cycle they have or what occupation or income they have. o Psychographic Segmentation The Crust has an aim to change the perception of pizza from  that of a  cheap food to more of one that can be classified as a healthier choice. Accordingly, this will appeal to  those people who have a healthy lifestyle  or are conscious about their diet. This strategy  would lead to  further success in their business as not only will they be able to  maintain the number of existing customers,  they would also  be  attracting a new line of customers. For instance, through education and the media people are  increasingly gaining more awareness with regards to their diet and healthy living. With that in mind, the public will be less inclined to  eat unhealthily and would begin to focus  on maintaining a healthy diet. This  is a  clear indication  that people would  choose Crust rather than Dominos or Pizza Hut because of their marketing strategy. As well as in the case of RBW, they  have tried  to develop  the idea that burgers, if  served correct, can  be considered as  an extremely healthy  meal and not simply  another form of junk food. This also would appeal to  the public to  dine  at RBW as it appeals to the present values the public upholds. o Behavioural Segmentation One of the factors in behavioural Segmentation is purchase occasion. In the case of both Crust and RBW, they have targeted  a demographic of  high income earners  and this has  lead to  an escalating  chance  of increasing their earnings. Since pizzas and burgers are the most favorable food for parties, gatherings and meals,  the public is guaranteed  to purchase these foods on a frequent basis. But consumers may have different attitudes towards Crust and RBW. The Crust has been well-known as a  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœpersonality driven culture’ whereas the RBW has negative aspects associated with their food chain  since they failed with some launch tactics such as brochure handouts and a free burger day. With knowledge of such aspects, the public will most likely respond accordingly and think twice about RBW and it's few slip-ups. 2 Target market For target market there are several different strategies ; undifferentiated marketing, differentiated marketing and concentrated marketing. Firstly, undifferentiated marketing is to ignore the specific market segments and approach the whole market with one market offer. Secondly, differentiated marketing is a marketing that determines to target several market segments and design separate offers for each. Lastly, concentrated marketing is choosing one large market or few submarkets. It clearly shows that both Crust and RWB are concentrated marketers since concentrated marketing provides a means  for small firms to compete against other larger companies and to gain a foothold in the food industry. 3 Market positioning Market positioning is the final part of step, involving developing a positioning for the target market, followed by the marketing mix. Crust pizza positioned their stores to be attractive to the market outlined. The relatively high price per pizza reflects their positioning as a gourmet pizza restaurant, though offering delivery services as well to expand the reach of their business. The restraint ambiance and staff trained in customer service helps differentiate Crust as a higher class of dining than its competitors. It’s certification by the national heart foundation also gives proof to its claims of healthy pizza, swaying those skeptical of those marketing gimmicks and again differentiating it from competitors. RBW however, positioned both physically and otherwise to be in direct competition with existing fast food outlets. Located in a part of London where price is the defining factor, it is similar in price to McDonalds, contradicting its projected image of gourmet burgers. Customers have also commented that the shop feels similar to burger king, losing the perception of healthy food, and thus customers. Unlike crust, it’s burgers are not certified as healthy, though it’s stating of nutritional values of its burgers is a positive move, similar actions by McDonalds and other fast food outlets dilutes the impact of that move. Had it gone with its initial location at a more high priced part of London, the outcome may be very different. CONCLUSION In conclusion, there are a number of factors that determine the success or failure of a business such as those of a gourmet fast food such as RBW and Crust pizza. These factors range from the elements in the marketing strategy to the target market and market positioning, both planned and execution. The importance of these factors can be illustrated by the difference between Crust Pizza and RBW, given the similarity of their environmental and cultural factors. It is RBW’s failure to understand the nature of their product and the behavior and influences on their customers that lead to RBW’s eventual downfall. Crust pizza, on the other hand, well understood these factors and created an appropriate strategy and focused on the correct target market to claim success. References INTERNET Crust website, http://www. crust. com. au/ Momentary Musings, http://shansenta. blogspot. com/2006_10_01_archive. html Wikinvest, http://www. wikinvest. com/stock/Wendy%27s_International_%28WEN%29 BOOK Kotler P, Adam, S, Denize S, & Armstrong, G. , 2009,. Principles of Marketing, 4th ed, Pearson Education. Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW ———————– Figure1. Market shares of the Major Players in the Fast Food Industry http://www. wikinvest. com/stock/Wendy%27s_International_%28WEN%29 Figure2. Pie chart of Consumer behaviour on Frequency of Fast Food http://shansenta. blogspot. com/2006_10_01_archive. html

Mr Alex

Human science fragments everything In order to understand It, kills everything In order to examine It. † (Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace)l There has always existed the question whether human sciences are considered real sciences and if do they really follow the established guidelines of science. The argument is that the natural sciences take a different approach to results and have a strong dependence on the observer. This is due to the fact, that in some cases human sciences have to take into account concepts, which are hard to measure like peppiness or love.Likewise, the background knowledge and empathy of the observer affect the results of the experiment. When talking about human sciences is important to highlight that they don't prove a theory, as there is no 100% certainty in any of the experiments. They only add information to the understanding of a topic or concept. To further develop my argument that states that Human sciences are scientific, the Boob Doll Experiment will b e analyses to develop this claim. The Boob Doll Experiment was presented by Albert Bandeau to help prove his belief hat all human behavior was learned through copying and imitating, rather than through genetic factors.This experiment is still controversial to this day, as many debaters state that today's globalize society that promotes violence. Therefore children are more prone to violent behavior than in other generations. Dry. Albert Bandeau used children on his experiment, as they have less knowledge on rules of society and less prone on behaving as the society think is right. He had four hypotheses; the first one was that children witnessing aggressive behavior by adults loud replicate their actions even if adults were not nearby.The second one states that children who have observed non-aggressive behavior are less likely to be violent. Even less than the control group, who have not even seen an adult. (Role Model) The third one proposes that children are more susceptible to co py the actions of an adult of the same-sex. The last one suggested that male children would be more aggressive than the opposite sex. Ii The Experiment had a simple and clearly stated Dependent Variable and Independent Variable. Also it had a Control Group used as comparison with the other woo groups, the one with aggressive and peaceful adults.Moreover the experiment can be repeated to add up and compare the information; this is a scientific quality that complies with the scientific theory. Another Important aspect to take into account Is that each of the subjects was tested Individually to avoid other Individuals affecting the reactions of the subject. Ill On the other hand, the experiment had some clear flaws. For example It generalizes the results as Just a few children were part of the experiment, so the sample is very narrow and specific.

Hawk Roosting Unseen Poetry Essay

Hawk Roosting Unseen Poetry Essay Hawk Roosting Unseen Poetry Essay `Hawk Roosting` Unseen Poetry Essay This essay will discuss and explain certain techniques Ted Hughes uses, such as personification, in his poem `Hawk Roosting`. To add to this, it will also discuss and try to elaborate upon how this poem is structured and how the way that it is written contributes towards the effect of the poem upon the reader. A main technique that Ted Hughes uses in this poem is personification. There are many examples of this throughout the poem, one of them being `my eyes closed`. This is taken from the second half of the first line of the poem. This is a clear example of personification as it is written in the first person. The word `my` shows this. To add to this, Ted Hughes, in many places puts a pronoun in the first person directly before a part of the body. For example `my hooked head` or `My feet` are both instances where this particular technique within the broad technique of personification is used. The fact that the author includes body parts which are only from the human body makes the hawk seem even more human. If Ted Hughes had written about body parts such as talons or claws, it would have made the creature less human as humans do not have talons or claws. The use of personification also makes the hawk seem very ignorant as if it was in charge. This is so, by the repetitive use of the words `I` and `Me`. Through the duration of the poem the readers are always reminded that the fowl is in charge and can do what it wants. An example of this would be `I kill where I please because it is all mine.` This shows that the hawk thinks that he is in charge, not only through the use of the word `I` but the fact that he says `it is all mine.` Another word which shows this is the word `inspection`. This word is located in the final line of the second stanza. Generally, inspectors are people with quite a high rank as they get to see whether everything is to their liking or not. In other words, they are utterly in charge, and because the hawk is, in this case, comparing itself to an inspector, it again shows that he thinks of himself very highly and that he also thinks that he is totally in charge of everything. The hawk has a slight oxymoronic value to itself aswell, as it says `My manners are tearing off heads`. This is oxymoronic as manners are associated with good things such as saying please and thank you. In this case, the oxymoronic bird thinks of manners in a totally different way. `Tearing off heads` is obviously a bad thing to do, but this hawk associates `tearing off heads` with `manners` when the two words totally contrast. This also again goes back to the point about the hawk being in charge of everything as it is `tearing off heads` and there is no one or nothing which will go in the hawk`s way, and try to prevent it from doing so. In this poem, Ted Hughes makes nature is brutal: it ‘kills’ and ‘eats’. What’s slightly disturbing is that the hawk views these as ‘perfect’ and ‘rehearses them’. This almost gives the feel of a psychopath, yet he is only fulfilling his natural function. The repetition of ‘hookedâ€℠¢ from his head to his feet creates a feel of being captured, evoking his sharp, deadly beak and claws. These are the parts that the hawk emphasizes when he describes himself. The hawk deals in ‘death’. Ted Hughes uses the metaphor of the bird flying directly ‘through the bones of the living’. The uneasy juxtaposition of bones with living creates an unsettling effect, and makes the bird seem almost supernaturally powerful: as if he exists beyond this one moment in time. The hawk lists natural features: ‘sun’, ‘air’ and the ‘tree’, which he thinks exist only in as much as they are of ‘advantage to me’. He also says it took ‘the whole of Creation’ to produce his ‘feather’ and ‘foot’: the juxtaposition of something so huge and old, and biblical against a tiny foot/feather, shows how magnificent the bird thinks he is: as if he is the reason creation exists. This is interesting because it

Advance Diploma Hospitality of Management

The budget analysis of the hotel is based on existing budget report and the proposed budgets for improvement are shown below as follows: The present budget estimation has total expenditure of $67000. The cost of the various item such as Accommodation, Equipment, Food/Catering, Recreational Hall, Round tables with chairs, Lights on the last day for music carnival, Small stage for speeches and individual performance, small bouquets and transportation facilities provide to the customers comprises of the various costing components in the financial budgeting procedure. It has been observed that the rooms with single bed will cost $200 per night. The total cost for the required 30 beds have been observed as $16000. The equipments required such as projectors, microphones and sound system has further requirements of $2800. The food and catering cost is $19000. These costs include the food which is given in the menu list, dietary requirements and room service related costs. The recreation hall further needs an accommodation capacity of 200 people. This cost has been estimated to be $ 9000. The cost related to the tables and chairs has been estimated to be $ 10000.These items include 15 tables, consisting of 11 table and ten chairs. The expenses of the lighting charges for the purpose of last day celebration on the occasion of carnival and musical night are estimated to be $ 6950. The small stage setup for the purpose of speech and performance of the individual members has been observed as $1900. This particular cost is based on the area of the stage wh ich is 5x7 meters. The cost for the purpose of floral decoration has been observed AS $1700. The several cost components for this purpose includes entry decoration, stage decoration and decoration in the centers and buffet. The costs for 28 small bouquets have been observed as $1850. This component includes selection of the bouquets of orange, red and white color of flowers. The transport of the passengers of the cost has been estimated as $ 49000. This cost includes the cost involved in taking the guest for the purpose of sightseeing. The cost for the aforementioned items has been observed as $57000. This shows that as the budget of the company is $67000 the company will earn a profit of $ 10,000.  Ã‚   The recommended budget has been suggested to the International Hotel Group for the purpose of improving the present budget activities and increasing the profit aspect of the company. According to the revised budget the accommodation charges for the rooms with single beds has been estimated to be $ 9000 as the cost 30 bed has been considered as $300 per night. The equipment charges related to the projectors, microphones and sound system has been reduced to $ 1000. Based on the revised budget the cost related to the food and catering business has been reduced to $ 5040. The cost of the recreation hall has been observed as $8570. The costs related to the round tables with chairs have been further reduced to $1050. The cost of the small stage for the purpose of speech and individual performance has been reduced to $ 580. The cost associated with the floral decorations has been reduced to $640. The cost of the 28 small bouquets of various colors has been further reduced down from $ 1850 t o $ 560. The transportation cost of the passengers has been brought down from $ 4900 to $ 550. Based on the above discussed cases it has been observes that the present cost of the related items of the Hotel is $30010. Based on the estimated total budget aspect the total profit after the revised budget report has been observed as $ 36990. This shows an increase of more than $ 26000 than the existing budget. The various cost drivers associated has been changed on the basis of prioritizing the importance of the cost component based on the individual activities. For example previous provision of the deluxe rooms in the expected budget has been reduced by providing standard rooms. The cost of the flower decoration has been reduced from the previous estimation of $ 1700 to $ 640. This reduction has been done by considering inferior quality of flowering rather than including superior set of flower in the previous set of budget report. Due to the similar reason the price the small bouquets has also been reduced in compare to the existing budget.   It can observe that of the recrear5ion hall has been reduced to a great extent as the charge of recreational hall is more or less fixed in nature. The comparison of the budget report shows that the cost of $ 9000 has been reduced to only $ 8570 in the new budget proposal. Hence we can see that on the basis of new budget, the company is able to increase the profit amount by more than 40%.  Ã‚   Fatahi, S., Nozari, S.M. and Nejad, M.J., 2014. An investigation of the Impact of Performance Audit on Improving the Productivity of (Financial and Budget) Public Sector Capital Resources. Advances in Environmental Biology, pp.512-522. Keating, S.B., 2014. Financial Support and Budget planning for Curriculum Development or Revision. Curriculum Development and Evaluation in Nursing, p.169. SHAN, B. and CAI, J., 2013. Development of Executive Control System of Financial Budget Based on Web in Vocational Colleges [J]. Journal of Tianjin Vocational Institutes, 4, p.022.   Wei, F., 2015. Research on Financial Budget Performance Audit Platform Construction By Information System.

Why I chose the engineering major Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why I chose the engineering major - Essay Example antastic gifts such as cars and airplanes from my parents.I always had a deep affection of cars and airplanes as I thought that they were funy and they can move so much faster than human beings. On top of that, airplanes could also fly because they have wings. As I grew older, I realized that many things could be demystified by science hence my keen interest especially in engineering. Since middle school, I became more interested in computers. Whenever my father was fixing computers, I always carefully watched him. We own three sets of DIY computers and I helped him assemble one of the computers another day. I later assembled the third computer on my own and the feeling of this accomplishment was overwhelming and has since been inspirational. Through assembling computer parts, I learned a great deal of placements of the components and their uses. Since high school, I did voluntary service at MSKCC and Weill Cornell Medical College where I was introduced to different types of fascinating equipment like the confocal microscope, flow cytometry, PO2 measurement robots and so on. This experience aroused my keen interest in pursuing a career in the field of engineering. It is against this background that I would wish to apply for a place to study the College of Engineering at Cornell, which has a very fine reputation in the engineering community. Its engineering programs were recently ranked among the top seven in the nation, while its engineering physics program was ranked number one. My comprehensive curriculum at high school would help me prepare for the challenging courses that will be offered at Cornell. In junior year at Stuyvesant High School, I took AP BC Calculus, AP Physics B and right now I am taking AP physics C and AP chemistry. My average is a 4.0 and I also took SAT II physics and Math Level 2, which I got 760 and 800 respectively. All these academic achievements bear testimony in my self determination in pursuing an engineering career. Basically, I