Situation Analysis and Marketing Objectives Assignment

Situation Analysis and Marketing Objectives - Assignment Example The report ends with a concise statement of marketing objectives for Subway that it needs to follow in order to achieve its goals. Table of Contents Situation Analysis and Marketing Objectives 1 Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Situation Analysis 5 Internal Environment 5 â€Å"Product, Pricing, Promotion, and Placement†: 5 Target Market: 6 Value-addition: 6 External Environment: 7 Competitors: 7 Technology: 7 SWOT Analysis: 8 Strengths: 8 Weaknesses: 8 Opportunities 9 Threats: 9 Marketing Objectives 9 References 11 Situation Analysis and Marketing Objectives 1 Executive Summary 2 Introduction 5 Situation Analysis 6 Internal Environment 6 â€Å"Product, Pricing, Promotion, and Placement†: 6 Target Market: 7 Value-addition: 7 External Environment: 8 Competitors: 8 Technology: 8 SWOT Analysis: 9 Strengths: 9 Weaknesses: 9 Opportunities 10 Threats: 10 Marketing Objectives 10 References 12 Introduction Subway, the world’s number one sub-marine sandwich franchise of 2011, was started by Fred DeLuca in 1965 to make money for being able to pay his medical college’s tuition fee. Fred borrowed $1000 from Dr. Peter Buck, a family friend who later on became his partner, to open his first sub-marine sandwich shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut. ... The menus of Subway franchises vary from location to location as it adapts to the cultural differences and preferences of its target consumers. The report presents a situational analysis of both the internal and external environments of Subway to highlight the company’s target market, its objectives, competitive advantages, overall market analysis and its marketing strategies. It also presents a competitor analysis followed by a SWOT analysis of the company that indicates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats presented by the internal and external environments of Subway. Marketing objectives will follow the SWOT analysis, laying the foundation for helping the company meet its objectives (Solomon et al, 2011). Situation Analysis Internal Environment Subway’s main objective is to provide its customers with fresh and high quality sandwiches at all times. It also aims at establishing itself as a fresh and healthy sandwich maker in the fast-food industry. â₠¬Å"Product, Pricing, Promotion, and Placement†: Subway mainly deals in submarine sandwiches that are promoted like healthy and fresh sub-sandwiches. This was what Fred DeLuca started initially when he opened his first sandwich shop in Bridgeport. The company, however, expanded its product offerings with the passage of time and thus increased its menu from only sandwiches and salads to breakfast, sandwiches, salads, catering services, coffee, cookies and Kids’ meals. Subway has always targeted the upper and upper-middle class segments of the market; therefore, their sandwiches do not come cheap. One of the franchisees, however, set out to increase his franchise’s sales and popularity by offering $5 Foot-long sandwiches which was later adopted by the company as a

Rising to the Call with Sound Political Leadership Research Paper

Rising to the Call with Sound Political Leadership - Research Paper Example Through wise decisions, meaningful and sincere rhetoric, and the ability to assert his authority as needed, President Abraham Lincoln was an example of a true leader within the American political landscape. Leadership in the political arena requires a certain amount of detachment from sentimentality so that decision making can be done without the burdens of emotions that will cause too long of hesitation in action. This doesn’t mean that emotions are not present, but that they can be controlled in order to act within a larger framework of the greater good. Vivian Holliday, professor of history from the College of Wooster, discusses the nature of leadership as it is presented through both Machiavelli and Socratic/Platonic principles. She states that: Machiavelli is the principal founder of a ‘realist’ theory of leadership that portrays politics as a pure struggle for power in which all moral considerations are set aside, and that focuses the theory and practice of leadership on success as measured solely in terms of the acquisition and maintenance of power and the protection and promotion of the interests of the nation-state or some other political collectivity† (Holliday 51). ... Holliday also includes in her discussion the more idealistic Socratic/Platonic concept of political leadership suggesting that it should be tempered with the Machiavellian concepts. Through this interpretation of political leadership, the leader is integrally connected to followers and to morals, his or her platform, and idealism defining a virtue with which he or she leads. Holliday states that â€Å"The rhetorical strategy of this image of the ideal philosopher-leader is again most visible when we consider critically the image of new leadership that is vested with Socratic/Platonic knowledge and virtue and that leads through dialogue and education† (63). This also suggests that beyond the connectivity to followers and morals, a good leader uses communication and academically founded intelligent consideration in leading his people through whatever conflict that arises.

Golden Age of Poverty Reduction Essay Example for Free

Golden Age of Poverty Reduction Essay The presentation of the article related to poverty reduction does not seem too optimistic whether the global aim was actually achieved. Basically, the main argument is that poverty reduction provides only the rate of presented resolutions to alleviate the problem. However, the real figures of people under poverty are not really reflected. As time forwarded from the late 19th century up to the present, there was an actual development of social welfare services especially in the health care sector. This prompted world populations to increase and obtain extended life expectancies. But the issue of disparity between the rich and the poor was not really reduced but worsened. The main factor to blame is the capitalists’ attitude towards profitability. They fuel growth in economies but also become the catalyst for the social inequalities to expand. To summarize the main argument, general poverty incidences could have been reduced more if economic inequality had not worsened (The Free Library, 2006). References The Free Library. 2006. Todays golden age of poverty reduction: the story the World Bank and other agencies dont want you to know. International Economic Publications. Retrieved January 27, 2008 from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Todays+golden+age+of+poverty+reduction:+the+story+the+world+bank+and+-a0146175404

Home Furnishings bedding Essay Example for Free

Home Furnishings bedding Essay Home furnishing has many areas that furnish bedrooms with frames, comforters, sheets and dressers and much more. A home furnishing is a way to personalize the house whether it’s with the help of professionals or simple your own ideas. The company Polo Ralph Lauren founded in 1967 and their main headquarter is currently in New York. Ralph Lauren was the one who founded the company which he is the CEO, Chairman, and chief designer for the company. The company also sells products for men, women, and children, accessories, fragrances, and home furnishings. It operates in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Ralph Lauren first launch his home collection in 1985 including bedding, including bedding, towels, area rugs and much more. Home furnishings include bedding and with the bedding department it has mattress size, pillows, sheets and blanket, and quilts. The mattress size is important because it depend the size of the sleeper and the dimensions of the bedroom. The smallest size of the bedding dimensions is the twin size which has a dimension of 39 by 76 inches. The next size is the full size mattresses measure 54 by 75 inches and â€Å"queens add an extra 6 inches to the full-size width and 5 inches to the length. Standard king mattresses have ample room with a 78 inch width and 80 inches in length. †(ProQuest) The pillows come in different size to match the bed and all the pillows are 20 inches in width and in length it varieties. Pillow cases and sheets are sold in pairs or separately. They are sold separately because it allows the customers to pick their own design, how they want their sleeping environment to look like. They sell separately because something consumers does not like the designs so they rather buy the design that they are comfortable. The construction of pillowcases, sheets and shams varieties and the most popular fabric use in this is woven. The next fabric is â€Å"Cotton and cotton/poly dominates the market. Cotton gives absorbency while polyester gives durability and wrinkle resistance. Most sheets are made with spun yarns. †(Hoovers) Muslin and percale sheets are the most common. Muslin sheets are made from carded yarns while Percale is made out from combed yarns. Other type of fabrics is sateen, satin, flannel, or knitted jersey or tricot. It’s important to pay attention the caring part because there are some sheets, pillowcases that can easily get damaged. The white sheets should be machine was only and dry according to manufacturer’s instructions. Do not combine dark colors with beach and only apply beach on white sheets. It’s good to rotated and avoid using the same set also using a mattress pad or covers to protect the sheets will extend the life of the bottom sheets. â€Å"Ralph Lauren has grown from being a mono-brand US centric menswear wholesaler to designer manufacturer and wholesaler of global luxury lifestyle brands for men, women and children. † (Business source Swot analysis). Ralph Lauren has many products that can offer to their customers because it’s a growing industry. Some of the brands and names of Ralph Lauren include Polo by Ralph, Lauren, Purple Label, Club Monaco, Rugby, Ralph Lauren Womens Collection, Black Label, Blue Label and Lauren by Ralph Lauren, among others. The successes of the brands are due to the official outfitter of the 2008 US Olympic and Paralympics teams by the United States Olympic Committee in 2008. It has sign a five year contract with RA to outfit all the members staffing and all the officials in the Open Championship up to 2016. Ralph Lauren distributes their products through and foreign and domestic network. It has a successful global distribution network which allows â€Å"its merchandises to be sold in a total of nearly 9,000 retailers worldwide, ranging from high-end department stores such as Neiman Marcus to discount retailers such as TJ Maxx. † (Business source). Ralph Lauren is divided into three segments the first one is wholesales, the second one is retail, and the third one is licensing. Licensing is very important because any product whether in-house produced or licensed, have to be designed by Mr.  Lauren and his design staff. All of his home furnishings products are produce by his licensing partners who has the right to sell them whether it’s internationally or domestic. It has multiple channels where they distribute their products. Ralph Lauren has 201 factory stores worldwide and 178 full-price retail stores. It also has â€Å"474 concessions-based shop-within-shops, and six e -commerce websites. The full-price retail stores range in the size of approximately 800 to 38,000 square feet and are situated in major upscale street locations and upscale regional malls in large urban markets. (Business Source). Most of these factory stores are located in outlet malls. Some of the factories have a length of 2500 to 20,000 feet in the Americans 1,400 to 19,700 square feet in Europe and from 2,800 to 11,800 square feet in Asia. It also operates a concessions-based shop-within-shops that has around 209 retail locations dedicated to Ralph Lauren-branded products. Most of the shops-within shops are located in Asia and the size of this concessions-base is approximately 180 to 4,300 square feet. The company has a successful globe distribution that allows merchandise to be in 9,000 retails worldwide. Home furnishings by Ralph Lauren afford their customers a feature that has a â€Å"contemporary, creative style and also employs ticking-striped patterns, industrial accents and flea-market-inspired finds to create an unexpected rustic look. † (Ralph Lauren). The company wants their customers to be happy with their product and that’s way they offer the best quality with the best material so that their customers can come back to the company and purchase more. Polo Ralph Lauren’s status as a premier lifestyle brand supports higher product margins, product extensions, and consumer loyalty. The company long-term annually grow is 20% to 30 % on their distribution. This company has a price range to be higher because Ralph Lauren is one of the premier consumer lifestyle brands with considerable brand equity. The company has strong brand equity because it has â€Å"capitalized on its strong fashion design and effective marketing to build a premier lifestyle brand with global revenue exceeding an estimated $5 billion, including licensees. (Business Source). It also states that the company is one of the few† brands capable of developing a portfolio of products and brands ranging from the moderately priced Chaps by Ralph Lauren to the luxury priced Purple and Black Labels. † (Business Source). The company has many ways to merchandises their products which include websites, outlet malls, factories and much more. In addition to these, the company sells its products through three websites in the US, including ralphLauren. com, rugby. com and clubmonaco. com, the company has more websites in the European part. Only the Unites States the company has acquire new customers about 600,000 customers. Only selling from website in helps the company to reach wider customers and faster than any other companies. Not only do they sell their merchandise over the internet they sell it through catalogs, retail stores for example Macys and high ended department store. Not any department store can sell Ralph Lauren products because they must have a license with the company itself. The company chose high end department stores because they know their customers and also because they have loyal customers who love to shop in this high-end department stores. Also because the brand of the product will distinguish how the material is made and how good of a quality it is. There are many rules and regulations when it comes to â€Å"all products categorized as linens must be labeled in accordance with the laws that relate to the consumption of textile products. The Textile Fiber Products Act (TFPIA) requires that generic fiber names and fiber content be listed on the label and flammability standards for mattress†. (Hoovers). The company’s name is build around the highest ethical and legal standards.  Ralph Lauren is guided by the â€Å"California Transparent Act which states that all of its suppliers to prohibit the hiring of slave labor and prevent practices that could contribute to human trafficking. 1. verify product supply chains using third party auditors to ensure that our product supply chains are compliant with our Operating Guidelines and all applicable laws and regulations prohibiting slave labor and human trafficking; 2. conduct independent audits of our suppliers to evaluate their compliance with our Operating Guidelines and all applicable laws and regulations prohibiting slave labor and human trafficking; 3. equire certification by our suppliers that materials incorporated into our products comply with our Operating Guidelines and all applicable laws and regulations prohibiting slave labor and human trafficking in countries where our suppliers are doing business; 4. maintain internal accountability standards and procedures for employees and contractors failing to meet our Operating Guidelines prohibiting slave labor and human trafficking; 5. provide training for our supply chain executives and employees on the prevention of human trafficking and slave labor. †(RalphLauren. om) The company is always doing things to change the product and to promote new products to their loyal customers. Ralph Lauren will launch new lines and maintain brand strength. The company views the internet as the number one source of future growth that will increase very fast. They are advertising and marketing in a unique form associate with distinct design, luxury and quality. Retail stores are still very important because it’s the foundation and the growth of the company and it has given the â€Å"confidence to apply its expertise to wholesale business, including erchandise mix, visual presentation and excellent customer service. † (Valuation Reports). Ralph Lauren wants to expand to new products with new categories in different parts of the world. In conclusion the company has many things to offer to their loyal customers and expanding everything to new places and expanding new product will definitely have new customers. It’s important for the company to keep the good quality and good merchandise because it’s a way to stay in business for much longer.

Advertising Subscription Mixed Revenue Models

Advertising Subscription Mixed Revenue Models A revenue model is the business plan for a company or website to make money. It is also known as business model. It is the amount of money that a company actually receives during a specific period, including discounts and deductions for returned merchandise. It is the top line or gross income figure from which costs are subtracted to determine net income. Revenue is calculated by multiplying the price at which goods or services are sold by the number of units or amount sold. There are many different types of revenue models but because of the importance of an Internet presence for any viable company, the below will discuss different revenue models which can be used on the Internet. It describes how the firm will earn revenue, generate profits, and produce a superior return on invested capital. It specifically describes different techniques or skills used in generating income from the publishers websites and the way a business, typically an online business, to convert its services. Common e-commerce revenue models: Web catalog revenue models Digital content revenue models Advertising-supported revenue models Advertising-subscription mixed revenue models Fee-for-transaction revenue models Fee-for-services revenue models Web catalog revenue models In this revenue model, the sellers print catalog and mail to prospective buyers. Buyers place order by mail or by phone to sellers. It proves to be successful for wide variety of consumer item. It is often called as the mail order or catalog model. When this company wishes to enter the e-commerce market, they transfer their catalog with online version. It is then called the Web Catalog Revenue Models after the catalogue model is expanded in this way. It works best for standardized products with little quality concerns such as (New) Books, music, videos, computers and consumer electronics and also wish to purchases such as gifts and electronics. A personal shopper application is used to create an interface that customer can virtually choose and purchase the products or goods. This is an intelligent program that learns the customers preferences and makes suggestions. Benefits of Web Catalog Revenue Model Such catalog can offer a high degree of configuration flexibility to its customers. To sell products and services such as books, music and videos. Luxury goods are made to provide information to shoppers not to generate revenue. Example: Computer companies such as QQeStore has a great success selling on the Web. FIGURE 1 Advertising-Supported revenue models Most television channel output is allowed by an Advertising-Supported Revenue Models. Broadcasters provide free programming to an audience along with advertising messages. It provides free programming to attract viewers, and then sell ads to marketers based on viewership. Some major problems had stopped the total success of online advertising. First is no proper usage has emerged on how to measure and charge for site visitor views. It is difficult for web advertisers to develop a standard for advertising charges. Stickiness of the website has an ability to retain visitors. Sticky content: e-mail, message boards and chat Non-sticky content: news and search In addition to the number of visitors or page views, stickiness is a critical element in creating a presence that attracts advertisers. If a website is sticky, people will spend more time on it, visit it always and bookmark it. The second problem is that very few websites have a sufficient number of visitors to interest large advertisers. Not very effective: Low CPM rates due to low ad effectiveness. Non-sticky content costs money Example:. Web portal- Site uses as a launching point to enter the web. Almost always includes a Web directory and search engine. FIGURE 2 Advertising-Subscription Mixed Revenue Models It has been used for many years by traditional print newspaper and magazines. Subscribers or visitors have to pay a fee and accept some level of advertising. Subscribers are generally subjected to much less advertising. Subscription fee charged for preferred content (like cable TV) examples like: New York Times (crosswords) Wall Street Journal (special articles) CBS Marketwatch (archived articles) AOL (monthly fee for ISP connection) Pornographic web sites. Usually a combination of free and premium content: Attract customers using free content, and then try to make them pay for premium content. Example: Business Week- Offers some free content at its Business Week online site and requires visitors to buy a subscription to the Business Week print magazine. FIGURE 3 Fee-for-Transaction Revenue Models Businesses offer services or charge a fee based on the number or size of transactions processed. Commission earned based on the volume of the transactions (the higher the volume, the higher the transaction fees will be) or fee per transaction conducted at the website (a fixed fee per trade regardless of the volume). A number of online travel agency began doing business on the web. Stock brokerage firms use a fee-for-transaction model. They charge their consumer a commission for each trade carry out but much cheaper than traditional transaction service providers. E-bay: Listing free + percentage of highest bid (commission). Ameritrade: $8 flat per trade. Expedia: $5 surcharge per ticket. Ticketmaster: Commission per ticker purchased. Plagiarism services: Surcharge per term paper downloaded Disintermediation Removal of an intermediary from a value chain. Reintermediation Introduction of a new intermediary. Online banking and financial services: important feature offered is account aggregation ability to obtain bank, investment, loan and financial account information from many websites and show it all in one location at the banks website. A bill presentment service provides an electronic version of an invoice or billing statement. Benefits of Fee-For-Transaction Revenue Model Automobile Sales- Auto dealers buy cars from the manufacturer and sell them to consumers. Insurance Brokers- Insurance companies have been slow to offer policies and investments for sale on the web. Example E-Bay- earned transaction fees from each successful transaction made by the bidders. FIGURE 4 Fee-for-Service Revenue Models The fee in this model is based on the value of the service provided. These are broker services or based on the number or size of transactions processed. Services range from games and entertainment to financial advice. Channel Conflict and Cannibalization Channel conflict: sales activities on a companys website create with its existing sale outlets-aka cannibalization because the websites sales consume sales that would be made in the companys other channels. Giving customers access to products through coordinated channels-channel cooperation. Benefits of Fee-For-Service Revenue Models Online games- Growing number of sites include premium games in their offerings and site visitors have to pay to play these premium games. Concerts and films- As more households obtain broadband access to the Internet, companies are providing streaming video of concerts and films to paying subscribers Professional services- State laws are one of the main forces preventing U.S professional from extending their practices to the web. Prepaid legal, dental insurance, warranty and others services marketed and sold through the Web. FIGURE 6 Conclusion The best revenue models that suit Cricket Sport E-Zine website are Advertising-Supported Revenue Model, because Cricket Sport E-Zine website services are either free. It also provides free programming to attract viewers and subscribers. Website are present accurate and helpful resources for subscribers. Stickiness of the website have an ability to keep visitors and attract repeat visitors. The publishing company earns money from advertisements and visitors or readers no longer have to pay to access. The content is basically paid for by money from the advertisers who in turn, gain exposure among the readers.

Jack London Square Essay -- Personal Narrative Oakland Essays

Jack London Square The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Gothic architecture of the University of Chicago, Mardi gras, the Great Wall of China--all are highly visible landmarks, characteristics, or events that are emblematic of a particular place. In a more subtle way, there are other "landmarks" that are less recognizable but nonetheless suggest a specific place. Perhaps it is the local mall, or spring tulips in your garden, or abandoned warehouses, or an annual Fourth of July parade or October pumpkin festival. Write about a landmark, characteristic, or event that suggests to you a specific place. Down around the intersection of Broadway and Embarcadero, between the chimneys and the channel, lies one of the few scenes that Oakland displays with pride to the outside world. It is Jack London Square, a ten-block area occupied by shops and offices, which looks out on the Alameda Channel and, beyond it in an appropriate direction, on San Francisco Bay. It is the site of numerous happenings, from the weekly Farmers’ Market to the Fourth of July fireworks, and for the remaining time it somehow maintains an air of hospitality — even festivity — foreign to most of the city. But to me, the Square is more than a physical location; it has a variety of connotations, all somehow connected to Oakland. It is not accurate to say that Jack London Square is a symbol of Oakland; rather, it is a gathering place for a variety of individual representatives of the intellectual and economic mediocrity on which the city frugally survives. To one side is the Port of Oakland, the heart of the city’s commercial significance; it somehow irritates me that this metropolis of 400,000 functions as a distribution center, a mer... ...ironment, and to find the same sort of indicators of the social and cultural entity that constitutes whatever other city as I have done in Oakland. What I experience is perhaps nothing more than a form of academic interest. Just as I have tried to expand my academic experience — while focusing on mathematics, I have also taken interest in chess, CX debate, and programming, among other things — I want to know other places as well. I am not an inseverable part of Oakland. But it is a part of me, a fragment of my experience and my identity. Years from now, after I have finished college and graduate school, perhaps long after that, it is quite likely that I will return to Oakland. I will make the pilgrimage on foot to Jack London Square. And I will sit at one of the outdoor tables of the Barnes & Noble Cafà ©, sipping an Italian soda, and remember what Oakland is.

Internet Marketing Privacy Issues Essay -- Internet Security

If a random person came over to you on the street, would you give him your personal information? Would you allow him to follow and record your activities? Most certainly not. Although this answer may be obvious in the physical world, the general populations’ behavior on the Internet is strikingly different. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google retain vast amounts of personal information of their users. Although this practice benefits the user as well, unrestricted profiling can be quite unnerving. Since regulation from the government may impede Internet use, and unless the threat to internet users privacy are shown to exceed the benefits, the government will not regulate the internet, rather we should educate the public how to be more responsible themselves. The most lucrative business on the Internet is marketing. Companies have come up with ingenious ways to generate revenue with very targeted advertising. Each company has their unique method to identify their consumers, some more complicated than others. For example, on a website geared to new mothers the advertisements would reflect that by advertising for baby diapers or formula. This type of targeted advertising is understood and acceptable. The consumer benefits by having advertisements in their interests and the vendor has a higher likelihood of making a sale. The Internet has introduced novel ways to track consumer habits and interests thereby creating smarter advertising. Microsoft employs their browser Internet Explorer using â€Å"cookies† to track user habits. Cookies are pieces of text stored by a user’s web browser, they are sent back and forth every time a user accesses a web page. These can be tracked to follow web surfers’ actions. Cookies are us ed to store... ...egulation may not be a solution, history has proven that the power to resolve this glowing lack of privacy lies within the hands of the people themselves. The manner in which similar issues were resolved in the past, elucidate on the present. The now famous company Truste created the Web Privacy Seal, the little icon that tells you the website is secure. Ten years ago users were to afraid to buy anything in the internet with their credit cards for fear of identity theft, now one can just look for that seal. As mentioned before Facebook’s privacy changes prompted 2.2 million Facebook members to form a group protesting these changes. Consumers are recognizing the threat to their control and in the same way in the past have come up with ingenious ways to protect themselves they will continue to stand up for their rights that will ultimately affect company policies.