Category: Marketing

Introduction

Continued technological advancements are revolutionizing conventional business practices as organizations leverage emerging trends to improve productivity and streamline operations. Cloud computing ranks among the most widely adopted digital transformations due to its ability to optimize workflows and confer competitive advantages to businesses. However, this technologys performance and subsequent success in an organization are influenced by such factors as consistency with the firms specific characteristics and the value added by the new application. Companies use the fit-viability model to obtain valuable insights and decide whether to adopt such technology.

Before adopting new technology, a company should assess the extent to which the changes are consistent with the internal organizational factors and the value added by the installation. The study conducted by Yoo and Kim (2018) sought to establish how such factors as economic feasibility, technological readiness, internal organizational aspects, and environmental attributes impact the performance and success of cloud computing. The researchers adopted the fit-viability model to assess and identify the critical prerequisite considerations before integrating cloud computing. The managerial implication of the survey is that besides the decision-making factors, an organization should also consider the success components of embracing such technology.

How Cloud Computing can be Used in Marketing

Cloud computing is a technology whose popularity is attributed to its versatility and wide application in almost every sphere of business in organizations seeking to optimize their operations. Technological advancement has revolutionized multiple aspects of marketing and drastically changed the ways through which enterprises are reaching and engaging their audience, particularly regarding the distribution, usage, and storage of critical data. Organizations are deploying cloud computing capabilities to obtain insightful analytics and gain competitive advantages in their operations.

Marketing automation is among the leading applications of cloud computing in businesses. It entails automatically managing marketing processes and multifunctional sales campaigns across numerous channels and platforms. Due to the repetitive nature of marketing tasks, the sales departments automate their online campaigns and dispatch messages automatically according to workflows developed on templates, modified mid-campaign, or custom-built from scratch. Marketing automation allows an organization to implement a digital marketing strategy in a simplified and streamlined manner by executing complex campaign management and data analysis within a single spot. For instance, companies can develop marketing templates, schedule messages, define and measure goals, analyze statistics, dispatch content across many channels, and reach customers at different stages of their lifecycle. This scalability and flexibility optimize operations and minimize dependency on employees, who can be deployed to handle higher-order business activities (Attaran & Woods, 2018). Therefore, marketing automation ranks among the most popular application of cloud computing in enhancing efficiency in sales campaigns.

Additionally, cloud computing helps businesses to gather data and apply analytical processes to obtain valuable insights and maximize marketings returns on investment. By integrating marketing analytics, companies can evaluate big data to gain a holistic view of their marketing performance and impact while utilizing minimal internal resources. For instance, organizations can connect information from siloed systems to develop marketing mix models. Further, cloud computing allows organizations to leverage machine learning capabilities to create differentiated audiences and segments for targeted marketing campaigns. For instance, extensive analysis of consumer profiles facilitates the construction of successful propensity-to-buy models, enhancing the design and allocation of appropriate marketing approaches. More specifically, BigQuery is a robust cloud-based tool that stores all past information, enabling an organization to have a complete overview of its historical performance, consumer purchasing habits, and other relevant data (Ali et al., 2021). In this regard, marketing can leverage the tools available on cloud platforms to obtain comprehensive reports on various business aspects for such decision-making as targeted campaigns.

Further, organizations utilize cloud computing to revitalize their lead management systems by streamlining the process and enhancing effectiveness. Tracking the activities of a potential customer from the initial contact and documenting all the engagements is fundamental for analysis and subsequent marketing optimization. In recent years, leads have proven influential in driving marketing and sales. Lead tracking allows an organization to collect data regarding how the sales funnels function for such activities as fine-tuning the campaign and abandoning a strategy. Such an approach requires a seamless synchronization and processing of multiple data sets, which enhances an enterprises ability to convert potential leads into sales.

Benefits of Cloud Computing in Marketing

Cloud computing provides the marketing processes of an organization with many benefits. Among such advantages are the scalability of the operations and the potential to integrate additional applications. For instance, a business can expand or reduce the resources needed depending on the demand dynamics (Yoo & Kim, 2018). Additionally, cloud computing provides low-cost technology alternatives, eliminating the need for an organization to purchase and maintain in-house systems and infrastructure. Moreover, it streamlines firm operations, optimizes workflows, and improves productivity.

Conclusion

Cloud computing is a technological innovation that has revolutionized business operations. The emerging technology has been integrated into such areas as marketing, where it provides a wide array of services, including monitoring and analyzing leads, evaluating historical data, and assessing the effectiveness of a given strategy. These benefits allow organizations to streamline their workflows, improve productivity, and optimize operations, thereby enhancing the performance and overall success of a firm.

References

Ali, H., Hosain, S., & Hossain, A. (2021). Big data analysis using BigQuery on cloud computing platform. Australian Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology, 3(1), 1-9. Web.

Attaran, M., & Woods, J. (2018). Cloud computing technology: Improving small business performance using the internet. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 31(6), 495-519. Web.

Yoo, S., & Kim, B. (2019). The effective factors of cloud computing adoption success in organization. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 6(1), 217-229. Web.

Introduction

In todays competitive world, firms are compelled to work smartly to not only woe but also to maintain existing customers. Driven by a desire to stand out from the rest, almost every business is turning to the use of technology to reach its intended market segment. An approach taken by many companies is to advertise and market through the Web. With good use of web marketing, businesses have grown to greater heights. However, while the advantages of technology use are very obvious, it can be disastrous without proper implementation. Improperly designed websites can be very unprofessional and so difficult to use¹.

This paper takes a critical look at two websites. Several issues are discussed to establish how they meet or fail to meet key business requirements.

Target Market

When designing a website, it is very important to think about who the target audience will be. This information is very critical when it comes to deciding on the kind of information to be included on the site. Without a good knowledge of the intended audience, one can end up with a site full of irrelevant information that adds no value to the customer services. This can lead to very devastating outcomes in the end.

The students swap shop site has college students as the main target. Their services range from linking like-minded students to swap what they do not need with what they require. The arrangement allows students to make huge savings as they get what they need at much-reduced prices. Others are food services, traveling opportunities, and updates on job offers.

Central to the operations of a home link is the provision of home exchange vacations for individuals, couples, and families. On payment of an annual membership fee, the company undertakes to do all the planning and underground work on behalf of the client. The company is committed to ensuring that clients are happy and they will go to extra lengths to provide any extra services if requested by a customer. The activities of the two companies seem quite similar though. Student swap shop allows students to swap items; home link is about swapping homes for families or any group of people wishing to travel. Again, both sites include some element of traveling. In support of their business, students swap shop argues that when a student swaps what they are no longer useful; to him/her and getting what they need, they are in a way protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. The home link also does a very important job of introducing total strangers to each other. Families get a rare opportunity of interacting with a place that is completely foreign to them.

Site Promotion

In both sites, photos are used to promote visibility and usability. There is evidence of several photos used in the two sites. Other additional features are also used by each site. Both sites, for example, use animated photos and the students swap shop site utilizes attractive colors as well. A study done by Sexton indicates that the use of high-resolution pictures will make it possible for customers to quickly answer most of their questions². The students swap shop displays several images on the home page with brief explanations to provide information about the services being offered by the company.

A serene background is used on the home link site. This perhaps to take into consideration the type of clientele targeted. The pictures on the site make it easy for customers to figure out what the site is about and go ahead to look for what they need.

Unlike the photos used by the student swap site that look dull; those used on the home link site are reasonably clear and purposefully chosen to communicate the idea of a family on vacation. A glance at the site is enough to help one make out what the company business is.

Pricing

Price has a great effect on the level of access to a site. High prices will imply that the site will in the long run have very few customers. In the beginning, many will visit the site to see what is offered and try to compare prices against others in the market who offer similar services. If clients discover that prices are unfavorable, there is a very high likelihood that they will not want to return to the site. The opposite is very true; where customers find prices to be agreeable, this will be motivation enough to pull them back to the site.

When compared to others, the prices of products offered by the two companies are much higher. This is a threat to the existence of the companies. Unless the prices of products and services are revised, these companies will soon be out of business.

When it comes to making payments, the clients need to have confidence in the payment system. Users are always careful with their personal information and get so disappointed whenever there is a breach of confidentiality. The two sites use credit cards as an option for payment. Besides using credit, the home link also allows customers to make payments through the PayPal system. These payment methods have been around for some time and the assumption is that they have been exposed to different threats. A logical conclusion is that they have tried and found to be reliable. Save for a few cases, most credit card transactions are credible and so is the PayPal system.

Income Streams

The goal of any business undertaking is to make a profit. Without a good cash flow, no business will stand.

The primary business of the home link is to help customers plan exchange holidays. The home exchange arrangements are, however, not commercialized by home link. All that is needed is for a customer to register as a member and get an opportunity to access the companys services. New members register by paying a certain amount of money according to what they can afford. Once the membership fee is paid, one joins the system and is then allowed to use the services offered by the company. The home link prepares individual web pages for all members. Older members do not have to register every time. They are only required to renew their membership in the subsequent years. Links exist almost everywhere on the site and members can initiate the renewal process from any of these. Members log into the members area to get a chance to carry out various activities. These are activities such as; editing membership their details, adding photos to a members profile, etc. At the request of a member, the home link is can provide support and advice to individual members at any of their branches worldwide. Income for home links therefore originates from the annual payments by its registered members. As explained elsewhere in this paper, there are two modes of payment identified on this site as acceptable by the home link. Clients are allowed to make payments either through the PayPal system or using a credit card.

The main focus of the student swap shop is to create an opportunity for like minded students to get rid of their old possessions and acquire new ones through a swap system. A student can make a list of all the items that are no longer of value and look for someone who wants to swap what he or she needs. Once a match is identified, a swap can then take place. There is evidence on this site of many other sources of income. There is income resulting from travel arrangements that are made for students, updating students about job offers, and proving food services among others. Just as it is with the home link site, students are required to register to be members and enjoy the services offered by the company. Immediately a student gets registered, they get a chance to participate enjoy the various services offered by the company.

Layout

Unlike many other sources of information, website users have to navigate through the site to access the necessary information. It is thus very crucial that the site is well organized and arranged in a way that facilitates easy access³. There is no doubt that customers will be frustrated whenever they encounter a complicated navigation structure on the website. No matter what format one chooses to use for the site, the goal must be to ensure consistency and accessibility. A poorly arranged site will end up being so useless. It is important to ensure that whatever the customer will require is well positioned on the site and getting to it must be easy.

The student swap shop site has a consistent layout throughout. Navigation links are tactically placed at the start of every page immediately below a banner at the very. This creates an impression that all pages form part of a detailed web site arrangement⁴. It is necessary to avoid any unexpected changes to the sites navigational menu⁵. Another bar at the bottom of the site provides more details about the company such as the privacy statement, site map, and advertising, etc. Some links to external sites are also added to this site. These are links to sites dealing with areas of interest to student swap shop. There are links to sites talking about climate change and other relevant sites. The min navigational tabs are available on every page and this makes it easy to turn to a particular page of interest at any time if necessary.

The structure of the home link site is much like that of the student swap shop. At the beginning of every page are the main navigational tabs. As earlier stated, this arrangement makes it easy to move to an area of interest on the site. Several links are also placed at the bottom of every page to take visitors to other areas of the site where they can get more information related to the site. Still, at the bottom of the page, there are links to international home link branches. Various other features are available on the site. Among these are a means to contact the company in case more information is to be required, links to discussion forums, forms, registration, etc. There is no doubt that one can easily move around the site.

Understandability of the Websites

Given that there is an ever-increasing demand for information in the current business world that is so competitive, it is very critical that designers pay great attention to how they represent information on the web⁶. Always, one should remember that there is stiff competition in the market and a client who fails to get what they are looking for in a site will seek an alternative. Most of the time, the alternative is to visit a competitors website. If this goes on unabated, a company will end up losing customers to competitors and in some unfortunate cases, such a company may be forced to close down. To avoid this embarrassment, it is so important that information is presented in a way that makes it easy to use. Use of jargon should be avoided and all documents should be proofread to eliminate any possible spelling or grammar mistakes⁷.

This is a requirement that is not met by the student swap shop site. Getting information on this site is a nightmare. First-time visitors are forced to spend a considerable amount of time to first understand the site structure before they can fully get to use it. This is very disappointing and an impatient client will just close down the site and try elsewhere to see if their needs will be met. There is no clear explanation on the site to tell the customer what the site is really about and how they can befit from it. As a result, so much time is wasted as one tries to discover their way around the site. Although some messages appear on the site identifying it as a swap place for students, a closer look reveals that the company deals with so many other things apart from supporting the students in their swap activities. This is made even worse by the presence of many images on the home page. The images are each associated with a service that is supposedly offered by the company. To some extent, this is ambiguous and complicates the clarity of the site. It is therefore very difficult for clients to associate the company with a particular product. This vagueness can cause a lot of stress to people who wish to get information faster.

On the contrary, the home link site presents information in a very user-friendly manner and this greatly reduces the amount of time required to determine what home link is all about. A welcome message on the home page gives a clear and very simple description of the services offered by the company to the customer. Clients are therefore in a position to know what to expect. The use of clear images also makes the site meet its goal of communicating what home exchange holidays are. The choice of font size is just right and there is one can easily read the information on the pages.

Accessibility

According to USA⁸, a poorly thought of website design could keep away potential clients from the website and damage the reputation of the company. It is therefore very important for designers to see to it that information placed on the website is easily and quickly accessible to anyone visiting. This was so much a problem to appoint that the UK government made it a legal requirement. Companies in the UK now have this as one of the legal obligations that must be met⁹. This has been done so to take care of people with disabilities. It is therefore important that one pays special attention and exercises due diligence when placing any content on the website. Again, it is so disheartening for a customer to waste so much time trying to locate the information he or she needs on the website. Visitors who leave a site satisfied will always want to return. The goal is, therefore, to make sure that everyone who visits your site is attracted to it and cannot wait to return at a later time.

Major links placed on every page of the student swap shop site make it easy to move from one place to another. However, improvement is needed for this site to quicken the rate f access to information. There is a big challenge when one tries to locate information from this site. It takes a considerable amount of time to find information one is looking and this is so discouraging, to say the least. On the other hand, the design and organization of the home link site make navigation quite easy and one can locate information very fast and at any time as needed. There is a smooth flow as one navigates through the site moving from one page to another and accessing different pages at will. With only a few clicks, one can quickly get the required information. The appearance of major links on every page further makes it easy to move around the site. Both websites provide an easy to use registration form which appears among the first things you see on the home page. The form is also accessible through almost every page on these sites. The student swap shop also has a registration tab as part of the navigation menu.

When it comes to access time, the student swap shop site takes longer to load than the home link site. This can probably be explained by the fact that there are so many images on the site. Generally, websites that contain lots of pictures will take more time to load than those with fewer images to display¹⁰.

Design

It is a good practice to ensure that the page design is relevant to the contents of the site. Different websites will have varying design needs. When creating formal websites, the designers must try at all costs to avoid the use of superfluous language and excessive colors¹¹. This is because most of the clients who will visit these types of sites are mostly concerned with getting the information that will fix their problem. They are less interested in unnecessary details. Visitors to non-formal websites will, however, not mind the use of as many features as possible as long as they do not make the website look clumsy.

The overall design of the student swap shop site is very appropriate for the target audience. The color scheme, artistic drawings, and images certainly make it very appealing to students. There is, however, a need to enhance a serious need to enhance the appearance of the fonts on this site. Currently, the fonts are too small and one is forced to strain while reading content. Similarly, the background appears shady and contributes to the site being so unclear. Another recommendation is to increase the line spacing. The lines of text are so squeezed and this combined with the small size of the fonts makes it very challenging to read. A visually impaired person will suffer if he or she was to visit this site and try reading it. This already is an indication that customers can easily move to other sites simply because they cannot read the information on the site.

The home link site looks quite attractive to a visitor. The site makes use of less striking colors throughout. Given the type of audience expected for this site; mainly couples and elderly people with families, the design is very acceptable. The font style and size used to serve to simplify the reading of the site. Nevertheless, to cater to a variety of visitors to the site, the spacing should be adjusted. There are pictures of happy children, couples, and families as well as nicely built homes on the site. To a great extent, these are playing a big role in communicating a very straight forward message to potential customers about home exchange holidays.

Hidden Aspects of the Site

Given that most of the time clients are in a hurry to find what they need, it doesnt help much to put extra details on pages. Time can be saved by ensuring that only relevant and useful information is made available to customers. As an example, the registration page of the student swap shop site contains so many unnecessary lines that could be avoided. A customer may not have time to look at all of them and at the same time, this can be very confusing for anyone trying to fill. Although the required fields are identified, some clients may still dismiss the registration process with the assumption that there are so many details required and this might take time to complete. This is unlike the home link site that has a streamlined registration page with a smaller number of fields to be filled. Important fields are also clearly marked out.

For a customer to come back to a site there must be a need. Client requirements are different and how they look at things will certainly differ. Personally, given the above facts about the two sites, I would want to revisit the home link site and will hesitate to go back to the student swap shop site.

Wow Factor

When creating a website, it is always to consider how to make it striking to leave a lasting impression in the minds of the customers. The well designed and attractive site will serve to pull back quite a several customers. On the contrary, a poor design will drive away any potential client. Several features on the student swap shop site are quite captivating. The images on the banner, for example, are such an interesting piece of art that has been used. With this kind of appearance, it is very possible to get interested clients to come back just because of the attractive features they saw on the site when they visited. The color scheme used can also easily draw the attention of students who are the main target group for this site.

The home link site seems somewhat flat on this one. Apart from having animated images, a visit to the site leaves one with the idea of a very calm site. This is expected given that unlike the student swap shop site, the home link site is directed to a much elderly group of people. A majority of people visiting this site will therefore be interested more in the content rather than the outlook. They will be happy as long as their information needs are satisfied. However, the site can also do with a few fascinating features to kill the monotonous appearance.

Recommendations

Following from the above discussion, adjustments to both websites are very necessary for better performance. Even though the home link site is designed to reach a more mature audience whose main interest is to get relevant information regarding home exchange holidays and make their choices, there is a need to include some features that will create a lasting impression in the minds of potential clients who happen to land on the site for the first time. It is to the companys advantage that after visiting the site, a client should go with some memories that will stay with them for some time. Hopefully, this will make them desire to return to the site.

The student swap shop site is very stylish and considering what its target group is, one can conclude that this is very much in order. College students will want to be associated with fashionable things at all times. Nevertheless, some improvements to the design and appearance of the site are very necessary. Even though the font style used looks quite alright, the font size is very small and needs to be increased to a much better size that can be read easily. The background of the pages is also very dull and unfriendly to the eyes. A recommendation will be to get rid of the shady background and this should be replaced with a much lighter one. The number of fields on the registration page should also be reduced to make the page less crowded than it is at the moment.

As had been noted earlier, this site does not clearly state what is supposed to do. This makes it so difficult for clients to quickly locate the information they need. So much time has to be spent to try and make sense out of the site be the relevant information can be accessed. It will suffice to provide a clear message that will enlighten customers about the services offered by the company. Furthermore, it will be helpful to separate the companys core business from the rest of the services they offer. The site also takes too long to load and this can work against the success of the company marketing activities. A recommendation will be to try and reduce the number of images on the site. With a reduction of the number of images on the site, it will possible to bring down the amount of time needed to load the pages on this site.

Reference List

Alexa. 2010. Slow Sites May be Penalized by Search Engines. California: Alexa Internet, Inc. Web.

Bala, Venkatesh. 2010. Going Global Means Going Mobile in Emerging Markets. New York: The Nielsen Company. Web.

Sexton, Jeff. 2010. Merchandising with Pictures and Videos. USA: Wilson Internet Services. Web.

University of Aberdeen (UoA). 2004. Factsheet 14: What makes a good web site? Aberdeen: University of Aberdeen. Web.

Footnotes

1. UoA, 2004.
2. Sexton, 2010.
3. UoA, 2004.
4. UoA, 2004.
5. UoA, 2004.
6. Bala, 2010.
7. UoA, 2004.
8. UoA, 2004.
9. UoA, 2004.
10. Alexa, 2010.
11. UoA, 2004.

Research Design

The main goal of the research brief is to set clear objectives in the form of questions and design appropriate research. The key objectives are to understand consumers intentions towards the category of food provided by the company and estimate market penetration in the given category of products. In addition, the goal includes estimating purchase intentions and identifying the most appropriate distribution and communication channels. All these objective will be manifested in the questions of the questionnaire. The data collection method will be in a form questionnaire, anobjectivesstions will address the customers attitude towards the product. The questions will also categorize the consumers by market segments, depending on the characteristic of interest, such as income, age, or family size. In addition, it is important to find out shopping habits and consumer preferences to find a niche. Lastly, media consumption preferences will be asked, which will help during the marketing process.

The overall design will be exploratory with qualitative research methods. Qualitative research is a method widely used by scientists and researchers studying human behavior and habits. A high-quality research method is useful for product developers who want to make their products popular. To assess the popularity of the finished product, another research method is used  quantitative. Qualitative research is often regarded as the forerunner of the quantitative method, in which it is often used to generate possible conclusions and ideas that can be used to formulate a realistic and testable hypothesis. Then this hypothesis can be comprehensively tested and mathematically analyzed using standard quantitative research methods. That is why qualitative methods are often associated with interviews, surveys, and case studies to strengthen and evaluate results over a wider range. A study completed before the experiment may show a forecast of the popularity of specific brands from the many. In the next stage, a quantitative experiment developed based on the results will save time, money, and resources.

The main reason is the fact that the given design is best suited for the unknown field of studies, where acquiring some insight is essential. The questions will be mostly open-ended without predetermined questions. The exploratory approach will be useful in the preliminary understanding phase, where various hidden processes require some exploring. Particular attention should be paid to such criteria for evaluating work as transparency of interpretations, their documentation, argumentativeness, the presence of the authors reflective position in the text, and its dilution with the opinions and opinions of respondents. In addition, it is important to show the need to justify the choice of a particular method of analysis, their compliance with the goals and objectives of the study, as well as adequacy for the study of a particular subject area. The main validation strategies to be included within the research process, ethical principles and rules for sampling, dialogue with respondents, and working with their personal data should be discussed. The development of a quality standard is an important factor in the institutionalization of quality research in any marketing questionnaire.

Sample

The population of interest consists of people who identify themselves as vegetarian and vegan because these are most likely to be the target group for plant-based meat. The sampling process will be qualitative due to the exploratory nature of the research and the open-ended design of questions. The sampling approach will be a mixture of quota sampling and simple random distribution within the given quota. To minimize the overall costs of the research, it is important to determine a smaller sample size with minimal margin error. It is stated that 1000 people will be the most suited sample size, where a further increase in the sample will not yield better results (Hair et al., 2017). However, it will still be costly, which means that the sample size will involve 384 people, which an overall cost of $7689 based on the estimation that each person will cost $20 (Hair et al., 2017). Only vegetarians and vegans will be eligible for the sampling.

In the study, it is important to formulate the problem and relevance of the selected topic. In addition, the goals, objectives, objects, and subjects of research are important. In the case of methodological qualification work, which provides an illustrative empirical part, a clear separation of methodological and empirical goals, objectives, object, and the subject of study is necessary. The next step is to justify the sample where the sample size in a qualitative study varies from a single case to a series of interviews or surveys. Focus groups or selection of documents for analysis should guarantee stable trends, which should be argued that further expansion of the selection or volumes of materials will not lead to fundamentally new results.

The formulation of hypotheses has its own specifics in the case of qualitative research of a search type, the purpose of which is not testing a theory, but empirical generalizations. In a qualitative study of a search type, hypotheses are formulated in the form of general statements that indicate the direction of a research search. In the process of research, such hypotheses are not so much verified as complemented, specified, transformed. In research of a search type, the absence of hypotheses is also allowed, in which case, hypotheses can be replaced by research questions or a description of the logic and principles of the search research.

The survey and theoretical section of the qualitative work, which examines the main mechanisms, phenomena, and phenomena that are the object and subject of research, includes an analytical review of the studies. The latter is necessary for the declared subject topic and the analysis of methodological and methodological approaches to the research topic. Therefore, this should be part of the summary of the theoretical overview and analytical part with the justification of the choice and construction of a strategy for a specific study. The empirical part of the qualification work should describe the design and planning of qualitative research, the research procedure is presented in detail, its results are described, and their theoretical discussion is proposed. In the description of the qualitative research procedure, a detailed justification and description of the research sample should be presented. In addition, it is important to include a detailed rationale and a detailed description of the methods and procedures for collecting data. It is possible to write down the formal characteristics of the material obtained and a detailed justification and a detailed description of the methods and procedures for data analysis.

Questionnaire

Due to the overall qualitative structure of the research, it is important to design a questionnaire with structured and open-ended questions because the brief already established key research characteristics. The presentation of the results within any chosen method should be accompanied by citations and empirical material confirming the analysis and conclusions of the researcher. The text of the study should include the most striking and characteristic illustrations. A discussion of the results is presented in work as a description in the framework of professional terminology and the identified phenomena, phenomena, their relationships, mechanisms. It is necessary to assume their interpretation in the disciplinary context of psychological concepts stated in the survey-theoretical part, as well as in the context of the goals and objectives of the study. Conclusions should contain meaningful answers to formulated problems or confirmed and unconfirmed hypotheses.

In the conclusive segment, a general summary of the study, including the empirical and theoretical parts, is summarized. Due to the incomplete representation of most of the traditions of qualitative research, it is imperative that literature is included in the bibliography. Whenever possible, the application should fully present the entire array of raw materials such as transcripts, completed forms, transcripts of interviews, analytical tables and notes, and visual material. If this is not possible due to the extraordinary volume, then the data should be provided at the first request of the experts considering the work. Fragments of the analysis of empirical material should also be included in the appendices, allowing for tracking the researchers application of the claimed analysis method and the validity of his analytical conclusions.

The criteria for the validity of the study at the planning stage of the study and data collection are the validity of the relevance of the chosen topic, and the presence of reflective explication by the researcher of his own theoretical positions and ideas about the topic being studied, work experience in the claimed research field. It is also important to consider the validity of the choice of a qualitative approach to the study of this problem, and the validity of sampling, methods of data collection and processing. Systematic monitoring of the context and conditions of the study and systematic description of dialogical relationships with respondents are important components of the questionnaire. This is necessary to reflect the richness of the data collected, their relevance to the research problem.

At the stage of data analysis, the argumentativeness, logicality, and coherence of the analysis, and the justification of the clear relationships between analytical conclusions and specific data are important. Separation of factual descriptions, semantic generalizations and theoretical interpretations of data, and stylistic, rhetorical, discursive literacy of analysis are the main criteria for a correct study.

Questions

1. Please select the most appropriate answer. How important the presence of plant-based meat in your diet?

   • Highly important, I consume plant-based meat daily.
   • Important, I consume plant-based meat weekly
   • Not important, I consume plant-based meat less than once a week.
   • Irrelevant, I never intentionally purchase or consume plant-based meat.
2. Please choose the most representative answer regarding meat products in the context of wellness?

   • 1. Meat is essential for wellness.
   • Meat plays a minor role in wellness.
   • Meat does not contribute to wellness.
   • Meat is detrimental to wellness.
3. Please state what wellness food products do you prefer?
4. Please select your age group.

   • 1-24
   • 25-34
   • 35-50
   • 51 and above
5. Please select your annual income range. (You may omit this question if you find it inappropriate or wish not to disclose).

   • $20000 or less
   • $20001  40000
   • $40001  60000
   • $60001  80000
   • $80001  100000
   • $100001 or above
6. Please select your education level.

   • High School
   • College
   • Bachelors Degree
   • Masters Degree
   • PhD
   • No education
7. Please select your gender.

   • Male
   • Female
   • Other
8. Please select the family size.

   • 2 or less
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5 or more
9. Please rate the following plant-based meat products according to your preferences, where (1  I do not like it, and 5  I like it the most).

   • Burger
   • Minced meat
   • Sausages
   • Nuggets
   • Tuna
10. Where do you purchase plant-based burgers? If you do.

    • Supermarkets
    • Local grocery stores
    • Butchers
    • Traditional stores
    • Delicatessen stores
    • Other
11. Where do you purchase plant-based minced meat? If you do.

    • Supermarkets
    • Local grocery stores
    • Butchers
    • Traditional stores
    • Delicatessen stores
    • Other
12. Where do you purchase plant-based sausages? If you do.

    • Supermarkets
    • Local grocery stores
    • Butchers
    • Traditional stores
    • Delicatessen stores
    • Other
13. Where do you purchase plant-based nuggets? If you do.

    • Supermarkets
    • Local grocery stores
    • Butchers
    • Traditional stores
    • Delicatessen stores
    • Other
14. Where do you purchase plant-based tuna? If you do.

    • Supermarkets
    • Local grocery stores
    • Butchers
    • Traditional stores
    • Delicatessen stores
    • Other
15. Which of the following is your main source of information (you may select more than one option)?

    • Reading Local newspaper
    • Watching TV
    • Listening to FM radio
    • Social Network sites
    • Websites
    • Reading magazines

References

Hair, J. F., Celsi, M. W., Ortinau, D. J., & Bush, R. P. (2017). Essentials of marketing research. McGraw-Hill.

Introduction

Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC) is a community healthcare organization focusing on making high-quality medical care accessible to all community members without compromising on compassion or cost. The companys mission is to improve the quality of life of our community by becoming the healthcare provider of choice (Antelope Valley Medical Center, 2023). Their vision is to provide quality Services for a positive outcome, maintain a holistic approach to medical care, and support ethical practices. The hospitals values are respect, honesty, stewardship, collaboration, and innovation. Through such objectives, the company maintains a pleasant environment for recovery.

The organizations service area is the entire Antelope Valley and its suburbs, offering services not limited to oncology, bariatric, cardiology services, rehabilitation, womens health care, and home health care. However, the company is renewed for top-notch services in cardiovascular diseases, making it one of the sought-after in coronary care (Antelope Valley Medical Center, 2023). The organization also hosts various health-related activities, seminars, and screenings to promote awareness about the best lifestyles to avoid diseases.

Marketing Initiatives

Every business organization must tactfully strategize its efforts to maintain a competitive advantage. The current issues at AVMC include growing competition from other organized healthcare groups offering the same services and poor client engagement. This competition requires the organization to keep restructuring its efforts to stay competitive. Their marketing strategy has focused on excellent service provisions, enabling the company to gain referrals and maintain its clientele (Antelope Valley Medical Center, 2023). However, stiff competition requires the company to strategize its efforts. Another challenge is poor patient engagement, affecting customer satisfaction and organizational progress.

A comprehensive marketing initiative should be implemented highlighting the services offered by Antelope Valley Medical Center. The strategy should incorporate traditional and digital marketing systems, such as television marketing, radio advertisements, direct mail campaigns, print advertisements, and social media promotion (Antelope Valley Medical Center, 2023). This initiative is needed considering that it will help increase patient engagement and online presence, which helps attract new markets. Therefore, the company can achieve an operational balance by utilizing patient education materials, engaging patients in surveys and focus groups, and providing opportunities for patients to provide feedback.

Customer Needs

Understanding customer needs is vital for enhancing quality healthcare and a competitive edge. This information can be used to understand the communitys needs better, identify service gaps, and create plans to address them. Being aware of the customers needs allows the medical center to tailor services and amenities to meet the unique needs of each individual. It also helps the medical center create a customized experience, which can lead to greater patient satisfaction (Gonzalez,2019). Knowing customer needs can also help the medical center understand the types of treatments and services that are most likely to be successful. Through digital marketing, the knowledge can help the medical center focus resources, reduce costs, and optimize the use of resources to serve the community.

The primary customers at Antelope Valley Medical Center are patients and their families, physicians, and other healthcare providers such as nurses, therapists, and pharmacists. The patients need quality medical care in a safe and compassionate environment (Antelope Valley Medical Center, 2023). They want a medical center that is convenient and accessible, with a variety of services and a knowledgeable staff. They also prefer healthcare services that are affordable and that take into consideration their individual needs and preferences.

The secondary customers at Antelope Valley Medical Center are members of the local community who rely on the medical center for preventative care and other health services and vendors who provide products and services to the center. The needs of these customers are to have access to quality medical care and services that meet their needs and preferences (Antelope Valley Medical Center, 2023). They also want a medical center that can provide a wide range of reasonably priced and conveniently located services. These customers also prefer a medical center that is operated efficiently and that can respond quickly to their needs.

The 4Ps of Marketing

The 4Ps of marketing include Product, Price, Place, and Promotion, which are essential for any business, including Antelope Valley Medical Center. The Product is coronary care services, and their Pricing should be competitive and attractive to potential customers. Place refers to where the services are available, and the center should ensure that it is conveniently located and accessible to those in need of care (Gabelaia & Tchelidze, 2022). Promotion includes the advertising of the services, so the center should strive to make its services widely known through digital marketing strategies. The 4 Ps of marketing help ensure that coronary care services are accessible, attractive, and marketed effectively.

Drivers of Demands

The drivers for demand for services in healthcare rely on the efficiency, technological advancement, and healthcare policies that affect the affordability of services. With the growing demand for health services, an efficient healthcare organization will increase its market due to positive patient outcomes and satisfaction (Purcarea, 2019). Technological advances help drive demand for healthcare services, as new technologies often allow for more effective treatments and improved patient outcomes. Additionally, healthcare policy significantly impacts the market for healthcare services (Purcarea, 2019). Government policies, such as reimbursement rates for specific services and regulations governing the delivery of healthcare services, can influence demand for healthcare services.

References

Antelope Valley Medical Center. (2023). About Antelope Valley Medical Center. Web.

Gabelaia, I., & Tchelidze, L. (2022). The Significance of Digital Marketing Strategies for Continuity of SMEs. International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, 11. Web.

Gonzalez, M. E. (2019). Improving customer satisfaction of a healthcare facility: reading the customers needs. Benchmarking: An International Journal.26 (3), Web.

Purcarea, E. V. L. (2019). The impact of marketing strategies in healthcare systems. Journal of medicine and life, 12(2), 93. Web.

Content marketing is a booming activity right now, with thousands of websites and blogs posting tens of thousands of pieces of new content daily. This competitive market of ideas can challenge a business/website owner seeking novel content to attract and retain customers. This task is complicated by rapid changes in Google policies that affect how customers find you. Staying visible to potential customers searches, and bringing them back repeatedly can be critical to staying afloat.

How, then, do you remain creative, with dozens of posts to generate monthly, or even weekly? Consider these choice tips on keeping your content fresh and compelling.

1. Re-analyze your blog.

You doubtless have identified niche topics that reliably interest your target audience. Re-examine some past posts for potential tweaks. For example, say your auto industry site features critiques of new car models: What about enlightening readers on current traffic control issues (for example, the move over law, or expanding traffic camera usage), emissions regulations, or insurance purchasing hints? This is stuff they can use daily,  that can diversify your content.

2. Hang with the right crowd.

Join forums on related topics, interest/advocacy groups, communities, and Facebook page. Everyone there is a potential customer/reader. You can get a sense of their thinking, their wish lists, and pet peeves  and thereby obtain great potential content ideas  by reading their posts and discussions

3. Syndicate!

Stay on top of your game by staying abreast of breaking industry news. Tools such as Feedly offer you a way to conveniently store the latest updates from your niche news sources  all in one feed-syncing location. Reread some of these news stories, but with your audience in mind. What is causing buzz and garnering comments? Can you address similar topics from another perspective? Can you dissect and analyze the pros/cons of arguments you find in the current news? Theres your next content piece!

4. Customer feedback.

Your enterprise survives and  we hope  thrives, because you solve customer problems, and meet their needs. This makes customer feedback absolutely vital. It reflects the problems your customers/readers face. Dig back into past emails and suggestions for inspiration (if no online form for such communication exists, set one up NOW). Maybe a customer took delivery of your specialized paint but expressed uncertainty regarding prepping their surfaces. Rule of thumb: a problem one customer articulates probably indicates that others (less vocal) would benefit from an article elucidating that issue. Exploit the squeaky wheels among your readers/clients to guide you to widely useful topics.

5. Boots on the ground.

When did you last consult the people actually producing your product  perhaps through a brainstorming session? Take full advantage of your employees experience and insights regarding customer interests. They are a goldmine for new content ideas,

In fact, you can find inspiration all over  just keep your customers needs in mind as you scan your business landscape, and you will be well supplied with fresh content.

Quality Assurance: 5 Point Checklist for Your Social Media Posts

Your social media engagement traffic, engagement, and exposure are critical to your success. Thus, you need to score home runs with every piece of content.

It is dishearteningly easy to for users to UN-subscribe, un-like, or un-follow, your feed, especially given the perpetual email bombardment with endless streams of content. Users can thus be super selective regarding what appears in their updates and inboxes.

1. Do your posts contain a call to action (CTA)?

Customer engagement will not occur magically, especially when you post infrequently. You have to drive engagement. CTAs grab readers attention, pull them in, and propel your contents spread across the web. Craft your CTAs to be requested rather than commands, discreet pushes towards participating in your social media strategy.

2. Are you exploiting the power of pictures?

Of course, not every situation calls for images (no need to reply to your mentions on Twitter with a picture). Images, however, are fun, powerful inducements to engagement, and increase your chances of going viral! Most top social media outlets  increasingly  facilitate image sharing. Even Twitter has enhanced its image previews and visibility. Even if you are not a Photoshop power user, and the prospect of creating your own images intimidates you, awesome tools like Canva.com can lower the skill barrier.

3. Is this the right moment to update?

Yes, you may be located in the US, but where on the globe is your audience? Does it make sense to post when your audience is probably snoring? Fortunately, most social media networks and tools like Buffer offer scheduling options to permit posting when your audience is most likely to be online and reviewing their news feeds. Check the substantial online research for guidance.

4. Did you proofread? Oops&too late now!!

Sadly, way too many social media posts are ignored or even mocked for their careless grammar, obvious misspellings, and punctuation errors. For example, we at WEBSITE work with many copywriters and bloggers, and if posts contain even minuscule errors, our audience notices instantly. Such slip-ups discourage social media engagement and detract from your exposure and your credibility.

5. Are you providing value to your core audience?

Know the folks who follow you and frequently engage with your brand, and post accordingly. If you deal in kitchen wares, you can guess that they are unlikely to engage with celebrity gossip! Yes, general interest posts will be widely read, but not necessarily compelling to readers who keep in contact with your business, who are likely to convert to future customers. Keep these peoples needs foremost when composing your next social media update.

Your social media posts will benefit from reviewing these elements, and so will your business!

The country of origin has a great impact on the product image and the decision of consumers to purchase a product. There are other significant demographic factors that affect consumption patterns. For example, if populations are segmented by such factors as race, religion, color, country of origin, etc. valuable marketing data can be gathered. Numerous studies are available of the Negro market, the Jewish market, the Puerto Rican market, the Mexican market, and so on. While each of these breakdowns can add valuable information for marketing strategy, and complements the discussions of segmentation by age and life cycle, space limitations preclude a meaningful discussion of such factors.

In the article Consumer perception of product quality and the country-of-origin effect Elliott and Cameron (1994) discuss the impact of country of origin on purchasing power.

The researchers found that e country-of-origin effect factors have long been studies to assess market opportunities, for demographic trends and shifts greatly affect market activity. Although they explain differences in geographic movements, family composition, urban versus rural shifts, and age groups which have an impact on both purchase and consumption patterns. Good projections are available to guide executives in making decisions based on geographic shifts in population, as well as shifts among age and income. Studies of changing relationships within the family and the relative impact of husband, wife, and children are useful in understanding buyer decisions. Information on general levels of family purchases and corresponding patterns of influence is also useful. Cities have a great impact on our way of life and on buyer behavior.

Fill (1999) and Keegan and Green (2003) explain that the pattern of urbanization with the resulting growth of suburbia and megalopolis is reflected in lifestyles, in products and services, and in other components of the marketing mix. Urban people are apt to buy foreign goods while country dwellers prefer national products.

Country of origin is influenced by the life cycle, a socio-psychological concept which affords a perspective for understanding decisions made at each stage of life during the pre-family cycle of children, subteens, teenagers, and single adults, and the family cycle of young adults, middle years, maturity, and senior citizens.

McDonald (2003) explains that country of origin effects distinguish this approach from other conceptions of marketing. First, it is concerned with more than the transfer of title and movement of goods. Marketing begins before goods are produced and continue after the consumer has purchased them. Second, it emphasizes helping consumers to solve problems in ways that are compatible with the profit, volume, and image objectives of the firm. Third, it recognizes the management implications of adopting this view  for example, top-level responsibility for the marketing executive, reorganizing the marketing department, and integrating and coordinating marketing activities. The country of origin perception is the natural reaction of management in attempting to meet the needs of a keenly competitive, constantly changing environment. It is designed to direct the entire business to serve those customer wants and needs that are in line with the objectives of the corporation. It reflects an integrated and coordinated approach to the management of marketing activity and the development of total systems of business activities that recognize the market as the focal point of business. Essentially, the marketing philosophy is a way of thinking about the corporate activity; a frame of mind; an attitude. It recognizes the primacy of consumers and customers as they influence all business operations. It starts with the companys chief executive, who must recognize that lacking markets for the companys products and lacking customer wants and needs, no business can exist.

Tayeb (2000) and McFarlin and Sweeney (2003) state that European and American goods are more popular in third world countries perceived as high-quality products and goods. Many of the marketing situations are very complex and amorphous and involve human behavior. The standard optimization techniques of calculus and linear programming dont work too well. Marketing problems contain nonlinear relationships, lags, interactions, and random factors. It is difficult to quantify many of the significant psychological and sociological variables that affect marketing decisions. Quantitative concepts of quality, image, motivation and communication impact are hard to conceptualize operationally. Approaches in marketing may well require new concepts linking behavioral and quantitative thinking. As a result of past experience, customers have preconceived notions or attitudes that shape their view of reality and hence their decisions. For example, experience with brands that meet expectations results in future purchasing actions, since learning takes place. Reinforcement, which is part of the learning process, encourages repetition and perhaps an automatic response-purchase by habit.

Minor (1995) underlines that the country of origin perception depends upon national traditions and product history. This is the corporate justification for the expenditure of resources in marketing. Marketing executives are faced with the challenge of reinforcing, changing and converting customer reactions in order to stimulate demand. They try to strengthen attitudes and motives that are disposed to their products and change those that are not. This does not mean that buyers can be readily manipulated. It does mean that where people have not developed strong attitudes and feelings, where they do not have sufficient information for decision purposes, and where they are confronted with new products and product variations, marketing information can help formulate favorable attitudes and opinions toward the product. A multitude of factors affects product demand. Some of them are not controllable by the individual producer. Foreign regulations, technological developments, governmental decisions, and political action, and cultural climate are cases in point. Many demand influences can, however, be directly controlled or affected by marketing activities.

Further research is needed to investigate the impact of national traditions of consumers on the country of origin effects and their decision to purchase a product with long selling history. These include advertising, product development, pricing, merchandising, distribution channels, packaging, and product quality. Businesses, therefore, need not passively accept existing demand situations. Although situations may exist where little can be done about markets for specific goods, demand usually can be altered. Two major strategies can be employed to alter it. First, companies can adopt a marketing program that seeks to change the product, image, package, distribution, advertising campaigns, or other components of the marketing mix to bring them closer into line with customer desires and induce consumers to react favorably. Second, companies can try to change buyers and their reactions and responses to correspond with company needs and desires. The latter course is difficult and sometimes impossible to implement where strong negative buyer reactions exist. It is generally more effective to adopt the first procedure and alter company activities to fit the market.

References

Elliott, G.R., Cameron, R.C. 1994, Consumer perception of product quality and the country-of-origin effect. Journal of International Marketing, 2 (2), pp. 49-62.

Fill, C. 1999, Marketing Communication: Contexts, Contents, and Strategies 2 edn. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Keegan, W. J. and Green, M. S. 2003, Global Marketing 3nd edn. UpperSaddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

McDonald M., Christopher M. 2003. Marketing: A complete Guide. Palgrave Macmillan.

Minor, J. 1995, Administrative and Management Theory: The History of Management Thought. Darmouth Pub. Co.

Tayeb M., 2000. International Business: Theories, Policies and Practices, Harlow, Pearson Education.

McFarlin, D.B., Sweeney, P.D. 2003, International Management: Strategic Opportunities and Cultural Challenges. Houghton Mifflin Company.

The first article selected is The Great Recession: A Self-Fulfilling Global Panic by Philippe Bacchetta and Eric van Wincoop. The scholars explain that as long as there is minimum integration between two economies, both will be significantly affected when one falls.

Bacchetta and Van Wincoops (2013) argument is based on the fact that, despite the 2008 recession in the US, various countries were negatively affected. The scholars go further and identify some of the economic elements that generated vulnerability during the great recession. Some of the identified issues include, but are not limited to, loaning and credit, fiscal policies, economic integration, and zero lower bounds (Bacchetta & Van Wincoop, 2013).

In conclusion, Bacchetta and Van Wincoop (2013) explain that the close business cycle co-movement during the recession led to the worldwide impact.

The second article selected is Social Media Marketing Communications Effect on Attitudes among Millennials in South Africa by Rodney G. Duffett and Myles Wakeham. Duffett and Wakeham (2016) highlight some of the marketing issues in Africa and tie them to global marketing and trade.

Duffett and Wakeham (2016) argue that digital communication has become the primary marketing platform in many countries. However, one challenge marketers are facing in Africa is that a significant number of countries, and people, still cannot access the internet. This is in comparison with internet reach in developed countries.

In conclusion, the scholars explain that the significant strides that have been made to ensure Africans access the internet have opened up marketing possibilities, particularly in regards to global trade. However, much still has to be done to ensure the entire market (Africa) is connected to the internet.

The first topic is major changes of the world economy in the past twenty years. One of the most crucial changes in the global economy was the 2008 recession. Eaton et al. (2016) explain that the recession occurred due to several systematic, political, and economic reasons. As Bacchetta and Van Wincoop (2013) note, the impact of the recession was felt on a global scale. The fact that globalization allowed for the close business global economy ensured that other countries were also negatively affected by the financial crisis. Interestingly, this ties closely to both global economic environments and global marketing. As mentioned previously, the global economic environment allowed for a global financial crisis despite the chaos originating from the US because of a close and interlinked worldwide business economy. On the other hand, global marketing was a significant contributor to the interlinked global financial system as marketers heavily explored investment opportunities for both locals and foreigners online.

Marketing issues in Africa is the second chosen topic from the list provided. Amankwah-Amoah et al. (2018) argue that marketing issues in Africa affect global trade and marketing because many Africans both purchase and sell products to the rest of the world. Global marketing has evolved over the decades, with more companies and individuals relying entirely on digital platforms to interact with their target audience. This creates a significant challenge for marketers in Africa, and those target African markets, as a significant percentage of the continents population does not have constant access to the internet. As Duffett and Wakeham (2016) observe, there have been various efforts that have opened up the continent to the rest of the world in regards to the digital space. However, much still has to be done to ensure that the larger population of the continent population can access the internet at all times.

Analysis on the Topic

First Topic

Relation to global marketing. There are several ways in which the first topic relates to some of the aspects of global marketing taught in class. First, the 2008 recession offered marketers both opportunities and threats. In regards to the opportunities, the recession opened up the world as an equal marketing platform. Before the 2008 recession, marketers used digital platforms to reach out to markets they already had a presence in at the time. However, the fact that the close business economy affected a significant number of countries also revealed more markets to be explored. On the other hand, the event caused the loss of income; thus, making marketing more difficult as a significant number of people became restrictive with their finances. Additionally, the topic can be linked to the marketing mix as a lack of disposal funds also affected consumer behavior.

Relation to economic and trade environments. The marketing mix mentioned is affected by economic and trade environments in various ways. First, as stated previously, a lack of disposal funds affects consumer behavior regardless of whether or not there is a financial crisis. In particular, the marketing mix is affected by weak economic environments. For instance, promotion budgets have to be reduced in an attempt to lower the price of the product or service offered significantly. Second, consumer behavior is affected by changing economic situations because when people have access to money, they are more willing to purchase items that are priced higher than when they have no access to liquid cash. On the same note, when the trade environment is favorable, marketers can manipulate the four Ps of the marketing mix to suit the needs of their target audience.

Second Topic

Relation to global marketing. The second topic also relates to global marketing in numerous ways. First, the main issue identified, which is the lack of constant access to the internet, creates an opportunity for global marketing. Internet providers are businesses whose principal mandate is the bottom line. Through collaborations, opening up Africa to easier access will be beneficial to both the providers and marketers of various brands and products. It is important to note that a competitive advantage can be ensured through the expansion of the internet base and accessibility in Africa. The premise suggests that more marketers will either have or neutralize the competitive edge of local firms in Africa when targeting the same audience. In turn, this would make global marketing more effective as the target audience (which is assumed to be more conservative and prefers local products and services) will be more open to international trade.

Relation to economic and trade environments. The issue of competitive advantage is also affected by economic and trade environments. It is vital to point out that there are two primary ways in which competitive advantage applies in trade environments. The first is that a brand has some elements that make it significantly better than similar brands in the same market. The second is the opposite, where no brand has a significant advantage over the other. An ideal trade environment allows for healthy competition. Thereby, the competitive advantage often shifts from one brand to another. However, some products have created a monopoly in the market in some markets, giving them the competitive advantage they need to continue holding a more significant percentage of the market share. The nature of the economy, in turn, wither allows for or rejects a competitive advantage. Thus, a growing economy will better support such critical advantages compared to a restricted and narrow one.

References

Amankwah-Amoah, J., Boso, N., & Debrah, Y. A. (2018). Africa rising in an emerging world: An international marketing perspective. International Marketing Review, 35(4), pp. 550-559.

Bacchetta, P., & Van Wincoop, E. (2013). The great recession: A self-fulfilling global panic. National Bureau of Economic Research, 19062(E32), 1-43.

Duffett, G. R., & Wakeham, M. (2016). Social media marketing communications effect on attitudes among millennials in South Africa. The African Journal of Information Systems, 8(3), 20-43. Web.

Eaton, J., Kortum, S., Neiman, B., & Romalis, J. (2016). Trade and the global recession. American Economic Review, 106(11), 3401-38.

Consumer behavior has a great impact on the marketing strategy and marketing mix developed by a company. Critics and researchers in consumer behavior (Schiffman and Kanuk 2003) are greatly concerned with the antecedents, activities, and outcomes of consumer actions. They have investigated the purchasing procedure, buying decisions, and consumption situations. By analyzing and classifying consumers according to several variables, these researchers attempt to predict the outcomes of consumer decisions. The variables studied deal with both the consumption setting and the characteristics of the consumers themselves.

Consumer Perceptions and Learning

Following Schiffman and Kanuk (2003), marketing research on consumer behavior has taken many ways. Some of the methods have been aggregative, including analysis of total expenditures by the consumer as members of social groups and total expenditures for different classes of items. Other researches have focused on individual customer decisions, dealing with both static and dynamic methods of consumption.

Whereas some research studies focus on behavior at a point in time, others focus on behavior over a definite period. Several critics (McDonald and Christopher 2003) underline that the elementary descriptions of behavior, which are most unrealistic and superficial, but still useful for purposes of analysis. Other research projects employ quantitative models and simulations or use qualitative models to relate attitudes, expectations, and motives with purchase incentives, perceptions, and structures. In general, consumer behavior is considered to be the consequence of patterns or constellations of stimuli (Schiffman and Kanuk 2003, p. 2).

Among the most relevant investigations of consumption patterns are those that focus on behavior as part of the sweep of problem-solving methods. These methods are concerned with cognitive issues, families, and households, and segmenting markets by attitude and actions rather than solely on a demographic basis. It is important to recognize that the world in which consumers behave is, in reality, extremely complex, filled with continual commercials, pretty packaging, and confusing choices  (Schiffman and Kanuk 2003, p.3).

Product Description

iPod opens a new millennium in technology and games. Regular sales of 1.5 million products have made the company one of the popular brands in the world. The accomplishment of the product under analysis is explained by different issues which have a great influence on the digital market and potential buyers. The history of the iPod goes back to 2001. Today, the company sells different types of iPods: the hard-drive-based, the touchscreen, the video-capable, and the screenless.

Before the iPod, Apple sold other digital devices including digital cameras, camcorders, and organizers. The reason for the products popularity is innovation. For the innovation of new approaches to the digital age to be winning a high degree of addition is needed between all involved.

Fill in the article Innovation Processes uses the term creative innovation to depict Apples product and service growth. In this case, Apple iPod can be characterized as an innovation that is built into their method of doing products, a passion for integrity which applies to the staff, buyers, suppliers, and other stakeholders such as the global society. The trendy product has a lot of accessories designed by the company to attract potential consumers (Paley 2006; Bearden et al 2004).

Consumer Behavior and Prediction of Marketing Treads

The example of the iPod suggests that consumer behavior and perception of the product have a great impact on product development and marketing strategies. (Perception is defined as the psychological processing of information received by the senses (Schiffman and Kanuk 2003, p. 6).

Marketing analysis of iPod factors affecting consumer behavior and the prediction of trends is applied by Apple. Much of the research on consumer purchases and consumption deals with the statistical correlation of variables associated with consumer behavior, or with probabilities of other brands. Such marketing research recognizes that iPod consumption units properties of their own that affect the relationships between buying antecedents and consequences. Furthermore, these properties change over time (Paley 2006).

The case of the iPod portrays that innovations should be based on creative ideas, should be available for a large target audience, and proposes unique solutions to daily problems without additional spending (such as free downloads). iPod combines these features and proves the success of these strategies. Apple follows so-called creativity circles as the most popular method in order to improve innovation culture that is usually unfavorable to market and demand issues. Increasingly today, Apples project team is managed by financial and marketing strategies to respond effectively to customers needs (Bearden et al 2004; Crawford 2003).

Learning Experience

The buying process followed by iPod can be described as customer learning that influenced and is influenced by buyers awareness. In this case, awareness has an impact on the choice and understanding of management data, brand messages, and ideas. Because buyer awareness influences the opportunity of probable outcomes from a variety of buyer choices, it is a significant issue in the personal and social approach to the product.

In general, buyer awareness determines how the product message is understood and perceived by the potential audience of consumers. Both theorists and marketers are interested in consumer behavior. iPod, marketing is concerned with changes in group behavior  those changes that affect many people in a similar manner over time. Theorists are concerned with explaining individual behavior, sometimes on a clinical basis. Their research focuses either on the extremely simple forms of behavior or on the change in behavior of a person through clinical techniques not wholly applicable to groups.

iPod, on the other hand, concerned with complex changes in consumers and consumption, has often adopted naïve methods of explaining behavior (Paley 2006). Applied to such products as Apple iPod, buying behavior can be seen as usual, which includes careful considerations and analysis of the product and its qualities. The product demands reflection and assessment over a definite time; from purchases made by the person to those actions approved by the company (Doyle and Stern 2006).

The desires for making purchases vary among consumers. The example of iPod brand image portrays that such features as personal self-image, social position in society, usefulness, wealth, cost, repair, and securities may be important to diverse customer audiences of the market. Motivation, though significant to consumption and supportive in explaining consumer motives, need not be the only governing force. It refers to only one means by which consumer behavior is initiated or aroused. Some behavioral reactions are not motivated in the ordinary sense of seeking need gratifications (Kotabe and Helsen, K. 2005).

The triumph of the iPod is a result of a unique and outstanding companys ideology which takes care of fast, simple, and low prices. The case of the iPod vividly portrays that this method of marketing is based on the products unique understanding of the issue of music, also, the payback the product proposes and issues it follows. As modern buyers become more sophisticated in their preferences and demands related to price, flexibility, and product uniqueness Apple iPod is the best selection for this buyer segment (The Guts of a New Machine 2003).

The product under analysis not only permits this market segment to save precious lifetime, but it allows the people to decrease the usage of such old-fashioned products as tapes and CDs. Today, free downloads are the main issue of Apples popularity and market dominance. The music downloads are free of charge, with the costs covered through advertising profits (Bearden et al 2004).

Motivation Factors in Consumer Behavior

Motivation is defined as the stimuli inducement, purpose, or a need behind an action. The drivers of motivations are various factors including the primary needs, such as hunger, thirst, air-getting, sex, and temperature and psychological needs, such as exercise, rest, preservation, and novelty; aesthetic factors of motivation are such as color, tone, and rhythm; and emotional factors include fear, rage, and repugnance.

Applied to iPod, it is possible to say that an effective marketing tool to the study of motives is followed by the company, with motivations perceived as the main psychological needs (Paley 2006). Customers motivations and personal needs persuade them to make a purchase without an adequate analysis of the opportunities and threats of the product. Brand image and uniqueness of iPods lead consumers to careful analysis of the purchase, but because of such reasons as product image, color, brand, and product fashion, consumers are motivated by the factors of pride, personal belonging, and aspiration.

For iPod, rational motivation and emotions are related to reasonable and sound behavior patterns and are inspired by the uniqueness of the product, exceptional service proposed by Apple, toughness, and functionality of iPod (Evans et al 2004).

From the consumers point of view, iPod advantages depend on what a consumer thinks and feels. If a consumer acts to achieve his objectives effectively, his behavior is rational regardless of what manufacturers, retailers, or social critics might believe. Wisdom applies self-approved reasons for purchasing or not purchasing  those that the consumer feels to be right and reasonable because they are in line with his own expectations and image of himself (Kotler and Keller 2005).

For instance, the need to possess a well-styled car, exceptional design in equipment, or delicious food may not be economic and useful. Such a need may be well balanced, but as a result, what might come into view of a buyer to be an irrational acquisition object because the stimulating action is sensitively based. Motivations and emotional actions of customers are approved by the marketers and well-designed by advertisers, who want to satisfy the psychological demands of potential consumers, even though issues for buy may disagree with what marketers feel should be done or are not willingly apparent to critics.

Applied to iPod, motivation research tends to disclose the psychological basis for consumer choice, which is certainly not the most economic course. Another approach allows to say that the motivational wish used by Apple iPod is a collective one, and consequently, the basic motive and implementation of its promotion and positioning are international. The modern music market is influenced by increasing capital injections, so the next 5-10 years will be marked by increased sophistication of iPod consumers and new competition threats (Fill, 1999).

Conclusion

The analysis and evaluation of the iPod show that consumer behavior has a great impact on purchases and marketing strategies introduced by the company. Physiological needs are considered the most important of all. All other factors and needs are either pushed into the background or become nonexistent for apple. When the internal needs of consumers are satisfied, other higher needs emerge and start to dominate the consumers mind.

When these needs and desires are satisfied, newer and still higher needs keep emerging, and so on. The innovative approach followed by iPod vividly portrays this process of consumption. After seeking satisfaction, Apples consumer becomes a safety-seeking person. Apple satisfies needs through such devices as innovations, unique brand image, and packaging. When the emotional and personal needs are well gratified, the need for a unique personal image, including affection and belongingness, emerges.

These unique needs and motives will be keenly felt as never before. Consumers will be apt for affectionate relations with other people  for a place and unique personal image proposed by iPod. As a result, different social statuses and product symbols emerge as a means of satisfying such needs. Consumers are motivated to achieve various conditions through which satisfaction of basic needs will be achieved. The example of Apple shows that marketing organizations today are operating in a different environment, which is different from the one they operated in 20 years ago and will also be in the increase in the future as a result of competition in the service industry and the customer becoming more demanding requiring value for their money.

One of the changes is a fiercer and more intense competitive rivalry. Companies have understood that they cannot use price only to maintain and increase their market share in a competitive market and many have focused on customer service in order to develop a competitive advantage. Another change is that customers are more demanding.

Today customers expect more than a high-quality product and competitive price they expect a high-quality service. the economic situation of Apple and iPod shows that many retail companies fail to meet increased economic pressure and new social changes which lead to profits decline. The example of Apple and iPod allows us to say that service today has become a vital element for the hearts, minds, money, and support of the customer; it also drives customer loyalty and repeats business. This is now more important to an organizations survival.

Quality management is the process by which a business can improve its customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, competitiveness, and profitability. As companies strive to compete with each other to provide quality customer service, an area in which it has become a focus for the business is the food retail industry Apple and iPods core purpose is to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty.

One of the reasons for Apple and iPods success is the continuing pursuit of its mission. Another reason has been the implementation of its customer loyalty card. Though, in order to keep its competitive position in a competitive market, Apple and iPod must concentrate their attention on improving customer service and investing in their staff through ongoing innovation, development, and growth facilities.

Bibliography

Apples Jobs doesnt see threats to iPod: Report. Reuters. 2005. Web.

Bearden, W. O., Ingram, Th. N., LaForge, L.W. 2004, Marketing, Prentice Hall.

Crawford C. Merle. 2003, New Products Management. Irwin-McGraw Hill. 7th edition.

Doyle, P., Stern, Ph. 2006, Marketing Management and Strategy. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall; 4 edition.

Evans, Martin, OMalley, L., and Patterson, M., 2004, Exploring Direct & Customer Relationship Marketing, 2nd edition, London: Thomson.

Fill, C., 1999. Marketing Communication: Contexts, Contents, and Strategies 2 edn. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

The Guts of a New Machine. 2003. Web.

Kotler, Ph, Keller, K. 2005, Marketing Management. Prentice Hall.

Kotabe, M., Helsen, K. 2005, Global Marketing Management. Wiley.

Paley, N. 2006, The Managers Guide to Competitive Marketing Strategies. Thorogood.

McDonald M., Christopher M. 2003, Marketing: A complete Guide. Palgrave Macmillan.

Schiffman, L., Kanuk, L.L. 2003, Consumer Behavior. Prentice Hall; 8 edn.

The Seed of Apples Innovation. 2004, Business Week Online. Web.

Introduction

When operating a business, managers constantly adapt to the changing market factors to further satisfy the customers needs. A group of both current and potential customers is called the target market that also changes over time. Thus, managers continuously accommodate and adjust the marketing mix, which consists of the 4Ps: product, placement, promotion, and price (Lamb, et al., 2018). Fortunately, these are the factors that business managers can control and make suitable for the current market trends. However, there exist certain external factors that are beyond the managers control and can directly influence the expansion of the business to the global market. The purpose of this presentation is to analyze the external marketing environment in order to estimate the potential of the Persimmon Bakery business to become a part of the Canadian marketplace.

External Marketing Environment

As mentioned above, the external marketing environment influences the potential of the business to succeed in the global arena. It happens primarily because these external factors shape the target market in terms of peoples needs, incomes, tastes, interests, and more (Lamb, et al., 2018). Thus, when expanding the existing business to another country, the owners must consider such aspects of the external marketing environment as cultural, demographic, economic, political, technological, and geographical factors. The Persimmon Bakery business under my ownership is located in Cherry Hill, NJ, and is operating in eight different regions of the U.S. as well. Our bakery specializes in bread and sweets from around the world, and we have gained the trust and appreciation of our American customers who enjoy the cultural variety of our products. However, we have been contemplating whether we should franchise our business in Canada, as we have received a number of requests from the customers and business partners.

The Cultural Factor

The idea of franchising is an excellent opportunity for us to expand and grow globally, extending the target market. However, we must apply the basic principles of environmental scanning, which implies analyzing the external marketing factors mentioned above to estimate the potential risks and, therefore, decide on the feasibility of entering the Canadian market (Lamb, et al., 2018). The first factor to consider is the cultural one. Indeed, cultural identity plays an essential role in shaping and structuring the target markets values, behaviors, and lifestyle. Canada is a country famous for one of the highest living standards, with the Canadian citizens primarily aiming at high-quality products and services. Most of the population values their time and money, being confident in their stable income and demanding decent, respectable customer support. In the Canadian market, it is necessary to keep in mind the customers hectic pace and high living standards (Commisceo Global Consulting, 2017). Thus, Persimmon Bakery will need to provide fast but effective services with high-quality products. We regard it as an outstanding opportunity as in the US we are working with the same social group and will maintain our usual revenue levels after entering the Canadian market.

The Demographic Factor

The demographic aspect includes factors that can help us determine the marketing strategies that will work for the wide variety of the Canadian population. However, the diversity of the Canadian population makes it challenging to work out a unified strategy that will satisfy every layer of the citizenry (Commisceo Global Consulting, 2017). Canada is the second biggest country in the world in terms of area, and it is highly heterogeneous, with a variety of different cultures, religions, languages, education levels, and such (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2018). Nevertheless, the Canadian population is not very big, and the country often faces a shortage of skilled workers. It makes the country a point of attraction for immigrants from all over the world, who ensure the consistent growth of the countrys population and often start off as semi-skilled workers at local stores and restaurants. Thus, our bakery can expect reasonable employment rates with the staff ready to work hard and receive decent wages.

Moreover, the variety of cultural and ethnic groups will attract many of their representatives to our bakery, where we sell sweets and delicacies from different countries worldwide. This will make people strive to buy products from their native lands and feel at home. A high concentration of immigrants may also give our bakery an opportunity to incorporate innovations into the product menu. As South Asian and Chinese immigrants cause almost half of the population growth, we can include more Asia-inspired offerings to attract this part of the population to our business. Additionally, Canada has one of the highest rates of citizens with college or university degrees, who then obtain high-paying jobs and high standards of living. Thus, people of high social position who can afford to spend money on their favorite sweets and bakeries will be likely to visit Persimmon Bakery and boost our sales rates.

The Economic Factor

Regarding the economic factor of the external marketing environment, Canada has a highly developed economy, making it one of the wealthiest cultures in the world. The Gross Domestic Product per capita in Canada was at 51588.80 US dollars in 2019. The GDP per Capita in Canada is equivalent to 408 percent of the worlds average (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2018). However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the massive lockdown, many businesses were not operating properly or closed whatsoever, making the Gross Domestic Product per capita get to the level of approximately 50100 US dollars by the end of 2020. Nevertheless, Canadas GDP per capita is projected to trend around 51100.00 USD in 2021 and 51600.00 USD in 2022, according to the analytics expectations. Also, the GDP growth has been relatively stable for the past years, averaging 1.9 percent (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2018). The Canadian economy is strong enough to get out of the pandemic without too much loss.

Speaking of unemployment, its rate is relatively low in Canada, reaching approximately 10 percent (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2018). It is essential to keep in mind that the unemployment rates are much higher in rural provinces rather than in central ones, especially the regions boarding with the United States. It was estimated that around three-quarters of the Canadian workforce is operating in the service sector. In contrast, the rest of the countrys employment accounts for the industry and agriculture sectors. Taking this into account, it will create an excellent opportunity for our service-oriented business to once again attract employees and ensure the stable employment of our workers, as we are strongly oriented on customer service and customer support for maintaining long-term clients. Additionally, one of the main positive aspects of our expanding business would be the close connection of the Canadian and US markets on a global trade scale, which was the result of the 1989 Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

The Political Factor

From the point of view of the political factor, Canada is a stable and safe country. The crime rates in Canada are relatively low, and the policing services prove to be safe and trustworthy. Additionally, Canada is ranking number 10 in the Environment Subindex (World Economic Forum, 2020). All that makes Canada a desirable state to start a business. According to the World Bank, Canada is ranking 23 in the Ease of Doing Business, as well as ranking 3 in the Starting Business column, meaning that it is a fast and user-friendly process that takes just a few days. However, in Registering Property, Canada ranks 36, as it is a very difficult process in the country to deal with (The World Bank Group, 2020). Thus, even though the general political and economic environment in Canada is promising, the Canadian government will have to be more proactive in making the process of registering property more accessible. For now, this becomes a strong negative point for our business prospects in Canada.

The Technological Factor

The technological factor plays an essential role in shaping the target market. Canadian economy does not at all lack technological advancement, which is one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the country. The technology sector provides Canadian citizens with a high-quality education, high-paying jobs, and other services, making the country socially and financially stable. As for the year 2019, Canada is ranking number 14 in NRI, which is still a good indicator of the countrys perspective to become one of the leading nations in effectively combining technology and its citizens well-being in the long run (World Economic Forum, 2020). Canada has slightly given up its position compared to such technologically promising countries as the United States and some other Northern and Western European countries. Thus, it makes Canada a preferred state to expand the business and advance our services even further.

The Geographical Factor

Lastly, it is essential to analyze the geographical factors of the external marketing environment. It gives us a clear picture of the countrys population spread so that we can estimate the best location for the potential franchise. As stated before, Canada is the second-largest country in the world but with a rather spread-out population density. The central provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, are of the highest economic development and wealth, particularly in the big cities (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, 2018). Higher incomes, social statuses, and good education are characteristics of these regions. On the contrary, the rural provinces are estimated to have incomes lower than the national average, with people massively being underpaid on low-skilled jobs. Class division is rather evident here, many young people do not get higher education and continue on the low-paid jobs. Thus, it is obvious that such conditions are unlikely to attract enough clients with a stable income that are ready to pay for international sweets and pastries.

Summary

Having analyzed the topical factors of the external marketing environment of Canada, we can conclude the following. In general, the possible positive outcomes outweigh the potential adverse outcomes. Canada strongly resembles the United States in marketing strategies, economic system, production patterns, and standards of living. The two countries already have strong trade and investment relationships, making it easier for US businesses to enter the Canadian market. Canada is a multicultural country with a high workforce potential, the process of attracting long-term employees and customers seems promising to this extent. A strong economy and stable political environment can ensure the safe operating of Persimmon Bakery, and the fast-growing technology sector guarantees computation assessment in every step of business planning. The potential difficulty we might face, however, will be registering a property for the located expansion of the bakery. Nevertheless, this difficulty can be resolved and cannot stand on the way if we do decide on expanding.

Furthermore, the demographic and cultural factors play on our side. However, we must be careful at choosing the province and the area of operating, as for the optimal functioning of the bakery and stable revenue collection, the rural areas far from the US borders will not suffice. As we have estimated, the population with higher incomes and living standards live in big cities of the central provinces. These people are ready to pay for high-quality products, which we are more than happy to supply. Moreover, it seems like an excellent opportunity for us to expand our product menu and add more Asia-inspired pastries and sweets in order to attract a significant number of Asian immigrants in Canada. Thus, we can further focus on producing a more extensive variety of foods for our international customers and even consider adding catering and food delivery as new services for our busy, always-on-the-go customers.

Conclusion

To conclude, after carrying out the present environmental scanning, we have come to the decision of opening the franchise in Toronto, Ontario. The advantages of this decision are evident: Toronto is the best location that complies with the requirements of a successful business operating outside of the current countrys borders. Also, Persimmon Bakery is a popular, successfully functioning business that has outgrown itself within the United States market and is now ready to enter the global market, the process of which we find most feasible to start with a Canadian franchise. Despite the main disadvantage of the difficult property registration process, Canadian market is one of the most stable in the global arena, promising good revenues and prospects for even further international expansion. In addition, it would also be reasonable to consider exporting as a means of expanding the Persimmon Bakery business, the benefits of which would be higher demand and therefore, higher profits; increase in the products lifetime; lower manufacturing costs. However, there are also certain disadvantages: transportation difficulties may appear and it would be difficult to solve them from afar; due to the varying export regulations, the administration costs might be higher than expected. Due to these disadvantages, we do not want to accept the exporting scenario yet, but we may reconsider if the franchising proves to be fruitful and successful.

References

Commisceo Global Consulting. (2017). Canada guide.

Lamb, C. W., Hair, J. F., & McDaniel, C. (2018). MKTG12: Principles of marketing. Mason, OH: Cengage.

The World Bank Group. (2020). Ease of doing business in Canada.

U.S. Department of Commerce. (2018). International programs. Demographic overview. Web.

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. (2018). The world factbook. Web.

World Economic Forum. (2020). Country and regional trends from the NRI.

Problem Definition

The present-day market is characterized by rather strong competition and a rather hostile environment for organizations that cannot adjust their marketing strategies to their updated or newly developed brands. Therefore, it is vital for this company to examine the effects that promotional tools associated with the use of digital media and related communication channels have on the efficacy of marketing frameworks. Thus, the problem of falling into obscurity and failing to meet new requirements in the target market will be addressed.

Starting Conditions

The current starting conditions can be described as the lack of incremental innovation. While the organization has been sufficiently effective, it has been lacking the innovation needed to retain relevancy. Therefore, the impact of promotional tools on the success of new and old brands must be tested.

Objectives

The goal of this project is to examine the effects of continuous enhancement of promotional tools on the marketing of new and current products in the target industry.

Project Idea

The main project idea is to deploy the approach for promoting active, creative thinking and innovative decision-making in relation to the identification and development of promotion strategies for marketing new brands, as well as those that already exist.

Content and Goals

The goals of the project in question include locating the existing promotion strategies for marketing old and new brands, as well as designing innovative promotion frameworks for the organization in question within the target industry.

Underlying Context

The proposed changes will be implemented in the target context in order to improve the performance of the organization and encourage its active growth in highly competitive new markets. Additionally, the creation of a robust competitive advantage is expected.

Project Environment

The project will be deployed in the context of the retail industry. Specifically, the global context will be considered as the primary focus of the project under analysis. Thus, the issue of diversity will have to be addressed as one of the core drivers for the development of an innovation-driven approach to the development of promotional tools and the associated marketing process.

Initial Motivation

The initial motivation of this project is justified by the necessity to introduce new opportunities for increasing the productivity of the organization and improving its current competitive advantage.

Problem-Solving Process

In turn, the problem-solving process will involve the identification of core factors affecting the companys performance in the retail industry, as well as the location of strategies for shifting toward the concept of incremental improvement and the emphasis on enhanced, diversity-oriented communication.

Preliminary Planning and Preparatory Measures

The preliminary planning will involve the assessment of the essential characteristics of the target environment and the identification of the factors shaping the companys performance within it. Afterward, key strategies for improving the quality of communication with customers and other stakeholders will be identified.

A structure is considered to be sustainable if it can be maintained throughout time without the need for continuous assistance from outside sources. If the need arises to build something that will last for a long time, the necessity to make sure that it is constructed on a sturdy foundation of solid connections and open communication emerges. There is a plethora of different approaches to use while developing environmentally friendly buildings. Creating a detailed but succinct strategy for the project is one approach. The proposed plan involving the introduction of improved communication and the focus on diversity needs to include an explanation of the project, its objectives, as well as the roles and duties of each member of the team. To guarantee that the plan for the project is up to date, it should be checked and updated on a regular basis. Creating systems that are sustainable may also be accomplished by establishing open channels of communication. When there are issues or concerns, every member of the team has to know whom to talk to. In addition, the members of the team need to be able to communicate with one another without any problems.

Approach and Methodology Used and Rationale

IDEOs Field Guide to Human-Centered Design is a thorough design-thinking guide. It is frequently used and acknowledged in the specified area. This methodology will help progress through design thinking methodically and thoroughly. Field Guide to Human-Centered Design begins with inspiration. Designers engage themselves in the issue and interview individuals to study the problems background (Auernhammer et al., 2022). This phase helps designers comprehend the issue they are solving. They can only produce inventive and effective solutions by knowing the situation well.

Field Guide to Human-Centered Designs second step is ideation. Designers produce several concepts in this period. Individuals and groups utilize mind mapping and drawing to brainstorm. This phase lets designers examine several possible options. They only discover the ideal answer by considering several options. According to the Field Guide to Human-Centered Design, the last step is implementation.¹ Designers convert their greatest ideas into prototypes. They test prototypes with people and iterate depending on feedback. This phase helps designers create effective, user-friendly solutions. Only by testing with actual users can they be confident their solutions work.

Furthermore, the qualitative approach was utilized for the specified project. The application of qualitative research, particularly the use of a case study as the means of investigating key trends within the target setting, has made it possible to locate the most effective frameworks for improving the current approach to the promotion and marketing of new products, as well as the established brands.

Measures Taken

In the Field Guide to Human-Centered Design, the three stages of the design process, namely, ideation, prototyping, and finalization were identified. The goal was to enhance an already existing product, which is why the one that had been utilized most frequently was integrated into the framework. Afterward, product data was gathered and analyzed, and the components were rated accordingly. Moreover, information from the products end users was collected. The described step has made it possible to set the stage for further improvement in the quality of the current product, as well as the brand to be designed in the future.

Organizational Activities

Iterative design thinking is continually developing and improving, which involves inspiration and reorganization of the problem or opportunity. The next step, ideation, generates and explores potential solutions, which involve the implementation of the test in the concept. Design thinking projects involve preparation and organization, which involves several steps which include The first step is the process of forming a diversified team, which is prioritized and involves the group in the generation of ideas. Secondly, the identification of specific project goals plays a key role in helping the team stay focused. Every project phase needs time and resources to ensure the projects success.

Project Aims

This project aims to improve marketing tools for existing and new products in order to increase sales and market share. In order to do this, we must participate in design thinking to produce fresh and creative ideas. Inspiration is the first step of this procedure, during which we will analyze the needs of our target market and establish what the desire is. In addition, we need to evaluate our competitors to see what they are doing successfully.² After gaining a strong understanding of the market, we will move on to the brainstorming phase. During this phase, we need to produce thoughts for new and distinctive promotional tools that will appeal to our target audience. Then, we will need to determine which of these concepts is the most effective. We will then implement the most successful suggestions and monitor the results.

Challenges Faced

In order to improve the promotion strategies for the marketing of the existing and future brands, the organization will need to overcome several crucial challenges. Among these, the rigidity of thinking and the propensity to select the well-trodden path of decision-making should be mentioned. The specified challenges present the core impediments to encouraging positive change in the companys marketing approach. To introduce the required change, he needs to participate in design thinking in order to come up with ideas that are unique and imaginative. The first step in this process is called inspiration, and during this phase, we will evaluate the requirements of our target market and figure out where the desire is.³ In addition, we will need to evaluate our competitors to see what is being done particularly well. After gaining a firm understanding of the market, we will proceed to the phase of ideation as our next step. During this part of the process, we will think of ideas for new and unique promotional tools that will appeal to the people that make up our target audience. The next step is to determine which of these concepts will prove to be the most fruitful. After that, we will put the most useful ideas into action and continue to monitor the results.

Milestone

The successful completion of a project absolutely requires the establishment of a milestone tracking system. In order to do useful research, we must first identify the requirements of our target audience. First things first: in order to produce advertising materials that are successful, we need to have a solid understanding of the requirements of our target audience.⁴ It is necessary for us to investigate their purchasing patterns, product preferences, and possible hobbies. This information will be essential for generating advertising pieces that are successful and personalized to the audience. Second, it is essential to have a solid understanding of the nature and setting of the competition. In addition, we have to have an understanding of the strategies that are working well for our competitors. It is necessary for us to examine their advertising methods so that we can determine which ones are effective. Then, we will be able to make use of this knowledge to enhance their suggestions and produce advertising items that are even more effective.

Following the acquisition of an in-depth knowledge of the industry, we will be tasked with the development of advertising materials that are original and imaginative. We need to exercise our creativity in order to generate ideas that will really appeal to the people who make up our target market. In addition, the neto evaluated various advertising tool ideas, and a few different advertising tool concepts were provided. It is necessary for us to determine which are the most efficient and to which our target market reacts with the most vigor. This information is essential for selecting the advertising strategies that will provide the best results.

The end objective is to put into action the ideas that have the greatest potential for success. Following the testing that will determine which of our ideas are the most effective is putting those ideas into action.⁵ We will need to ensure that our promotional materials are distributed widely and that they are received by the target audience. In addition to this, it will be necessary for us to track how well our promotional materials are doing.

Stakeholders Involved

The Marketing Department

Additionally, marketing improves the companys advertising by working with advertising firms to produce better commercials, negotiate ad pricing, and place ads in the most effective spots. Marketing examines the companys advertising performance and makes modifications as needed. Marketing employs advertising to promote corporate goods and services.⁶ There is a need to promote sales, and the use of personal selling is another tactic for the marketing department to develop an integrated marketing communications campaign using all these tools. Advertising helps companies reach a broad audience with their message. Marketing ensures that commercials are effective and reach the intended demographic.

Marketing works with the media to promote firm goods and services through publicity. This includes putting advertising in newspapers and magazines and organizing radio and TV interviews. Marketing employs sales promotions to promote the companys goods and services. Marketing creates promotions to boost sales. Marketing involves personal selling to promote the companys goods and services. Marketing trains salespeople on items qualities and advantages. Salespeople utilize this information to market items and services. Marketing develops and implements the marketing communications program. This involves messaging, channel selection, and budget management. Marketing also evaluates and adjusts the marketing communications campaign.

The Companys Sales Department

Marketing enhances advertisement; in this case, this includes working with the ad agency to design better advertisements, negotiate ad prices, and place ads strategically. The marketing staff evaluates ad performance and makes changes. Advertising promotes the companys products and services. Promotion, sales, and personal selling are others.⁷ The marketing department integrates marketing messages to maximum use. Advertising helps marketing reach a large audience. The companys marketing team targets ads. Marketing uses publicity. Marketing promotes the companys merchandise with the media. This includes newspaper, magazine, radio, and TV ads. The marketing department promotes company products and services using sales promotions. Coupons, contests, and sweepstakes promote sales. Marketing generates sales-boosting by enhancing promotions (Rosokhata et al., 2020). Personal selling is another firm marketing approach. Marketing teaches sales about product benefits. The sales staff markets using this knowledge. Marketing communicates. Message, channels, and money. Marketing examines and modifies the programs success.

The Companys Advertising Agency

It is very necessary for the success of a project to put in place a milestone tracking system. In order to undertake excellent research, we need to establish the requirements of our target market. Before we can produce advertising materials that are successful, we must first have a solid understanding of the requirements of the target demographic we are trying to reach. We need to do research about their past shopping experiences, product preferences, and possible hobbies. This information will be necessary in order to create advertising pieces that are targeted and effective.⁸ Second, it is of the utmost importance to have an in-depth knowledge of the nature and setting of the rivals. In addition, we have to have an understanding of the things that our competitors are doing well. In order to determine which of their advertising methods are effective, we will need to do research on all of them. After that, we may make use of this knowledge to make their ideas even better and provide advertising items that are even more effective.

The Companys Public Relations Firm

The public relations firm representing the corporation is working to improve its marketing tools. To begin, the company contributes to several advertising endeavors. Advertisements for the company could be placed in various media that are accessible to the target audience. Two, the company may be able to help with the publicity. It is possible that the company may publish media items to advertise both itself and its products. Third, the firm may be able to assist with marketing and sales. It is possible that the company may produce promotional materials in order to advertise its products and boost sales.⁹ Additionally, the company may expand its use of personal selling. It is possible that the corporation may instruct its sales staff on how to market more effectively.

Main Tasks: Phase Planning and Project Phases

Any marketing campaign promotes a product or service to increase sales. A great marketing strategy requires careful planning and the most effective promotional materials. Many promotional techniques may be used to sell a product or service, and the most successful ones depend on the product or service, the target market, and the budget. Advertising, PR, direct marketing, and personal selling are popular promotional tactics. Improving a campaigns promotional tools may boost its success.¹⁰ More sales will be achieved by deploying more effective promotional methods. When creating a marketing strategy, determine which promotional methods will be most successful. Advertising, PR, direct marketing, and personal selling are all powerful sales techniques.

Advertising is a paid kind of marketing that may be utilized on TV, radio, in print, and online. Advertising may be highly effective and costly. PR leverages free publicity to promote a product or service. Media relations, event planning, and outreach may help. Public relations may be a time-consuming and difficult-to-measure approach to attracting new consumers and boosting revenue. Direct marketing includes contacting prospective consumers via mail, email, telemarketing, or text message. Direct marketing may contact prospective consumers and generate revenue, but it can be obtrusive and costly. Face-to-face advertising is personal selling. In-person meetings, presentations, and demonstrations may help.¹¹ Personal selling may be successful but time-consuming. Improving a campaigns promotional tools may boost its success. More sales will be achieved by deploying more effective promotional methods.

Sustainable Structures

A structure has a greater chance of enduring for a long time if it can be maintained with little or no help from outside sources. When it comes to constructing a structure that will last the test of time, it is crucial to have strong connections as well as open lines of communication. There are a variety of approaches that may be used while constructing long-lasting structures. Methods include, for example, the formulation of a comprehensive and logically structured plan. This plan has to account for the overall scope of the project, the results that are wanted, and the responsibilities that will be given to individual participants. Continuous examination and rewriting of the project plan are required in order to keep the project plan correct and up to date. Creating long-lasting structures may also be accomplished by opening up avenues of communication among all parties involved. Everyone on the team has to be aware of who they may approach for assistance.

In addition to that, it is necessary for everyone in the team to be able to freely communicate with one another. It could be helpful to keep everyone on the same page by having regular meetings, phone calls, or video conferences. Building a robust infrastructure demands, as a last point of consideration, a cohesive group of individuals who are able to collaborate effectively. It is essential that every individual on the team acknowledges and accepts the notion that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. People may feel more connected to one another if they come together on a more regular basis, participate in activities designed to develop teams, or just spend more time getting to know one another.

Project Conclusion

Every marketing effort aims to sell a product or service to prospective clients. To be successful, a marketing campaign must be properly designed and executed utilizing the most effective promotional methods available. There are various promotional techniques that may be used to sell a product or service. The most successful ones rely on the product or service, the target market, and the budget. Popular promotional tactics include advertising, PR, direct marketing, and personal selling.

A marketing campaigns success might be affected by its promotional materials. Using more effective promotional methods can increase sales and reach. It is crucial to examine which promotional materials would work best for a product or service when creating a marketing strategy. Advertising, PR, direct marketing, and personal selling are excellent ways to contact clients and boost sales. Advertising is a paid kind of marketing that may be utilized in TV, radio, print, and internet media. Advertising may be successful, but it is also costly. Public relations leverages free publicity to boost a products visibility. Through media relations, event organizing, and community involvement. PR may be an efficient approach to contact new consumers and boost sales, but it is time-consuming and hard to assess.

Direct marketing entails contacting prospective consumers by mail, email, telemarketing, or texting. Direct marketing may be excellent at contacting consumers and producing sales, but it is invasive and costly.¹² Personal selling is a face-to-face kind of marketing. This may be done through meetings, presentations, or demos. Personal selling may be successful, but it is time-consuming. A marketing campaigns success might be affected by its promotional materials. Using more effective promotional methods can increase sales and reach.

Recommendations

According to the findings of this research, making improvements to promotional tools could have a positive influence on the marketing of both existing products and brand-new ones. The use of social media and other digital channels, in particular, has the potential to make the recruitment of new customers and the production of extra income easier. It is essential to keep in mind, however, that these results may vary depending on the products and services that are being sold as well as the demographic that is being targeted.¹³ Before making an investment in a particular promotional instrument, it is vital to do an in-depth analysis of the goals of the promotion as well as the most efficient ways of communicating with the intended audience. There are a few different aspects of the promotional materials for the project that need to be improved upon. To begin, there is the possibility of allocating additional time to the preparation of promotions. This would ensure that the goals of the marketing are distinct and understandable, as well as that the most useful promotional materials are used. In addition, there is the possibility of devoting a higher amount of resources to the production of high-quality promotional material. Because of this, the chances of the promotions effectively generating attention and sales are increased. After the campaign is over, there may be further evaluations carried out to see how successful it was and how it may be improved for use in future marketing endeavors.

Changes and Continuous Improvements that Need to Be Implemented

Businesses need to continually alter their advertising techniques in order to keep consumers interested in their products and to preserve their position as market leaders. There are many different ways in which companies may improve the marketing materials they use. One manner in which companies may provide their clients with a higher level of service is by expanding their usage of social media as a promotional tool. A wonderful strategy to increase the visibility of the company, as well as the bottom line, is to make use of social media to disseminate the message to a large number of individuals. Producing content that users of social media will find to be both educational and entertaining is one way for businesses to maximize the benefits of this platform. It is also advised to use social media for marketing objectives, like holding competitions and giving away freebies. Bringing more attention to the services that a company provides might benefit from this.

One further manner by which companies may improve their promotional tools is by developing marketing tactics that are more targeted. In order to create advertising tactics that will connect with customers, companies first need to have a solid understanding of their customer base. Increasing the specificity of the marketing strategies that a company uses may help it become more effective in its advertising. Finally, firms have the opportunity to improve their marketing collateral by using cutting-edge innovations. Companies may now choose from a wide range of innovative marketing approaches to carry out the task of getting in touch with their clientele. For instance, companies may use augmented reality (AR) to supply customers with interesting material by using this technology. The use of virtual reality (VR) by companies to give customers with unique experiences is another potential use of VR technology. Businesses now have the ability, thanks to new marketing technology, to produce promotional goods that are more engaging and practical.

Footnotes

1. Auernhammer et al., 2022.
2. Muhammedrisaevna et al., 2020
3. Rosokhata et al., 2020.
4. Zeithaml et al., 2020
5. Muhammedrisaevna et al., 2020.
6. Zeithaml et al., 2020.
7. Rosokhata et al., 2020.
8. Muhammedrisaevna et al., 2020
9. Rosokhata et al., 2020.
10. Zeithaml et al., 2020.
11. Rosokhata et al., 2020.
12. Zeithaml et al., 2020.
13. Ibid.