McDonalds Company Analysis

Overview of the Case McDonald’s, the first food chain known for its strong performance in a very competitive industry is facing stiff competition from other firms. The firm’s breakfast offerings are not as competitive as they were before due to strong performance by products from other market players such as Taco Bell, White Castle, Dunkin Brands Group, Burger King and Starbucks.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on McDonald’s Company Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These firms have new breakfast products which have been received well by consumers in different areas they are operating in. As a result, these firms’ improved performance in the industry has negatively affected McDonald’s market share (Jargon, 2014, p. 1). McDonald’s poor competitive position can be seen through its declining sales and profit revenues in the past six months. This paper is going to d iscuss the main marketing issues that McDonald’s faces in its operations and how they can be improved to help the firm regain its competitive position in the industry. Key Issues McDonald’s weakening position in the industry is due to its failure to come up with effective marketing strategies that respond to the needs of young consumers. In the past, the firm’s breakfast offerings performed well in the market but it has been losing customers gradually to new firms. Low innovation in the firm has made it difficult for the firm to attract new consumers who are willing to try out the product it sells in the market (Jargon, 2014, p. 2). The firm has also failed to come with an effective product development strategy to help it sell new high quality products that satisfy consumers’ expectations. As a result, this has affected the company’s competitive position in the market because it has failed to keep up with modern market trends that are crucial for i ts long term performance. The firm also needs to improve the relationships it has with its franchisees. They feel that the firm’s marketing strategies are not effective and fresh ideas are needed to help the firm regain its footing in the industry. In addition, they insist that more needs to be done to improve the quality of the firm’s operations in the industry.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main actors that need to be analyzed are: McDonald’s, its competitors and franchisees. McDonald’s has not been able to come up with important strategic changes to help it maintain its market share in the industry. Other fast food firms have developed efficient market processes that are responsive to current consumer trends in the market. Therefore, McDonald’s competitors have been able to institute higher operational standards that position them well in the industry (Jargon, 2104, p. 3). The firm has also been unable to develop beneficial partnerships with its franchisees. They feel that it needs to come up with innovative promotional strategies to attract new customers to sample its products. Definition of the Problem McDonald’s faces various problems such as: a weakening brand, low sales, ineffective promotions and the inability to keep up with its competitors. The main problem the firm needs to address to solve all these issues is its marketing mix functions. The company needs to review the four P’s of the marketing mix which are: products, prices, promotions and place. This will help the firm to improve the value of its internal systems of operations to help it attain high standards of performance in the long run (Bradley, 2010, p. 75). In addition, the firm needs to understand issues related to the quality of service it offers that need to be improved to help it attain its objectives in the industry. This approach will help the firm to focus on priorities to regain its market share in the industry to help it register good performance in the long run. Product improvements and developments are a crucial part of any marketing strategy. McDonald’s needs to carry out research to find out specific types products that customers prefer to consume for breakfast. This approach will enable the firm to stay in touch with its customers to anticipate their needs and expectations by providing products that satisfy them. At the moment, the firm has failed to create appropriate menus that attract customers to make them more willing to try out its product offerings (Bradley, 2010, p. 79).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on McDonald’s Company Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The pricing of products should be maintained at current levels to make customers have positive perceptions about the quality of products they are purchasing. This requires the firm to develop effective customer relationship management systems that increase the value of its products in the market. Promotional aspects of operations need an overhaul to enable the firm to regain its competitive position in the market. The firm needs to rethink its strategy of offering customers give away products because this is likely to increase its costs of operations in the long run. The current strategy of offering give away products has caused disagreements between the firm and its franchisees, a situation that is likely to have a negative effect on the firm’s operations in the long run. In addition, the firm needs to look at the internal atmosphere in its outlets to find out if it is suitable for consumer’s eating patterns (Rue Byars, 2003, p. 43). It may be compelled to redesign its restaurants to enable them to offer a memorable service experience to customers. Alternative Solutions The firm needs to carr y out market research to find out new products which can be introduced to improve its performance in the industry. The firm needs to test some of its product concepts in some franchises to find out how they are likely to be received by customers. This approach will enable the firm to evaluate how they are likely to perform in the firm in the long run. The main benefit the firm will get out of this strategy is that it will be able to create new revenue streams for its operations and this will help to increase its profits in the industry. The firm will also be in a position to establish relationships with new customers to make them more interested in consuming its products (Rue Byars, 2003, p. 49). However, the main disadvantage associated with such a strategy is that the firm may end up experiencing losses especially if the new products do not appeal to customers’ interest effectively.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The firm needs to improve the quality of service it offers to its customers. It needs to come up with new ways of engaging with its customers to make them understand the benefits they can get from its services. The firm needs to rely more on innovative technology solutions to market its offerings and attract young consumers in the industry. As a result, this will enable the firm to understand new market trends and how they affect its long term operations in the industry (Panda, 2008, p. 37). The benefit of this approach is that the firm will be in a position to satisfy the needs of its customers because it will sell appropriate products that conform to specific market conditions. The disadvantage the firm is likely to experience from this approach is that it may take a long period of time before it yields positive results. Another solution the firm needs to use is to change its promotional strategies. The firm needs to engage with people in their communities to make them have positi ve perception towards its operations. It needs to go out and conduct promotions in schools, colleges and other places to encourage young people to try out some of its breakfast products (Panda, 2008, p. 43). This approach is likely to yield positive results in the long run because the firm will be able to understand how to elicit positive consumer sentiments that favor its products in the market. The advantage of changing its promotional strategy will enable the firm to attract new consumer segments that are willing to sample its products. On the other hand, the main disadvantage associated with this strategy is that it may increase the costs incurred by the firm in its operations. Selected Solution to the Problem New product concepts will enable the firm to regain the market share it has lost to its competitors. The firm should consider using popular accompaniments with its products to make them more appealing to customers. As a result, this will help the firm to increase the value of its brand in the market to take advantage of new opportunities which exist. In addition, the firm needs to develop new menus that attract consumers to make them more interested in various products that are on offer. Customers should be given more consideration when new product concepts are developed to enable them to satisfy their needs and expectations (Salisbury, 2014). This approach will help the firm to increase the value of its brand in the industry making it well prepared to capitalize on various opportunities that exist. The firm needs to differentiate services offered to customers who consume breakfast in its outlets. It needs to come up with new ways of appealing to their lifestyles. Moreover, the firm needs to find out conditions that exist in its restaurants to find out if they satisfy the high standards it has set for itself in its operations. Customers’ perceptions towards a particular product are influenced by the quality of service they get whenever they co nsume it. Therefore, the firm needs to come up with ways of ensuring that its customers have positive experiences whenever they visit its outlets to consume breakfast (Salisbury, 2014). This entails retraining its employees to ensure they offer prompt and high quality services to customers in different outlets. As a result, the firm needs to empower its employees to make them more willing to satisfy customers who visit its restaurants. The firm needs to rebrand its breakfast service offerings to differentiate them from other products that are sold during the day. This approach will help the firm to direct customers’ attention to new quality improvements in its operations that make it stand out in the market. As a result, this will improve customers’ perceptions towards the firm’s products because they will feel that they connect with them on a personal level. The firm needs to use focus strategies to increase the value of its important products in the market. In addition, the firm needs to redefine specific customer segments it will target with its new breakfast products. This will enable the firm to find out specific methods it can use to attract them. Consequently, the firm will be in a position to turn around its operations to by increasing its profit revenues (Vrontis Pavlou, 2008, p. 299). There has been an increase in the number of customers who are interested in consuming healthy diets that have low sugar and fat content. The firm needs to engage young people and make them aware about healthy diets it is going to offer for breakfast as part of its menu. As a result, the firm will be in a position to diversify its product offerings to enable it to attract new customer segments in the industry. In the long term, this will help the firm to increase various sources of incomes for its operations to increase its competitive edge in the industry. Many people are conscious about what they eat due to the high increase in lifestyle diseases which are mainly caused by poor eating habits revenues (Vrontis Pavlou, 2008, p. 301). Therefore, this approach will help the firm to demonstrate that it takes seriously the health and wellbeing of its customers and as a result, it will be in a position to turn around its operations. Expected Results and Rationale for the Solution McDonald’s new product development strategy will help it take advantage of future opportunities in the industry. This will allow the firm to appeal to younger consumers to make them more loyal. As a result, the firm will be in a better position to grow its revenues to overcome the challenges it has been facing in the industry. The firm’s business model will focus more on adapting to market conditions to increase its competitive advantage in the long run. As a result, this will enable the firm to use efficient methods to respond to external market conditions that have caused it to lose its market share to competitors (Marder, 1997, p. 47). Fo r a long time, the firm has focused more on standardizing processes in different markets where its operations are based. However, this strategy will enable the firm to be more flexible in its operations to enable it to achieve higher levels of service excellence in the industry. An effective product development strategy will enable the firm to improve quality perceptions that are associated with its products in the market. As a result, the firm will be in a position to increase the value of its brand in the industry by ensuring that its operations focus more on customer service excellence. More importantly, the firm will be able to institute learning processes that enable its staff to acquire new skills to make them satisfy customers’ needs and expectations (Marder, 1997, p. 52). This will increase revenues obtained by the firm from its operations in the industry. In addition, this will help the firm to share information with its franchisees regarding specific improvements th at need to be made. The rationale for this solution is due to the fact that the firm is losing its competitive edge in the industry. Therefore, this requires the firm to make its external and internal processes more innovative so that it can be well prepared to satisfy the needs of its customers in different markets. In addition, the firm’s current strategy has the potential of causing conflicts with its franchisees who are important stakeholders. As a result, this solution will enable the firm to improve the relationships it has with its stakeholders to ensure that they understand the importance of its new strategies. The firm needs to review the manner in which it conducts its operations by coming up with new ways of engaging young consumers (Kotler Armstrong, 2007, p. 72). As a result, this will enable the firm to develop strong and reliable relationships with them and this will help it attain good long term performance in the long run. Positive and Negative Results The f irm needs to implement effective brand management strategies to safeguard the product life cycle of their current and potential new products in the market. This approach will enable the firm to find out how to regulate the growth of its new products in the market to maintain high levels of interest from consumers. The firm needs to be careful about fads that are driven by high levels of customer excitement which do not last for a long period of time. Therefore, the new product development processes must be guided by information obtained from the targeted customer segments in the market (Kotler Armstrong, 2007, p. 75). This will to find out how its new products are likely to fare in the market in the long run. Therefore, the firm needs to rely on forecasting tools to predict expected changes in consumer behavior that are likely to impact on the performance of new products which are sold in the market. The firm also needs to be careful about becoming complacent in the industry after it starts to register good results from its operations. The firm should institute learning processes that make all employees and other key stakeholders aware about constant trends in the industry that have an impact on its operations. As a result, this approach will help the firm to focus its attention on organizational priorities that affect the manner in which it performs its functions in the industry. Therefore, this will help the firm to come up with proactive solutions to various challenges it is likely to face in the industry in the long run (Kotler Armstrong, 2007, p. 82). Moreover, it is important for the firm to adopt risk management strategies to protect it against situations that are directly caused by poor financial performance. This will increase the stability of its operations in the industry in the long run. Conclusion McDonald’s needs to take urgent measures to protect its market share in the industry. The firm needs to develop new products that can satisfy t he needs of its customers in the industry. In addition, the firm should come up with new service improvements to help its clients obtain high quality services from its operations. This approach will improve the firm’s advantage over its competitors in the industry. References Bradley, N. (2010). Marketing research: Tools and techniques. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Jargon, J. (2014, Apr. 20). McDonald’s faces sharper competition in breakfast battleground. The Wall Street Journal. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. (2007). Principles of marketing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Marder, E. (1997). The laws of choice: Predicting customer behavior. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. Panda, T.K. (2008). Marketing management. New Delhi, India: Excel Books Rue, L. Byars, L. (2003). Management: Skills and applications. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Salisbury, P. (2014, Feb 20). The globalization of â€Å"fast food†. Behind the brand: McDonald’s. Global Research. Retrieved from https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-globalization-of-fast-food-behind-the-brand-mcdonald-s/25309 Vrontis, D., Pavlou, P. (2008). The external environment and its effect on strategic marketing planning: A case study for McDonald’s. J. International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 3(3/4), 289-307. This case study on McDonald’s Company Analysis was written and submitted by user Liam Richardson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A reaction to rizals life in dapitan essays

A reaction to rizal's life in dapitan essays Jose Rizal, a man with so many accomplishments. Jose Rizal gives all of us inspiration in all the things we do. He is inspires us to be hardworking and diligent, which most of us are not. I am amazed that even though Rizal was in exile, he didnt mind the fact that he was sent to Dapitan to live like a prisoner and yet he still manages to accomplish many things. He has taught the poor Mindanao folk to unite for trading so that they may become independent and free themselves from the Chinese and thus become less exploited, in the sense that he organized a cooperative even in exile. While many people would be in panic, despair or lose hope for any success in their lives because of being exiled Jose Rizal continued to serve his country. This is what made Jose Rizal stand out of the others as a hero to a nation. He was truly a man of action. He always put his countrymen first before him. He truly was a man of action, he did not only looked over the people nor just tell people what to do, he helped them in their everyday work. Rizal was intelligent and yet very humble. Right now I wish that the tree he planted would somehow magically make Rizal appear in this time of ours so that I can praise him for what he did for us. Rizal truly was a person for his countrymen, he truly was a patriot and nationalistic for he never wanted to see his fellow countrymen being oppressed and being exploited. I wish I could go to Dapitan for a glimpse of how our hero lived in Dapitan while being exiled. Last June 19, we celebrated Rizal's 143rd birthday. That's two lifetimes for the average Filipino, quite a long time. But not really so when one thinks about the baluno tree he nurtured and which grows to this day as our living connection to him and when one thinks about the issues he cared about and which continue to challenge us today: health, education, poverty and inequality. It would be such an honor to know more about our hero. ...

Law Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Law Questions - Assignment Example Reliable has accepted too many contracts and must sub-contract the Grocery Inc. renovation to Casual Handyman. Grocery Inc. was not aware of the sub-contract. When Grocery saw the poor work that was being done and that Casual, not Reliable, was doing the work, Grocery applied for a court order to stop Casual from doing any more work (injunction) and then sued Reliable for breach of contract, seeking specific performance of their contract. Reliable argued that it has a right to sub-contract the work or, in the alternative, to walk away from the contracts obligations because of commercial impracticability. Who wins? Explain your answer. Grocery wins the case because the contract involves personal skills by Reliable or its employees. In addition, no natural phenomenon has occurred after the contract to warrant impractability and this means that Reliable has no defense (Cross and Miller, 2011). 3. Jeff is 17 years old and works in the produce department. He made a down payment on a car that he purchased from Steve at a used car lot. Steve assumed that Jeff was over 18 years old and did not ask for proof of age. Six months after the purchase, Jeff lost his job and could no longer make the $200/month payments. Jeff returned the car to Steve and said he wanted to cancel the contract and that he wanted his money back. What are the possible outcomes? Explain your answers. Steve is likely to accept the car and refund the money. This is because no valid contract existed and this further means that there was no consideration for the payment. Steve therefore owes Jeff the money (Cross and Miller, 2011). 4. Grocery Inc. has a written contract with Cereal Inc. to purchase 20 cases of cereal each month at $22/case. The contract does not state the types of cereal or how the 20 cases will be divided among Grocerys stores. After a flood, Cereal suffers extensive water damage to its warehouse and the contents therein. With the exception of Soggy Flakes,

Three Gorges Dam in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Three Gorges Dam in China - Essay Example Even though, Chinese authorities describe the construction of this dam as a landmark, many of the environmentalists questioned such claims. It is a fact that this dam is the blend of social, engineering and economic successes; however the controversies surrounding the construction of this dam are still creating headaches to the Chinese authorities. â€Å"The massive project sets records for number of people displaced (more than 1.2 million), number of cities and towns flooded (13 cities, 140 towns, 1,350 villages), and length of reservoir (more than 600 kilometers)†1. Moreover many of the wild life lost its habitat as a result of the construction of this dam. Ecological problems, high risk of landslides, etc are some other issues raised by the critics of this dam. This paper briefly analyses the history, statistics and the environmental impact this dam has had on the area surrounding its location. â€Å"The Three Gorges Dam spans the Yangtze River at Sandouping, Yichang, Hube i province, China. Construction began in 1993†2. It is the biggest hydroelectric power station in the world at present with a capacity to produce 18200 MW electric powers. It was partly commissioned in 2008 and is expected to be fully operational by 2012. It is expected that the when it is fully operational, its capacity may reach 22500 MW of electric power. This dam was constructed for multipurpose. Even though the major purpose of constructing this dam was to find an answer to the huge energy crisis facing by China, prevention of flood, increasing shipping capacity etc were some other major objectives behind the construction of this dam. The major criticism labelled against hydroelectric power projects all over the world is about the environmental problems such projects can generate. Since Three Gorges Dam is the biggest in its category, the environmental problems produced by it cannot be neglected. As in the cases of other hydroelectric power projects in the world, the envi ronmental impacts of this dam could be more visible as time goes on. The submergence of hundreds of factories, mines and waste dumps, and the presence of massive industrial centres upstream are creating a festering bog of effluent, silt, industrial pollutants and rubbish in the reservoir. Erosion of the reservoir and downstream riverbanks is causing landslides, and threatening one of the world’s biggest fisheries in the East China Sea. The weight of the reservoir's water has many scientists concerned over reservoir-induced seismicity3 Yangtze River is the third biggest river in the world and its coastal areas are highly fertile and heavily populated. â€Å"The world's largest dam will flood over 62,000 acres of farmland, 13 major cities, 140 large, and hundreds of small villages along the river's banks, necessitating the evacuation and relocation of over one million people†4. The wild life around the coastal areas of Yangtze River lost its habitat along with millions o f people. The beautiful landscape which was earlier filled with a variety of agricultural crops, converted into an ocean which may become an ocean of waste as time goes on, as a result of the construction of this dam. â€Å"Water quality in the main reservoir remained stable, but pollution was worsening in tributaries because of high levels of nitrates and phosphates that had already endangered drinking water in some areas†5. In other words, not only the water inside the dam, drinking water sources in the neighbourhood of this dam also could be polluted as result of the construction of this dam. â€Å"According to a CNN article, one billion tons of sewage will flow into the reservoir each year. Pollution in the river itself will increase, as the dam will slow water flow, stopping the river’

Abercrombie & Fitch Positioning Strategy Research Paper

Abercrombie & Fitch Positioning Strategy - Research Paper Example An analysis on Abercrombie & Fitch can show how it has positioned its brand, and how effective the strategy is. This can be done using the four P’s of the marketing mix as noted by Smith, (2013), namely product, promotion, place and price. A look at the product shows that it clearly stands out. There is a lot of competition in the clothing industry, but Abercrombie & Fitch has managed to continue leading in terms of products. This company sells outfits like tank tops, underwear, jeans, fragrances, t-shirts and footwear for the youth and kids only, unlike its rival companies such as American Eagle Outfitters and Gap Inc who stock all types of clothes, footwear and fragrances for everyone. It is a company for young kids between the age of 7-14 year, teens between 14-18 years and also stocks women underwear and loungewear (Joseph, 2013). This is one aspect in the market mix that makes it distinct from the other companies. In addition, as the CEO of the company, Mike Jeffries puts it, his business is for the lovely, the attractive and cool and those who are not overweight. The company’s cloth line is unique in design. ... In fact, most of the people do not get to know about Abercrombie through the television or magazines. Word of mouth from its customers works well for them, and on Abercrombie television, the advertising is done. Of importance to note is their way of advertising, which makes use of sex appeal. This has greatly been condemned religious denominations and human rights organizations, complaining that the company campaigns for pre-marital sex among the youth, especially the young girls. However, the company CEO, Mike Jeffries confidently asserts that he and his team represent healthy sexuality, playful and glorious camaraderie which is usually found in the company’s target market (Joseph, 2013). The company, in early 2003 used its magazine, Abercrombie & Fitch Quarterly, to further reach out to existing customers and potential customers. The magazines production was however stopped as people accused the company of promoting soft pornography. The company also advertises its products through its website (Abercrombie. Com) and through its subscription catalogs which have over 400,000 subscribers. Their advertisements all reach out to the young people where they show the ‘effect’ of using the company’s products like perfumes. A good example is the Abercrombie effect advertisement. They also indirectly use negative publicity to promote their products (Joseph, 2013). Price is the other element in the marketing mix. Price is a great determinant on who will buy at a certain company and how much of a product they will buy. When the price of a product is law, more people are likely to purchase it and vice versa (Smith, 2013; Graham, 2013). For Abercrombie & Fitch,

Effectiveness of Product Placement of Cars

Effectiveness of Product Placement of Cars Product placement is a marketing tool where a product is put into a movie scene where it is heard or seen, or its brand name heard (Lehu and Bressoud 2008). This marketing practice has since mushroomed in movies. The communication potential of product placement in the movie is considered as a feasible and attractive branding method (Cowley and Barron 2008). As a marketing strategy, product placement has been regarded for its advantages such as a captive audience (Cowley and Barron 2008); lack of clutter (Belch and Belch, as cited in Lehu and Bressoud 2008); and exposure, frequency, support of other media, source association, cost and recall such as other advertisements (Belch and Belch, as cited in Lehu and Bressoud 2008, p. 92). Among the very first industries to use product placement as a marketing strategy has been the auto industry. Car makers were among the first to use the technique because of the potentially very large audience for a low cost (Parrish, as cited in Cowley and Barron 2008). For the year 2007 alone, total spending for product placement reached $2.9 billion in the United States, with the car and apparel industries claiming the biggest chunk (Pope 2008). British luxury carmaker Aston Martin has been in the business since 1914 and is known for its high-profile product placements in popular films. Aston produces high-end and low-volume cars that fit the companys image of sophistication, elegance, credibility, and glamour. The companys marketing strategy has been closely associated James Bond films. Its relationship with the Bond franchise has been one of the most popular partnerships and has contributed to the companys image worldwide. Starting with Sean Connery in the 1964 Bond installment Goldfinger, Aston has sustained its product placement strategy with the most recent placement of Aston Martin DBS for the 2007 film Casino Royale (Superbrands 2009). Studies have suggested that product placement boosts brand recall and promotes greater brand exposure for a product. In a study by Delorme and Reid (1999), product placement appeared to have influenced the audience to develop familiarity and a sense of belonging associated with the brand shown in the movies. The study also concluded that the context in which the brand appears in the movie is also important for brand exposure and that young people are the most susceptible for product placement. DeLorme and Reid (1999) said that, [They] had grown up with much more marketing and advertising therefore, they expect to encounter brands in present day movies (p. 83). Another study also examined what forms of placement are most effective in boosting brand recall (Sapolsky and Kinney 1994). The researchers found that a combination of visual cues and verbal references to the brand in the scenes of a movie are the most effective and also the most expensive placements. Brand recall is also high when a product appears jointly with a major character or the star in the film and provides it with greater visibility. Companies that have used product placement have reported a boost in sales after movie releases. For instance, Reeses candy experience an escalation of sales by 70 percent when the movie ET: The Extra-Terrestrial after the blockbuster movie was released. Reeses candies were featured in several scenes in the movie. BMW AG also experienced a spike in profits as customers decked the showrooms after the release of the 1996 Bond installment Golden Eye featured its Z3 roadster (Pope 2008). Determining how effective product placements are has been a focus of a study by Morton and Friedman (2002). The researchers explained that the brand performance of a product as a result of product placement strategy could be measured according to different variables: revenues, sales or hits at the official company website. The authors suggest that product placement is an effective type of product promotion. Audience receptivity as a result of product placement is key to achieving sales or profitability objectives or not achieving them entirely. Marketing practitioners and executives should ensure that product placement results to the reflection of greater profitability outcomes. Furthermore, researchers have also concluded that the role of marketing executives is to obtain access to opportunities for product placement and guarantee that the appearance of the product works synergetically with the companys image and market positioning (Morton and Friedman 2002). Research Question and Research Objectives This study aims to investigate how product placement is as a marketing strategy in Aston Martin and evaluate its effectiveness. The central research question for the proposed study is: How effective is product placement as a marketing strategy for luxury carmaker Aston Martin? There are specific sub-questions to the main question, to wit: How is product placement used as a marketing strategy at Aston Martin? What are the perceived benefits of product placement as a marketing strategy? Is it an effective marketing strategy in terms of a) producing brand and company awareness; and b) generating sales for the company? The objectives of this study are: To trace, identify, and describe product placement in the companys history since it first placed Aston Martin DB5 in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger until present. To gather the perceptions of the marketing practitioners at Aston Martin on the benefits of their choice of marketing strategy. To gather the perceptions of the marketing practitioners on how placing Aston Martin cars in movies offers competitive market positioning for the company. To collect information on revenue and sales of Aston Martin cars as a result of product placement. Philosophy of the Research Design and the Methodology to be Used This study will be a qualitative case study research in design. This study follows the qualitative tradition of research and will be guided by a detached social constructionist approach. Qualitative research is characterized by an open research design that is suitable for studies which are small-scale in scope. The social constructionist perspective views the social as the process of articulating individual selves and the world. It is a challenge to the primacy of the individual, in effect, placing relationship, the social, as prior and primary (Stacey 2001, p. 51). This study proposes the case study methodology, which is a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence (Robson 2002, p. 178). The phenomenon to be investigated for this study is product placement as a marketing strategy and how it contributes to positive profitability outcomes. The researcher in a case study uses multiple sources and methods (Yin 1994). Following the multi-method focus of qualitative research, this study proposes to utilize primary and secondary sources of data. Primary data will be gathered by interviews with marketing executives of Aston Martin. Interviews will be necessary in order to understand the reasons behind their decisions on marketing strategy as well as their opinions on how marketing strategies are effective in fueling company growth. Moreover, interviews provide the opportunity to obtain answers by allowing interviewees to explain and build on their responses. Secondary data will be used to triangulate primary data sources. Among the targeted sources of secondary data will be company revenue statistics, company documents, archival material, and news articles that could verify and elaborate on the responses in the interviews.

The Three Flags :: Essays Papers

The Three Flags Whenever I go into my bedroom, I see three large flags. One drapes the stairs and two cover the walls. If I take the time to notice them, I can’t help but smile. These flags are the national coat of arms of Germany; Germany’s greatest state Bavaria; and the national flag of Austria. The three of them serve to remind me of the summer of my junior year. During that summer I went on a class trip to Germany and Austria. These flags have become the greatest souvenirs of the trip. When I returned, I hung them carelessly to avoid finding an appropriate storage place. Now their presence is important for the good memories of that summer that they bring to my mind. I never had the opportunity to travel abroad as a young boy, so the European trip was extremely important to me. It was the first time I was without the supervision of my puritan parents and I remember it as if it were yesterday. All my closest friends from that period in my life were along on the trip. The shared experiences of our lives at school continued that summer, during what was a great adventure for us all. When my present life provides me with a moment to reflect I look at those flags and remember a great experience and great friends. I think not only of Germany, but also of other universities, other colleges, and even boot camps that have become the homes for those who shared my life and shared that summer. It’s difficult to casually walk by those three flags these days and briefly reminisce over the memories they evoke. Too often I find myself staring for a minute, then sitting down in my room to revisit the joy in my mind. I take those opportuni ties to wonder how my good friends are doing off in their lives abroad and even to offer up a prayer for their well being. The people that I went with to Europe that summer and I now share an unbreakable bond. We still reminisce and even those who were only acquaintances at the time have become friends as if forever.