BMW Essays (Examples)

BMW Strategic Management

The Car Manufacturing Industry

esearch has proven with time that the most creative and efficient labor force in this globe of conventional production has come from both Japan and Germany who lead the world in creative initiatives. Moreover, studies have also shown that the reason for these two countries being highly productive is because they follow their cultural heritage. There are only few luxurious brands in the car industry that even an infant recognizes and hence there are a few factors that need to be taken it into account when recognizing the strong and continue existence of BMW group in this heavily competed industry (othacher, 2004). Hence, the following trends visible were very visible in the growth of luxurious car brands in Germany and Japan. Understanding these trends could help others brands and products to establish their footing as well:

At the time of company's establishment it…

References

Alan, J.R. (2005). Six men who built the modern auto industry. Motor Books/MBI Publishing Company

Kiley, D. (2004). Driven: Inside BMW, the Most Admired Car Company in the World. John Wiley and Sons, p 5-211.

Pavelec, S.M. (2007), The Jet Race and the Second World War, Greenwood Publishing Group. Retrieved from  http://books.google.com/?id=dSLBdP22fq0C&pg=PA31  on March 7th, 2011.

Radinger W. And Schick, W. (1996), Me262 (in German), Berlin: Avantic Verlag GmbH, p. 23.

BMW in South Africa

BMW seemed to benefit from tying in the print ads and the online ads. Both were part of the same campaign, something that allowed the company to create a common theme. When the target market was exposed to BMW ads, there would more likely be recall of the campaign. It takes a certain number of exposures for an advertisement to resonate with the audience, and so the use of online/offline for the same campaign increased the number of exposures to the brand, the campaign and the essential message of the campaign. The use of multichannel advertising is common for campaigns, and in this case was deemed essential for reaching the target market for a BMW in South Africa.

The target market for the campaign is young -- in their 20s and maybe 30s. The market is clearly white -- there are no black models in the…

In January 2004, the J.D. Power and Associates, named Honda as the highest non-luxury brand of car. This same study looked at buyer's perceptions of problems such as engineering problems, quality of workmanship and worker errors in production. Buyers were happy with Honda, and it ranked fourth behind Lexus, Cadillac and Jaguar. The Honda also ranked first in Van and entry level SUV, and in the top three in compact, sports car, and midsize SUV (Honda anks, 2004). This study clearly shows that reliability and quality workmanship are important to the public when they are looking for an automobile to purchase.

Clearly, there are differences in the markets that each automobile company targets for sales and this makes the individual qualities of the vehicle important to the consumer. By 1990, the public could choose from 572 models of vehicles. Advertising and the public's perception of the automobiles are important. The…

References

BMW Classics. (2004). Retrieved November 7, 2004, at  http://www.bmwworld.com/ 

Models/vintage/75th_anniversary.htm

Honda Ranks as the Highest Non-Luxury Brand in J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality

Study. (2004). Retrieved November 7, 2004, at  http://www.hondawindward.com  / about.htm

The annual income of those who purchased Cadillac verifies from 74K to 134K, with average annual income of $110,000. The biggest part of Cadillac purchases have annual income of 98-109K, most of them are 64-66 years old and have 12-14 years of education.

Age

Household income

74-85K

86-97K

98-109K

110-121K

122-133K

Age

Years of education less then 12

12-14years

15 and more

The situation with owners of other luxury brands is different. The average income of BMW purchasers is $14,288,00; average income of Mercedes and Lexus purchases is $186,773,00 and $154,404,00 respectively. The education level is higher as well, which corresponds to the higher income if compared to Cadillac owners. The average number of studied years for BMW owner is 16,1; for Mercedes it's 17,5 and for Lexus it's 15,8. This data means that typical owners of BMW and Lexus have a Master or Bachelor's degree and typical owners of…

The company owns one of the world's most recognizable luxury car brands. ithout catering to the mass market, BM holds a 2% market share in the U.S. (all Street Journal, 2009), which constitutes a much higher market share in the luxury segment. This competitive advantage is necessary because the luxury car segment has long relied on track records of excellence -- the long history and enormous strength of the BM brand supports its luxury positioning (Franzen, 2007). The company is successful without having to move into the "cost leadership" segments of the market.

3. Bridgestone is highly oriented to vertical integration. The company produces its own rubber, in order to match the specifications for its tires. Bridgestone therefore keeps its production and product development functions in-house. This allows the company to have a high degree of uniformity in its products.

The company performs inbound logistics and operations, primarily. It is…

Works Cited:

No author. (2009). Market data center: Auto sales. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2009 from  http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html 

Franzen, G. (2007). BMW: the most admired car brand in the world. Cool Brands. Retrieved November 15, 2009 from http://85.17.192.207/coolbrands/dmdocuments/ecbmw.pdf

Consumption and Mass Media

What is conspicuous consumption? How does conspicuous consumption influence purchasing decisions? Think about a high-priced item (Rolex) that you would like to buy. To what extent could conspicuous consumption affect your decision?

Conspicuous consumption is consumption for the sake of impressing observers. Most consumers buy Rolex watches not because of Rolex's quality, but because the brand signifies that the purchaser is wealthy enough to afford a Rolex. Although an extremely cheap watch and an expensive watch may vary in terms of their quality, the expense of a Rolex cannot be justified by quality alone. Someone who wishes to signify his social class and economic status to friends and associates 'in the know' buys a Rolex; without these signifiers the Rolex means nothing.

Q2. What is conspicuous leisure? In what ways are leisure activities informed by social and economic class? Provide an example of a popular leisure…

Perceptual map is a marketing tool that is used to help place a brand in context of its competitors in terms of public perception of the brands with respect to critical industry variables (Daye, 2009). The two-dimensional nature of the map means that there are two dimensions (elements) that are evaluated. Consumer opinions about these variables and a variety of brands are taken in order to construct the map. The objective of the perceptual map is to understand how the brand's position in perceived by the public, and use this information to shape marketing strategy either to reinforce this perception or to change it.

Two major variables that people consider when purchasing a vehicle, other than price, are safety and prestige. For car buyers, safety is an important issue because of the inherent dangers in driving and the need to minimize the risk to yourself and your family. Prestige is…

Works Cited:

Daye, D. (2009). Brand positioning and perceptual maps. Branding Strategy. Retrieved October 27, 2012 from  http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2009/09/brand-positioning-and-perceptual-maps.html

iPod (Apple's MP3 player) relates to Maslow's hierarchy of human needs.

Abraham Maslow created his theory of a hierarchy of human needs in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The psychologist wrote that human beings are primarily motivated by unsatisfied needs. Certain lower needs must be satisfied before higher needs are satisfied. (Maslow, 1970) Advertising new products often depends upon generating a sense of need, and promising that the new product can fulfill this need.

Take for example the Apple's new MP3 player, the iPod. True, on a Maslow-like physiological level, the first level of need, one cannot eat an iPod, and a less mechanical form of 'apple' is necessary for sustenance, iPods do satisfy the consumer's immediate physical needs for lighter equipment. iPods are portable and more amenable to working out, and for musical use on crowded subway, and the crush and strain of modern urban life. The iPod…

Works Cited

Mahr, Jackson. (2004) "HP & iPod." Branding.com. Retrieved 24 Mar 2005 at  http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=205 

Nixon, Paul. (2005) "Apple's Tipping Point: Macs for Masses." Retrieved 24 Mar 2005 at http://www.nixlog.com/archives/2005/01/12_apples_tipping_point_macs_for_the_masses_infographic.php

There are more BMW's and Porches being driven than Maserati. Position as a unique and superb driving machine, and extension of personality. Never call it a car.

Brand leadership -- Emphasize hand crafted and unmatched quality. Brand has been known for decades as unmatchable.

Head on positioning -- Emphasis on not really an apples-to-apples comparison; emphasize specs and luxury differences. FOCUS on innovation. Use statistics of the number of BMW and Porche's sold, then compare with that special person -- make user believe they are purchasing an investment worthy of a King.

Lifestyle Positioning -- Use purchase to boost image and exert success

Cost -- Not really as much of an issue at this range; but simply indicate that only special people can handle this vehicle; all routine maintenance will be covered in full for 5-years. Treat client like VIP.

Positioning venues -- Purchase list of high-end executives and send…

REFERENCES

How to Identify a Target Market, (2010). Target Market. Retrieved July 2011 from http://www.esmalloffice.com

Evans, K. And H. Stroll, (2006), "Marketing Challenge: Three Ways To Catch Clients,"

Marketing Profs. Cited in:  http://www.marketingprofs.com/6/stroll116.asp .

Kiley, D. "Airlines Are Not Marketing Even If They Think They Are." 23 February 2005. Bloomberg Businessweek. Cited in: .

Criminology

In the first place it is odd that the dispatcher did not have a better description of the vehicle that was reported stolen. And why would a young Hispanic male driving a late model "foreign car" -- in this case, a BM -- be a suspect, since the officer doesn't know a license number or make or model of the car? And how is it that when the officer has called in to check the license plate, by now the car has been identified as having been stolen? Needless to say this could have been construed as a racial profiling, and in some cases a defense attorney might try that angle, but that is not the most important element of this scenario. hat is considered important is what the defense lawyer will present in court, and how the prosecuting attorney will argue his case.

Facts of the Case

The…

Works Cited

Findlaw.com. "Miranda Warnings and Police Questioning." Retrieved March 12, 2014, from  http://criminal.findlaw.com . 2012.

Ohio Bar Association. "Police Must Give Miranda Warnings." Retrieved March 12, 2014, from http://www.ohiobar.org.

Maserati's engineering expertise must be recognized by industry experts and
promoted heavily to get the brand high levels of credibility with sports
car fans globally. The brand must become synonymous with design and
engineering quality if it is to succeed.
The ongoing strategic plan must also focus on making the website a market
positioning and selling platform as well, in fact the majority of the
marketing budget needs to go to electronic commerce initiatives to ensure a
high level of lead generation and eventual sales. The ability to create a
position of design and engineering excellence by placing the industry
thought leaders (editors, car enthusiast bloggers) on the website, in
addition to a personalization option for returning visitors to the site,
including a car configurator complete with the option to print out a window
sticker with financing options, all need to be pursued. To survive in such
a competitive market,…

Reference:
Corporate Executive Board (2003) - Factors Impacting Consumers' Luxury
Vehicle Purchases. Marketing Leadership Council. Washington, DC. August,
2003

Audi: Segmentation and Marketing Plan

Audi is a luxury car manufacturer with international sales and recognition for its cars, but without the degree of market share as other luxury brands such as Mercedes and BMW, and without the sense of extreme performance and luxury offered by brands such as Porsche and Ferrari (Motor Trend 2010). By developing better market segmentation and an overall marketing strategy, Audi can better position itself to achieve greater growth and a larger market share in the luxury auto industry. This paper will attempt to provide a brief overview of various strategic components that should be considered and acted upon in Audi's marketing strategy.

Segmentation

Market segmentation is a key component of successful marketing plans in all industries, and perhaps especially in the highly competitive automotive industry. The higher cost of luxury cars adds even greater complications to marketing endeavors as it makes these items highly…

References

Audi. (2010). Accessed 7 December 2010.  http://www.audiusa.com/us /brand/en.html

Car Connection. (2010). Audi. Accessed 7 December 2010.  http://www.thecarconnection.com/make/new , audi

Motor Trend. (2010). Audi. Accessed 7 December 2010.  http://www.motortrend.com/new_cars/01/audi/index.html

Expatriate Training

please transfer this order to "heatherk13." THANKS.. It a research paper regard H DEVELOPMENT. Subject: Expatriate training. -> You mention; -Cultural issues -Social issues -Family issues expatriate training.

Expatriate training

Expatriates face many challenges when they move to a foreign country. They need to be prepared both psychologically and mentally to ensure they will manage to handle the challenges they will encounter on their foreign assignment. Many employers nowadays will provide some form of training to their expatriates to inform and prepare them on what to expect in regards to culture, social, and environment.

esearch conducted on expatriates has shown that cultural issues affect expatriates the most. Some cultural issues discussed in the paper include male dominated societies for female expatriates, media restrictions, social life restrictions and language barriers. These issues are dependent on the country an expatriate is posted.

There are also social issues that expatriates are…

References

 http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/facts/bl_business_culture.htmGerman  Culture. (n.d). Culture of German Management, from Julia Brandl & Anne-Katrin Neyer. (2009). APPLYING COGNITIVE ADJUSTMENT THEORY TO CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING FOR GLOBAL VIRTUAL TEAMS, from  http://www.shrm.org/education/hreducation/documents/48-3%20brandl%20et%20al.pdf 

Rabotin, M.B. (2011). RESPECT IN THE CROSS-CULTURAL CONTEXT, from  http://www.astd.org/Publications/Newsletters/ASTD-Links/ASTD-Links-Articles/2011/06/Respect-in-the-Cross-Cultural-Context 

Tung, R.L. (1998). American expatriates abroad: From neophytes to cosmopolitans. Journal of World Business, 33(32), 125 -- 144.

The former might be, 'What specific...' [while] Less structure might be exemplified by: "Please respond to the following in your own words: I....'" (Dereshiwsky, 1999) in addition:

adding some open-ended items such as these to a more traditionally scaled quantifiable survey, such as one with Likert-scaled attitudinal items, and/or "check/off" questions on demographic background variables, is a good way to make the survey "multimethod" in nature. This is because you'd be using that "single" data collection vehicle (survey instrument) to collect your data (responses) in more than one form: quantitative and qualitative! You could ask the same general questions in both forms and then compare the two alternative forms of responses to see if they 'converged,' or agreed, regarding the phenomenon that you are trying to measure via the survey (e.g., attitudes towards school climate). If they do, you can have greater assurance that "there's something real being captured/measured" regarding…

References

 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5020524989 

Area Sales of Luxury SUVs in High Gear; Gas Prices Don't Slow Down Affluent Buyers. (2007, April 28). The Washington Times, p. C10. Retrieved April 24, 2008, from Questia database:

Motivations fo Fims to Expand Oveseas

The 5 majo easons that companies expand intenationally (o globalize) ae the following:

They seek

(1) cheape o moe plentiful supplies,-

Sometimes the esouces in one's own county (eithe labo o mateial o both) can be too expensive fo the company. Seeking cheape esouces, they may decide to elocate to anothe county whee such is the case. Fo instance, many companies choose to elocate to pats of E. Euope o to Asia whee they may find a pool of cheap labo. They may also find moe plentiful supplies fo thei poduct than can be found within thei own county (fo instance, someone poducing pape may want to move to a county whee tees ae in lage supply)

(2) new makets

The maket in one's own county may be too glutted to intoduce the poduct thee o fo the business to succeed. Anothe county, howeve,…

references. Aspects that are comfortable in one may be uncomfortable in another. A successful business will therefore have to adapt to the mannerisms of the country rather than standardizing its offerings.

3. Furthermore, consumers in some countries are far more sensitive to aspects such as price and availability of product than are consumers in another country.

4. Countries may find a certain marketing image contradictory to its morals or values and be threatened by it. They may also find it politically threatening. Companies have to be sensitive to these messages and therefore have to adapt their marketing to cultures.

5. Finally, although not least, consumers in different countries may use products in different ways depending on country lifestyle. For instance, Americans may desire certain gadgets in their cars that the relaxed Europeans may well desire others. For vehicle manufactures to succeed in these various countries they would have to adapt their product to culture. (MSI To Standardize or Not to Standardize: Marketing Mix Effectiveness in Europe http://www.msi.org/publications/publication.cfm?pub=405)

International usiness

Competitive strategy is the bedrock on which companies base business decisions to reach their targets and achieve profitability. Formulating and implementing strategies in international business is much more complicated and difficult task than doing so in home or familiar markets. Competitive strategy deals with the development of abilities by a firm to keep ahead of competitors in the fields in which it operates. Firms develop competitive edge in global markets by possessing certain assets, abilities or characteristics. The primary elements of competitive advantage are the critical offer, the significant operating factors and the firm's strategic resources. (ennett and lythe, 2002) Corporate strategies and international marketing strategies are linked closely and have a bearing on business performance. (rown, 1994)

While some companies focus on a single source of competitive advantage, it is common for many firms to opt for a combination of options to be flexible and attain the…

Bibliography

Ahlberg, J; Garemo, N; Naucler, T. (1999) 'The Euro: How to keep your Prices Up and your Competitors Down', The Mclliney Quarterly, Volume: 2

Bennett, R. (1996) 'Relationship formation and governance in consumer markets: Transactional analysis vs. The behaviorist approach', Journal of Marketing Management, Volume: 12; No: 6

Bennett, R. (1999) 'International Business Frameworks', Second Edition, London: Financial Times/Pitman

Bennett, R and Blythe, J. (2002) 'International Marketing: Strategic Planning, Market Entry and Implementation', London: Kogan Page

Founded in Bologna, Italy in 1926, Ducati is a leading manufacturer of high performance motorcycles. Since the 1950s, its motorcycles have dominated international motor racing competitions and have competed in road racing competitions with engine capacities of over 500cc (a measurement for the motor cylinder capacity). he motorcycle market is primarily spread across North America, Europe and Japan with new markets emerging in South America, India and China. Product diversification can be divided into four segments: the motor scooter market, the off-road market, the road market with engine capacities of less than 500cc, and the road market with engine capacities of over 500cc. he road market segment with engine capacities of over 500cc includes four sub-segments: sport, touring, dual and cruiser. he following analysis will investigate possible strategies for the company over the next 5 years.

Analyzing the Internal Environment

General Environment

Demographic -- Ducati has a diverse customer base…

The potential for Ducati motorcycles in the next five years is tremendous. The company must focus on three main areas to grow effectively: developing new markets; attracting female riders and exploring new customer profiles. First, as more people enter the middle class in Brazil, China and India they will be interested in acquiring the aspirational trappings of middle class lifestyle in North America, Europe and Asia. The company should focus on advertising in these developing markets, ensuring supply distribution and sales access to these customers and creating a marketing image that will appeal to these first-time buyers. Work should be done to assess along the existing customer profile spectrum (performance to lifestyle) where each of these new markets is primarily focused. A second recommendation would be to attract and expand Ducati's female customer base. This group currently stands at eight percent and has tremendous capacity for improvement as female salaries come onto a more equal footing with men in the years ahead. Advertising and marketing efforts should be made to reach these customers and to create a company image distinct from the male-centered image of Harley-Davidson. By focusing on female motorcycle customers, Ducati can maintain its existing male customer base while differentiating from its existing competitors. A final recommendation is to develop new customers within the existing motorcycle buyer profile. Ducati must develop new product lines which can appeal to both the high performance as well as the lifestyle/comfort market. Ducati is a strong company with great opportunities in the years ahead. Through an effective and rational analysis of its interests new sales and marketing opportunities can be determined to enhance the companies' market share in the next five years.

Source:

Gavetti G. (2000). Ducati. Harvard Business School. Case 9-701-132.

The movie revealed a new image for James Bond, and a new style of BMW sports car. Later, the agency used Internet videos to stimulate interest in the vehicle, a revolutionary idea in 1999. The commercials told a story, and as with so many of Fallon Worldwide's creative campaigns, getting consumers interested in the story of the product is critical to generating buzz and interest. Fallon was intent upon not redoing the old 'racing car' and pumping music commercial format.

Another interesting example is the campaign to launch Lee Jeans. This chapter is used to illustrate the principle of trusting one's focus group, stressing what teens liked about the jeans, and using iconic 'retro' images in the advertising. The important thing is not to spend as much as you possibly can on marketing and to reach everyone, but to use that marketing wisely, and place advertisements in a strategic and…

One of the most interesting case studies of companies that the advertising agency has worked with is that of BMW, itself a "small company in the land of giants," an independent, international small car firm that has flourished against all odds in a large American market (Fallon & Sean 125). When the company came to the agency it had already negotiated a deal with MGM to tie in the launch of its new sports car, the Z3, with the upcoming James Bond movie. The movie revealed a new image for James Bond, and a new style of BMW sports car. Later, the agency used Internet videos to stimulate interest in the vehicle, a revolutionary idea in 1999. The commercials told a story, and as with so many of Fallon Worldwide's creative campaigns, getting consumers interested in the story of the product is critical to generating buzz and interest. Fallon was intent upon not redoing the old 'racing car' and pumping music commercial format.

Another interesting example is the campaign to launch Lee Jeans. This chapter is used to illustrate the principle of trusting one's focus group, stressing what teens liked about the jeans, and using iconic 'retro' images in the advertising. The important thing is not to spend as much as you possibly can on marketing and to reach everyone, but to use that marketing wisely, and place advertisements in a strategic and eye-catching fashion. Because teens are so interested in what their friends are doing and wearing, encouraging teens to talk, and generate buzz about a product is a crucial element in succeeding in this demographic. Teens want shopping to be fun, interactive -- and understanding teens meant deemphasizing stale television ads and experimenting with things like free text messaging during unannounced 'gift' hours through Virgin Mobile (Fallon & Sean 131).

It is not being everywhere that counts, but reaching the right consumers in the right way, that makes sales skyrocket. Going against conventional wisdom that having a presence in magazines and television was necessary, to keep pace with American competitors, BMW sales climbed after Fallon made it a first-mover on the Internet, with short, catchy movies targeting BMW's core constituency. Giving the consumer what he or she wants -- whether it is convenience, trendiness, exclusivity, or value -- is what is important, not being things to all people, or being everywhere at once.

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Opportunities and threats faced by Toyota Module 2-Case Study [Pick the date]

Like any other organization, Toyota has its share of threats and opportunities which can either make or break this organization if not addressed properly. Toyota has been lately addressing environmental issues caused due to emission of harmful gases and also major cost cutting strategies required right after recent wave of recession. Lately, operations of Toyota have been disturbed due to product recalls caused due to compromised product quality and natural disasters, strict environmental policies and also because of increasing value of yen.

Current Opportunities for Toyota and what Toyota is doing to exploit them:

Alliance of Toyota and Ford

Toyota has been known for its light weight, user and environment friendly cars. Using its Hybrid technology, Toyota is providing an answer to user's worries caused by skyrocketing fuel prices. Furthermore, one must not forget the all-time…

References:

Datamonitor Inc. (17 January 2012), Toyota Profile

Retrieved from www.datamonitor.com

Anonymous (2010). TrueCar forecasts April auto sales and incentives spending; Industry sales up 23%; Toyota incentives reach record highs. PR Newswire.

Retrieved August, 2011, from  http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=2015705341&Fmt=3&clientId=29440&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Competitors exposed to lower costs

The main competitors to the company share certain costs like transportation

Economies of scale

The company's competitor do enjoy huge economies of scale.This gives them an increased bargaining power.

Porter's 5-forces analysis of Ducati cruiser market

The cruiser motorcycle market segment is the fastest growing market segment in the industry. However, Ducati has never been able to expand its market share in the period (2000-2003) as pointed out by Grant (2004).They unsuccessfully tried to capture a new market share comprising of older customers by the introduction of Sport touring model. This is a strong suggestion that Ducati must take into account the need of entering into new market segments like the cruiser market so as to take care of the relatively wealthier customer base. The porters five forces cam effectively be used in the analysis of the cruiser market segment since it is relatively unfamiliar…

References

Bohl, O (2008) Virtual Organizations. University of Kassel

 http://www.oliverbohl.de/DOCS/Ducati_Case_UniK.pdf 

Bruce, R.A. (2004), "A Case Study of Harley Davidson's Business Practices"

Cooney, J. (2005), "Freedom Ride," License, vol. 8, Issue 7 (Aug 2005), pp. 20-23

An unforeseen benefit of this online strategy Dell used to increase brand awareness and remove some of the tarnish from their brand image was Word-of-Mouth (WOM) of the brand began to grow significantly as a result (Jarvis, 2008). Dell had not experienced WOM success of its brand awareness strategies in nearly a decade prior, and what the marketing managers attributed this to was the commitment to listen and respond to customers and talk openly about the strengths and weaknesses of products. In short Dell was able to redefine their brand through the use of augmented branding strategies based on listening to customers. They showed they cared when they listened and this engenders trust, which was critical for their brand to be seen as credible again. Information technologies were tertiary to this effort. Web-based portal applications made it possible for Dell to get their website DellIdeaStorm.com up and running within weeks.…

References

Bernoff, J., & Li, C.. (2008). Harnessing the Power of the Oh-So-Social Web. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(3), 36-42.

Bughin, J., Shenkan, A., & Singer, M.. (2009). How poor metrics undermine digital marketing. The McKinsey Quarterly,(1), 106.

Dan Coffey. (2005). Matching strategies in car assembly: the BMW-Rover-Toyota complex. International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 5(3), 320-335.

Duray, Rebecca. (2004). Mass Customizers' Use Of Inventory, Planning Techniques And Channel Management. Production Planning & Control, 15(4), 412-421. (125 mass merchandisers)

Buyer Behavior and Communication Strategies

Applied Management

The Toyota Motor Corporation

The Toyota Corporation, a Japanese organization of automotives, is popular for the successful innovations and manufacture of the Toyota vehicles and other products. The Toyota vehicles have many profound advantages and benefits. The Toyota users, who are beneficiaries, have agreed that the Toyota product has always observed the sustainability issues, of economical use, society and the care of the environment. Toyotas vehicles are designed in favorable state that is to ensure they are not privy to encouraging of the rapid depletion of the scarce resources of nature. The most recognized benefit of the automotive is, therefore, its ability in preventing any degradation of the environment, including pollution. The production of the suitable vehicles has made Toyota a company is reputable, for its endless effort of stabilizing Japan's economy, as a result of reducing environmental costs. Environmental costs have always…

References

Amason, C.A. (2010) Strategic Management: From Theory to Practice: New York, Taylor and Francis Publishers.

Bhasin, H. (2011).Service Marketing Mix.Retrieved May 11, 2012, from www.marketing91.com/tag/marketing-mix/

Cheetham, S.B. & Nicla, P. (2007) European Autos: Segmentation and Margins- Bigger IS (Mostly) Better: Preceding P. 1-90, 88

Cortez, A.A. & Cudia, P.C. (2010) The Impact Of Environmental Innovations On Financial Performance: The Case Of Japanese Automotive and Electronic Companies: Journal of International Business Research: Vol. 9, Special Issue 1.

For example, Southwest reduced it turnaround times, and this allowed it to have more flights in a day Arthur a. Thompson, 2010()

, which consumers had the opportunity to choose from instead of the larger airlines. Serving short distance and budget fare, the airlines were able to do away with some luxuries which consumers were not interested in like first-class, seat numbering, in-flight meals, and baggage transfers. The budget airlines are able to compete with other major airlines by focusing solely on the consumers who want to travel cheaply, and for short distances. The larger airlines are focused on providing premier services like business lounges, business-class and first class. This way they cater for elite consumers.

Focused strategy based on differentiation

This strategy is aimed at differentiating the product in order to appeal to some unique needs and preferences of a narrow group Arthur a. Thompson, 2010.

In order for…

References

ARTHUR a. THOMPSON, J., a.J. STRICKLAND III, JOHN E. GAMBLE 2010. Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases, 2445 McCabe Way, McGraw-Hill.

BLAHA, V. 2003. Low Cost Carriers - Evolution, Strategies and Performance, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, GRIN Verlag.

FLOURIS, T.G. & OSWALD, S.L. 2012. Designing and Executing Strategy in Aviation Management, 110 Cherry Street, Ashgate Publishing, Limited.

HILL, C.W.L. & JONES, G.R. 2012. Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach, 10th ed.: An Integrated Approach, Cheriton House, North Way, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5BE, South-Western/Cengage Learning.

Audi China

Audi and Operations in China

Company Overview

Audi has a long and rich heritage as being a manufacture of luxury automobiles. The business has been in existence for more than a century when August Horch invented his first car in 1901 with the help of his workers (Audi Quattro, N.d.). Horch was later forced out of his own company in 1909 due to trademark infringements, 8 years after the company's first car completed finished production in the plant in Zwickau, Germany. Sometime later four companies merged to form a new company referred to Audi and used four interlocking rings as a company logo that is still being used today. Audi's current vision for the company is (Audi, 2015):

Vision: "Audi -- the premium brand"

"The Audi brand has focused on the challenges of the future in adopting its Strategy 2020. The strategy took on firmer contours during 2011…

Works Cited

Audi. (2015). Financial Report. Retrieved from Audi Investors:  http://www.audi.com/content/dam/com/EN/investor-relations/financial-events/annual-general-meetings/2014/audi_hv_2014_audi_ag_finances_2011_en.pdf 

Audi Quattro. (N.d.). The Audi history concerning the quattro concept. Retrieved from Audi Quattro:  http://www.audiurquattro.de/history/history.htm 

Cremer, A. (2014, November 3). Audi profit margin slips as plant costs offset sales gains. Retrieved from Reuters:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/03/us-audi-results-idUSKBN0IN0OE20141103 

Forbes. (2011). Marketing to the New Chinese Consumer. Retrieved March 22, 2015, from Fobes Insights.

Global Company Report: Tesla, Inc.
Introduction: Summary of the Business and Its Industry
Tesla, Inc. was launched in 2003 in California as a niche market luxury carmaker that specialized in electric vehicles (EV). The Tesla Roadster was its first product. The Roadster was a high-end EV and not a mass market car. Today, Tesla offers the much more affordable Tesla Model 3, which is a mass-market EV designed for the common man. Its other products include the Tesla Model S and the Tesla Model X. Tesla sells its cars in North America, Europe and in Asia. It has recently obtained financing to build cars in China, where its vehicles are already being sold, and is currently poised to enter Japan’s market. Tesla’s focus on sustainability and its CEO Elon Musk’s use of social media has made Tesla a favorite among investors who view sustainability as the future and Musk’s innovative…

Management and Ethical Issues

hat is the difference between efficiency and effectiveness?

hen companies brainstorm about how to get employees to be more effective and more efficient they are trying to make their business more successful. But the two concepts are quite different and often times they are confused as being the same. According to the Small Business section in the Houston Chronicle, an effective worker "produces at a high level" while an efficient worker "…produces quickly and intelligently" (Miksen, 2012). And when an employee is both efficient and effective, a company can produce "better products faster and with fewer resources" (Miksen, p. 1).

Basically, effectiveness is defined by business as the results from the "…actions of employees and managers," and employees and managers that are effective in the workplace generally produce "high-quality" results, Miksen writes on page 1. For example, in a retail situation, the worker on the sales…

Works Cited

Goh, Gareth. "Effectiveness vs. Efficiency -- What's the Difference?" Insight Squared.

Retrieved March 25, 2014, from  http://www.insightsquared.com . 2013.

Green, Charles H. "The New Leadership is Horizontal, Not Vertical." Trust Advisor.

Retrieved

VW on CM

Customer elationship Management (CM) highlights the significance of the ability of companies in managing customer relations, current and future ones (Kumar & einartz, 2012). The concept occurs as a win-win for customers and companies. Customers benefit with desirable customer service delivery. On the other hand, companies can capitalize on the opportunities in customer-company interaction to enlighten the customer on new products and services. CM occurs as the foundation of contemporary marketing strategy utilized by companies. It is crucial to pay attention to the aspect of CM as it carries benefits and demerits alike.

Lack of a proper design plan of the CM that relies on company objectives could see the company lose companies, current and prospective ones. The success of the CM depends on three elements of People, Process, and Technology. Out of the three, people occur as the most critical element. The aspect of Process describes…

References

Buttle, F. & Maklan, S. (2015). Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Technologies. New York: Routledge

Kumar, V. & Reinartz, W. (2012). Customer Relationship Management: Concept, Strategy, and Tools. New York: Springer Science & Business Media

Bloomberg Business (2015, July 20). Volkswagen China Sales Decline for First Time Since 2005. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved from  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-29/man-camp-exodus-spurs-real-estate-crisis-across-u-s-shale-towns 

CNN Money (2015, July 29). World's biggest carmaker is worried about China. CNN Money. Retrieved from  http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/29/news/companies/autos-china-volkswagen/

GM's Chevy Volt and its all-electric design, as well as diesel-electric and conventional gas-electric hybrids could and must replace the image of the 'old' GM in the public's imagination. The company has shed the Hummer stigma, now it must create a new image for itself in the future, not just domestically, but internationally.

orks Cited

Gas-free cars future priority. (2009, April 20). China Daily. Retrieved August 6, 2009

http://en.ce.cn/Industries/Auto/200904/20/t20090420_18857964.shtml

General Motors. (2009). Company history. Updated August 4, 2009. The New York Times.

Retrieved August 6, 2009.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/general_motors_corporation/index.html

Hu, Lei. (2008). GM's joint venture is China's top-selling brand in 2007. Edmunds.

Retrieved August 6, 2009.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=124379

Jason. (2004). The global hybrid race: Is Europe catching the fever. GreenHybrid. Retrieved August 6, 2009 at http://www.greenhybrid.com/wiki/index.php/The_Global_Hybrid_Race:_Is_Europe_Catching_The_Fever%3F

ald, Matthew. (200, August 5) $2 million in grants to speed up electric car manufacturing.

The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2009.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/business/06battery.html?scp=2&sq=GM%20China&st=cse

Ying, Tina &…

Works Cited

Gas-free cars future priority. (2009, April 20). China Daily. Retrieved August 6, 2009

 http://en.ce.cn/Industries/Auto/200904/20/t20090420_18857964.shtml 

General Motors. (2009). Company history. Updated August 4, 2009. The New York Times.

Retrieved August 6, 2009.

Fictuality -- Each mini project separately consist 2 pages APA format. 5 mini project total pages. Additionally a final project totals 10 pages (based mini projects). Final project combining mini project a final project presented a company (management) cut paste.

Consumer decision-making is a process that often involves the word-of-mouth testament of a product or service where the opinion from the use of a consumer is favourable. The process seductively involves the product marketing team's portrayal to the consumer of the brand appeal and in-store value against the competitor. The consumer choice is ostensibly immense in the global market. Stores that range the spectrum of offerings, from specialty goods stores to large supermarkets and to stores such as Costco, Wal-Mart and the Dollar Store, consumers have a cornucopia of choice available.

The consumer decision process (Ashley, Wei, Sharyn, Carolyn, 2005) potentially requires multiple decisions made in a chain-process when considering…

Sirius and XM Satellite Radio

Satellite radio has emerged in the past few years as the hot new trend in broadcasting. Operating similar to DirecTV, satellite radio companies bounce their signals off satellites to beam high-quality digital service coast-to-coast, offering exclusive ad-free programming. Satellite radio offers listeners the opportunity to hear any show anywhere in the United States, combining the benefits of premium quality sound and convenience when traveling on the road. Research indicates that similar to the way FM radio grew against dominant AM radio, satellite radio is becoming known for "edgier" alternative programming (McCarthy, at http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2004-10-6-radio-compare_x.htm). The entire satellite radio industry is currently made up only two companies, XM Radio, which started broadcasting in 2001 and has 2.5 million customers, and Sirius, with 600,000 subscribers since going live in 2002. This paper will offer a comparative analysis of the two companies and a general overview of the satellite…

Bibliography

Deitz, C. "A Step-by-step Comparison of XM and Sirius Satellite Radio Features." Radio.

2005. About. <  http://radio.about.com/od/satelliteradio/ss/blsatstepbystep.htm  >.

Gustafson, C.J. "Sirius Satellite Radio vs. XM Satellite Radio- Which Streams Should You

Choose?" Ezine Articles. 2005. Ezine Articles. 21 Mar. 2005

Business

Wants vs. Needs

A need is defined as "a state of felt deprivation in a person" (Kotler, Chandler, Gibbs, & McColl 1989, p. 4). This refers to a general feeling of needing something. This can include needing physical items such as food, clothing, a place to live, or a mode of transport. It can also refer to a more psychological need such as a need to fit in and feel accepted, a need to express oneself, or a need to feel loved and valued.

A want is defined as "the form human needs take as shaped by culture and individual personality" (Kotler, Chandler, Gibbs, & McColl 1989, p. 5). This refers to the specific item that a person wants to fill a certain general need. For example, a general need for clothing may result in an individual wanting a certain pair of jeans and a certain jumper. As another…

References

Bass, B.M. (1981). Stogdill's handbook of leadership. New York: Free Press.

Daft, R.L. (1997). Management. Fort Worth, TX: The Dryden Press.

Hawkins, K. (1994). Taking action on harassment. Personnel Management, March 1994, 26-29.

Kotler, P., Chandler, P., Gibbs, R., & McColl, R. (1989). Marketing. New York: Prentice Hall.

2007 Economic Crisis on American Car market

Effect of the 2008 global economic crisis on automotive industries

Crisis in the United States

Crisis in Canada

Crisis in ussia

Crisis in European markets

Crisis in Asian markets

Effects by other related crisis events

In this paper, we will review the effects of 2008 global automotive crisis. Our main focus will be on the American car manufacturers and the negative impact they suffered due to the crisis. We will also have a look at how this crisis had affected car manufacturers in other major markets around the world notably Europe, Canada and the prominent Asian markets such as China and India. Finally, we will look at some of the other factors which were important to this event namely the energy crisis since the cost of fuel is directly related to the car industry.

Introduction

The automobile industry is a very important part…

References

Lee, C. (2003). Financial Liberalization and Economic Crisis in Asia. New York: Routledge.

Pempel, T.J. (1999). The Politics of Asian Economic Crisis. New York: Cornell University Press.

Arestis, P. (2001). What Global Economic Crisis? New York: Palgrave.

Liou, K.T. (2002). Managing Economic Development in Asia. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Internet Strategies Adopted by Automobile Companies in a Changing Business Market

This is an article on the Internet strategies adopted by automobile companies in the changing business scenario.

hat is the most recent fad that is tempting, informative and dangerous? The author would have loved to hear the responses from an audience, because none would have mentioned the Internet as the answer, and that is exactly what it is. Tempting because companies fall for the hype that the Internet has the potential to increase their profits by huge unrealistic percentages. Informative because the company is soon informed by its event managers that the virtual world is not what it was originally thought of, and dangerous because even after burning their fingers, they keep coming back for more! The reason why the come back is plain simple: the Internet is not directly responsible for the drubbing they received, It is their…

Works Cited

Author Not Known1, Global Vehicle Sales To Fall 11% In 2001-02 New Report Concludes.(Brief Article),  http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0UDO/14_13/84740455/p1/article.jhtml?term=Global+Vehicle+Sales  Accessed on July 11, 2002

Dallan Greg, 2000, Automakers Rev Up Web Strategies

 http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,8969,00.html , Accessedon July 11, 2002

Conlin, Rob, 2000, Ford and Trilogy Forge E-Commerce Alliance,  http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/2563.html , accessedon July 11, 2002

Incentives and Economic Development

When attracting new businesses to our community, or encouraging the start-up or expansion of businesses that are already here, the eacon Council promotes the many advantages of doing business in Miami-Dade County. Those advantages include a number of business incentive programs and a favorable tax structure that have encouraged many domestic and international companies to relocate or expand their operations here.

MW, Mercedes-enz and Federal Express are just a few big companies that have been lured to various states by hundreds of millions of dollars in business incentive packages, bringing promises of new jobs and economic development to these states.

In 1992, MW decided to build in South Carolina after the state offered the company $130 million in business incentives (McIntosh, et al., 1999). Mercedes-enz's decision to build its first United States factory in Alabama was strongly influenced by the state's offer of more than $300…

Bibliography

Industry breaks blasted in report. The Advocate, May 26, 2002.

Maryland Department of Business and Economic (MDBE), 2002.

McIntosh, Betty, Prompt, Tammy, Farre, Reagan. Negotiating Incentives: The Art of Persuasion. Business Facilities magazine, March 1999. P. 26-27.

Morradian, Don, South Atlantic Metros Pile on Jobs. South Atlantic Report Review, 2000.

Dell omputer orporation was founded by Michael Dell, a savvy entrepreneur whose ambition was evident from the early days of his life. When Dell was a high school senior, he sold so many newspapers that he paid for a BMW in cash. Since then, Dell, now in his 30's, has sold so many computers, he could probably buy the entire BMW corporation.

Dell is now a multibillionaire and has earned a regular spot on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans. Interestingly, Dell does not even possess a college degree, as he dropping out of college after only one year to found Dell omputer orp. This paper will examine the history and background of Dell omputer orp. It will also discuss how Dell has evolved over the years and where it stands today. Finally, this paper will look at Dell's future strategies in an effort to determine whether or not…

Conclusion

Dell's track record suggests that the company will meet $60 billion revenue goal by 2006 (Park, 2003). Dell is already involved in the markets for inexpensive servers and data-storage gear. In a period of less than six months, its first handheld computer captured 37% of the U.S. market for such devices. Rollins believes that initial sales of Dell printers are double its internal targets. With the potential growth in PCs and new markets, few analysts doubt that Dell can generate the 15% annual growth needed to reach its goal.

Dell appears to be well on its way to enormous success in the technology world. With Michael Dell's management philosophy of constant improvement, I predict great things for the future of Dell Computer Corp.

Ethnography

The 1990's were the bubble years, the dot.com era, or whatever euphemism suits to describe the booming years of Silicon Valley, all Street and Internet businesses. They were years that created millionaires literally overnight. Businesses that began in basements and garages by college kids, suddenly appeared on the trading boards of the Stock Market Exchange. It seemed that anything to do with computers turned to gold. American life became high-tech. Suddenly everyone had cell phones, from professionals to soccer moms and teenagers. And personal computers became a fixture in American homes. The Information Superhighway was up and running and Americans were encouraged, not only by advertisers, but even by the government to travel it. It was "American" to log-on and surf the eb. The computer world was the darling of all Street and the express train to wealth and happiness for the American public. Moreover, it was an era…

Works Cited

Chait, Michael. Dot-com Era Start-Ups Still Feeling Woes. September 20,  http://ecommerce.internet.com/news/news/article/0%2C%2C10375_1467101%2C00.html 

Oberberck, Steven. Fidelity Executive Looks Back on Dot-Com Crash at Salt

Lake City Lecture. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News; 10/27/2001; Pp.

Kahn, Jeremy. What You Can Learn From the Dot-Com Crash.

Jaguar Land over Automotive PLC

Company Profile:

Jaguar Land over Automotive PLC is a British multinational corporation that designs, develops, manufactures, promotes, and sells automobiles under the brand names of Jaguar and Land over, including ange over brand. Jaguar Land over is the United Kingdom's largest automobile corporation that took its roots from a couple of strongest automobile brands: Jaguar and Land over. Currently, Jaguar Land over Automotive PLC is a renowned subsidiary of India's most successful automobile group -- Tata Motors. It is headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, United Kingdom. Tata Motors acquired Jaguar Land over in 2008 from Ford Motor Company. The major subsidiaries of Jaguar Land over Automotive PLC include: Jaguar Land over Holdings Limited, Jaguar Land over Limited, Jaguar Land over India, and Chery Jaguar Land over. Jaguar Land over was the result of a union between Jaguar Cars and Land over which Ford Motor Company did…

References

Cranfield University, (2014). Jaguar Land Rover: High Performance Leaders Programme. Retrieved on April 2nd, 2014, from

Harrison, J.S., & John, C.H. (2014). Foundations in Strategic Management, 6th Edition. USA: Cengage Learning.

Henry, A. (2011). Understanding Strategic Management, 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D., & Hoskisson, R.E. (2009). Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization: Concepts & Cases, 8th Edition. Mason, OH: South-Western.

food offered at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina is unhealthy and caters to workers' wants instead of focusing on nutritional needs.

Overview of Alternatives: BMW's Spartanburg cafeteria could (1) offer only health foods including organic, low-fat, and vegetarian options or (2) could continue to offer its current choices but increase the number of healthy options available and increase employee education about healthy food choices.

Criteria: The criteria used to judge the feasibility and likelihood of success of the program include: affordability and the likelihood that employees will choose healthier options.

Evaluating the costs and benefits of implementing a healthy food program will be multi-dimensional and include an examination of the benefits of healthy eating, the likelihood that healthy habits will transition from the workplace to the home, and the financial costs of these changes.

Evaluation of Alternatives: Alternative A is offering only healthy options. Alternative B is offering…

References

Consumer Reports. (2015, March 19). The cost of organic food. Retrieved February 7, 2016

from:  http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/03/cost-of-organic-food/index.htm 

Hall, D. (2011). How much does a good wellness program cost? Retrieved February 7, 2016

from Wellsource, Inc. website:  http://wellsource.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/How_Much_Should_a_Wellness_Program_Cost.pdf

Polaris & Victory: Entering & Growing the Motorcycle Business

Strategic Profile and Case Analysis Purpose

This is a case study of Polaris Industries and how they managed to enter the motorcycle market in 1998 with the Victory brand of motorcycles. The charge was led by Matt Parks who joined the company in 1987, by being asked to conduct research on the viability of Polaris entering the motorcycle market (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2016). The name Victory was coined when the company was still pursuing the possibility of starting motorcycle production. Victory was a confidential codename for the project, and it is Parks who came up with the name. esearch indicated that there was room for another competitor to enter the market especially in the cruiser business that was currently dominated by the Japanese producers and Harley-Davidson. Leveraging on its manufacturing capabilities, Polaris was able to begin developing a prototype for…

References

D. Banker, R., Mashruwala, R., & Tripathy, A. (2014). Does a differentiation strategy lead to more sustainable financial performance than a cost leadership strategy? Management Decision, 52(5), 872-896.

Dekker, H. C. (2003). Value chain analysis in interfirm relationships: a field study. Management accounting research, 14(1), 1-23.

Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2016). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases: Competitiveness and Globalization. Boston. MA: Cengage Learning.

Nandakumar, M., Ghobadian, A., & O'Regan, N. (2010). Business-level strategy and performance: The moderating effects of environment and structure. Management Decision, 48(6), 907-939.

Bipolar and Personality Disorder
Introduction
Approximately 20% of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder are also found to suffer from borderline personality disorder (Zimmerman & Morgan, 2013). While some of the symptoms and characteristics of both disorders are similar, it is important, as Zimmerman and Morgan (2013) point out, to distinguish between the two, as each requires its own form of treatment in order to allow the patient to overcome the issues associated with each. This paper will discuss the treatment considerations for a person presenting with both bipolar disorder and personality disorder.
Comorbid Disorders
DSM-5 (2013) states that the diagnostic criteria for Bipolar 1 Disorder are: “For a diagnosis of bipolar 1 disorder, it is necessary to meet the following criteria for a manic episode. The manic episode may have been preceded by and may be followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes” (p. 123). Mania is described as a…

Persuasive Campaign for a Hellcat
Background
If you want a fast car, yes, you could buy Tesla—but you wouldn’t be getting everything that goes with a fast car. You wouldn’t be getting the sound. You wouldn’t be getting the motor revving, driving your neighbors crazy every time you hit the gas pedal and hold with the stick in neutral just so you can hear the growl of a nice big V8 under the hood. A Tesla is not going to do that. A Tesla is an electric car. Yes, Tesla’s have instant torque—but they also tend to blow up on impact and burn their drivers to death. Golf cart bombs should not be lumped into the category of fast cars. A car runs on gas. A Tesla runs on batteries. This distinction is important. If you want a fast car, a real fast car—a car that has muscle and isn’t…

People are typically inclined to think that a product becomes less expensive once it enters mass production. However, this is not the case with hydrogen powered cars, as it will still be expensive to produce the fuel and to make cars capable to run on it. Gasoline burning-vehicles are likely to be replaced with cars using alternative sources of energy in the near future, only that hydrogen is improbable to become widespread in the coming years (in contrast to other alternative fuels) (Behar).

Hydrogen fuel cells are less effective in terms of space, given that they are much larger than an ordinary gas tank ("Hydrogen Car Gears Up" 23).

Most people are unaware that hydrogen is not found on earth in a normal form and that it has to be extracted from other sources. A great amount of energy is used when hydrogen is extracted from other sources and the…

Steinbugler, Margaret M. And Williams, Robert H. "Beyond Combustion: Fuel Cell Cars for the 21st Century," Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy 13.4 (1998)

"How Soon for Hydrogen?," Issues in Science and Technology Summer 2004

"Hydrogen Car Gears Up," Daily Post (Liverpool, England) 18 July 2007: 23

An example in the automobile industry was when BM decided to build a plant in the U.S. This was an unusual move for a European automaker at the time, but it provided an operating hedge for U.S.-denominated revenues. The long-run trend in the mark was an influence on this decision, as it was becoming a source of long-run competitive disadvantage (Kim & McElreath, 2001). Another example would be al-Mart. The company first made the decision to source from China because the yuan was being deliberately undervalued. However, this tactic exposes the company to the yuan, so al-Mart has built a large chain in China. This provides an operating hedge that allows the company to pay for some of the Chinese goods it buys with yuan earned from its Chinese operations. This same strategy has been utilized in Canada, Mexico and Europe by the company as well, and other international retailers…

Works Cited:

Kim, Y. & McElreath, R. (2001). Managing operating exposure: A case study of the automobile industry. Multinational Business Review. Retrieved February 4, 2011 from  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3674/is_200104/ai_n8944017/ 

Flood, E. & Lessard, D. (1986). Issues in risk measurement. Financial Management. Vol. 15 (1) 25-36.

China Beverage News. (2010). Wal-Mart sets up new subsidiary in China. China Beverage News. Retrieved February 4, 2011 from  http://www.chinabevnews.com/2010/03/wal-mart-sets-up-new-subsidiary-in.html

I was able to use these enhanced skills to successfully set the store apart from the competition by means of product differentiation and targeted sales strategies, as well as specific product promotions. I worked with my team and the community to enhance the benefit our products could provide to customers.

2. Why do you want this job?

I believe that your company and I can be of mutual benefit to each other. For myself, I feel that Audi has more self-development opportunities than any other company. Also, I love Audi's products and feel it would be a great honor to be able to work as part of the product management team. I feel that my years of experience and skills developed during my studies and professional experience will help the company move forward to achieve new goals every year.

3. What do you consider your main weaknesses?

My main weakness…

Reference

Audi Worldwide (2010).  http://www.audi.com/com/brand/en.html

High customer satisfaction rates are attained through meticulous planning. The customers are not only made happy by easy to use and robust products but also have the desire to buy more in the future.

Conclusion

In the computer industry, most people still perceive Apple as the runner because of the significant influence Microsoft has on personal computers. However apple has been able to diversify its product line in the technology scope i.e. from computer hardware to software, gadgets and online media. This makes apple able to serve most of the consumer needs not only in variety but also in the quality in design and performance of its products. Through adopting a division form of business, apple makes it hard for it to be acquired since this will require a massive buyoff. Thus it has been able to retain most of it leadership for a long time. Strategic partnerships have also…

References

Carlton, J. (1997). Apple: the inside story of intrigue, egomania, and business blunders.

Michigan: Horizon publishers.

Jeffrey S. (1988). Steve Jobs, The Journey is the Reward, California: Lynx Books,

Kumar, S. (2006). Apple Inc. History. Retreived October 18, 2010, from  http://www.sooperarticles.com/technology-articles/apple-inc-history-3733.html

The role of sex in advertising is even more blatant in a food advertisement of an ejaculating Tabsco sauce bottle over a split bake potato -- hot and spice as a metaphor for intercourse.

Sex sells: a woman wants to be desired by a man which requires the perfect figure, in the perfect low-cut dress with the perfectly matching nail polish, and a man can only be desired by a woman if he drives a BMW, wears a olex watch and has on a alph Lauren suit (which is not a Polo suit but the higher end and much more expensive Purple Label suit). Media's objectification of women and the fact that sex does sell has lead to the "sexification" of young girls and teens. Kilboure makes her point with magazine covers and television spots, including JonBenet in full makeup for a toddler beauty pageant, a teenage Brittney Spears displayed…

Resources:

Keith, Thomas. 2008. Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity. Available at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP1ACIUHhp4&feature=related , parts 1-9.

Keith, Thomas. 2008. GENERATION M: Misogyny in Media & Culture. Available at  http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=234&template=PDGCommTemplates/HTN/Item_Preview.html 

Kilbourne, Jean. Date unknown. Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising's Image of Women. Available at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zudgbjFvvo&feature=related 

Moore, Alecia Beth (AKA Pink). 2006. Stupid Girls. Lyrics available at www.lyricstop.com/s/stupidgirls-pink.html. Music available at iTunes.com.

From this perspective, luxury brands may be desired be many consumers, but the more affluent are clearly more readily capable of such acquisitions, making them a natural target for luxury brands marketers.

Although there is a growing body of contemporary knowledge concerning the influence of self-perception and self-image on luxury brand purchases, the study of these issues is certainly not new. In fact, as early as 1899, Thorstein Veblen developed a theory according to which consumers use product prices as a means of ostentatiously displaying their wealth (Veblen 1899). Based on the inextricable relationship between the level of consumers' income and the type of goods and services they may desire, it would be reasonable to posit that highly affluent consumers would be a natural market for luxury brand marketers; however, the choice of luxury brands over other brands is a highly complex decision that take into account a wide range…

References

Abrams Research (2009, May) 'Luxury brands survey & report.' [online] available:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12839571/Luxury-Brands-Survey-and-Report-

%E2%80%93-Abrams-Research-%E2%80%93-May-2009 Viewed on 10

February 2010

In general, Product Development at Ford involves three major stages, all leading up to the manufacture of the vehicle: Plan, Design, and Verify -- then manufacture. To do this, though, functional areas need to manage costs, plan marketing programs, ensure that needed parts are available, plan manufacturing schedules, hiring (if needed), shift changes, and numerous other data (a/p, a/r, payroll, etc.). The model for Ford is:

(ource: Murthy and Desai)

Thus, on a daily, or ongoing basis, employees in numerous functional areas are able to pull up historical data on models, features, issues; find out stages of development for new models or new programs; chart advertising effectiveness using detailed database parameters, preplan tooling, resource, and supplier needs; access accounting and invoice functions, and, system wide, use the available information for appropriate levels of knowledge management (Maynard 2004).

By department, a needs analysis shows that each individual department has both similar…

Sources: Ford Motor Annual Reports: www.ford.com;  http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html ).

Trends:

Outside Vendors

Marketing

Production

The instant coffee, called Via, Starbuck's newest entry into supermarket-style purchases, is sold at its lowest price point, compared with its higher-end coffee ice creams and bottled Frappucinos and espresso shots. Despite initial criticism Via has kept the Starbucks name alive on store shelves and in consumer's minds who are not currently going to cafes, because these former patrons and Starbucks loyalists have lost their jobs or because their investments have been decimated.

The current policy of keeping the prices high for only some of more elite types of coffee and drinks secures another facet of Starbuck's complex image -- namely, that of a luxury brand, without pricing all consumers out of the market across the board. "Price as an attribute, while relatively unimportant in affecting overall customer satisfaction, is certainly important in affecting the generation of a differentiating customer experience. That does not mean that customers are satisfied with…

Works Cited

Adamy, Jane & Nick Wingfield. (2009, March 17). Starbucks to present recession strategy.

The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 11, 2009 at  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123723335325646025.html 

Andrews, Edmund L. (2008, December 8). U.S. recession began last December, economists say.

The New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2009 at  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/business/worldbusiness/02iht-02econ.18315318.html