Thursday, October 10, 2019
Analysis of Unileverââ¬â¢s Risks and Risk Management Strategies Essay
With the rapid development of modern economy, companies are always exposed to risks which are penetrating to all walks of life and not only exist in the products market, but also exist in financial market (Ballou, 2005). It is undoubtedly that risks jeopardize the companyââ¬â¢s development in that they may increase the cost of a companyââ¬â¢s operation and make it harder for a company to make a crucial decision. Accordingly, it is essential to know risks and find out risk management strategies. This essay will firstly map out Unileverââ¬â¢s business model and have a brief analysis on it. Following this, it will illustrate specifically risks Unilever is exposed to in light of the business model. Meanwhile, it will point out some risks Unilever has not managing enough. Next, the essay will assess some risk management strategies Unilever has taken to mitigate or avoid the risks. Finally, it will recommend the company some more risk management strategies in order to help it mitigate or prevent risks. Analysis of Unileverââ¬â¢s Business Model Business Model A business model, strictly speaking, is the organizationââ¬â¢s core logic for creating value (Jane & Susan, 2000). After over 80 yearsââ¬â¢ development, Unilever has become one of the largest suppliers of consumer products in the world. Its strong portfolio of foods, home and personal care brands is trusted by consumers the world over. Unileverââ¬â¢s top 13 brands account for total sales of over EUR23 billion and top 25 brands represent nearly 75% of the sales (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). Unilever is a well-operated company, and its business model is mapped out as follows: Key Partners Suppliers Contractors Distributors Key Activities Research Design Production Sale Value Proposition Produce innovative and good-quality personal and household care goods for consumers and try to make people feel good and comfortable every day; Produce and sell nutritious foods, such as tea, ice cream, dressing to people and to make them enjoy a better life. Customer Relationships Deliver goods to customers via various channels Customer Segments Huge segment of customers Customers all over the world Key Resources Brands /Labels Employees Production Sites & Lines Technology Information, Intellectual Property, Embracing Diversity Channels Malls Supermarkets Stores Groceries Pharmacies Terminal Markets Cost Structure Research cost, design cost, production cost, supply and sale cost, marketing and promotional spend, management cost Revenue Structure Sales of the consumer goods the company researches, designs and produces. Analysis of the Business Model The business model mapped out above indicates that a multi-national enterprise like Unilever has an integrated and inseparable business chain which is global on the one hand, and multi-level on the other hand, that is, its economic activities involve employees, suppliers, producers, storage, terminal markets, retailers, customers and other beneficiaries (Ian, 2009). Such business model enables Unilever to become a world top supplier of consumer products. However, each coin has two sides. Since the Unileverââ¬â¢s business chain connects each other so closely and relates to numerous parties and factors, thus the companyââ¬â¢s whole operation is rather vulnerable and is easily subject to various risks. Risks Exposed to Unilever in light of the Business Model Market Uncertainties As a top supplier of consumer products, Unileverââ¬â¢s business activities are operated within a global, vigorous and competitive market. Its business development is subject to the condition and change of the whole market. Firstly, economic condition plays a crucial role on the development of Unileverââ¬â¢s business as consumption demand and purchase ability of consumers directly influence the sale of the products. 2008 and 2009 were relatively tough years for Unilever due to the global economic crisis (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). The economic downturn reduces consumersââ¬â¢ wealth and makes them unable to buy as many products as before. Meanwhile, customers purchasing ability was greatly undermined and turned to buy those inexpensive but substantial products rather than those top-grade products. Customersââ¬â¢ reactions affect Unileverââ¬â¢s turnover, profit and cash flow. Next, more and more companies are targeting the market of consumer goods due to the attraction of billions of consumers. Thus, the market of consumer goods is just like a piece of pie and is shared by more and more competitors. Therefore, the whole market is uncertain and Unilever has to be well prepared for the fight against the economic uncertainties and the industrial fierce competition. Financial Instability The interest rate risk is a risk brought to the value or the cash flow or profitability of a company when the change of the interest rate occurs. To clarify it more specifically, the floating interest rate exposes the company to the risk of the increased interest cost and the increased borrowing afterwards; while the fixed interest rate makes the company subject to the risk of the loss of the fair value. Meanwhile, as a multinational company whose business activities are operated in more than 180 countries, Unilever is exposed to the risk of the fluctuation of the exchange rate during the process of the change of currencies and the actual value of the currency may be decreased due to such fluctuation (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). Provided that Unilever does not handle the issue of interest rate and exchange rate well, the company may be subject to the exposure of the reduction of cash flow, turnover, profits which may subsequently adversely impact the companyââ¬â¢s credit rating, ability to raise funds and confidence of investors. Environmental Risk As a top producer of consumer goods, some waste water is generated for disposal and the company also discharges some CO2 from energy that the company uses in the process of the production (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). In case the said issues are not dealt with appropriately, the environment will probably be polluted. One of the Unilever factories in Brazil discharged a great deal of stink smell to the air due to the false operation in 2008 which impacted upon more than 100 thousand peopleââ¬â¢s normal life and Unilever was imposed a fine of 10 million Brazilian Real by the Brazilian government due to such pollution (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). Similar accidents will greatly damage the reputation of the company as not only the government but also common peopleââ¬â¢s awareness of environmental protection has been greatly improved nowadays. Accordingly, Unilever is exposed to the environmental risk which may result in the heavy fine and adverse reputation. Loss of Customers Unileverââ¬â¢s extraordinary achievement obtained nowadays is on the one hand because of the superior products it supplies and on the other hand is inseparable to the customersââ¬â¢ sufficient trust of the company and its brands. However, the following three factors may undermine customersââ¬â¢ trust to the company and its brandsï ¼Å¡ a. Products fail to meet high product safety standards. Quality inspectors in each state have set many standards and are doing lots of inspection work to ensure the safety of products sold in the market. In case the product is found insecure or with any shortcomings, customers will feel disappointed; b. Lack of new products and technical capability. Customers have quite high requirements on products. Lack of new products and technical capability will push customers to other supplier of similar consumer goods; c. The service and product provided by the competitive company is better than Unilever. Loss of customersââ¬â¢ trust may be caused by several reasons, while the result is simply the loss of the companyââ¬â¢s cash flow and the damage of the companyââ¬â¢s growth and profitability. Operation Risk Each step of Unileverââ¬â¢s business activity is separable to each other (Unilever Annual Report, 2009). For example, the companyââ¬â¢s production of goods is conditioned by the timely and secure supply of the raw-material, while the successful sale of goods needs effective storage and distribution capability. However, the supply of the companyââ¬â¢s raw material, mostly agriculture products, is based on the secure and sufficient agricultural production which may be influenced by weather, water scarcity, and farming practices. Similarly, the storage and distribution of products is usually influenced by the storage and distribution capability, the cost of it and the local social stability. Any issue of the foregoing may badly influence Unileverââ¬â¢s normal production and sale and subsequent cash flow, turnover, and profit and other business indexes. Risk of Employees and Talents Unilever is a company with more than 300 operation agencies in 88 countries, more than 1000 well-known brands and sells its products in more than 150 countries. Thus the successful operation of the company not only depends on the superior products, but also needs appropriately qualified employees. In the event that the company suffers high employment turnover rate, it may be exposed to the risk of high cost of training, suspended market share and loss of some investment opportunities which will impact the smooth development of the company and undermine the companyââ¬â¢s capability of competitiveness in the market. Legal Risk Unilever is doing business in more than 150 countries. Different country has very different legal system and regulations concerning the employment, the product safety, the pricing, the intellectual property rights, the disclosure, the environment and other factors (Ian, 2009). Legal risk may probably bring a suit to the company and will do harm to the companyââ¬â¢s reputation in local market. Other Risks exposed to but not identified or Elaborated by Unilever Unilever has found out and elaborated some risks exposed to the company; however, there are some risks which have not aroused Unileverââ¬â¢s great attention: Risk of New products Exploitation In order to confront the industrial competition, Unilever needs to exploit continually new products to attract customers and consolidate the relationship with customers. The exploitation of a new product basically involves following steps: design, research, selection of the scheme, the involvement and allocation of the resources, the production and promotion of the products. However, there are some uncertain factors existing in the process of new products exploitation, such as technology, market, fund and environment and each uncertain factor may lead to the unsuccessful exploitation, loss of cost or negative reputation to the company (Michel, 2001). Physical Risk A company is unavoidably exposed to some natural disasters or accidents (Jane, 2000), such as fire, windstorm or earthquake which will cause the property damage or employeesââ¬â¢ body injury. Such damage or injury will cause the companyââ¬â¢s normal operation affected and subsequently, turnover, cash flow and profitability will be impacted. Other risks The company is also exposed to other risks such as fiscal, tax and so on. Interaction of Risk Factors Economic Downturn ââ ââ â Market Uncertainties ââ â¢Ã¢â â" ââ âââ â Risk of New Product Exploitationââ ââ â Financial Instability ââ âââ â ââ â"ââ Ë Ã¢â âââ â Legal Risk ââ ââ â Loss of Customers ââ âââ â ââ â¢Ã¢â â" ââ âââ â Risk of Employees and Talents ââ ââ â Operation Risk All risks illustrated above do not exist independently but rather influence interactively (Geert, 2008). The economic downturn will lead to the financial instability which may cause the company to operate adversely and the subsequent poor operation may cause the company to face more fierce industrial competition and environmental risk. The said issues are easy to lead to the loss of employees and talents which may also subsequently lead to poor operation and vice versa. To sum up, the factors function with each other and the company has to take some effective and holistic measures to defend these risks. Assessment of Unileverââ¬â¢s Risk Management Strategies Unilever has recognized that most of the risks exposed to it may become material obstacles to the companyââ¬â¢s further development. Accordingly, it has tried to taken some effective and structured measures to identify and then exploit the key risk management strategies for the business (Michael, 2007). The specific risk management strategies it has exploited are as follows: 1. Unilever has been carefully monitoring economic indicators and consumer behavior in different areas through extensive and professional research in order to respond quickly and take new and flexible measures to meet the changing demand of customers. 2. In order to deal with the issue of financial instability, the company has been making efforts to get access to global debt markets through various ways such as short-term or long-term debt programs. Unilever attaches great importance to the fluctuation of interest rate, trying to have different types of financial services and balance the risks between floating and fixed rate interest after a professional prediction and assessment of the interest rate; Regarding to the foreign exchange rate, Unilever sets a policy which limits the operating companiesââ¬â¢ financial foreign exchange exposures so as to minimize such risk. 3. Unilever has made a series of standards and policies for the procedure of design, manufacture, and distribution of products to ensure the high standards of productsââ¬â¢ quality. Unilever also has a ââ¬Å"Sustainable Development Groupâ⬠which is comprised of five external specialists, engaging in the companyââ¬â¢s development of the strategy. Unilever also has specific policy concerning products recall in case thereââ¬â¢s products quality incident. 4.Unilever has set complete and effective contingency measures and system to ensure the material supply or to share the production task between different production sites or to use substitute materials in case of the lack of the material. The company also calculates the cost of transportation and distribution from time to time and to adjust the policy and service promptly to optimize the cost. These measures enable the company to operate well. 5. Unilever needs to find a way to attract, develop, train and retain qualified employees. The company has an admiring human resource system. It has established Resource Committees to identify employeesââ¬â¢ skill and capability, define employeesââ¬â¢ career paths. It also provides numerous opportunities for employees to improve their skills, leadership abilities through training and coaching. Meanwhile, Unilever shall take measures to enhance employeeââ¬â¢s risk management ability. Ballou and Heiger (2005) propose ââ¬Å"shifting the employeeââ¬â¢s attitudes about risk management to include monitoring, measuring, and controlling certain risks while sharing, avoiding, and accepting that other risks will not occur effectively in a short period of timeâ⬠. 6. Unilever has set policies to make sure employees follow policies and abide by local laws and regulations in all relevant aspects concerning its business and activities. Regarding those crucial issues and activities, the prior legal check and consent are needed in the company. In a word, Unilever has been making great efforts to build effective, reasonable and practicable strategies for risk management. The boards have overall responsibility for Unileverââ¬â¢s risk management and the company has a Code of Business Principles which stipulates the standards of business operation and requires employees to abide by the code. The above strategies enable Unilever to operate its business well in the global market. New Risks Exposed to Unilever and Recommended Risk Management Strategies Besides risk management strategies mentioned above, the writer will recommend some more strategies for Unilever and try to give it some ideas on better monitor and manage its risks. Transfer and Divert Risks In order to avoid the damages and losses brought by such risks to the development of the company, Unilever may select to transfer risks by applying for insurance. Modern insurance system is the idealist way to transfer risks (Mike, 2006). For example, Unilever may transfer the risks of property, employersââ¬â¢ liability and business interruption by applying for the insurance of Property All Risks, Employerââ¬â¢s Liability and Business Interruption so as to transfer risks to the insurance company. Establish an Effective Control System Risk management is not only to establish a risk management for business procedure, more importantly, the company shall establish a comprehensive and effective risk management control system to make sure the effective implementation of the risk management strategy. The company can establish a Risk Management Committee in the head office and shall be directly responsible for the board of directors. ââ¬Å"The board needs to be consulted on matters of risk management and it needs to be able to give guidance to the risk management committee in its deliberations. To do this effectively the board needs to ensure the whole company is engaged in managing risk, thereby making it an intrinsic part of the company cultureâ⬠. (Corporate Governance: An International Review, 2009, 546-558). The function of the Risk Management Committee is to implement the risk management, to be especially responsible for the risk supervision of the whole company and to make unified risk management policy and procedure; each branch of the company shall establish an independent risk supervisor, responsible for the risk management and to report the matter of risk to Risk Management Committee without consent of the local manager. Establish a Database of Risk Accidents Database of risk accidents is a tool to effectively predict and assess the risk. The data in the database shall include both internal and external data concerning risk accidents. ââ¬Å" We can try to estimate how bad this problem is by looking at the historical severity of these events in relation to any risk factors that we define and then examining the prevalence of these risk factorsâ⬠(Michel, Dan and Robert, 2001). Through correct analysis of such data, the company will learn a lesson and consider its risk management policy and procedure so as to judge whether the company will prevent the occurrence of the risk accident and how to take precautious measures to avoid the occurrence of similar accidents. Conclusion In conclusion, risks exist in the whole process of business operation, any company shall attach great importance to the risk management to effectively predict and avoid the risk. Unilever is a company which has well recognized its major risks and taken effective risk management strategies. Research on risk and risk management strategy is a long journey and need all employees of the company to make effort and abide by the policy and standards to monitor and manage risks proactively. References Ballou, B. & Heitger, D. L.2005. A building-block approach for implementation COSO: Enterprise risk management-integrated framework. Management Accounting Quarterly, 6(2):1-10. Geert Bouckaert and John Halligan, 2008, Managing performance: international comparisons. Routledge, 2008, pp221-225. Ian Brown, Adam Steen, and Julie Foreman. 2009. Risk Management in Corporate Governance. A Review and Proposal Corporate Governance: An International Review, 2009, 17(5):546-558. Jane Linder, Susan Cantrell, 2000, Changing Business Models: Surveying the Landscape, Business Publisher: Accenture, Pages: 1-15 Michel C., Dan G. and Robert M., 2001, Risk Management, McGraw-Hill. Michael R. Czinkota, Ilkka A. Ronkainen, 2007, International marketing, Cengage Learning, 2007, p417-422. Mike Walker. 2006. Managing international risk. International Business Briefings. The Institute of Risk Management. 2006. P 5-6. Unilever Annual Report, 2009, Unilever Annual Report, from: http://annualreport09.unilever.com/downloads/Unilever_AR09.pdf (Accessed on May, 25, 2011)
Wilfred Owen ‘Dulce et Decorum est’
The poem ââ¬ËDulce et Decorum est' is a poem which shows us the horrors of war. It shows us how innocent lives are being wasted on a war. The poem tells us about how the poet feels about war. The first stanza tells us about the condition of the soldiers. It shows us that the soldiers are sick, tired and are not aware of themselves. It also tells us that the soldiers were in bad condition. They did not care about the shells that dropped behind them. In the first line the soldiers are compared in a simile to old beggars. This implies that they look shabby, which is not the image of soldiers in bright shiny uniforms, which would be in keeping with the glorious image of war. The line has a slow pace with no sound described, which is also a contrast to the image of war, as people at home might expect the soldiers to be marching along at a brisk pace. The second line continues this them as it compares the soldiers to hags, which are very like beggars. It tells you that the soldiers are knock kneeded and coughing, which implies a very low morale. In the second stanza, the poet has written about a gas attack that he has witnessed. This stanza tells us about the confusion and panic, which arises when the soldiers' lives are in immediate danger. The pace of this verse is a lot quicker in order to demonstrate this, and also provides a contrast to the previous verses as it is written in the present tense to make it seem more real, whereas the first verse is written in the perfect tense, which makes it seem more distant. During the gas attack, many soldiers managed to get their gas helmets on time. But one soldier could not make it. He was yelling and stumbling as the gas overcare him. The poet has seen the unfortunate man die a slow and painful death. The third stanza is short. It expresses the poet's fears and nightmares he has because of the dying man reaching his hand out for help. But Wilfred Owen was helpless. The poet tells us that the dying man was guttering, choking and drowning as the gas made its way through his lungs. The fourth stanza is telling us a little bit about what the soldiers did to the dead soldier. They flung him in the back of a wagon. His condition was still bad. There was blood coming out from his mouth and his face was hanging in bad shape. The poet then tells his ââ¬Ëfriend' that it is not right to tell keen and young soldiers eager for glory that ââ¬Ë It is a good and noble thing to die for your country' as it is a lie. Moreover, the last verse is a plea to the reader to renounce their opinion that dying for your country is sew and honourable. Wilfred Owen is saying that if the reader was there, and saw this man dying in the back of the wagon then they would not tell the old Lie. Owen, by his graphic description of the man's death, is intending to shock the reader into believing they have been tricked by the Old Lie i.e. it is good to die for your country, and make them think more deeply about the values of war and how they can become heroes. Wilfred Owen is creating a horrific picture of how bad war is. He has done this by making use of similes. In the first stanza, Owen describes the exhaustion of the soldiers by saying: ââ¬Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacksâ⬠In this quote we can see that Owen is telling us that the soldiers are too tired to walk properly and that they can hardly stand up. He re-enforces his words by saying: ââ¬Å"Men marched asleep. Many had lost their bootsâ⬠This is giving us a vivid image of how tired and ill the soldiers are from war. To add to the atmosphere of depression, the ââ¬Ëhaunting flares' imply that the scene is taking place at night, as flares are not visible in the daytime. The fact that the flares are ââ¬Ëhaunting' adds to the misery of the soldiers, as it could be that they are remembering past horrific incidents involving the flares that haunt them. The ââ¬Ëdistant rest' in line four could mean that the soldiers are going to sleep for the night, but they will not be able to sleep because of the poor conditions. The word' trudge' implies that they are walking with difficulty, and slows down the line, which indicates the slowness of the soldiers' walk. The alliteration in the fifth line emphasises what Wilfred Owen is saying. It makes the metaphor ââ¬Ëmen marched asleep' seem more real and holds the line together over the full stop. ââ¬ËMen limping blood shod' emphasises their predicament and how different i t is to the glorious battle they had expected. The two lines in this verse create the impression that the soldiers are somehow in a daze and do not hear sounds fully. It is as if they have become isolated within themselves. Their illness is further emphasized when the poet says: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ coughing like hagsâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ From these sentences in the first stanza, we can imagine how tired and worn-out the soldiers must have been due to the war they are forced to fight. Wilfred Owen is also making use of metaphors to strengthen the lines of his poem. In the second stanza, Owen tells us about a dying man when he inhaled the gas. ââ¬Å"But someone was yelling out and stumbling And floundering like a man in fire or limeâ⬠From this quote, we get a picture of how the dying man felt just as he had inhaled the smoke. Wilfred Owen has made use of other literary techniques such as Direct speech, Alliteration and Onomatopoeia. In the second stanza, Owen has made use of direct speech to give the reader a realistic feeling about what is happening in the poem. ââ¬Å"Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!â⬠The poet has also made use of Alliteration. In the third stanza, the poet says: ââ¬Å"Behind the wagon we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his faceâ⬠Here the poet is telling us about the state in which the dying man was. The poet has also made use of two special features, enjambement and caesura. Wilfred Owen has made use of enjambement very often from the second stanza. This increases the pace of the poem which gives the reader an inside look into how fast people had to work at war. On the other hand, Owen has also made use of caesura. This slows down the pace of the poem and allows the reader to think about what the poet is saying. In the third stanza, Owen says: ââ¬Å"His hanging face, like a devils sick of sinâ⬠Here the poet is letting the reader to know how the dying man looked like after he inhaled the gas. In the poem ââ¬ËDulce et Decorum est', there are four verses with 28 lines. Each verse has a number of lines that vary in every verse. The poem does not have a definite rhyme but mostly it goes like a, b, a, b, c, d, c, d and so on but this pattern is disrupted a little bit in the later part of the poem. Stanza 3 is short as it sums up the nightmares Wilfred Owen is going through. Since the two lines are in the middle of much longer verses, the reader's eyes get attracted to those lines. The poem ââ¬ËDulce et Decorum est' was written by Wilfred Owen during the First World War. In 1914 the First World War broke out on a largely innocent world, a world that still associated warfare with glorious cavalry charges and the noble pursuit of heroic ideals. This was the world's first experience of modern mechanised warfare. As the months and years passed, each bringing increasing slaughter and misery, the soldiers became increasingly disillusioned. Many of the strongest protests made against the war were made through the medium of poetry by young men horrified by what they saw. One of these poets was Wilfred Owen. World War I, military conflict, from 1914 to 1918, that began as a local European war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia on July 28, 1914; was transformed into a general European struggle by Germany's declaration of war against Russia on August 1, 1914; and eventually became a global war involving 32 nations. The immediate cause of the war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was the assassination on June 28, 1914, at Sarajevo in Bosnia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; now in Bosnia and Herzegovina), of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir-presumptive to the Austrian and Hungarian thrones, by Gavrilo Princip, a Serb nationalist. The fundamental causes of the conflict, however, were rooted deeply in the European history of the previous century, particularly in the political and economic policies that prevailed on the Continent after 1871, the year that marked the emergence of Germany as a great world power. The living conditions for the soldiers were terrible during the First World War. Many died due to diseases, epidemics and injuries caused through battle. Sometimes, the soldiers had no ammunition to fight with at all and hence were left helpless. Living conditions were as bad. Many had no proper shelter, or clothing. Wilfred Owen had made these conditions a reality in his poem. The vividness of the poem gives us an impression of how bad the conditions must've been for the soldiers during the war. Moreover he is saying this because he feels the soldiers are giving their life for nothing. Therefore he is stressing on the terrible conditions the soldier were living and fighting in. Wilfred Owen has written negative account of his feelings for war. He has written about the tiredness of the soldiers when he says: ââ¬Å"Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind; Drunk with fatigue; drunk even to the hootsâ⬠In this quote we can see that Wilfred Owen is trying to tell us that the soldiers were very tired. This tells us that Wilfred Owen is giving us a negative impression of war This poem was written by Wilfred Owen, who was a soldier in the First World War. He therefore gives a very vivid account of what it was like to be there, as he has had first- hand experience. The title of the poem means ââ¬Ëit is sweet and honourable', and the phrase is continued at the end of the poemâ⬠¦'to die for your country.' Just before this is stated at the end of the poem, Wilfred Owen chooses to write' The Old Lie.' This tells us he does not believe this statement to be true. The poem is filled with horrible stories about what really happened, and so Wilfred Owen is saying how can all of this suffering be sweet and proper? In my opinion, I do not like the poem very much. It gives a very horrific image of war. Although Wilfred Owen is right about ââ¬ËDulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori' I still think that the poem is written quite harshly. The language used by the poet is not bad but the content is. The examples that Wilfred Owen has given us of warfare are very horrific. A man drowning in a gas of poisonous gas, a group of soldiers in ill condition etc, all this reflects upon the horrific accounts of warfare. If the poet were trying to stress his point through non-horrific examples, then the poem would've been a lot more enjoyable. But that doesn't mean I am criticizing the poet. Needless to say the poem is very well written. Its what the poet feels about warfare, which obviously I wouldn't criticize that at all as it is the poet's opinion.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Marketing Plan Project Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Marketing Plan Project - Research Proposal Example There is a huge need for this kind of product among the people. The following study will provide some information and will develop a marketing plan for this developed product. Economic Environment and Competitive Environment Analysis US are one of the strongest, leading and developed economies in the world. The recent global recession in the year 2007-08 and the European financial crisis in the year2008-09 have affected the economic situation of the country. Most importantly, this economic downturn has affected the social and economic life cycle of a country. The per capita income of people has gone down due to this recession. Moreover, this unfavorable economic situation of the country has impacted negatively on the economic growth of the country. Currently, it is feasible that, the disposable income of people has gone down comparing to the pre era of global recession. Now-a-days, people are trying to save more rather than consuming. Several economic policies such as high tax rate, limited government expenditure has affected the economic situation of the country very badly. Looking into these factors, it can be said that, the country is still suffering from the impact of economic downturn. In terms of competitive environment, the success of the product depends upon the product attribute, price range of the products and existing rivalry in the operating market place. Depending upon these things, it can be said that, the product has several competitive advantages. First of all, this type of business market is still uncovered and untapped. Therefore, there is a huge opportunity for the brand to capitalize on the potential market opportunity. On the other hand, it can be said that, this kind of product will be very effective in the daily life of people. In terms of pricing, it can be said that, this product is affordable for the people of all kind of income group, such as lower middle, middle, upper middle and upper class. The low price range of the products is ad dressing that; people can afford this product without any hesitation. Lastly, in terms of competitors, it can be said that lack of competitors and due to untapped market the product can achieve huge competitive advantage and market share. It will help them to increase the target customer base. Data on the Market The organization can target a huge area of market place, as it is discussed earlier that, the specific market segment is still untapped. Moreover, according to a survey, it has been found out that, more than 75% people, including all kind of market segment it is feasible that, there has been already a need for this product. According to the respondents, it is feasible that, major of them are unhappy as they could not able to use 100% of a beauty cosmetic product or a tooth paste. Therefore, it has evidenced that, there are huge demand for the product. In terms of age it is feasible that, there is a need for the product among the people aged between 12 and 65. Moreover, in te rms of income group, it has been feasible that, people whose household income is more than 15,000 US dollar are the major target group of this product. In terms of gender of people, the products are seemed to be popular among the household female respondents comparing to other male respondents. The median income of the maximum
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Coral Reefs , bleaching Coral reefs, tolearance , affected , different Essay
Coral Reefs , bleaching Coral reefs, tolearance , affected , different kinds which one most affected due to climate changes .. e - Essay Example A coral reef may be made up of a large number of species and several of the universeââ¬â¢s most diverse and dense populations of vertebrate animals. It is unfortunate that extremely minimal residual coral reefs highlight this immaculate situation (Hoegh-Guldberg, 1999). Moreover, on most, fishes and corals are much less plentiful than they were a few years ago. This paper will look at coral reefs and how they are or will be impacted by climate change. Wholesome coral reefs are eclipsed by a number of forms of reef-building corals, which stuff the position of trees in a forest, by developing the actual structure of the reef, supporting numerous animals and plants. Ecologists term trees, corals, and additional organisms, for example, oysters, which develop habitats as base species and understand that their extinction can be disastrous for the ecosystem and the community that surrounds them. In addition, the configuration established by corals over the years gives complicated harbors in which creatures can seek cover from hunters. When corals become extinct, the number of reef fish rapidly diminishes, largely because of the lack of sections for fingerlings to exist as they move away from their habitat and inhabit on the reef where they will live for the rest of their lives (Andrefouet, Mumby, McField, Hu, & Muller-Karger, 2002). For instance, the fish species were largely affected by coral loss because of sedimentation run-off and ocean warming from the switch of forest to oil palm farms, in Papua New Guinea. The ocean surface temperatures and the warmer air caused by climate change has an effect on corals and change coral reef populations by changing ocean chemistry and triggering coral bleaching. These effects have an impact on corals and the large numbers of creatures that utilize coral reefs as their habitation. Coral reefs coat a region of approximately 280,000 square kilometers and offer support for a number of species in what can be termed as the seasâ⠬⢠rainforests. Coral reefs have a number of benefits to the people and environment in several ways. For instance, coral reefs offer protection for shores from the effect of storms and waves; they give benefits to human beings in the form of medicine and food; they offer financial benefits to native societies from tourism (Jones, 2004). Climate change causes bleaching in coral reefs. Bleaching illustrates the deficiency of symbiotic algae by a host or the coral. A large component of the pigment in the regularly bright corals is dependent on the existence of these plant cells. The living tissue of coral reefs is usually translucent without several components. Moreover, bleaching is a common reaction that may be caused either by low or high temperatures, in the laboratory, changes in salinity, intense light, or by additional chemical or physical stresses. Bleaching is the severe condition of natural variation that is present in a large number of coral reefs (Baker, 2001). Extra hum id temperatures caused by climate change strain corals because they are extremely responsive to temperature changes. In situations where water temperatures remain higher than standard for a long period, the elements they are dependent on for several of their nutrition escape their tissue. Without these elements, corals coral reefs lose their color. This is because the elements provide color for the coral reefs. Bleac
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