Marketing Mix Essay Example for Free

Marketing Mix Essay Broadly speaking, in order to maximise profits, different firms use distinct tools to perform strategy and decisions, such as SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis and marketing mix analysis. In terms of the marketing mix, as an important concept in the subject of business studies, it refers to â€Å"a balance between the four main elements of marketing [is] needed to carry out the marketing strategy. It consists of the ‘4ps’: product, price, promotion and place† (MarcouseÃŒ  and Surridge et al., 2011:141). Firms can build an effective marketing strategy by using the marketing mix as a tool, and it is possible that business will fail if the marketing mix is not correct. The aim of the essay is to analyse elements of the marketing mix. Initially, it will discuss four elements, which are the product, price, place and promotion respectively. Then, it will evaluate the most vital component in the marketing mix, which is the product. The first component of the marketing mix is the product. â€Å"A product is a good or service produced by a business or organization, and made available to the public for consumption† (Ashwin and Merrills et al., 2008). Each product has a different feature, which could be the unique selling points of them. Roams and Cota (2008:152) attempt to define this term is, â€Å"A unique selling point (USP) is a short statement that explains why a customer should buy from you instead of your competitorsin. For example, Apple Corporation has a unique and independent operation system for their iPhone. It has been argued that there are three levels of product, first of which is core or generic product (Levitt, 1986:361). This is the basic and general physical product, in other words, it is the product that has minimum features and the consumer would expect it to have. In a microwave oven example, it should have enough space inside to put food and it would be expected to work effectively. The second level of the product is known as actual or tangible product. This is, touchable and physical property of the product. Young (2008:130) suggests this level of product will contain the product’s name, style, brand name, label, packaging and quality level. This level of product provides a material and a clearer image of the product to customers. The next and last level is called augmented product. Leader and Kyritsis (1990:12) explain this product provides privileges and additional services to the consumer; it also can reflect the differentiation of the product. For instance, services such as free delivery, discounts and additional purchases. The second element of the marketing mix is price. There are two main factors can determine the price of product, which is price elasticity and pricing strategy respectively. Blythe (2012:154) examines the elasticity of demand will illustrate that different categories have different extent of sensitivity when the price changes. Consequently, it could help firms make a better decision when they set the price. Thompson and Machin (2003:65) support that, â€Å"a business must know how responsive their products are to price changes so that they can assess the potential impact of, say, special offers or a price increase†. The next factor is the pricing strategy. Also, it is more imperative than price elasticity when firms make their price decisions. Firms use a serious of pricing strategies, however, the pricing method of cost plus is used most commonly, which is the basic form of all pricing decisions. It refers to a business calculates the average cost and then add a mark-up to the final selling price. Ashwin and Merrills (2008:347) point out another price strategy is called discriminatory pricing; this means a firm set different price for different target groups. As the description from Thompson and Machin (2003:65), discriminatory price refers to â€Å"different price is charged to different group people at different times†. For instance, a cinema charges a different price for students and adults. Besides, it charges different for daytime and evening showings as well. In addition, psychology-pricing strategy is also used quite frequently in supermarkets. For example, Morrison’s sell a bottle of milk  £1.99 rather than  £2, hence customers will perceive the price as being lower. Levitt (1986) argues discriminatory pricing mainly relies on emotional responses from the consumer. The third component in the marketing mix is the place. It concerns the way in which a product is distributed. Stimpson (2005:16) points out â€Å"the ‘place’ decision involves making the product or service available to  consumers in the most appropriate way†. Distribution channel as the most important factor could affect the decision of the place. There are numbers of factors can determine how the product is distributed. Blythe (2012:173) suggests one of them is the marketing aim. The increasing scale raised enterprise intends to expand as wide a distribution as possible. Furthermore, legal restrictions should be regarded as well. Stone (2001) states there are numerous products are not permitted to sell in some places. For instance, it is forbidden to sell the alcohol at the petrol station. In general, direct distribution, retailers, wholesalers and agent are four core channels of distribution. Direct distribution is the producers sell products to customers directly without intermediaries. Blythe (2012:175) explains this, â€Å"direct distribution channels are typical of personal services such as hairdressing†. For retailers, it is an organization that offers goods to customers. Tesco and Wal-Mart, for example. In addition, Koter (2005) describes that, in many market, wholesalers act as a link between producers and consumers. Wholesalers usually buy goods from manufacturers then sell goods to the final consumers or retailers. In contrast, agents do not actually purchase goods; they only help manufacturers to sell. Thompson and Machin (2003:80) claim that, â€Å" agent never actually owns a product, they usually connect buyers and sellers and manage the transfer of the good†. The final element in the marketing mix is promotion. Promotion is not only advertising but also a communication tool between producers and consumers. â€Å"promotion is about communicating with customers and potential customers† (Ashwin and Merrills et al., 2008:331). Promotion is essential for a product because it is able to increase the demand for products. Young (2008) suggests promotion can raise emotion, concern or awareness for products or issues. In addition, promotion can protect and preserve the market share as well. The methods of above the line and below the line are two main types methods of promotion. As for above the line promotion, it refers to a firm uses the advertising media but does not has direct control. The most recognizable  face of advertising is television. Because of it can provide the introduction of product with colorful images. Wolinski and Coates (2008:373) state that, â€Å"television has the advantage of being memorable, as it can present both moving images and sound†. Thompson and Machin (2003:74) examines the below the line promotion includes promotional media over which the firm has control. For example, personal selling, it means a salesman or a sales team who regularly visits consumers in person. Having introduced each element of the marketing mix, the essay will now evaluate the most crucial element in the marketing mix – product. There are two principal reasons for product as the most important element in the marketing mix. First of all, product as the key component makes the entirely process of the link between customers and producers possible. Amount of sales promotion and price reduction will not help an enterprise to achieve their market target if the product is not appropriate and attractable. Stimpson (2005:24) agrees with this view that, â€Å" a balance and integrated mix is essential, but without a product that offers customers real and distinctive benefits, even the best-laid marketing plans can be wasted†. In the mean time, Kazmi (2007), in her work, Marketing Management, suggests that the product or service is the most vital element, without a good product, you have nothing. Furthermore, Adcock and Halborg (2001) sustains that the attention of customers will be attracted if a firm can develop a high quality product, hence, the profits that the firm makes will increase. As a result, the pote ntial for business success is significantly enhanced. The second reason is that products enable to decide a firm’s profits, sales, market share, image, reputation and stature. Additionally, product can also determine the scope and direction of a company’s activity. Product acts a heart in the whole marketing mix. Most of the scholars support that view. Stimpson (2005:24) points out that, â€Å"the product is usually considered to be the most important component of the marketing mix†. Stone (2001) believed that in most case the product itself is the key to a successful marketing mix. However, there will be instances that when other components dominate  the marketing mix. Wolinski and Coates (2008:346) argues that, â€Å" At a festival, only one type of bottled water might be available, so the place is the most important factor†. In contrast, Baker (1991) claims when consumer with limited money might choose the product with the lower price, this is due to consumer has insufficient resources to purchase additi onal products. In this case, price is the most significant component. To recapitulate, the essay has introduced and analysed four elements product, price, place and promotion in the marketing mix. Marketing mix as a tool is able to help firms make efficient business plan and strategy. Each element is playing a very vital role in the marketing mix. Furthermore, the essay has identified the product is the most crucial part since the product is the key component linking between the producers and consumers. It can be concluded that all the elements in the marketing are essential and necessary, while in the most case, product is the most essential component in the marketing mix. An enterprise should coordinate and integrate the four elements so that the firm can build an efficient marketing strategy and achieves more profits as possible. Reference list: Ashwin, A., Merrills, S. and Thompson, R. 2008. Collins biz/ed AS business studies. London: Collins Educational. Baker, M.(1991) Marketing, An Introductory Text, 5th edn. London: Macmillan Education Ltd. Blythe, J. 2012. Essentials of marketing. 5th edn. Harlow: Pearson. Felina C. Young and Cristobal M. Pagoso. 2008. Principles of Marketing 1st edn. Manila: Red Book Store. Kotler, P. 2005. Principles of marketing. 4th edn. Harlow, England: Prentice Hall/FinancialTimes. Leader, W. G. and Kyritsis, N. 1990. Fundamentals of marketing. New edn. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes. Levitt,T.: 1986. The Marketing Imagination. New York: Free express. MarcouseÃŒ , I., Surridge, M. and Gillespie, A. 2011. Business studies for A level. Abingdon, Oxon [UK]: Hodder Education. Ramos, A. and Cota, S. 2008. Search Engine Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill. Stimpson, P. 2005. Place. Business Review, 11:4-16 Stimpson, P. 2004. The Product Decision. Business Review, 11:1-24 Stone, P. 2001. Make Marketing Work for you. Oxford: How To Books. Thompson, R. and Machin, D. 2003. AS Business Studies.1st edn. London: Collins Educational Wolinski, J. and Coates, G. 2008. AQA AS business studies. 2nd edn. Deddington, Oxfordshire: Philip Allan Updates. a

Sophocless Electra vs. Euripidess Electra :: comparison compare contrast essays

Euripides and Sophocles wrote their own versions of the Electra story. The basic plot is as follows: Agamemnon is killed by Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus after he returns from the Trojan war to reclaim his sister-in-law Helen from the Trojans.   Electra and her brother Orestes plot to kill their mother and her lover to revenge his death.   Both authors wrote about the same plot, but the built the story very differently.   Sophocles focused on Orestes, and Euripides focused more on the life of Electra.   In Sophocles's version, the play opens with Orestes learning his fate from the Pythian Oracle; he must revenge his father's death unarmed and alone.   He sends his pedagogue Pylades, as a spy, to learn about the situation in Mycenae.   Electra mourns for her father's death.   She is unable to avenge her father's murders without the help of Orestes, her brother.   She is also mad about how her mother and her lover waste her father's riches and desecrate his name.   Her half-sister Chrysothemis is no help to Electra and refuses to help in the murder of her mother and mother's lover. Pylades arrives bearing the sad news of Orestes death. He tells Clytemnestra that Orestes was killed in a chariot race at the Delphian games; his body was cremated and his ashes were sent to Mycenae.   Concealing his identity, Orestes arrives and with the help of Electra and Pylades, plots the murder of his mother and his mother's lover.   Orestes enter the palace, kills his mother and returns to Electra.   When Aegisthus arrives, Orestes kills him as well fulfilling his destiny.   Euripides's version is much more dramatic.   The play begins with Electra's marriage to a peasant.   Aegisthus had tried to kill Electra but Clytemnestra convinced him to allow her to live.   He decided to marry her to a peasant so her children will be humbly born and pose no threat to his throne.   Orestes and Pylades arrive.   Orestes says that he has come to Apollo's shrine to pledge himself to avenge his father's murder.   Orestes, concealing his identity, talks with Electra about the recent happenings in Mycenae.   She admits that she is sad that her brother had been taken away at such a young age and the only person that would recognize him would be her father's old servant.   She also discusses her scorn of Aegisthus desecrating the monument over Agamemnon's grave and his ridicule of Orestes.

Antibiotics

After suffering a lot of devastating epidemic attacks and mass deaths, humanity invented antibiotics and started applying them against known bacterial diseases. Using antibiotics for the last 6 decades, we are now facing the results of the process caused by genetic changes and mutations in bacteria. This can be explained by one of the basic principles of evolution: natural selection, which suggests that the fittest and the strongest survive, and the weakest disappear. Bacteria are one-celled organisms, which are very vulnerable to mutations. It is known that the most of the mutations affect the organisms. But certainly, there are some chances of positive outcomes of mutations as well. Mitosis of bacteria is a very fast process, which brings to rapid growth of the population. Having such huge number of bacteria, the chances of positive mutation are higher, therefore, more and more bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics treatment. Nowadays, different types of pathogen bacteria can already survive the existing antibiotics, and using an excessive amount of antibiotics we dramatically fastened the process of natural selection in bacteria evolution. This situation threatens the effectiveness of traditional treatment methods to bacterial diseases. That is why world scientists are facing the necessity of searching for new antibiotics, either modifying the known ones or looking for something absolutely different. According to the research of the Harvard School of Public Health, in 2005 â€Å"..more than 40% of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains in the United States could resist both penicillin and erythromycin† (Powledge, 2004). The other researches, based on mathematical modeling, show that in the nearest future more and more species of bacteria will be able to resist old antibiotics. Therefore, if no new antibiotics are available, we’ll become totally unprotected against hard diseases, like tuberculosis, etc. Bibliography: Powledge, T. M. (2004, February 17). New Antibiotics—Resistance Is Futile. PLoS Biol 2(2): e53

Huckleberry Finns Struggle with Society - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 911 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/05/18 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Huckleberry Finn Essay Mark Twain Essay Did you like this example? Mark Twain published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a sequel to his previous work The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in the late nineteenth century. The main character Huckleberry Finn is struggling to follow the standards set for him, through this novel the author advocates that some individuals, like Finn, struggle to follow mainstream society and its expectations. Huckleberry Finn questions the teachings of slavery, race, and class of the society surrounding him. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Huckleberry Finns Struggle with Society" essay for you Create order Finn has a series of adventures throughout the novel in which he struggles between the ways in which society expects him to act, and the things he wants to truly believe in. The novel begins with a continuation of the previous work by Twain in which we find out that hes been living, still in St. Petersburg, Missouri, with the Window Douglas and Miss Watson while they attempt to educate him and civilize him in the ways of school, religion, and manners (Godin). Huckleberry has no intentions of staying with these two ladies, and receiving a proper education as expected of him. His friend Tom Sawyer, from Twains previous novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, convinces Huckleberry to stay and learn what he can for the purpose of appearing respectable. After living with Widow Douglas for a time Huckleberry becomes accustomed to the idea of a proper education, until his father shows up. His father is notorious drunk who abuses Finn. Upon his return, Finns father puts him in a cabin and beats him after coming home drunk. It is after this he decides to travel where his father cannot find him. It is at this point that Huckleberry realizes that living in mainstream s ociety is not for him. He and Miss Watsons runaway slave escape on a raft floating down the Mississippi River. With all the things he has experienced in his short lifetime, Finn acts in a much older manner than expected, and has picked up some inappropriate behaviors such as swearing and smoking. Mark Twain writes this novel in a plain and unabridged manner which had never been used before. A little boy would never be allowed to conduct himself in the Old Southern society as Finn is portrayed throughout the story. This character goes against all the traditions of conduct and behavior of the pre-Civil War era in the South. A theme throughout the story is the fact that Huckleberry Finn and Jim went against the norms of society in the way in which they befriended each other. Although Finn attempted to conform to the ways of society around him, there was a feeling of mistrust from the treatment he received from those around him. As a poor, uneducated boy, Huck distrusts the morals and intentions of the society that treats him as an outcast and fails to protect him from abuse. The uneasiness about society, and his growing relationship with Jim, leads Huck to question many of the teachings that he has received, especially concerning race and slavery (Relationship). Finn and Jim show the society around them how to look past the color of their skin, and see the individual for who they are. There are many instances in the novel that Huckleberry is faced with the decision of whether to turn Jim over to authorities as a runaway slave, but he ultimately decides that Jim deserves his freedom. Through these experiences Huckleberry realizes that what society teaches him about slavery and race is not the way in which the African-Americans should be treated. Throughout the story Mark Twain advocates that Huckleberry Finn is much better off learning lessons through adventures, rather than in a traditional school setting. At the beginning of the novel Finn finds a stash of gold that was hidden after a robbery. He is torn between taking the money and leaving the two ladies who he has been living with, or giving the money back to the rightful owners. With the help of his friend Tom Sawyer, he decides to place the money in a trust with a local judge. While traveling down the Mississippi River with Jim, they come upon two characters by the name of King and Duke. It doesnt take Finn and Jim long to realize that they are in the company of two criminals who do not have good intentions. The conmen scheme to sell Jim to a local farmer, and Huckleberry is faced with the decision of whether to help Jim escape or leave him behind. Huckleberry feels a moral obligation to his friend Jim, and ultimately decides to help him escape no matter what it takes. Through this and other series of events, Huckleberry Finn learns through what would be known as the school of hard knocks. Although the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson desired to see him learn the ways of society through a proper education, Huckleberry uses his life experiences to aid him in the decisions that he makes. He struggles to accept the typical thoughts and behaviors of the society in which he was raised, and is now living all alone. In conclusion, Huckleberry Finn disregards the teachings of society and sets out on his own to search for what he believes as right and wrong. He stands by his friend, although a runaway slave, throughout the novel as a voice against the teachings of slavery and race. Mark Twain uses the character Huckleberry Finn to contend against the standards of race and class during this time in American society.