Category: Dog

Unfortunately, it is rather common that many humans all around the United States daily become victims of dog attacks. This happening has one distinct outcome. The humans hurt and scared by the aggressive canines logically try to fight back. As a result, breed specific legislation occurred. This legislation targets big, muscular and dangerous looking dogs, banning them or providing various restrictions for the ownership of the feared kinds of canines.

The breeds that become discriminated against by this legislation are German Shepherds, Staffordshire Terriers, Doberman Pinchers, Chow Chows, Mastiffs, Akitas and, of course, Pitt Bull Terriers. Canine profiling practice is designed to determine the dangerous dogs based on their DNA test results.

Such an approach is arbitrary and superficial because dogs’ personalities and aggression levels are not dictated by their breeds. Besides, in most cases, dog owners are responsible for the behavior of their dogs. Moreover, BSL practices never proved to be efficient and cause difficulties for canine-owners who try to comply with BSL.

BSL works through forcing the dog owners to ensure their pets, and the value established for different breeds varies a lot. As a result, the individuals that own several canines of the “banned” breeds are to pay a lot of money to keep their dogs. If individuals cannot afford the insurance, they have to either move or get rid of their dogs.

The citizens of the states employing BSL had one more option – to conduct a DNA test for their animals and prove that they did not belong to any of the banned breeds. It is worth noticing that not all large and muscular canines are assumed dangerous. Thus, an owner would be able to keep their dog if they proved that it was not a pit bull, but a boxer mix (Campbell par. 1).

Basically, BSL was not based on any scientific data but on social stereotypes and prejudices perceiving some large and strong looking dogs as potential attackers of humans. This legislation is now abolished as a highly intolerant practice, yet it used to be a common way of addressing dog attack rates by means of reducing the number of canines perceived as dangerous.

A well-known dog trainer Cesar Millan calls BSL a genocide and mentions that judging a dog by its appearance and getting rid of the breeds that are “inconvenient” is selfish and unscientific because aggression is a behavior, not inflicted by a breed (Reddy par. 4). Millan also likes to repeat that a breed is a costume a dog wears.

Thus, is not responsible for the dog’s personality or behavioral patterns. It is clear that not all aggressive dogs belong to potentially dangerous breeds. Besides, not all Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, and Rottweilers are aggressive.

Many experts in dog psychology agree that the behavior of each specific dog is formed by its owners, the treatment it receives, and the conditions under which it grows up and lives. A “quick fix” practice that is breed specific legislation reflects the consumerist attitude of humans towards dogs, where the unwanted canines are simply eliminated and new ones are purchased.

The laws of BSL have what is called a home rule, which allows these laws to be locally changed. This means that, if a state employs BSL, the cities of this state have the right to introduce changes to the policy. In Omaha, for example, the city council ruled that the “unwanted” breeds would not be given up and put to sleep, but instead, their owners would have to get these dogs muzzled when outside (Hollow par. 14).

Besides, the well behaved “banned” breed representatives could pass a test called Breed Ambassador test that proved that the dog was not dangerous and that the owner was responsible enough to keep it. The Omaha example proves that regulating the danger coming from reckless owners of bigger dogs is possible and it does not have to be cruel.

An attack of a human by a dog can happen anywhere, in any town or city. In case if this dog happens to be recognized as a member of a “dangerous” breed such as a Pit Bull, this story immediately gets promoted by the mass and social media. The society reacts panicking and enforcing discriminative policy and lawmaking practices (Our Mission: No More Homeless Pets par. 2).

The laws that result from such policy making tend to lead to deaths of thousands of unwanted and inconvenient dogs, most of which never engaged in any attacks. This reaction can be understood. First, it is driven by fear, an emotion that is hard to overcome.

Second, the majority of the supporters of such laws are parents of small children who are genuinely afraid for the lives of their offspring. This is why the argument in favor of BSL has the right to exist, but monitoring particular dangerous dogs is what makes sense, as opposed to the profiling of the whole breed.

Dog attacks, making BSL inefficient, still happen for three main reasons. The first reason is that the reckless dog owners that let their pets run loose, without muzzles, that do not know how to handle strong and big pets often become the cause of dog attacks. In many cases owning a “banned” breed pet equals to owning a gun, and it requires a stable and responsible person, who is not going to endanger themselves and others exposing them to an aggressive predator.

This is why, to my mind, not only the dogs’ behaviors and personalities should be monitored and analyzed, but the skills of their owners too. Unfortunately, it is hard to document people who decide to get dangerous breeds as pets. This is why providing a license for keeping these breeds is impossible, but the state can establish training courses for the owners of the stronger and problematic canines.

The second reason is that BSL is an underdeveloped practice. This legislation has a positive intention of protecting humans from dog attacks, yet it provides wrong methods of reducing the danger. This is why at least twelve of the United States reject such policies because they are simply ineffective (Campbell par. 6). This policy is a so-called “quick fix” for the issues that have been important for decades (Breed Specific Legislation par. 2).

In order to achieve positive results over a very short period of time, the politicians worked out this rather general law that ended up endangering dogs without providing safety to humans. This legislation has a number of negative outcomes. First, the owners of “unwanted” breeds go into hiding to protect their pets and save their lives. Second, the owners of well behaved, but dangerous looking canines are victimized.

Third, BSL creates the illusion of security, while statistically, the danger of dog attacks remains the same. Finally, when some practice is outlawed, this attracts outlaws, so irresponsible people will be attracted to getting dangerous breeds as pets more than ever (Breed Specific Legislation par. 7).

The third reason is dog abuse that is not prevented by BSL. Statistically, eighty-seven percent of all dog attacks included dogs that had reckless owners, were abused or kept in violent and inhumane conditions.

Besides, over seventy percent of dog bite cases involved male canines that were unsterilized, seventy-eight percent of attacks were committed by dogs that were kept as guards, fighters, but not as pets, and finally, the majority of dog attacks on children happened when dogs were left with kids unsupervised (Breed Specific Legislation par. 9).

Most of these facts show that breed has very little to do with canine aggression, and also that correct behavior of humans could help avoid all of these tragedies. This is why, to my mind, breed profiling is a cruel and arbitrary practice that should be viewed as discrimination against dogs based on the way they look or on their DNA. Such practices are widely banned and outlawed in relation to humans.

In conclusion, in breed specific legislation the positive outcomes are clearly outweighed by the negative ones. Basically, it is the illusion of security for fearful citizens versus the overall ineffective policy, the increase of demand for “banned” breeds among the outlaws, the practice of hiding the pets that are banned, the practice of putting thousands of good dogs to sleep, and of course, the discrimination based on the way an animal looks or on its genetic background, which is considered highly inaccurate among humans, yet is a part of official legislation for dogs. The intention behind breed specific legislation is mainly good, but it needs to be enforced properly to have a wanted effect and to protect human society.

Works Cited

Breed Specific Legislation. ASPCA. 2014. Web.

Campbell, Dana M. Pit Bull Bans: The State of Breed–Specific Legislation. 2009. Web.

Hollow, Michelle C. Dog Profiling Has Pet Parents Growling. 2012. Web.

Our Mission: No More Homeless Pets. Best Friends Animal Society. n. d. b. 2014. Web.

Reddy, Joan. Cesar Millan Says That Killing the Pit Bull Breed is Genocide. 2014. Web.

Overview

This new product is a device that uses pre-recorded voice command to control the movement of pets within homes. This is a wireless device that is fixed on the pet’s collar; it transmits and receives information from another device that the owner carries. The device functions within a limited radius in such a way that if the dog happens to go beyond the pre-determined radius, the recorded voice automatically controls the dog’s movement.

The inclusion of the processor makes the device very interesting to use. This is because it will have the ability to restrict the distance between the dog and the master control radio. This means that the device is very specific and accurate. The part to be attached to the dog’s collar will allow for enough space to avoid choking as experienced in tethering. The tracking function will be necessary in cases where the master fails to respond owing to mechanical problems (Reilly and Millikin 1-6).

Marketing

The exploration of different sales models and prices for other devices indicates that the Rope-less dog lead will be attractive and of benefit to the market.

The findings included the fact that for the company to progress, building a strong brand name will be necessary. This can be done by forming good relationship with retail chains all over the country. The company will mostly target the areas with dense populations and currently the statistics shows that population density is high in city centres (Dwyer, “Pet market Analysis Australia-Dog, Cat”).

The pricing of this device must take into account the costs that the owner incurs on pets and substitute products. The cost of the device should consider training on its operations, it also depends on the type of animal it is used on, for dogs the price should be around $ 100 considering that total cost of owning a dog can be as high as $ 500 annually (Dwyer, “Pet market Analysis Australia-Dog, Cat”).

The population distribution of pets in Australia has experienced a general decline in major cities and towns in the recent years. This might be attributed to ineffectiveness of prior devices to control pets’ movements; this clearly shows that the effectiveness of Rope-less dog lead will attract more customers irrespective of its price. The table below indicates the population distribution of pets collected in the year 2005 (Dwyer, “Pet market Analysis Australia-Dog, Cat”).

Australian Pet Ownership Statistics 2005 (‘000)

The device also minimises the cost of having extra labour during its installation as compared to copper wire perimeter. The use of copper wire will involve extra activities like putting up poles and measuring the distance required for effectiveness of the perimeter wire. The owner is relieved of the tiresome work of always monitoring the pet, with this device the dog will monitor itself by responding to the pre-recorded command.

Competitive advantage

Though several devices have been used in this industry, there is not a single one of them that has tried to apply the technology that Rope-less dog lead uses. The device has got the ability of creating a wireless restrictive perimeter around the home. If assumptions are made that the device can capture at least 5% of the market in the first year and the growth of its demand within the market share stands at 30% then the conclusion is that it will be an attractive profitable adventure.

Currently competition is from Laser pointers whose coming into the market so it replaces the tethering method. Later it was found that the beam from laser pointers was dangerous to the pet’s sight, and that it could only be utilized at night. This provides a loop hole for Rope-less dog lead to utilize since it can be used all the time.

However, Laser pointers which might have posed major competition to this device face some problems with the Australian government. Its sales and importation have been restricted and only certain classes allowed due to its security threats. Empirical survey must be conducted within the cities to determine the responses of the consumers and to establish both negative and positive impacts of the device on the market (Meyers 1).

With the necessary improvements, the device has the capability of controlling large market share despite the presence of the competitors. This will basically rely on the strength of the image of the device through its brand name. The expansion of the device must consider as first priority assisting the owners and increasing on sales. This should also put into consideration the kind of business models to employ that might guarantee profitable returns in case the firm plans to exit.

Works Cited

Dwyer, Bruce. “Pet market Analysis Australia – Dogs, Cats”. May 20^th, 2010. Web.

Meyers, Arlen. “Feasibility Analysis”. AAO – HNS Bulletin, April 2008 Denver, Colorado (May 2010): 1.

Reilly, Michael and Millikin, Norman. “Starting a Small Business: Feasibility Analysis”. Montana State University. Mont guide MT 9510 (Aug.1996): 1-6.

First in Show Pet Foods, Inc. is one of the fastest growing producers of high-priced dog food products. Dog food market has not been fully exploited in the US. The company is keen in establishing better ways of promoting its products in Boston, allocating funds for the initiative and enhancing sales.

It is estimated that several dog owners in the USA and particularly Boston do not rely on prepared dog food. Over 50% of owners usually opt for other alternative foodstuffs that are not specifically prepared for dogs. Hence, the dog food market is still untapped.

Issues and problems in the market

Since its inception, First in Show Pet Foods, Inc. has grown steadfastly to dominate the kennel market. Retailing into the new dog food market presents several challenges. The decision to sell the Show Circuit brand frozen dog food product will be critical. Therefore, thorough understanding of the market is crucial.

In regards to the products being sold by the company, factors such as quantity of production and packaging should be considered. These will enable the product to gain competitive advantage over others. Pricing strategy is yet another factor that should be put into consideration when marketing the products.

Promotion of the Show Circuit brand frozen dog food is vital in promoting sales. Other factors include the target market, type of advertisement and media to use as well as accessibility of the products.

SWOT analysis

Strengths

First in Show Pet Foods’ strength is evident in the quality of its products. They are of premium quality and recommended for dogs. It is the only pet food freezer in supermarkets. This strength differentiates it from other brands.

Weaknesses

Cost is a major issue of concern in selling show Circuit dog food owing to the production process that requires the inclusion of cereal grains and fresh meat. Besides, the process of freezing, space requirement and thawing demand enough time and resources.

Most consumers are also poorly informed on the benefits of frozen dog food products. Besides, low margin sale for retailers of Show Circuit dog food is a weakness that affects sales since the products attract lower margins. Poor distribution is equally a weakness since the company has limited resources.

Opportunities

First in Show Pet Foods, Inc has massive opportunities emanating from the untapped frozen dog food market and the increasing population of dogs. Since a few people use prepared dog food, there is a market niche to be explored.

Several dog owners prefer natural dog food and are willing to pay premium prices for the products. Moreover, Boston market is untapped and therefore, it is possible to boost the volume of sales.

Threats

The greatest threat of First in Show Pet Foods, Inc. is competition. The most notable market rivals include Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Del Monte Foods Purina PetCare and MasterFoods USA that own about 75% of the entire market share.

This company has not yet grown and established its marketing campaigns even though these competitors aggressively advertise their products. Besides, most buyers mainly purchase from supermarkets.

Conclusion and recommendations

In order for First in Show Pet Food, Inc to succeed in promoting and selling its products, it should start gradually by building a base and then opening and expanding to other retail outlets. A gradual start involves operating within the level of a store and working with the limited distribution channels.

The selling point for the products can be within the aisle of the stores. Advertisement via coupon mailer will be beneficial at the start. It can later be advanced to television advertisement. Due to the number of competitors, it is clear that First in Show Pet Food, Inc. understands it has a low market share.

Interaction with customers and developing a strategy on how to enhance distribution channels will ensure proper launching and expansion into Boston market.

Company X is a not-for-profit organization in the Catskill Mountain Region that provides innovative training programs to rescue dogs from “kill lists” and those abandoned by their owners to give them a chance for a fresh start. By providing high-quality care, we help to stabilize the emotional condition of the abandoned animals and prepare them for successful work with patients with various medical conditions.

Our team collaborates with other animals to help organizations to find unwanted and unadoptable dogs that can be trained to become good companions for people with severe health issues. We unite the efforts of professional and amateur dog trainers, animal behaviorists, and other volunteers who love dogs and are dedicated to caring for them to make the organization a retirement home and a training center for animals from shelters. There are no universal standards animals must meet to become companion dogs, but we focus on making animals less anxious and aggressive during training sessions. Due to that, our dogs become emotional support animals to work at local hospitals and nursing homes.

In terms of the value we are bringing, our team regards abandoned animals who just want to be loved by people, patients with special needs, volunteers working at pet shelters, and the American society in general as the key stakeholders that benefit from our work. First, we change the lives of unwanted animals and teach them to trust people again. Secondly, we contribute to the prevention of overcrowding at local pet shelters. At third, our organization helps facilitate the rehabilitation of special needs individuals and reduce the lack of emotional support animals in the state. Finally, by performing the activities above, we help the society understand that animals can never be “useless”.

Is dog food an attractive category?

Dog food is an attractive category on the basis of revenue. In 2004 alone, American consumers spent $8.2 billion in sales. From a global perspective, the estimated revenue for dog food has breached the $23 billion dollar mark. The attractiveness of the dog food category is manifested through the intense competitive nature of the various stakeholders. The attractiveness of the dog food category was made evident in the amount of money spent on advertising. In 2004 alone, dog food producers spent more than $190 million for TV commercial and Print Ads. The best assurance that dog food is an attractive theory can be seen in the entry of major players into the said industry. These major players are listed as follows: 1) Mars; 2) Nestle; 3) Procter & Gamble; 4) Colgate; and 5) Del Monte.

How will you segment the product category in three different ways?

Analysts can use the segmentation technique to separate different types of dog food. As a result, the product can be segmented in three different ways. The first way to segment it is to label the category low-priced products. The second segment is the mainstream type of dog food product. In this particular segment, dog food products have better quality with a slightly higher costs. The third and final phase of the segmentation is to label the category of dog food as segment is part of the premium brands. In this particular segmentation some of the more popular premium brands in the industry are listed as follows: 1) Purina Pro Plan; 2) Hill’s Science; 3) Iams; and 4) Beneful.

Who are the influencers when it comes to dog food purchase?

There are three major influencers of brand purchase. The first major source of influence when it comes to the choice of dog food is the female members of the household. It must be made clear that the primary caretakers of pets in the family are the female members of the said family. Data gleaned from studies revealed that at least 75 percent of dog owners are women. The second major influencers are the dog breeders. A significant number of dog owners acquire puppies from their breeders. The breeders are important sources of information with regards to the art and science of taking care of dogs. The third major influencers are the veterinarians. When it comes to external influence the breeders and veterinarians play a major role in deciding the type of dog food to acquire.

How things have changed?

In the beginning, when dogs were still puppies, the dog owner relies heavily on the wisdom and experience of breeders. However, as dog owners advance in years, they tend to spend more time with veterinarians. As a result, veterinarians play a major role when it comes to the type of dog food the family will purchase for the dog.

Is there is a High Level or Low Level Type of Brand Loyalty in the Industry?

It has to be pointed out that when it comes to the dog food industry, there is a high-level of loyalty towards a particular brand. This assertion is supported by the fact that dogs prefer only one type of dog food.

What are the Implications for the Pedigree brand?

Certain dogs prefer a certain type of dog food. Thus, it is harder for pedigree to persuade dog owners to switch to another type of dog food. Greater implications abound, especially if one considers the positioning of Pedigree with regards to other brands. If a certain dog owner believes in dog food high in dietary fiber, then, Pedigree will have a hard time persuading that particular owner to try a dog food that was designed to contain more meat. It will be a challenge because most dogs experience digestive problems when there is a major change in the diet.

How does the Company manages the brand based on financial statements?

Pedigree attempts to increase revenue by focusing on mainstream and premium types of dog food that are readily accessibly by the general public. Pedigree focuses on mainstream market by lowering the profit margin. As a result, a significant number of people purchased dog food that were under the mainstream segment. However, the company figured out a way to increase revenue. In this particular process, Pedigree invested in the development of the company’s premium brand for dog food. The premium segment of the business compels Pedigree to sell high-priced dog food, however, the company was able to make more money because the profit margin is much higher compared to low-price and mainstream products.

What is the current position of the Pedigree brand?

The company positions itself as the producer of quality dog food that utilizes meat as its main ingredient. They also stated that this strategy works because the idea to create this type of product was the end result of recommendations made by breeders. Thus, consumers were persuaded to buy Pedigree products because the “quality meat” content of the dog food was seen as a competitive advantage over others.

What are the issues linked to the positioning of the Pedigree brand?

There are certain issues with regards to positioning adopted by Pedigree. If dog owners perceive that eating too much meat harms their health, then, they believe that the same thing can be said of their dogs. It is therefore prudent to develop alternative products. It is no longer acceptable to develop products without considering the needs of others.

What are the options moving forward?

Pedigree must focus on the premium brands because of the high profit margin. At the same time, the company must focus in the development of products with lower meat content and high in vegetables or dietary fiber.

What are the Pros and Cons with regards to this strategy?

The positive aspect of focusing on premium brands is the chance to increase the profit margins. However, the negative consequence is the tendency to lose market share when it comes to the mainstream products. The positive side of creating healthier products is the chance to increase market share. However, the negative side is the impact of high levels of loyalty when it comes dog food brands. In other words, the company will have a hard time persuading prospective customers to switch to a different type of dog food.

What do you recommend and why?

It is also important that Pedigree considers the power of social media. The company must learn to leverage the power of social media. They must develop various social media channels in order to connect with different type of dog owners. The younger generation are plugged into their mobile devices and mobile phones. Pedigree must develop social media tools that enable the company to interact with customers. It is through the use of social media that the company can have access to immediate feedback. The company can glean valuable insights from the comments made by the customers. The company must also develop strategies so that social media platforms picks up the major attributes of Pedigree products.

Introduction

Small dog boarding Business deals with taking care of small dogs. A large number of families own pets especially dogs. This has called for the need for dog care given that the owners have little time to spare for their pets. The households are willing to delegate the responsibility of taking care of the pets. This business encompasses all the services that are offered to improve and maintain the good health of the dogs. Bragonier (2007) posits that SWOT analysis is essential in the running of the business because it helps the management to analyze the business at a glance.

The Balanced Scorecard Table.

Internal

The dog boarding business must be efficient from within in order to appeal to the customers. For instance, it is the onus of the management to ensure that services are offered on demand. In this regard, there should be enough personnel, who will assist in the delivery of the various services. The internal environment should be co-ordinated and work in synergy in order to scale the heights of success in the business. In fact, the marketing team needs to perform an awareness campaign in order to sensitize people to the business existence. This initiative will draw many customers into the business. Market research is also a crucial part of succeeding in this business. This research will provide new insight into the business hence improvement in the service delivery.

Financial

The main objectives of the financial wing are the attaining of maximum sales volume and a continuous increase in the cash flow. Indeed, the revenue from dog boarding must surpass the costs incurred in the delivery of the services. This will ensure that the business runs at a profit rather than on losses. Bragonier (2007) asserts that the financial component is the major determinant of the other components in the balanced scorecard. The financing methods for the business include debt financing and equity financing. Feasible business proposals can guarantee loan funds from lending institutions. Debt financing is the best source of financing a business given that the debt interest is tax-deductible. In this regard, the debt reduces taxable income hence the entrepreneur earns tax savings. Furthermore, debt financing is cheap compared to equity financing. On the other hand, Equity financing is also a good source because there is no debt interest charged in order to be guaranteed of the funds. However, the financiers of this financing must be privy to the insider information of the business.

Customer

This is an important component of the business balanced scorecard. This is because a business cannot be run without customers, who are the source of revenue for the business. The retaining of the customers is essential in the going concern of a business. Therefore, customer satisfaction and total quality management measures must be taken into consideration. The continuous improvement principle should also be applied in order to maintain and attract more customers. This will increase the customer base hence more revenue and a good business reputation. Customer service requires an accomplished person given that the customers vary in need, temperance, and preference yet all of them contribute to the business returns.

Learning and Growth

The learning period of the business operation should be short in order to achieve growth and boom of the business early. This entails the development and refurbishing of infrastructural structures in order for the small dogs to receive maximum care. The kennels and roads leading to the business center should be well maintained. The business center should also be easily accessible. The kennel should have cages for the dogs in order to avoid instances of dogfighting, which can reduce the number of customers. The heat within the kennel should be regulated in order to suit the small dogs. According to Mann (2006), high hygiene standards should be maintained in order to avoid the contraction of diseases. The business should be insured in order to accommodate any eventuality in the course of running the business. The media is vital in the business because many customers are found on the internet. The volunteering groups contribute immensely to the business because they will reduce the cost of delivery of service.

References

Bragonier, R. (2007). What’s what in sports: The visual glossary of the sports world. Maplewood, N.J: Hammond.

Mann, C. C. (2006). 1491: New revelations of the Americas before Columbus. New York: Vintage Books.

Introduction

In order to establish a successful business, it is important to develop a comprehensive strategic plan which is the basic blueprint for the actualization of a business plan. Reflectively, the strategic plan is inclusive of the SWOT of the business environment, penetration strategies, and success measurement parameters at the micro and macro business environment. Thus, this analytical treatise attempts to explicitly develop and review a strategic plan for a small Dog Boarding business.

Small Dog Boarding Business Strategic Plan

In planning strategy, culture defines all aspects of a business, both internal and external relationships. It is vital to consider the target market which consists of dog owners without pet sitters. Since the dog boarding business will be based in Tennessee, it is necessary to review the business environment to establish the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities available amidst competition from well-established businesses.

Internal Forces Analysis

Strategy

The first dimension of the strategic plan places the values of flexibility and dynamism. This implies that the business should focus on the internal processes for success while others perform well by focusing on the market and competition to its advantage (Slack et al. 2005). The diagram below summarizes the two dimensions of completing the values framework for the dog boarding business.

The internal reporting channel should then be cascaded down to the rest of the structures since the current channel is not flexible. However, the main weakness is marketing strategy due to limited funds despite the unlimited opportunity for expansion.

Technology

The dog boarding should put out most of the documents such as marketing brochures in the local daily. This saves the company costs relating to printing, maintaining, and circulating such documents. Based on the first dimension of the competing values framework, the dog boarding business already has the advantage of a flexible business model, it is possible to adjust the size of the business or eliminate advertisement that does not reach the fund-raising goal (Slack et al. 2005). It can be deduced that there is a lot of hierarchical (control) and competition culture at the dog boarding business in Tennessee.

Technological transformations and market niche classification are the two major factors that will define changes that happen in the small dog boarding business. Therefore, there is a need for the business owner to adapt quickly to change, work smarter, increase client base and carry out duties that are outside his or her job description to remain relevant in the dog boarding business segment. However, the business may not benefit from this since limited funds may make the application of technology difficult despite the unlimited opportunity for expansion.

External forces

Competitive Advantage Sustainability

Operation efficiency and market niche provide an indication of how well the company manages its resources, that is, how well it employs its assets to generate sales and income. It also shows the level of activity of the corporation as indicated by the turnover ratios. The level of activity for the small dog boarding business will remain relatively stable over the five year period despite the threat of competition, increased taxation, and constant change of preference by pet owners. In order to stay afloat, their competitive price, which should be the entry pricing strategy, will appeal to dog owners yearning for quality services at a low cost (Cheverton, 2004).

The strength of the business is the high price/earnings ratio. However, this depends on financial solvency and market conditions that may influence profitability in a positive or negative way. Specifically, a high earnings ratio in business suggests that it is expecting stable high earnings in all its major market niches as an opportunity for future expansion. Economic swings pose a threat to this business since many of the clients are likely to be affected by the swings. The main weaknesses include lack of diversification, expansion, affordability, and quality in their chain of dog boarding services. The erratic swings in dog boarding business performance in the last two year period make it difficult to focus the future operations.

Political and Economic Aspects

Essentials of political operation in the Tennessee market have limited influence on business operations due to its stability and policies on economic liberalization. The US is a democratic nation with limited cultural or religious stresses. There are no conflicts that can be seen to arise with the marketing of such businesses as the small dog boarding establishment. This aspect of the country’s political and economic stability encourages smooth business operations and predictability of future market trends.

With the full support of political authorities to the business community, the overall growth and development of various marketing networks are also encouraged. The government projects economic policies that are inclined towards diversification and promoting business opportunities for investors (Cheverton, 2004).

Legal conformity

In addition, the commercial laws in the US provide for trademark rights and patents which eliminate the risk of investors and protect start-up companies or companies marketing companies like the small dog boarding business from fraudsters and copyright infringers. This is an assurance of protection against illegal trade, even if the process of registration is time-consuming and very expensive. In the long run, this friendly political climate is expected to allow for easy penetration and segmentation of the market. However, with the current economic meltdown, expenditure on home appliances has declined as families have tightened their budgets in response.

Cultural Aspects

Comprehensively, the marketer should review the technological awareness and lifestyle of targeted customers. The majority of the Tennessee population is aware of developments in technology and have embraced lifestyles where technology and innovative products have a part to play. People’s lifestyles revolve around technology, from transport to communication (Cheverton, 2004).

Since this product is technology-dependent, it is necessary to establish the estimated statistics on the same. Research has it that a large percentage of the Tennessee valley dog owners have literary and basic technological skills. In addition, Tennessee has efficient physical infrastructure such as well-maintained land transport networks that will facilitate market access and substantially reduce overhead costs associated with the delivery of services related to dog boarding.

A properly modeled penetration strategy should create minimal disturbances in the market and the company (Slack et al. 2005). Because of this, it is important to establish the means and ways to reach the potential market. To achieve this, it is important to segment and differentiate the Tennessee market using consumer-based market segmentation procedures.

Process and systems

The business will require a relatively smaller operation area since dog kennels are often small. Partnering with the community will enhance business expansion since the Tennessee region is easily accessible beside the high number of potential customers who own dogs and lack pet sitters (Cheverton, 2004).

Summary of the SWOT analysis

References

Cheverton, P. (2004). Key Marketing skills: strategies, tools, and techniques for marketing success. London: Kogan Page.

Slack, N., Chambers, S., Johnston, R., & Betts, A. (2005). Operations and Process Management: Principles and Practice for Strategic Impact. Benin: Prentice Hall.

The Service Concept

The present individual project introduces the service concept that provides dog owners with dog food by subscription. The purpose of the service is to make it easier for dog owners to get high-quality, locally produced food for their dogs delivered to their doorstep. Moreover, it would allow any brick-and-mortar store that already has an established audience of people living in the neighborhood to extend their service and transform the traditional business without losing its customers.

The target market is dog owners, men, and women who would be able to benefit from having organic dog food to be delivered every week or month. The customers of this business are working people, active users of the Internet and social media (Customer A), and those who have chosen against digital services (Customer B) or do not have the necessary skills of being online (Customer C).

Customer experience consists of several steps. First, a dog owner learns about this newly available service. They then visit the website and fill out a survey on their dog age, breed, allergies, weight and fitness, and food preferences (if they are new customers). If they are already familiar with our brand, there is an option to order a particular type of food directly. The customer also provides their contact details and fills out a payment form. However, the possibility of calling and ordering food with the help of phone customer support is also possible for those who prefer this type of communication. Then the food is delivered to the customer’s doorstep without direct contact. For the convenience and safety of customers and their dogs, customer support in the form of a call center and online chat is available.

Performance specifications of this design are as follows: customers receive the product of their choice on time left on their doorstep from a vendor they already know without the necessity to visit a physical shop (Table 1). Customer expectations can be seen in Tables 2 and 3.

Several actions would have to be taken to fit into the design and delivery specifications to implement the service. The most critical aspects are developing an easy-to-use and reliable website, establishing a customer support center, logistics department, hiring communications and marketing specialists, and deciding upon possible collaborations with local stores to provide printing services and organizing campaigns.

The Service Blueprint and Customer Journey Map

Table 1. The service blueprint

Table 2. Customer journey map for Customer A (Modified from source: Gibbons, 2018)

Table 3. Customer journey map for Customer C (Modified from source Gibbons, 2018)

The Media Channels

The customer journey that this service design aims to provide for the targeted audience requires the use of different media. The choice and utilization of various channels depend on their ability to create meaningful touchpoints. Moreover, it is crucial to take the beneficial side for the business into account, which “requires a thorough understanding of the company’s customer base and customers’ preferred digital touchpoints” (Hallikanen, Alamäki, and Laukkanen, 2019, p. 392). Therefore, based on the fact that our customers are both tech-savvy and anti-digital, using a multichannel approach, combining both digital and traditional media, has been chosen.

The use of printed ads and leaflets positioned in store and locally is recommended to raise awareness of the new service available for the business’s existing customers. Moreover, the personnel can spread the word while talking to customers, and promotional posts in local community internet-based groups are welcome. It is essential to emphasize the availability of different order options. Furthermore, it can also be suggested to allocate a small budget on targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram to expand the potential customer base.

The customer’s interest can be sustained through online posts on Instagram and Facebook pages of our store. Since the company has already built a community in these channels, it seems only logical to make it a touchpoint. To make it effective and meaningful, it is advised to focus on creating engaging content that would allow customers to move on to a consideration phase.

At the consideration phase, it is vital to provide customers with opportunities to read more about offered products and services. It is advised to make sure that all the necessary information – reviews, information on the product, and delivery options – is easily found, both in digital format and printed. Moreover, PR campaigns such as in-store signing-up of particular customers might help the client base to consider the service and choose it.

The retention phase presupposes, paying much attention to the customers’ feedback and comments. To do this, it is important to ensure the implementation of social listening and search engine reputation management. It would include managing the community’s responses and comments, neutralizing negativity and finding solutions to improve the service. The media that would be involved at this stage would be forums, social media, review websites, and traditional channels like newspapers. Moreover, it is advised to continue implementing PR campaigns among existing customers.

Finally, the advocacy stage would involve further promotions, and the use of influencers – both those who would be potentially interested in collaborations and existing brand’s fans. They should be advised and incentivized to share brand content and produce their own content relating to the brand (Dimitrou and Guesalaga, 2017, p. 589). Moreover, it is essential to consider this phase as the next awareness stage, but at a higher level, that would allow the business to expand geographically and transfer operations solely to order-and-deliver (and potentially digital-only) schemes.

The Strategic Importance of the Service Design Project

The presented service design’s importance is strategic as it allows stores to gain a competitive advantage ahead of other similar establishments. It not only makes purchasing dog food easier for digital natives of young age but also for those customers who are not proficient enough in e-commerce procedures. Therefore, the company which employs this service design would potentially acquire a particular group of customers who are typically excluded from contemporary service innovations. Preparedness to provide different types of customer support would demonstrate to existing and potential customers a personalized approach.

Moreover, this service design is oriented on community-focused businesses, that usually value peer cooperation. Therefore, this model must allow companies to implement this service design to support other local businesses, such as printing services or local newspapers. This circumstance might play a vital role in improving the company’s image in the community. The developed brand image on a local level would potentially allow the company to expand and experience organic growth into regional and state proportions.

Finally, since the service encounters in the service design are mostly done through the Internet or over the phone, it allows minimizing human interaction between customers and employees. This aspect is especially relevant for the contemporary situation when public health and safety have become a priority. Thus, it creates another advantage for business as people might want to prefer conscious types of companies now and in the future.

Reference List

Dimitriu, R. and Guesalaga, R. (2017) ‘Consumers’ social media brand behaviors: uncovering underlying motivators and deriving meaningful consumer segments’, Psychology & Marketing, 34(5), pp. 580-592.

Gibbons, S. (2018) ‘Journey mapping 101’. Nielsen Norman Group.

Hallikanen, H., Alamäki, A. and Laukkanen, T. (2019) ‘Individual preferences of digital touchpoints: a latent class analysis’, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 50, pp. 383-393.

Chaplin was a man who sought to make the world a better place, for this reason he used all the opportunities to entertain and at the same time educate people on serious issues affecting the community. In the movies A Dog’s Life, it’s no exception to this fact. Besides being an entertaining piece of silent film, the message Chaplin puts across, is that there is more to life than having a conventional job. People spend a lot of money and time in search of what is regarded as a conventional job. People want to work in offices and put on suits; this has shown that there are many people waiting in job placement offices in search of jobs. Since the jobs are not as many, most of these people end up being disappointed, thus become sad and miss other things that life offers. Trap misses job vacancies, although he is sad, he gets the chance to meet Scraps, the dog that becomes his best friend.

The theme of friendship and love that is clear in the relationship between Tramp and Scraps. They have nothing in common apart from both being in difficult situations when they found each other, therefore, their loyalty to each other. People get too busy with their careers and forget what it means to have good friends and how to maintain friendship. Chaplin attempted to show that even in the lowest of moments something good could arise. Therefore, people should be open to whatever they get even if it is not necessarily what they wished for in the first place. The relationship between Tramp and Scraps is admirable, as they became best friends.

Tramp is a homeless person, but he portrays himself as being satisfied with the position he holds today. Tramp laughs, enjoys fun, and is in no way depressed by sleeping in the dump. He seems happy when entering the dance wagon and one would be tempted to think he is as rich as the other people in the wagon were. Only his dirty clothes and Scraps demonstrate his poverty.

Since the movie has no sound, one need to be keen to understand the message. Chaplin has managed to bring out the themes in the movie using different aesthetics. The main being that Chaplin makes it very comical thus; it is appealing to the audience, and captures the attention of viewers from the start to the end. This is important because it is a silent movie. Thus, it requires viewers’ attention in order to understand the movie. Tramp, Edna and Scraps seem engrossed in their roles, this brings out the best in their characters when they act. Musical cues and soundtracks assist in bringing out the intensity of different scenes thus adding to the appeal of the movie to the viewers.

The title, A Dog’s Life is symbolic, as it shows rich people look down on poor people as they think they live like dogs. It may be true in some way, as Tramp and Scraps fight and rummage for food together like two dogs. However, their life is full of happiness and freedom since Tramp and Scraps can live their life the way they want without being judged by others. There is always something to live for even when one finds himself or herself without a permanent job. Thus, the symbolism of the title is very clear when one watches the movie.

Dog’s life is a film produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin. In this film, the producer has used the comic effect to elaborate on the message he intends to deliver to the audience. Dog’s life is a movie that touches on the issues affecting the society; such as, crime, poverty, prostitution, as well as, homelessness. These issues have been illustrated in the plot of the film and have become paramount in the characters’ concern.

In the film, the director has illustrated poverty in various ways. First, poverty is illustrated when poor Charlie is depicted as homeless and stays in a vacant lot. This episode illustrates poverty, as well as, homelessness because, at the beginning of the story, the camera shots amid roof tops that tilt down to reveal Charlie is sleeping amid the rubbish behind a ramshackle fence. Thus, poverty is illustrated by the lack of appropriate accommodation that is demonstrated by the poor living condition of Chaplin.

Moreover, the director has also emphasized on homelessness because he reminds the audience that the homeless person is too poor to afford even the cheapest residential place for accommodation. Another important episode that is illustrated in the story is the shanty; Charlie explains that the place is like a paradise.

Hence, drawing a line of a modest reaction from middle-class audiences but the tramp howls in poor neighborhoods. Unemployment is another social problem that is illustrated in the film. Charlie looks for employment, but the job disappears as soon as he prepares to start his work

Edna is depicted as a prostitute who is not willing to accompany the clients in the dance hall. The director portrays the lady as a person who is used by the clients for lust to satisfy their sexual feelings. This scene is also used to emphasize on Charlie’s poor status because when he enters the dance hall, he is thrown out because he is unable to pay the bill.

Another aspect affecting the society that the author explains is a crime. Crime is elaborated in the episode where those who look for left over’s retrieve some money-filled wallet that had been buried by crooks. The scraps return to the dance hall only to find Edna had been relieved of her job because she is not willing to entertain the clients. The dog is used to describe Charlie’s canine friends during the opening of the episode.

They treat him as a real character instead of a device to be used in the plot development. This also has implications to other characters such as Edna who plays a great role by providing an impression of a naïve but a spirited youngster. This type of characterization provides the film with a comprehensive structure. The lives of the poor are portrayed to live in hand to mouth urban existence. The dogs are portrayed to have much trouble fighting a loose morsel as Charlie’s elbows his way to the employment office.

The dog is also used to describe the condition of other characters such as Edna, a dance hall singer who was enticed to flirt with clients to retain her job. The function of a dog is to serve the master. Crime is another social problem that the director elaborates in the movie when a chance appears for the three characters to escape with the money-filled wallet.

The crooks buried the wallet. Hence this leads to the matter of dealing with criminals. The dogs, as used in this production, poses some problems since some of them are more independent that the human actors are leading to wrangles. In the film, the director described an attempt to use substances in breaking the wrangles among dogs.

Dogs Life has a plot that is very simple to understand and follow, and the symbolic use of dogs describes the pathetic street life that an unemployed and homeless person can experience. Furthermore, sneaking the dogs into the dance hall saves Edna from the mob and the recovery of a stolen wallet filled with money that they used to start a new life are some of the elements used by the director to explain his message, and the themes of the film including; crime, poverty, prostitution, and homelessness.

In conclusion, the film incorporated a street life that looked so real. The street is used as a setting to improve the development of the plot by illustrating street life through the scenes shot in the streets. Dog’s life was shot in front of a market place that formed part of the street.

These scenes are used to create coexistence among the characters as the director relates the behavior of the singer and the tramp to the actions of a dog, hence, developing the plot that cuts across scenes which describe a similar dilemma. The association between the scenes is used as a base for plot development and make the Dog’s life funnier and to have a deeper meaning. In this movie, the director uses the comic effect to emphasize on the hostile realities experienced in street life. These include; prostitution, poverty, and lack of employment.