Marketing and New Product Essay Example for Free

Marketing and New Product Essay Scenario 1: Clean Edge Razor: Splitting Hairs in Product Positioning description After three years of development, Paramount Health and Beauty Company is preparing to launch a new technologically advanced vibrating razor called Clean Edge. The innovative new design of Clean Edge provides superior performance by stimulating the hair follicles to lift the hair from the skin, allowing for a closer shave. The company has already decided to introduce Clean Edge into the mens market where it has a strong presence. Jackson Randall, the product manager for Clean Edge, struggles with how best to position the product for the launch. One strategy is to release Clean Edge as a niche product, targeting the high-end market of fastidious groomers looking for superior skin care products. Another strategy is to release the product into the highly competitive mainstream razor market where the product can be positioned as the most effective razor available. Randall meets internal resistance to the mainstream strategy from the product manager for the companys current, but aging, mainstream razor products and he must consider the effects of cannibalization in his plan. Randall must recommend an optimal strategy and provide supporting economic analysis of his decisionnot just for Clean Edge, but for its effect on the entire company. Learning objective: Explore issues associated with strategic product positioning. Review new product development process and understand the importance of evaluating product-company and product-market fit in assessing new product opportunities. Understand the importance and marketing implications of determining whether a new product is a big breakthrough or a simple line extension. Subjects covered: Marketing strategy; New product marketing; Product positioning; Profitability analysis; Quantitative analysis Setting: * Geographic: United States * Event Year Begin: 2010 Scenario 2: Culinarian Cookware: Pondering Price Promotion description Subjects Covered: Price Promotion, Pricing Policy, Consumer Marketing, Profitability Analysis, Retailing, Sales Promotion, Distribution Policy, Brand Equity, Trade Relations, and Product Management. In November of 2006, senior executives at Culinarian Cookware were debating the merits of price promotions for the companys premium cookware products. The VP of Marketing, Donald Janus, and Senior Sales Manager, Victoria Brown, had different views. Janus felt price promotions were unnecessary, potentially damaging to the brand image, and possibly encouraged retailer hoarding; Brown believed the promotions strengthened trade support, improved brand awareness, and stimulated sales from both new and existing customers. The issue was complicated by a consultants study of the firms 2004 price promotions which concluded that these promotions had a negative impact on profits. Janus trusted the results, but Brown, believing the study assumptions were flawed and required further analysis, suspected the promotions had actually produced positive results. The pressing decision is whether to run a price promotion in 2007 and, if so, to determine what merchandise to promote and on what terms. The broader issue is what strategy Culinarian should pursue to achieve sales growth goals, and what role, if any, price promotion should play. Subjects Covered: Price Promotion, Pricing Policy, Consumer Marketing, Profitability Analysis, Retailing, Sales Promotion, Distribution Policy, Brand Equity, Trade Relations, Cookware Learning objective: 1. Explore the risks and opportunities of price promotion as a strategic and tactical marketing tool. 2. Through quantitative analysis, evaluate the financial impact of a price promotion using different cost and sales assumptions. 3. Develop the details of a price promotion policy consistent with overall marketing objectives. Subjects covered: Brand equity; Consumer marketing; Pricing policies; Profitability analysis; Sales promotions; Small medium-sized enterprises Setting: * Geographic: United States * Event Year Begin: 2006 Scenario 3: Metabical: Positioning and Communications Strategy for a New Weight Loss Drug (Brief Case) description Topics include Consumer Behavior, Marketing Communications, New Product Launch, Product Positioning, and Push/Pull Marketing. This case can be used separately or in conjunction with Brief Case #4183, Metabical: Pricing, Packaging, and Demand Forecasting for a New Weight Loss Drug. Cambridge Sciences Pharmaceuticals (CSP) expects final approval for its revolutionary weight loss drug, Metabical. Metabical will be the only weight loss drug with FDA approval that is also clinically proven to be effective for moderately overweight people. Barbara Printup, Senior Marketing Director for CSP, must develop the positioning strategy and marketing communications plan in preparation for the launch of the new drug. Printup must consider the consumer decision-making process and the interaction between the consumer who purchases the drug and the health care provider who prescribes the medication. Despite promising medical studies and consumer research, poor positioning of the drug in the highly competitive market for weight-loss solutions could spell disaster. Students analyze market research data and consider the optimal positioning strategy and marketing communications program. Learning objective: Understanding the hierarchy-of-effects, the decision-making unit, the decision-making process, and push vs. pull communications. Identifying strategies for segmenting, targeting, and positioning new products. Understanding the critical elements of a marketing communications program. Subjects covered: Consumer behavior; Marketing communications; Product introduction Setting: * Geographic: United States * Industry: Pharmaceuticals * Event Year Begin: 2008 Scenario 4: Reed Supermarkets: A New Wave of Competitors description Reed Supermarkets is a high-end supermarket chain with operations in several Midwestern states. Meredith Collins, vice president of marketing, visits stores located in Columbus, Ohio, an important region with the largest market and the greatest impact on revenue growth. She is concerned about increased competition from dollar stores and limited-assortment stores offering very low, appealing price points. Reeds market research shows that as a result of the economic downturn, customer loyalty is dwindling and consumers are willing to go to multiple stores to get the best deals. Collins must decide whether to change the current marketing and positioning plan in an effort to increase market share to meet challenging corporate targets. Her options include retreating from price competition and focusing on quality or embracing more private-label brands and competing more aggressively on price. She can also maintain the current positioning and appeal to customers looking for a quality shoppi ng experience. The case contains an implicit quantitative assignment that instructors can emphasize to the degree they choose. Learning objective: Explore elements of marketing strategy, market segmentation, product differentiation, and product positioning for a retail organization. Analyze and differentiate among conflicting strategic perspectives. Understand the cycle of retailing, which suggests that new retail stores naturally evolve from low-price, low-overhead stores to become upscale retailers offering additional services and product lines. Subjects covered: Competitive strategy; Consumer marketing; Market positioning; Market segmentation; Marketing strategy Setting: * Geographic: United States * Industry: Supermarkets * Event Year Begin: 2011 Scenario 5: TruEarth Healthy Foods: Market Research for a New Product Introduction (Brief Case) description Topics covered include: consumer marketing, market research, new product introduction, and quantitative analysis. TruEarth Healthy Foods, a maker of gourmet pastas, sauces, and meals, wants to build on its successful introduction of fresh whole grain pasta by introducing a similar product concept for pizza. In an increasingly competitive market, TruEarth is focused on beating its competition and wants to act quickly and decisively. The company conducts extensive market research, first using focus groups to test the concept and then following up with take-home trials. Acting as brand managers, students must complete a quantitative analysis of the available data to project the sales volume for pizza and then decide whether to bring the new product to market. Learning objective: 1. Understand the assumptions and techniques for estimating markets and projecting sales 2. Analyze and interpret data to decide whether to bring a new product to market 3. Recognize the importance of perceived value to consumers for a new product as compared with existing products 4. Understand the limitations of making decisions based on research and available data

charhf The Complex Character of Huckleberry Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

Huckleberry Finn – Complex Character Huckleberry Finn is a complex character. As this book progresses, so does Huck. Huck is about thirteen years old, from the low end of the white middle class. His father is a ruffian who disappears for months on end. This book starts off with Huck being `reformed' by the widow Douglas and therefore remains a marginalized member of society. He has not been brought up with the same social values as an average middle-class boy might be, but this helps to create Huck's unique personality. The way he has been brought up affects his traits, values, and relationships throughout the book. Although Huck's character progresses in this story his traits that he portrays at the end are very similar to those at the beginning. His ingenuity, morality, and intelligence are consistent throughout the story. Huck's ingenuity is shown throughout his clever actions. His decision to make his escape on the canoe look like a murder to hide his tracks is just one example, "And they'll follow that meal track to the lake and go browsing down the creek that leads out of it to find the robbers that killed me and took the things. They won't ever hunt the river for anything but my dead carcass. They'll soon get tired of that, and won't bother no more about me." This idea continues as he decides to dress up as a girl to gain information. Although this idea doesn't fully succeed because he is found out, it is an excellent plan, which also reviles his ingenuity. Another time we see this unique cleverness is when he pretends to be `George Jackson' to live with the Wilkes family. Also throughout this story, Huck develops his own morality, however it has a different turn from the accepted norm for that society at that time. An example of his morality coming through is how he didn't tell on Jim when he ran away. Although the society would see this as wrong, Huck took Jim's point of view and concluded to help him. Huck also showed his morality when he tried to return the stolen money to the girls and escape from the Duke and King after the burial.

Christianity vs. Greek Mythology

Throughout many ages religion has been a very important part of history. It shaped many cultures and allowed us to better understand many civilizations. Two of these cultures are those of the Christians and Greeks. Both have similarities and differences in their religious beliefs that have been compared often and I have chosen to discuss the similarities and differences of Christianity and ancient Greek mythology. Christianity is a monotheistic religion, or belief in only one God, and spiritual practices are based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as written in the New Testament of the Bible, with the role of Jesus as savior and the Son of God. Greek mythology is a polytheistic religion, which is the belief in and worship of multiple deities, called gods and goddesses, belonging to the culture of ancient Greece. Even though their definitions are different, the faith of Christianity and one God and the culture of the Greeks in mythology of many gods are alike in a number of ways. To begin, in both religions humans believe that there are speakers for their God/gods. These people include pastors, priests and nuns in Christianity, and storytellers or prophets in Greek times. Furthermore, the people believe that their God or gods are above humans. Both cultures believe a god is above all mortal and of this earth, and he or she listens to people when they need help, and have supernatural power to help. This is why both the Christians and the Greeks pray to their God and gods for forgiveness. Another similarity between the religious beliefs of these two cultures is that they have explanations for many of ancient mysteries of life and major events on earth. The ancient Greeks and early Christians tried to find an explanation for the evil in the world, and both blame a woman for man’s downfall. Greeks believe a woman named Pandora opened a forbidden box and released all evil into the world. Christians believe a woman named Eve released evil after eating from a forbidden tree. Also, in both the ancient Greek and Christian beliefs of the early world, there exist stories of great floods that destroyed most of humankind. In Greek mythology, Zeus orders a man named Deucalion to make a chest in which he and his family can survive the flood Zeus was going to bring upon the earth. In the Bible, the account of Christian beliefs, God orders a man named Noah to build an ark in which he and his family, and two of each animal, can survive the destruction from a flood God was going to send. War was also a common characteristic of both the ancient Greek world and of the Biblical world. For example, the Trojan War is a major event in Greek history, and is written about most famously in Homer's Iliad. The gods always seemed to play important roles in this war, especially Zeus, Ares the god of war, and the other and goddesses living on Mount Olympus. Wars between Greek city-states were also common, with gods and goddesses almost always involved in them in some way. In similar comparison, the Bible accounts many stories of wars between different countries and religious groups, with God being involved in some way in the outcome or fate of the peoples. One of the most famous examples is the war between the Philistines and the Israelites. In this war, God interfered and sent a small shepherd boy David to save the Israelites. David does so by killing the giant Goliath, a super-human thing he would not have been able to accomplish without God's help. These examples show the cross-cultural belief that war was an important event in the ancient world, and the gods, and God, played significant roles. While Christianity and ancient Greek mythology have many similarities, there are key differences. The main and most obvious difference is that Christian belief is about only one God, and its beliefs and commandments are written about in the Bible. Christians regard the stories told in Bible as actual historical accounts of important people, events and concepts of faith. Greek mythology had 13 major gods and goddesses, and many lesser gods. Different Greek cities also worshipped different deities. There is no book like the â€Å"Bible†, rather many collections of stories that shaped early Greek culture. In short, Greek mythology was created to be the Greek's science for why things happened. Once they thought they figured out how things really happened, the belief in gods and goddesses faded away from Greek culture. The final difference I want to discuss to compare the ancient Greek creation story and that of Christian belief. In the ancient Greek story, at first there was only Chaos, a shapeless mass of darkness and meaninglessness. Out of Chaos came Nyx (night) and Erebus (the unfathomable deep). The first god to come into existence was Gaea, Mother Earth, though no one knows where she came from or how she came into being. Uranus, Father Sky, was born of Gaea as she slept. He became her husband, and together they had many children. One of these first gods’ descendants was Zeus. After much war between the gods and goddesses, Zeus became most powerful and assigned two lower gods the task of populating the earth with mortal creatures. With that task, one of the two gods granted so many gifts on the lower animals that when the time came to create man, there was nothing left. The beasts already had the sharp teeth and claws, the warm fur and feathers, the tough, protective hides, the wings and shells, speed, size, and strength. The wiser of these two lower gods was given task to figure out what gifts to bestow on man. The gods gave man a more noble, upright stance, so man would be above the beasts, with his face turned toward the heavens rather then down toward the ground. He also gave man an intelligence that reached much higher than the beasts’ mere cunning. In the Christian creation story, God was present in the beginning and He created the universe. At first the earth was shapeless and covered in darkness, and God's spirit hovered over the waters. God said, â€Å"Let there be light†. And there was light. God divided the day from the night, naming them ‘ day' and ‘night'. On the second through fifth day God made the heavens, commanded the waters to fill with living creatures and the air to fill with birds. On the sixth day God commanded the earth to bring forth all kinds of living creatures and He saw that it was good. God then said † Let us make man in our own image†. So God created man and woman in his own likeness and gave them authority over all living things. Adam, the first man, was created by God out of soil and given life by God's breath. Adam named all the animals and birds that God had made, But Adam had no companion of his own so God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and created woman – Eve- from one of Adam's ribs. In addition, unlike the beginning void of Chaos in Greek mythology, God is not a void of nothingness, but the beginning of all things. God also remains the ruler of the entire world in Biblical stories, while the Greek Chaos is forced out by several actual divine beings, the most important and permanent of those being Zeus. In conclusion I found there to be many interesting similarities between Christian faith and ancient Greek religious culture, but one final difference is that Christianity is practiced today and the Bible widely read in many countries and published in many languages, while ancient Greek belief system has faded away and become the stories of fantastical books, myths and legends.

Health Care Reform in Unavoidable Essay examples - 1572 Words

Backound: For over a century, advocates for health care reform have attempted to change the laws of health care reform within the United States. With a few close calls and little to no change achieved the battles for health care reform and the explanations for their failures make for an interesting lesson in American history, philosophy and politics. In the late 1800’s to 1912, the federal government left matters to the states and states left them to private and charitable programs. America did have some voluntary funds that provided for their members in the case of sickness or death, but there was no governmental or public assistance during the late 19th or early 20th century. The starting point of our healthcare system can be found†¦show more content†¦The doctors understood that to a greater extent most Americans were unable to meet their medical expenses. In 1927 the AMA formed a Committee that concluded that private insurance was the best solution. (History News Network, 2013) In 1929, Baylor University Hospital in Dallas began offering non-profit, pre-paid medical insurance to local schoolteachers for 50 cents per month. The program was so popular hospitals across the country started offering comparable programs, usually advertised with the symbol of a blue cross. That same year the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began, even as healthcare costs continued to rise. The Blue Cross plans proved popular and hospitals began to unite together to offer joint regional plans. These plans were presented mostly to professional groups, or clubs, rather than the general public. By 1938, almost three million Americans were enrolled in Blue Cross plans. This growing market began to attract profit-making insurers. In 1932 Franklin Roosevelt won the presidency and declared healthcare to be a fundamental human right. The President Roosevelt administration implemented a program known as the â€Å"New Deal†. The program functioned as a national health insurance program that addressed the economic and social reform needed for health care reform. The AMA still objected strongly to aShow MoreRelatedImpact Of Health Care Reform On Quality866 Words   |  4 PagesThe Impact of Health Care Reform on Quality Health care quality has made vast improvements in the last several decades and continues to improve as a stronger emphasis has been placed in this sector with our current health care reform. Consumers now have access to quality report cards on providers and the health care systems that can easily be obtained over the internet. Shultz Young (2014) argue that providers of yesteryear purposely created mysteriousness in health care resulting in patientsRead MoreObama Care1473 Words   |  6 PagesAffordable Care Act deadline is quickly approaching. The bill aimed at reforming the health care industry was signed in to law on March 23, 2010. 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