Limitations of Marketing Research Essay

Explain the limitations of marketing research used to contribute to the development of Nivea. No matter how small or large a market research project may be, any type of research performed poorly will not give relevant results. In fact, all research, no matter how well controlled, carries the potential to be wrong. There are many reasons why research may not give good results but a common problem is deciding whether the research is really measuring what it claims to be measuring. There are 3 types of limitations of market research. These are Cost effectiveness, reliability and validity of data collected. Reliability is chiefly concerned with making sure the method of data gathering leads to consistent results. For example; Nivea need to make sure that in their market research that they were asking the same questions asked of each person, was the sample big enough and reflective of the people who will use/buy the product would the same results be obtained from a different set of people. Reliability estimates the degree to which a product is measures in contrast to validity which involves the degree of accuracy. In research, Nivea will want to use measurement tools that are both reliable and valid. They will want to create questions that offer consistent responses when asked multiple times as this shows reliability. Validity asks whether the research measured what it intended to. Validity implies reliability: a valid measure must be reliable. But reliability does not necessarily imply validity: a reliable measure need not be valid. Validity is usually considered more important than reliability, because if an instrument does not accurately measure what it is supposed to, there is no reason to use it even if it measures reliably. Nivea needs to consider when carrying out their market research for a product is does the product measure what it claims to measure and is it accurate, this reduces the chances of the business making the wrong decision. If they so happen to make the wrong decision this will affect one of its marketing objectives which is to retain customers and gain new ones, if the validity of their data is not correct then they will not reach this marketing objectives as customers opinions of the company will differ. Costs are also an important consideration in market research, Nivea need to consider whether or not the product they’re promoting is cost effective. Their market research has to weigh up the cost of undertaking the research against the potential benefits that may result. You could spend a lot of time and effort in trying to solve a problem through market research, only to find that the solution may not be worth implementing. Also, marketing is one of the few areas of a budget that can be reigned in without hurting Nivea too much as they are a very successful business however, one of their marketing plans is to continue producing successful skin products and boost sales yearly. To do this they have a few cost-effective ways that a company can market its products. Search Engine Optimization- Nivea’s customers are no longer waiting for direct mail pieces to arrive before ordering–they are finding products when they want them through Internet searches. In fact, almost 90% of new visitors to a web site originate from major search engines. And clearly, a top ranking on Google can translate into hundreds or thousands of visitors– and orders–a month. As web pages proliferate, increasingly more aggressive search engine optimization strategies are needed to remain visible to Nivea’s customers. Permission-based Email Marketing. Permission is the difference between legitimate email marketing and spam, turning email marketing into a highly cost effective marketing strategy. The idea is simple and time tested: Nivea deliver highly relevant, timely, and personalized email messages to their customers and prospects at a fraction of the cost of direct mail to avoid any cost limitations. 3. Public Relations- News releases, white papers, case studies, awards, and sponsorships of educational events are just a few of the relatively inexpensive ways Nivea keep their brand name in front of other competitors. Although these methods have succeeded so far for them in the near future they will have to alter their methods as well as their approach to the types of market research they decide to carry out, otherwise poor market research will increase the chances of Nivea making a wrong decision. D2) Make and justify three recommendations for improving the validity (the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure) of the marketing research used to contribute to the development of your chosen organisation’s marketing plans. In this assignment I will be explaining how Nivea uses marketing research for its marketing planning by applying a Marketing Planning Process Model, a SWOT analysis on Nivea – giving at least 3 factors for each box) and their SMART objectives (stating what their business objectives are/might be) Marketing planning is concerned with establishing objectives and goals, allocating resources to meet these and setting out a clear plan of action. It also involves setting out ways of evaluating performance against marketing targets. Typically, the marketing planning process involves: a PESTLE audit, a SWOT analysis, setting SMART objectives, determining strategy and tactics, implementing strategy and tactics and evaluating effectiveness of marketing activity. A Marketing planning process model involves a PESTLE and SWOT As part of the marketing planning process, Nivea has to analyse its external environment. One useful way of analysing the external environment is by grouping external forces into six areas using a PESTLE analysis. PESTLE stands for political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental influences. Political factors that affect a business are usually beyond the control of the organisation. However, the business needs to anticipate changes and identify the action it needs to take to either make the most of an opportunity or mitigate a threat. For example, a political factor that Nivea need to consider is that during a recession, any banks or financial services providers would have to consider the likely government scrutiny of any of their business decisions. Economic factors can affect the performance of a business. These relate to he national – or international economy. A economic factor that can affect Nivea are the periods of prosperity that they go through. This can happen in three ways for example’ when high employment and income drives demand within the organisation. It can also happen in the form of recession when demand falls, leading to lower income and employment within their organisation. Furthermore, in the form of recovery, when demand, income and employment gradually rise within the business. Social factors relate to the values and beliefs of society. This includes the population’s demographics (for example, size, gender, ethnicity, income, education, occupation). These social factors provide useful information for Nivea as it allows them to target their services at broad segments of the population, such as newspapers and magazines. Technological developments can affect businesses in a range of ways. For example, the development of e-commerce benefited business such Amazon. co. uk. Due to the rise in e-commerce Nivea had to produce a e-commerce website which eventually took business away from traditional shops.. Legal developments affect businesses in a range of ways. For example, if there was a change to the Data Protection Act it would affect Nivea and all other businesses that hold customer data. For example If a change in the act occurred then Nivea may not be able to expressly agree to the use of personal data for advertising or marketing purposes any more. Environmental factors can relate to the social, political and legal aspects affecting a business. For example, if Nivea decide to package their cream products in recyclable packaging. This may prove to be popular with consumers if there is a growing level of concern over waste. Similarly, the government may put pressure on businesses to increase the amount of recycling. SWOT analysis A useful approach to examining the relationship between a business and its marketing environment is by conducting a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for: †¢ Strengths †¢ Weaknesses †¢ Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal to the business and can include issues such as the buildings, quality of the staff, IT systems and so on. The external element looks at the opportunities and threats present in the environment in which the organisation operates. Carrying out a SWOT analysis requires research into an organisation’s current and future position. The idea is to match an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses with the external forces (opportunities and threats). SWOT analysis draws together all the evidence from the various analytical techniques used. It is a way of producing a summary, which then provides the basis for developing marketing objectives or aims and ultimately strategies or plans. Strengths refer to the internal features of Nivea, which provide a competitive advantage. An example could be a highly efficient IT system which they use to design their products. The company also has a sound financial base, so it had the resources to put together a strong marketing campaign. Also, Nivea has staff with relevant skills – researchers with the scientific skills to develop products that men want and marketing staff with the skills to help promote these products effectively. Weaknesses are internal aspects of the organisation, which may not stand comparison with competition or are not performing effectively. An example might be major concerns and questions that Nivea have when launching a product For example; Was the product range still relevant for the target audience? Did it have the right sales and distribution outlets? Was its market research up-to-date? Opportunities focus on events and developments external to an organisation. This might include new territories for a product or service. Opportunities that Nivea will want to undertake is to open a new segment of a market. Also, NIVEA FOR MEN had seen an increase in the sales of male skincare products and it wants a greater share of this market, Nivea might might consider this. Furthermore, the company wants to take advantage of changing social attitudes such as men becoming more open, or certainly less resistant, to facial skincare products. Threats are developments external to the organisations, which could damage overall performance. These threats can originate from governmental policy, such as an increase in corporation tax or new laws. Threats to Nivea are consumers who are becoming more knowledgeable and price conscious. They often expect sales promotions such as discounts and offers. Also, the risk of competitors entering the market.

Human Resources in the Leisure and Recreation Industry Essay

Most medium sized to large businesses have a human resource department, which looks after the welfare of staff who are employed in the company. The Leisure and Recreation Industry is the biggest growing area of business in the UK with people spending of over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 billion on leisure and recreation products/services. There are * people working in the Leisure and Recreation industry in the UK. Many of whom work on a temporary basis linked to tourism. External and Internal Influences on a department External Economic climate If the country were in recession this would mean that a lot of people would be unemployed and therefore not able to spend money on leisure and recreation industry because they would need to spend on their basic needs i.e. tax, bills, food etc. However in the UK employees often have a high disposable income, which means that after an employee gains income paying all tax, bills, mortgages etc, then most employees will have money to spend on the leisure and recreation industry because of their high disposable income. Minimum wage The national minimum wage will be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5.05 per hour in October 2005 but this often changes from time to time, so that it can meet the demands of cost of living. So if the wage was less than the cost of living people will not be able to afford to live and spend money and may need to work extra shifts/hours to gain more money. However the leisure and recreation industry may have higher wage so that it can motivate the employee because money is the biggest method of motivation. Trends in consumer demand In the fast moving pace of life of today, many consumers want leisure and recreation facilities open earlier and later. This means that human resources departments need more flexible working arrangements with staff. So they may need to recruit extra staff to do different shifts. Employment trends Many students apply to do temporary contracts in the summer months, because students have holidays and so will work for extra money. This is also a good advantage for the HR, as they will organise holidays for other employee that will want to go on Holiday especially during the summer months. So the student will apply to fill in for other employee’s to go on Holiday. Skills shortages In some industries such as carpentry and engineering there is a growing shortage of new recruits going into the trade. The leisure and recreation industry bucks the trend as more and more courses at schools; colleges and university focus on the subject/industry. There are more skills needed in the carpentry and engineering (or other) industries than the leisure and recreation industry, which is why there are more new recruits going into the trade. Location issues If the business is located in the city then it will be very good for the business especially the HR, as there will be a high rate of employment and there will be a high number of people with suitable skills. However the premises would be expensive and the cost of labour would also be high as the cost of living will be high in the city. Internal Organisational structure Organisation charts are mainly used in larger businesses to show where different jobs fit into the organisation (shows who’s doing which job). It also shows the different levels of responsibility employees have. So the higher you go up the chart the responsibility of employees increases. Responding to customer trends in terms of products or services Audit of staffing requirements from department heads Before HR can recruit any one they will need to look if vacancies are available by going around the other departments and ask heads of the departments Staff turnover, career moves Sickness rates, absenteeism and levels of motivation Legally an employer can’t employ someone else to do a job on a permanent basis if there is someone else doing the job already. Statistically employees in the UK work till late, which is why the government are trying to, decrease the number of working hours. This is because working parents seem to neglect their children and aren’t spending enough time with them. Flexible work force HR tries to make employees working time very flexible and so this is why they recruit extra staff to do some shifts permanently so that every employee has flexible working time. Sometimes the HR will recruit some to do part time i.e. Saturdays when it is very busy they will recruit part time employees or even temporarily like the summer holidays. Recruitment and Selection To recruit an employee, first a HR manager for example will have to go around to other different departments to find vacancies, so that he/she can recruit new members of staff. Then if vacancy is available HR will have to draw up a: * Job description – this shows the roles of the job of the employee * Person specification – outline of the skills and qualities required of the post holder * Then they will have to advertise it on the local newspaper or Internet. HR can also go to jobcentres, employment agencies or Head hunters to find employees with higher qualities but this method would be expensive and time consuming so it is mainly used to find employees to do jobs needing high skills. After the job has been advertised, HR will have to go through a process called selection (selecting the right employee) and so HR sort through the applications, putting aside any which are definitely not suitable and then producing a shortlist of applicants to call for selection. This saves time and so next HR will have to arrange interviews for the applicants shortlisted and so references can be followed, practical testing, psychometric testing etc, can be done to speed up the process of selection. Selection process can vary depending on the organisation. Contract of Employment Contract of employment states the terms and conditions of the job, showing a legally binding agreement between the employer and employee. So if an employee offers to work for an organisation then in return the employer must pay that person to do the work. Contract of employment mainly states: * Holidays and sick pay entitlement – legally Employee’s are entitled to at least 4 weeks holiday and so it should state how many weeks of holiday the employee is entitled to, also it should state whether employee is entitled to employer sick pay or SSP (Statutory Sick Pay) * Grievance and disciplinary procedures – it should state who the employee can refer if he or she has a grievance and should state who is responsible for disciplinary procedures. * Notice periods – If an employee decides to leave or is dismissed by the employer then it should state the notice time for that i.e. one-month notice time. * Wage/pay – it should state the amount of pay the employee should receive when job is done, also it may state how it is paid i.e. electronically. * Hours of work – it should also state the hours of work i.e. 48 hours a week, and what time he/he will start and finish * Fringe benefits – it should also state * Period of contract – whether it is permanent or temporary An employee is legally entitled to a contract of employment if he/she is working for the business for 1 month or more. Key components of staff training and development Induction Staff Appraisal Training and Development Induction training is given at the start of a new job to show how the activities of the firm are organised. Performance Reviews Self Evaluation Peer Evaluation Target Setting Measuring individual and group output/production Mentoring and coaching Apprenticeships In-house training External training Motivation Keeping staff motivated is good for the business because: * Motivated workers are more productive and higher productivity usually means higher profits. * In a service industry, workers who are well motivated will provide a better level of customer service, keeping the customers happy. * Staffs who are well motivated are more likely to stay with the company. They grow in experience and become even more valuable to their employer. * If a business successfully keeps the staff it has, the cost of recruiting and training new staff is reduced. > Management styles > Job Rotation, Job Enlargement > Team working > Financial incentives An employee can be demotivated if: * The environment is not safe, so the HR will have to make the environment safe. * The managers/employer

Animal Cruelty Essay

Animal cruelty is the crime of inflicting physical pain, suffering or death on an animal. Society has become a dreadful place for animals where humans can no longer be trusted because of their incongruous behaviour. The animals of the world exist for their own reasons; they were not made for humans to abuse and experiment, however, society has become decayed and inhumane. In the poem ‘Foxes among the lamb’ Ernest G. Moll demonstrates how the farmer poisons the foxes and leaves them to suffer and eventually die. When individuals glance at an animal they judge them as aggressive creatures. The visual poster portrays how animals are innocent and vulnerable creatures to society. ‘The Panther’ by Rainer Maria Rilke displays how animals should not be locked up in cages. Animal cruelty, the abominable way humans treat animals, reflects our decaying society, one that seems to be losing its humanity due to the sadistic nature of humans who lack empathy for others. The poem ‘Foxes Among the lamb’ portrays how foxes eat the lamb and how the farmer acts in an inappropriate abhorrent way. This behaviour is illustrated through the metaphor ‘gift’ which demonstrates the poison that the farmer gives to the foxes to die in a beastly bloodcurdling death. Furthermore the personification ‘Half-frightened eagerness of hate’ presents how the farmer is anxious and determined to kill the foxes and how eager the farmer is to manipulate the foxes. The composer’s use of alliteration â€Å"this time then†¦ † this proves how the farmer had to pause and pay attention to make sure that the fox had died. Therefore, humans can no longer be trustworthy among animals because of their antagonistic behaviour which imitates our society. Recognising animal rights will result in an individual having deep respect for animals. The visual poster indicates the innocence of animal and why humans should look after them as well as treat them in a respectful way. The background of the poster represents the manifestation of the dog delighted to be free and not stuck in a cage. It also reveals the dog in a park where he could run around and not locked up. The first thing an observer sees on the poster is the salience of the dog that looks harmless, healthy and blithe. When the audience beholds this, their first impression would be to save these helpless animals. The only thing that animals have done to humans is becoming man’s best friend. Finally, close up shot of the dog has been used to show the guiltlessness and exploitation of animals. This effect makes the audience focus their attention on the animal’s expression, to show the significance of animals and the way society has become an appalling place for them. Hence, humans have to earn the respect and treat animal just like the way they would like to be treated because animals too have a soul and emotions. Animal cruelty is locking animals in cages and keeping them as captives to satisfy and amaze people that are sadistic. The poem ‘The Panther’ conveys how a panther is locked up in a cage in the zoo to astonish people and how the panther feels about having no freedom. The use of imagery in the first stanza â€Å"his weary glance from passing by the bars,† portrays how the panther is tired of looking outside and exhausted of waiting for his liberty. Moreover, hyperbole is revealed in â€Å"only to sink and die within his heart. † This emphasis the sadness and reaction of the panther’s being lonely. In stanza two the simile â€Å"The iron bands is like a dance,† this emphasis how the panther is aware of everything around him but he just really wants to get out of the cage and be free. Thus, humans should not steal the freedom of animals because they too have the right to live their own life. In conclusion, humans have become violently atrocious and antipathetic that they no longer can be reliable in the animal world. This is evident in the text ‘Foxes among the Lamb,’ ‘The panther’ and the visual poster. Continuing to abuse animals and trying to manipulate them will only lead to a decayed society because of our irresponsible actions.

The Future Role of Technology in Higher Education Article

The Future Role of Technology in Higher Education - Article Example On the other hand, the adoption of online services and programs has not only improved academic life in many higher education institutions but has also reduced administrative requirements as well as streamlined student registration processes. Computers and telecommunications are some of the key technologies that continue to reshape higher education. For example the rapid advances in social media, internet, CDROMs and computerized simulations have significantly affected the current learning operations in many institutions of higher learning. Generally some of the technological devices that are increasingly playing an important role in higher educational institutions include computers, phones and other sophisticated machines that all are aimed at improving human life. Although technology has largely brought transformational benefits to many institutions of higher learning, it has also resulted in new challenges some of which include disruptive innovations, high costs and other operation al challenges (Alic, 1997, p.88). Many educationists concur that the adoption of technology is an expensive process that often come with increased budgetary allocation as well as the need for time and new learning methods. Despite some of the challenges that hinder the adoption of new technologies in higher education institutions, technology will continue playing a significant role in the future of higher education particularly in the improvement of teaching methodologies, administration and academic experience. This paper critically examines the future role of technology in the institutions of higher learning and how these roles will alter learning, pedagogical and teaching methodologies. Transformative nature of technology on the future higher education learning In many higher education institutions, the use of new technologies continue transform classroom experience by enabling multi modal learning and teaching as well as enhancing the availability and use of a diverse range of o nline research materials and collaborations. Technological devices such as computers, mobile phones, I pads and tablets, are increasingly being used in schools as important aids in teaching, learning, and communication as well as in the day to day administrative functions. Additionally online tools for academic research collaborations will significantly contribute towards the improvement of academic research in many educational institutions (Mendenhall, 2011, p.24). Learning technological innovations such as the development of learning management software have also profoundly improved academic experience and are likely to continue playing a crucial role in the delivery of academic content. Similarly emerging technologies such as Cloud computing are also likely be adopted by higher education institutions in the future to improve their data storage. For example, the use of huge data stores offered by cloud computing will not only improve the computing performance but will also help ma ny higher education institutions to enhance the security of data research, academic and administrative data. The other important area of higher education learning where new technologies will continue to play a pivotal role is academic partnerships and research

Political-Economic Resentments in Gulf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Political-Economic Resentments in Gulf - Essay Example Oil costs rose drastically. Though Saudi Arabia was the uncontested largest producer of oil, its oil industry, located very close to the war face and sell overseas lines were affected by the persistence of the war2. In fact, the war overstated the oil production all over the Gulf area. The "Tanker War" was expanded to the extent of involving the tankers that were used to transport oil to the Gulf since 1987. The Iranian came up with this idea to stop Gulf being held up to Iraq. In its place, it led to the first enormous American military operation in the region to guard Gulf tankers against Iranian attacks3. The two countries incurred foreign debts. They were unable to pay off them after the war ended due to loans from other countries. The war shifted the worlds concentration in the Middle East from the Arab-Israeli clash to the Gulf section. That Lead to decrease in relation of this country with foreign countries in fear of damages; hence, decrease economically. If the Iranians are capable of having some of the economic sanction lifted they would turn into a chief opponent for Iraqs oil led developmental

Media and Politics. Picking a local topic, national, and world topic Essay

Media and Politics. Picking a local topic, national, and world topic. Present topic - Essay Example This is because one source will have either some strength or weaknesses, therefore advantaging or disadvantaging the rival source, resulting in the differences. The media, for being such an influential part of society, requires regulations and ethics to govern what qualifies to broadcast or not, for instance in the case of politics, it is important for sources to remain neutral and not influence society in any way. Introduction The general media is a valuable source of information and a powerful medium of information that largely influences the understanding of daily events and occurrences of the people who access its releases. As a watchdog, the media has the potential to either be faithful or not, as it enjoys unlimited freedom in choosing and deciding what is worth publicizing or not, and what perception to create around a certain event or occurrence. The media is a wide fraternity of society comprising of numerous sources at different levels and has similarities, differences, str engths, weaknesses, and much influence on all aspects of society. This essay will conduct an analysis of media sources at three levels; local, national, and international, and bring out the mentioned qualities by comparing the uniqueness of two different media sources at each level in their mode of relaying similar political events. Local media level Local media coverage defines broadcasting of information concerned with a specific context such as a state, whose news would not be of much relevance to other states or to the larger national and international communities. In this case, this study will compare and contrast the relay of news concerning the 2012 accusation of (former) 18th Lieutenant Governor of Florida, Jennifer Carroll, of having a lesbian relationship with an aide in which we shall feature the Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel as our news sources. The Sun-Sentinel The article with Carroll’s story as appearing on this media source on 12 July 2012 had the headline â⠂¬Å"Sex scandal becomes the talk of Florida’s capital.† The story is introduced with catchy words such as â€Å"titillating sex scandal† and goes on to describe Carroll as one who does not feature much in the news headlines but is this time in the limelight due to criminal charges. However, after this, there is not much mention of her accusations. Rather, the stories focus on one Carletha Cole who is Carroll’s former spokesperson and who is accused of conducting illegal recording. The story does not seem to directly attack Carroll, and all her accusations arise from second parties such as Cole’s attorney bringing up the sexual accusations, but not the source itself. The source does not reveal what the results of a polygraph test carried out on Cole were. At the conclusion of the story, there is much positive information about Carroll, such as the women representatives describing her as a role model. She is also linked to Christianity, and her histor y is depicted as never tainted before (Haughney and Bureau 1). The Miami Herald The Miami Herald’s headline of the topic is â€Å"Is Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll’s Former aide seeking vengeance or injustice?† In this source, Cole’s attorney introduces the sexual accusations against Carroll, this after we learn that Cole is facing criminal charges of illegally taping audio around the Florida State offices. In this article, they

Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Server, IAAS Essay

Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows Server, IAAS - Essay Example Cloud computing can be stated as a model for facilitating on-demand, convenient and ubiquitous access to shared pool of computing and configurable resources. This resource sharing platform helps in achieving economies of scale and coherence. The concept of cloud computing is based on a broader aspect of shared services and converged infrastructure. Cloud resources are also dynamically reallocated along with being accessed by multiple users. The entire approach of cloud computing has shifted focus towards OPEX model from basic infrastructure of CAPEX model. This study would reflect upon one of the cloud computing services, known as IAAS. Infrastructure as a service or IAAS is a basic cloud service platform. This mainly refers to online services which abstract user from data partitioning. There are some additional resources offered by IAAS clouds such as raw block storage, firewalls, disk-image library, load balancers, virtual local area networks, software bundles and object storage. W indows Server is a known technology or application based on the concept of IAAS. It is a brand name given to bundle of server operating systems, which are launched by Microsoft. The first server edition was named as Windows NT 3.1; however, there have been advancements in developing Windows Server. This study shall analyse key vulnerabilities witnessed by Windows Server and mitigation strategies implemented over the years. There are some general approaches too that can safeguard the system from external threats.