PILOT STUDY PROTOCOL ON POLICY THAT PROMOTE OR FACILITATE OBESITY AND Coursework

PILOT STUDY PROTOCOL ON POLICY THAT PROMOTE OR FACILITATE OBESITY AND POVERTY WITH IT'S ASSOCIATED DISEASE DIABETES 2 - Coursework Example en poverty, obesity and diabetes 2; many of the people diagnosed with obesity and diabetes 2 are Native Americans, blacks and Hispanics, where rate of obesity reaches upto 70%, and this has been accredited to their deprived economic conditions. Obesity and diabetes are among the vigorously growing health problems faced by Americans. The prevalence in obesity rates has caused massive cases of diabetes 2 which in turn causes amputations, hypertension and blindness, and also increases chances of developing depression, cancer, heart disease, asthma, immobility and arthritis. Allowing the current rates of poverty and obesity to continue increasing implies that America will be trailing on a perilous track. Moreover, the obesity endemic, if left unimpeded, will contravene the substantial progress made in life expectancy and health in the recent decades (Klein et al., 2004). Certainly, if current and future generations are to live longer, healthy and exciting lives, this cosmic problem must be contained through effective policy formulation and implementation. Obesity costs the nation over $160 billion in direct therapeutic costs every year. Estimates indicate that yearly medical expenditures can be plummeted by between 7-12% if the government succeeds to eradicate obesity and diabetes 2 (Levine, 2011). Additionally, through Medicare and Medicaid, a substantial fraction of this cost is financed by assiduous taxpayers and this affects both federal and state budgets and significantly hinders meaningful economic development. It is too costly to overlook the skyrocketing premature deaths resulting from obesity and obesity-associated chronic diseases. Consequently, this pilot study seeks to explore the state government’s roles in regulating the two lethal epidemics. It will seek to explore whether the policies of developing EMR system that back diabetes prevention, guaranteeing parity of mental and physical health services, promoting active lifestyles, increasing Medicaid

Should Companies That Fire Shoot First Essay Example for Free

Should Companies That Fire Shoot First Essay Abstract Blogging and tweeting on social media websites have pros and cons for an organization. Companies utilize blogs in order to promote their products and services along with relaying information about the company to the general public. Employers often encourage their employees to participate in various forms of social media. However, management should be aware of the risks and impact to the company’s reputation should the employee publish something that puts the company is a negative light. Keywords: blogging, social media, reputation Tesla CEO Elon Musk was right when he blogged about impending layoffs just before announcing them to company employees Blogging and tweeting can have both positive and negative impacts on the image and reputation of a company. The use of social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, allow employers to encourage their employees to participate in blogs in an effort to promote their brand. Some companies even use these websites as a tool to publicize the operations of the organization. By establishing and maintaining their own company website and blog, businesses are able to control the messages, both positive and negative, that are posted. (Dealbook, 2008) In an effort to intercept negative posts from the media and disgruntled employees, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced on the company’s website blog that in order to maintain positive cash flow, the organization will layoff a significant amount of its workforce. The focus of the company will be developing and improving its product line while ensuring sufficient capital. Elon Musk stated that â€Å"we had to say something to prevent articles being written that were not accurate.† (All, 2008) Cake Financial, an investing advice company, published on their company blog immediately after reducing its workforce  that it was an â€Å"extremely sad day for all of us who have to say goodbye to a group of great people.† (Dealbook, 2008) The company’s CEO, Stephen Carpenter, had drafted the blog and waited until after personally speaking with the employees before publishing the post. Carpenter wanted to make sure that there were no discrepancies as to what and why the layoffs happened. In a statement to the New York Times, Carpenter stated that â€Å"our whole company is built on the idea of transparency in investing, so that was a reason why it was important for us to do it.† (Motivateandinspire, 2009) Employees responsibility when blogging about their company Employees have a responsibility to be careful about what they publish on social media websites about their company. Privacy laws and regulations related to internet use vary by state. Depending on the nature of the content, the employee could be possibly incriminating him/herself by disclosing private information. From an employer standpoint, employee blogging could negatively impact the reputation of the business if the appropriate policies and procedures are not in place. The employer may also be at risk if the employee publishes information relating to trade secrets, financial issues, or other business related matters. (Welch Shiff) Employees should be careful if they publish negative comments about their employer, its customers, and its vendors. Employers typically have zero tolerance with this type of behavior as it can be considered a form of harassment in which the company may subject to legal ramifications (Victor, 2013) The employee risks losing their job and tainting their reputation within the workplace, which may lead to difficulty in obtaining and retaining future employment. The entertainment industry has taken advantage of the posts made on social media blogs. For example, radio stations in the Boston area make prank phone calls on the air referencing previously posted, negative comments regarding clients. The radio personality will reference the content of the blog in an effort to scare or provoke the person being pranked. While these skits may seem comical to the station listener, the effects of the actual prank call may cause harm to a company or an individual. Employees who blog about their companies do not have an ethical  responsibility to disclose their identities Employees posting comments about their employer online do not need to display their name. When employees publish positive comments about their company and its culture, others may ignore the remarks as they may consider the opinions biased. If the employee publishes their name in association with the company, the prospective customer may feel overwhelmed and smothered by knowing the same person is using social media, in addition to traditional methods of advertising, to sell their product or service. On the contrary, when employees publish negative comments about their employer, it make spark a wave of unwanted publicity for the company. Developing a policy for handling communication of sensitive issues, inside and outside, the company Deleting or retracting online posts that have been published can be impossible. Therefore, companies should develop an internet policy for handling communication of sensitive issues both inside and outside the organization. While the company may want employees to express themselves, guidelines should be established. Some of the areas that need to be addressed in a formal, written policy include: (Guerin) a. Personal use and abuse of company property and resources b. Appropriate use of organizations name c. Applicability of existing company policies i. Harassment – inappropriate comments ii. Privacy – disclosing confidential information/trade secrets/financial information/falsifying data/using company logos/using company name to promote products Employers may want to consult with an attorney or human resource specialist in order to ensure that they develop an internet policy that will help to prevent any negative public relations regarding the company and its products and services. Conclusion Since social media is becoming an essential part of the business world, companies should invest in learning about the rewards and consequences of using this source. By obtaining an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages, the company will be more equipped in handling negative (as  well as positive) public relations and have a plan for damage control for repairing their tarnished reputation. References Blogging the Layoff. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/blogs/all/blogging-the-layoff/?cs=11727 Employee Posts on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and Blogs | Nolo.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/employee-posts-facebook-myspace-twitter-32954.html The Layoffs Will Be Blogged. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/in-era-of-blog-sniping-companies-shoot-first/?_php=true_type=blogs_r=0 Newest blog topic from CEOs: Layoffs | Article | Link Grabber | Leadership training, management skills, employee motivation: ManageBetter.biz. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.motivateandinspire.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=04BF7B8C765E455DA06A7B6781ED0847nm=Link Grabbertype=Publishingmod=Publications::Articlemid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791tier=4id=7C0FA76B4F4A4E53B4D97C3A4B2487ECAudID=AA83ED248A3241A5AE080E2B6DED1F5F Off-the-clock Harassment Can be Costly: What Emplo yers Need to Know. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.gshllp.com/60-second-memos/off-the-clock-harassment-can-be-costly-what-employers-need-to-know Tesla Motors replaces CEO, plans layoff CNET. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2014, from http://www.cnet.com/news/tesla-motors-replaces-ceo-plans-layoff/ The rules of company blogging: Avoiding employee misuse and abuse. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.thehrspecialist.com/11584/The_rules_of_company_blogging_Avoiding_employee_misuse_and_abuse.hr?cat=sub_cat=

The Strategy of Setting Price for Products and Services

The Strategy of Setting Price for Products and Services Introduction Pricing is a basic and interesting topic in the business. This paper will be described the strategy of setting prices for products and services; especially it will focus on one specific strategy called price discrimination, which is to charge different prices to different customers for the same or similar product and service. Price discrimination is one of the most effective strategy to maximize a company’s profits when compared with a single pricing. However, it represents a transfer of value from consumers to companies and people may argue it benefits less to customers than to companies. In the following, three types of price discrimination will be described, and real examples will be used to illustrate them. The advantages and disadvantages of price discrimination as well as its benefit to consumers and society will be discussed. The first type of price discrimination The first type of price discrimination is based on two concepts: reservation price and consumer surplus. For a product and service, the reservation price is defined as the maximum price that a customer is willing to pay (Pindyck Rubinfeld, 2001, p.371), and the consumer surplus is difference between the reservation price and the price the consumer actually pays (Hubbard OBrien, 2012, p.98). The goal of the first type of price discrimination is to capture the consumer surplus and turn it into its profit for a company. For example, a tea shop sells a good brand of tea. For a cup of the tea, the competitive price (offered by many competitive suppliers) and the monopoly price (offered by few dominant suppliers) are $3.50 and $4 respectively. It is supposed that there are three customers to buy the tea, and the reservation price of these three customers are $6, $5 and $3.5 respectively. Based on the competitive market price ($3.5), their consumer surplus would be $2.5, $1.5 and $0 respectively. By using the first type of discrimination, the tea shop can ask different prices to these three customers which is $6, $5 and $3.5. By doing so the shop will sell three cups of the tea, and all consumer surplus ($4) would be captured. However, if the shop sets a single price $4, then it can only sell two cups of tea, and the third customer would be eliminated from service. Therefore, not only the profit is reduced but also the number of customers served is reduced as well. Although it sounds great that a company can increase their profits and the quantity of products sold as well as the number of customers serviced, in practice it is hard to conduct. There are two reasons: first, it is difficult to know each customer’s reservation price; second, in order to know customer’s reservation price, companies need a lot of efforts in marketing research and investigation, which adds extra cost to the product and then reduces the product’s profit. Therefore, it is more suitable for some professional people such as dentists, lawyers and accountants, as they know their customers relatively well. For example, a lawyer may offer a reduced service fee to low-income client, but may charge a higher service fee to upper-income clients as they have the ability to pay. The possible problem is some customers who pay higher price may object price discrimination and argue that it represents a transfer of consumer surplus from customers to companies, whic h benefits less to customers than to companies such resulting an unfairness to rich people. The second type of price discrimination A company can discriminate prices according to the quantity purchased. The practice of setting different prices per unit for different quantities is called the second type of price discrimination or â€Å"block† pricing (Pindyck Rubinfeld, 2001, p.374). There are many companies who use this type of price discrimination such as grocery stores, suppliers of electricity, water and natural gas. For example, for electric power, consumers are charged different price per kilowatt depending on the quantity consumed. It’s usual, as an instance, the first 100 kilowatts of electricity consumed are charged at a higher rate, and after the first 100 kilowatts, consumers are charged at a lower rate per kilowatt. This price strategy allows a company to convert part of consumer surplus into producer’s profit, and at mean time it increases the product’s quantities sold and the number of consumers served. Even though it has greater benefit to the company, it cannot be widely used in some business regions or areas. For examples, in China, it has huge population but limited water and power resources, so single pricing for power and water would be more suitable than price discrimination. The price discrimination may encourage people to use more power and water; such may result in resources shortage and air pollution, and eventually may damage the environment. Therefore, price discrimination should be applied under conditions, and only if it is used correctly, then it would create positive impact on the environment and society. The third type of price discrimination Third-degree price discrimination is based on two steps: dividing consumers into two or more groups and charging different prices to each group (Pindyck Rubinfeld, 2001, p.376). One group may have the ability to pay a higher price such as upper-income customers; another group may only be able to pay a lower price such as students and seniors. Companies also would charge customers a higher price if the customers’ demand for it is inelastic such as a service is urgent and it must be done immediately, and charge other customers a lower price if their demand for the service is elastic. This strategy may cause price competition among suppliers to offer discount to different groups, such competition may result in lower price for products. If it is used by few suppliers in some period of time, then it may encourage consumers to buy more products. However, if it is used from wide range of suppliers over long period of time, then it may make the product permanently reduce price, and s ome companies may have difficulty to get profits. To practice this type of price discrimination companies often set prices based on the consumers’ occupation, age, income, preference, time of use. Some of them will be discussed in the following: (a) Based on occupation and income: Hubbard and OBrien (2012) noted, â€Å"In mid-2009, Apple was selling an iMac desktop with a 24-inch display †¦for $1,499† to general public, â€Å"but university students and faculty members could buy the same computer from Apple for $1,399† (p.498). In this example, apple assumed the manufacturing cost of a computer is $400, so selling one iMac to university user would get profit $999, and selling one iMac to general user would get profit $1,099. In that period Apple sold 20,000 iMac to university users and 30,500 computers to general public users. The total profit from these sales is $53,499,500 ($999*20,000 + $1,099*30,500). However, if Apple used a single pricing, and if it also charged $1,399 in the general public market, it would sell 32,500 iMac (Hubbard OBrien, 2012, p.499), and then the profit from these sales would become $52,447,500 ($999*20,000 + $999*32,500). The difference of the profit made between using price di scrimination and setting single pricing is $1,052,000 ($53,499,500 $52,447,500). This example shows this strategy increased Apple’s profit. However, from another point of view that the total iMac sold was reduced from 52,500 (single price) to 50,500 (price discrimination), price discrimination reduced the number of products made/sold, and in turn it may influence the number of people employed and also may generate negative effect on the society. (b) Based on preference and time: one example is that early adopters of new products would pay a higher price, such as new type cell phones, new books, new released music DVDs. Airlines usually charge ticket differently according to time. During the holiday such as Christmas and New Year, the tickets price is normally higher than other times. Customers sometimes are argue that the airline gets extra profit by exaction of customer’s surplus and leaves very little to customers. Conclusions This paper provides analysis on three types of price discrimination. Price discrimination is one of the most effective strategy to maximize a company’s profit when it is compared with a single pricing for the products and services. All three types of price discrimination raise a company’s profit, and they all have both positive and negative effect on the society. I personally think that price discrimination is a reality and it is acceptable to many customers in most situations. It exists in our daily life, and it is used widely in various industries. References Aguirre, I., Cowan, S., Vickers, J. (2010, September). Monopoly price discrimination and demand curvature. The American Economic Review, 100(4), 1601-1615. doi: 10.1257/aer.100.4.1601 Armstrong, M. (2006, October). Price discrimination. Retrieved from http://else.econ.ucl.ac.uk/papers/uploaded/222.pdf Hubbard, R. G., OBrien, A. P. (2012). Microeconomics (4th edition). Prentice Hall. Pettinger, T. (2013, March 6). Examples of price discrimination. Retrieved from http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/7042/economics/examples-of-price-discrimination/ Pindyck, R. S., Rubinfeld, D. L. (2001). Microeconomics (5th edition). Prentice Hall. Round, D. K., McIver, R. P. (2006, Spring). Teaching third-degree price discrimination. The Journal of Economic Education, 37(2), 236-243. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30042708 Shmanske, S. (1991). Price discrimination and monopolistic competition. Studies in Economics and Finance, 14(1), 25-48. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/eb028698

Christianity in The Grapes Of Wrath :: John Steinbeck

The novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck has many themes, but one theme the story is centralized around is the role of Christianity. The role of Christianity in The Grapes of Wrath is what allows the people to keep going during the times of the Great Depression. Without religion, the families in the novel would have simply given up all faith and hope. Like many events in the novel, many characters in Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath symbolize the theme of Christianity. The most obvious character would be that of Jim Casy. Jim Casy was previously a preacher, but he gave up preaching because he felt he had sinned. He travels with the Joad family on their journey to California, and although he insists that he has given up his counseling past, he continues to act as a preacher for the Joad family. Although the other characters in the novel symbolizing religious acts are not main characters, they do play an important role in the thread of the theme. An example of such a character would be the woman that shows up when Grandma is dying. The woman, who Ma refers to as a "Jehovite" is dressed all in black, the skin on her face sagging, and she has loose lips that hang over her teeth. She expresses to Ma and Rose of Sharon that they should pray for Grandma, and that they should have faith to move on. Steinbeck introduces this woman to the readers to symbolize death and the ability to move on in peace. Events such as the strange woman appearing before Grandma's death and Jim Casy's preaching reinforce the purpose of religion for the migrating poor in the novel of The Grapes of Wrath. Religion allows the migrating poor to continue their journey to a "better" life. Throughout the novel the people, such as the Joad family, encounter many hardships. Several other families who have already been to California, in search of the same "paradise" the Joad's are in search of, found exactly the opposite. The Joad's are advised of this problem, but because of their hope and faith that they will find the work they need, they continue on. Without religion, the migrating poor would not be able to keep on their way. Religion and Christianity do more helping than hindering for the migrating families.

The American Era

The American Era Historical Background * The Filipino revolutionists won against the Spaniards who colonized us for more than 300 years. * The Fil-American war resulted in the defeat of Gen. Miguel Malvar in 1903. * The American Rule was influenced by two factors: 1. ) EDUCATION- many were given a chance to study and English was used as the medium of instruction. 2. WRITERS- went through stages of development to acquire enough proficiency in the new language – imitative of the style and the subject matters of the American and European authors * Filipino writers went into all forms of literature like news, reporting, poetry, stories, plays, essays, novels, etc. Their writings clearly depicted their love of country and their longings for independence. * Imitation soon faded, writers began to turn to: native ideas and circumstances- inspiration for their writings.Movement Against the U. S. Colonialism * the printing press was used to block the American culture from entering the P hilippine lifestyle * Newspapers in our different dialects flourished all over the archipelago. * *Writers were given the chance to show and prove the true talent of the Filipinos * *Writers during these period drew ideas from the Propaganda Movement and the Revolutionary Characteristics of Literature During American Regime Three groups of writers contributed to Philippine Literature during this period. * Literature in Spanish The inspiration of Filipino writers in Spanish was Rizal. * Rizal’s two novels (Noli and Fili) contained the best qualities of a novel ever written, in English or in Filipino. * Those who were inspired to write in praise of Rizal were Cecilio Apostol, Fernando Ma. Guerrero, Jesus Balmori, Manuel Bernabe, Claro M. Recto, etc. Example: by Manuel Bernabe Recodar! Ay del alma que recuerde! la quiebra que ha sufrido la ilusion la memoria es la fiera que nos muerde el pobre Corazon English translation: To remember! Poor soul that recordsThe sufferings you und erwent in illusion Memory is the fire that snared My poor heart. * Literature in Tagalog * Florante at Laura of Francisco Balagtas and Urbana at Felisa of Modesto de Castro became the inspiration of the Tagalog writers. * The advent of American period includes (1)Tagalog Drama (2)Tagalog Short Story (3)Tagalog Poetry * Julian Cruz Balmaceda classified three kinds of Tagalog poets. They were: * Poet of the Heart (Makata ng Puso) * Poets of Life (Makata ng Buhay) * Poets of the Stage (Makata ng Tanghalan) * Literature in English We can trace the beginnings of Philippine literature in English with the coming of the Americans thus, this period is divided into three time frames, namely: * The Period of Re-orientation: 1898-1910 * By 1900, English came to be used as a medium of instruction in the public schools. From the American forces were recruited the first teachers of English. * By 1908, the primary and intermediate grades were using English. It was also about this time when UP, the forerunner in the use of English in higher education, was founded. Writers of this period were still adjusting to the newfound freedom after the paralyzing effect of repression of thought and speech under the Spanish regime. * The Period of Imitation: 1910-1925 * By 1919, the UP College Folio published the literary compositions of the first Filipino writers in English. They were the pioneers of in short story writing. * They were then groping their way into imitating American and British models which resulted in a stilted, artificial and unnatural style, lacking vitality and spontaneity. * Writers of this folio included Fernando Maramag, Juan F. Salazar, Jose M.Hernandez, Vicente del Fierro and Francisco Tonogbanua. * The Period of Self-Discovery: 1925-1941 * By this time, Filipino writers had acquired the mastery of English writing. * They now confidently and competently wrote on a lot of subjects although the old-time favorites of love and youth persisted. * They went into all for ms of writings like the novel and the drama. Other Forms of Literature * Ilocano Literature * Pedro Bukaneg: Father of Ilocano Literature. His name was derived from the word Bukaneg meaning Balagtasan. * Claro Caluya: Prince of Ilocano Poets. Known as poet and novelist. Leon Pichay: known as the best Bukanegero (from Bukaneg). Also a poet, novelist, short story writer, dramatist and essayist. * Literature of the Kapampangans (Pampango Literature) * Juan Crisostomo Soto: (Father of Kapampangan Literature). The word CRISOTAN (meaning Balagtasan) in Tagalog is taken from his name. * Aurelio Tolentino: He truly proved his being a Kapampangan in his translation of KAHAPON, NGAYON AT BUKAS into Kapampangan which he called NAPON, NGENI AT BUKAS. * Visayan Literature * Eribert Gumban: (Father of Visayan Literature) He wrote a zarzuela, a moro-moro and a play in Visayan. Magdalena Jalandoni: She devoted her talent to the novel. She wrote ANG MGA TUNUK SAN ISA CA BULACLAC. LITERARY GENRES POE TRY * Written in 3 languges (Filipino, Spanish, English and in the different dialects) * Some known poets were: Maximo KalawPaz Marquez Benitez Carlos P. RomuloMaria Agoncillo Carlos Bulosan Salvador P. Lopez * There were three collection of poems printed, namely: * Filipino Poetry edited by Rodolfo Dato * The English German Anthology of Poets edited by Pablo Laslo * a pre-war collection by Carlos Bulosan ESSAYS Essays during this period improved with years in quality and quantity, in content, in subject and style. * The notable writers of essay during this period were: * Political, social reflective essays * Critical essays * Personal or Familiar essays * The notable writers of essay during this period were: * 1940: Salvador P. Lopez’ Literature and Society * 1940: Camilo Osias – The Filipino Way of Life * 1941: F. B. Icasiano (Mang Kiko) were reprints of the best of Icasiano’s essays in the Sunday Times Magazine under the column From My Nipa Hut. SHORT STORY S hort stories in English of early Filipino fictionists are marked with American style * changed with the founding of the UP Writers Club (1926) whose aim was to enhance and propagate the â€Å"language of Shakespeare† * â€Å"Dead Stars† by Paz Marquez Benitez- was made the landmark of the maturity of the Filipino writer in English * Many writers followed Benitez like: Icasiano Calalang Manuel Arguilla Arturo Rotor * Paz Latorena *STARTED PUBLISHING STORIES MANIFESTING SKILLS IN THEUSE OF THEFORIEGN LANGUAGE & AKEEN FILIPINO SENSIBILITY * The combination of the foreign language and the culture of a Filipino enabled fictionists to roduce great literary works * The public can now relate to the story because the public also experiences what the story has to say and they can now understand the language being used by the writer. Works like: * His Native Soil by Juan C. Laya * How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife by Manuel Arguilla * many other stories which depicted the F ilipino life NOVEL * With the founding of the Philippine Writers League in 1936, Filipino writers began discussing the value of literature in the society they lived in. * this move was led by: Salvador P.Lopez whose works centered on proletarian literature * Other novelists of this period are: * Jose Garcia Villa * Francisco Arellana * Fernando Maria Guerrero * Amador Daguio * Sinai Hamada * Ilokano novelists: * Leon Pichay * Hermogenes Belen * Mena Pecson Crisologo (whose â€Å"Mining wenno Ayat ti Kararwa† is considered to be the Ilokano version of Noli Me Tangere) SARSWELA * During this period, SARSWELA GAINED POPULARITY * Most of the sarswelas if not all, are directed against he American imperialists. * Equally remarkable sarswelas durong the period are the works of: * Severino Reyes â€Å"Walang Sugat† Patricio Mariano â€Å"Anak ng Dagat† * Other noted sarswelitas: * Aurelio Tolentino * Juan Abad * Juan Matapang Cruz * Juan Crisostomo Sotto BALAGTASAN * na med after Francisco F. Balagtas * a debate in verse; a political joust * done almost spontaneously between protagonists who debate over the pros and cons of a certain issue * The first ever Balagtasan was held on March 1924 at the Instituto de Mujeres, with Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes as rivals. * Jose Corazon de Jesus as the first ever king of the Balagtasan.

KFC Marketing Strategies

KFC Marketing Strategies Introduction Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is a world known chain of fast food restaurants based the United States. It’s the world’s most popular chain of restaurants that sells chicken pieces in a variety of forms.The company receives more than 12 million customers per day in its various restaurants based in 109 countries in the world. Harland Sanders is the person believed to have come up with this recipe more than half a century ago. The cooperation is part of the world’s largest restaurant, Yum! Brands Inc.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on KFC Marketing Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Evolution of strategies used by KFC Over the years, KFC has used a number of business strategies that have enabled them to evolve from a one man business to a multi-billion dollar enterprise. One of the skills that it first utilized was ensuring that one’s skills and knowledge is invaluable. Th e success of a business is greatly affected by the level of expertise the company brings in. it is obvious that the higher the level of skills and expertise, the greater the potential of business success. It is advisable that people set up businesses based on their own set of skills and areas of expertise just like the founder of KFC, Colonel Harland Sanders. His knowledge and expertise in preparing chicken meals contributed to the success and expansion of KFC (KFC Business Strategies 2011). Another strategy that was adopted was the strategy of achieving uniqueness. Being able to be set apart from other competitors goes a long way into improving the growth rate of any business. This is only achieved by doing things differently. It is therefore advised that the entrepreneur skims the market first in order to establish what they could do that is different from their competitors and it also has to be appealing to their customers. The way products are produced, packaged, delivered, or e ven service delivery to the customer has to be unique and different from other competitors. KFC came up with the pressure fried chicken which set them apart from other chicken restaurants. It also included a special blend of recipes and herbs that made their chicken taste different from the others. Sanders became very popular in the 1930’s for using this technique. Persistence and focus is another strategy that KFC adopted when it started its business. At the start of every business it is never a guarantee that the business will be a success. It may take some time for the sales to go up and at times the business may even experience a loss. Persistence and focusing on what works and what doesn’t ensures that in the long run the business becomes a success. Colonel Sanders lost his business at the age of 65 but re-built it in ten years. This saw him opening a total of 600 franchises which saw him earn approximately $300, 000 before tax.Advertising Looking for repo rt on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bringing in experts into your business is a good way of ensuring that the business continues to build and grow. The experts can be partners or employees; however, they are the most important people who will structure the business into systems that will outlive even the founder of the business. In 1964, KFC allowed professional managers to take over the business. This saw the business grow from a one man business to multi-billion dollar franchise.It even expanded into the international market and established its outlets in various foreign countries. They believed that their products had a good market in other states other than the United States. Not only this, but also the production rate as compared to the consumers rate was profitable and they had little or no competition. Ironically, by 1992, KFC was collecting more revenue from the foreign markets than it was coll ecting from the United States. Push and pull strategy used by KFC The push and pull strategy is most efficient if a producer wants to supply their stock to stores and at the same time create a demand supply for their products. This is particularly effective for a business that is still starting. The push strategy is whereby the producer of the goods has to work extra hard in order to distribute their products to retailers and wholesalers. Fast moving consumer goods can work effectively well for the push strategy whereby the customers are ready to make purchasing decisions. The manufacturer can engage the retailers in promotion strategies such as face to face selling and encouraging them to stock the product (Kotler Armstrong 2010). Once the product has gained a good customer base, the product can sell itself and the pull strategy can then be in cooperated. The pull strategy is whereby the product has gained popularity and the consumer is actively seeking for this product. The deman d for the product is so high that retailers are making orders so as to stock their shelves and supply the customer with the product. This can only be made possible through advertising so that the brand is visible to the consumers as well as to the retailers. The pull strategy takes advantage of the supply-demand chain whereby the retailers will only stock goods that the consumer is interested in buying (Lamb, Hair McDaniel 2008). KFC has mostly utilized the push and pull strategy whereby it has managed to draw customers towards their products. It is famous for its company jingle, ‘finger licking good’. They use it to create an impact to their customers and inform them of the product that they are selling. In their advertisements, they show person devouring a piece of chicken and this in turn makes the customer desire to have a piece of the KFC chicken. Advertising is a good way of ensuring that their customers are constantly reminded of how good their ‘finger lic king’ chicken is. Coupons, entertainment, premiums and exhibitions, have all been utilized by KFC to enhance their sales. The company has come up with various incentives that attract its customers to buy their various chicken products.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on KFC Marketing Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance it offers free meals to the customers after the customer has spent a certain amount of money buying their products. A coupon is issued to the customer who in turn will use it to get their free meal. They also offer free meal vouchers using the print media whereby the customer cuts out the voucher and goes to one of their outlets to collect their meals. The 7 p’s of marketing The seven P’s were developed as a strategy that aids to continually evaluate and re-evaluate business activities. The seven P’s formula consists of: product, people, price, promotion, place, packaging, and positioning. They help to ensure that a business is on track and is achieving the maximum results possible for today’s market place (Stephenson Thurman 2007). The product needs to be evaluated with the eyes of an outsider. This can be done by acting like an outside marketing consultant brought in to evaluate of the business is headed towards the right direction. The company chain of restaurants specializes in fried chicken served in a variety of forms. It’s well known for its pressure fried and crispy chicken. KFC has managed to branch out internationally and sell its products according to the geographical needs of the customers. For instance, they have realized that the customer needs in North India are different from those in the south. Those in the north prefer to eat the chicken items while those in the south prefer to eat vegetarian items. They have therefore managed to determine the geographical demand of their items. In addition, it has m anaged to divide its customer base into different groups using a demographic basis. For instance, it has divided the groups according to gender, family size, age group, etc. This way, they have been able to identify the needs of the various groups and therefore provide them with products that will satisfy them. They have further divided their customer base into psychographic segments. This is a division based on social class, personality, or even lifestyle. These various categories of people have different demands and therefore KFC has managed to distribute products that cater for each of their needs. It is important to consider the location of one’s business and thus this leads to the second P which is positioning. The location of a business directly affects its sales. In addition, an entrepreneur should know what the consumers think of his or her products on the ground.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More What is their position on the product in terms of its quality, and the services that are given to them? KFC has gone out on a limb by doing their market research and establishing what the consumer wants and what improvements can be made on their products. In order to satisfy their customers and improve their position in their customers’ minds and hearts, KFC produces the freshest and purest food. This gets the customers talking positively about their products and services to other people. Pricing, which is the third P in the seven P’s, should be evaluated and re-evaluated every now and then. The entrepreneur should ensure that the prices are just right for the current market situation. It is advised that the prices should be readjusted every now and then to suit the customers’ needs and the market pricing. This therefore calls for an increase and a decrease in the prices. The entrepreneur should consider pairing up services with the goods that they are selling. This can be done by giving special offers and promotions accompanied with the products being sold. In addition it would also be a good idea to spread out the pricing of the products over a period of months or years to avoid losing customer base. Moreover, pricing should be done according to the effort put into producing a product. It would be considered to be more profitable to raise the price for a certain product if the effort that goes into it is equivalent to its pricing. Even though the percentage of customers may go down, the remaining percentage will generate profits on every sale. Before putting a price tag on its product, KFC looks at certain demographic factors such as age, gender, and household size. Although it has no age limit, KFC’s largest consumer group consists of young people regardless of their gender or gender roles. They have also found that their biggest consumers come from whole families rather than single households and thus they invented the ‘fa mily meals’ offer (.Kentucky Fried Chicken- KFC- Marketing Mix- Four Ps 2009). When pricing their products, KFC has looked at also economic factors. The income bracket determines which people the company will most likely target. In the beginning, their main focus was on the upper class but as years went by its focus shifted to include the lower and middle class families. Consumption behavior also determines the pricing of products according to which products the customers favor more to the least favored. Before determining the prices of their products, KFC first of all skims the market. They do this by pricing their products to suit the upper class before lowering their prices to accommodate the lower class category of people. Their prices also can be relatively compared to those of their competitors. KFC has dominated the chicken business and therefore their chicken products have a higher selling price than other fast food restaurants. However other products such as burgers and pizzas are sold at a lower price in order to attract customers. When pricing their products, they also consider the government tax and excise duty. Their prices are comparable to the products they give to the consumers as well as their market segment (Kentucky Fried Chicken- KFC- Marketing Mix- Four Ps 2009). Place is the fourth P. there are many ways in which a business enterprise can sell its products. First of all, the company may decide to sell its goods directly from its location or disperse agents on the ground to advertise and sell to potential customers. On the other hand, a company may utilize a variety of strategies such as telemarketing or through catalogues and mail orders. Either way, the company has to come up with a strategy that ensures the customer receives essential information that will equip them with knowledge to make a buying decision (Tracy 2004). The company must therefore ensure that the customer is able to access these services through the strategic loc ation of the business. KFC has utilized this strategy fully by coming up with a variety of services that they give to their customers. To begin with, they came up with the free home delivery strategy whose sole purpose was to deliver their products to homes and offices free of charge. They ensured that their customers didn’t have to travel long distances in order to access one of their outlets so they strategically put in place outlets around the city. KFC also didn’t leave out individuals that led a hectic lifestyle with little time to spare in preparing meals. It has catered well for such individuals by giving them a full meal in just minutes. Despite their high pricing, KFC has managed to control its pricing to suit all classes of people. KFC has cleverly placed its outlets in highly populated areas such as the urban areas which in turn bring in more profits for them. Schools, colleges, markets and cinemas are usually highly populated and therefore KFC has taken adv antage of this and situated their outlets in these areas. It utilizes the push strategy whereby it relies on its ability to sell its own products and services. Promotional efforts such as discounts can be used to help push their products and services through the distribution channels. This creates a sense of awareness, autonomy and it also sound attractive to the customer. Promotion is the fifth P in marketing. Businesses use this strategy to inform the customer of their products and services. This directly affects the sales of the businesses products if the promotion is done in the right way. Advertising slogans are the most common way of promoting products and services to customers. The way it is done will highly influence the customer’s interest. A slight adjustment to the advertisement slogan goes a long way to improve the company sales as the customers will always be talking about the products. It is of important try out various ways of advertising, promoting and selling of products. The same form of advertising may only work for a short period of time before the customers lose interest. Therefore to continue keeping the customer interested in the company’s products and services, the form of advertising and promotion has to be re-evaluated from time to time (Tracy 2004). KFC uses promotion as the main tool for informing their customers of various offers on their chicken products. To begin with, their logo of the smiling colonel is most likely an image that makes customers associate KFC with chicken. They use a company jingle, ‘finger licking good’, to create an impact to their customers. They show a normal person devouring a piece of chicken and this in turn makes the customer desire to have a piece of the KFC chicken pieces. This strategy has worked effectively in India where there is the largest market for chicken lovers. KFC uses advertisements to ensure that their customers are constantly reminded of how good their ‘fi nger licking’ chicken is. In order to enhance its overall image, the company sponsors various organizations such as the cricket team which spots the company logo on their uniforms when they go for their matches and tournaments. By using tools such as coupons, entertainment, premiums and exhibitions, KFC has managed to enhance its sales. The company has come up with various incentives that attract its customers to buy their various chicken products. For instance it offers free meals to the customers after the customer has spent a certain amount of money buying their products. A coupon is issued to the customer who in turn will use it to get their free meal. They also offer free meal vouchers using the print media whereby the customer cuts out the voucher and goes to one of their outlets to collect their meals. The sixth P is packaging. This is how the product being sold appeals to its customers. The packaging has to be attractive and clean. In addition, the customer has to be impressed on the very first encounter if the company wants to retain a good customer base. This calls for proper grooming of the hired personnel. They have to be properly dressed for the job and offer quality services. The offices and waiting rooms where the business is being conducted have to be thoroughly clean and presentable. Customers have to have a sense of trust when they make their purchase choices. It is important for the company to do some research and know what improvements to make on the quality of their packaging and what appeals to their customers. KFC is famous for its packaging. It is known for using the paper bucket for its large chicken orders and the use of a rotating bucket sign that’s used in most outlets in the US. It is also environmentally conscious and has introduced the re-useable food container. The plastic plates have long been replaced with the paper serving boxes all in an effort to reduce environmental pollution. The final P is people. A company has to know what type of people to hire and what they can do best. The right people have to be hired to do the right job. When trying to establish a successful business, knowing which people will perform which tasks best is something that a company must initially consider before hiring any personnel. The right people may be able to propel the business into achieving maximum sales. KFC has hired personnel that are able to deal with their customers efficiently and ensure that their customers are satisfied. In addition, the personnel hired are allocated positions that suit their skills and abilities. Key challenges facing KFC KFC sells up to 850 million chickens a year. It does this in collaboration with other companies that slaughter and rear the chickens for them. However, KFC in collaboration with these companies has been accused of killing the chickens inhumanely and subjecting them to torture. They have been accused of standing by as chickens are crammed into cages resulting in b roken bones before they’re slaughtered. Animal rights organizations have condemned these acts and this poses a problem for KFC if they intend to keep any customers. KFC has also faced problems with the health experts who claim that the oils used to make the chicken consist of Tran’s fats which result in complicated health issues such as obesity. Nutritionists and other health organizations have threatened to sue KFC if they do not change the kind of fat that they use to make their chicken products. Furthermore, the company has faced protests in India where angry farmers are against the company bringing in ‘junk food’ to a nation that greatly suffers from malnutrition. The farmers fear that the number of growing fast food chain restaurants could deplete the country of their livestock and lead to deterioration of agricultural activities. How KFC can remain relevant in the market Consumers’ desire to have a healthier diet at KFC and the humane treatmen t of chickens is one of the challenges that KFC is facing today. These issues are closely related to the sales of the company and should therefore be addressed immediately if the company wants to maintain its customer base. A new marketing plan has to be designed in order to improve the overall image of KFC and attract more customers. The marketing strategy has to address the issue of torturing chickens and thus create solid revenue for the company. Reference List KFC Business Strategies.2011, Viewed on www.successprinciplesonline.com/business-strategies/kfc-business-str Kentucky Fried Chicken- KFC- Marketing Mix- Four Ps. 2009. Viewed on www.scribd.com//Kentucky-Fried-Chicken-KFC-Marketing-Mix-fo.. Kotler, P Armstrong, M. G. 2010. Principles of Marketing. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Lamb, W. C, Hair, F. J McDaniel, C. 2008. Marketing. Canada: Cengage Learning Stephenson, J Thurman, C. 2007.Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide. Canada: Miller Works. Tracy, B. 2004. The 7 Ps of M arketing. Viewed on www.entrepreneur.com/article/70824