Consumer Behaviour Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Consumer Behaviour - Coursework Example Each society their is some type of social class that is significant to the marketers since the buying behaviour of persons in a given social class is alike. In this way, marketing actions could be designed according to diverse social classes. Now we should note that the social class is not determined by income alone but there are several other reasons as well such as: assets, education, profession etc (BABIN & HARRIS 2011). Social factors also affect the consumer behaviour of customers. The significant social factors are situation groups, family, the role and the status. The members of a family adversely influence buyer behaviour. Consequently, marketers are working hard to find the roles and power of the husband, the wife and the children. If wife influences the buying decision of a particular product then the marketers will attempt to target women in their advertisement. Now we should note that purchasing roles change with vary in the consumer lifestyles (BEST HAWKINS & MOTHERSBAUG H 2007). Every person possesses unique roles and status in a society relying upon groups, family, clubs, and organization to which the person belongs. For instance, a woman is working in a certain organization as the finance manager. Here she is playing double roles, one as the finance manager and other role as a mother. Consequently, her purchasing decisions will be influenced by the role and the status (DEBRUICKER QUELCH & WARD 1986). (2) Personal Factors Personal factors also shape the consumer behaviour. The important personal aspects that influence the purchasing behaviour are the lifestyle of a person, economic condition, profession, age, character and self-concept. Age and the life cycle have noticeable impact on... The paper shows that when you are aware of how consumers behave in relation to the goods, you are selling, and then you have a good understanding of how to give good service to them, raising the probability that you will have repeat consumers. For instance, if you know that consumers tend to come to your hotel since they can get good food devoid of waiting for a very long time, you should carry on training your wait employees to be as resourceful as possible. Gather some customer behaviour data by just analyzing the sales data you already have. For instance, you can see whether the majority of your goods are brought with cash or credit card. If you happen to have a clock on the register, you know then when individuals tend to buy in your store. Nevertheless, you should not restrict yourself to that information. The most important information is from the depth answers from your customers about their expenditure. Focus groups, the surveys and the one-on-one interviews are better ways to get the information about customer behaviour. Encourage the consumers to contribute in these projects by offering rewards, like a contest entry or a discount, for the survey completion or the focus group contribution. This paper approves that consumer behaviour assists organizations decide what goods and services to produce or offer. Once they evaluate on what customers purchase and how they come up with they different ways of identifying what products to purchase and what to be left out, companies can more simply spot a necessitate that lacks in they product and supplement it with something either of the same quality or of a supplementary function.

Problem of Good and Evil Essay Example for Free

Problem of Good and Evil Essay ? 12/2/09 How can a God who is both omnipotent and good allow evil in the world? For Christians, evil can be a problem because non-believers can use it as a way to attack Christianity. The first thing they might say is if there is evil, then God must not be good or omnipotent because he is allowing it. Yes, God allows evil in the world, but evil does not come from God. Evil comes directly from Satan. We see this in the book of Matthew, vs. 1-11, where Satan tries to tempt Jesus. Another way an non-believer may discredit Christianity is saying that because there is evil, God doesnt exist. This is definitely false. God does exist and we know because the Bible says so. We also can see the results of his power. Some examples of that are when Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and God parted the waters of the red sea so they could get through, but he closed them over the Egyptians and they were wiped out. Another example is the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, in Mark 5: 25-34, and with one touch of Jesus robe, was healed. This is just a little taste of Gods power over evil. Finally, non-believers could say that God is no better than pagan gods, but he is real and here to save us. God hates evil, but Adam sinned which caused evil in mankind, and he had to bear the consequences of his disobedience against God. The Bible shows us that God is both omnipotent and good. God is omnipotent which means all-powerful. In Luke 1:37, it says For nothing is impossible with God. There isnt anything that God cant do. Also in Rev. 19:6, it states Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: Hallelujah! For our Lord God Omnipotent reigns. In that verse, we see God directly described using that word. Now on the other hand, God is good. How can we define good? That is difficult to do. My definition of good is: Having desirable or positive qualities. God is good to his people, and everything he has created. Psalm 136:1, a passage about Gods goodness, says, Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Another passage is from Psalm 34:8, which says O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him. This verse is saying that if you let God in your life, you will see that he can provide only good things for you. He will not bring evil your way. God may cause trials in your life, but that is only because he wants to produce perseverance, as said in James 1:3.

Below-the-Line Vs Viral Marketing

Below-the-Line Vs Viral Marketing Marketing has played a central role in business success for decades and is ultimately concerned with the creation and retention of customers who through the purchasing of products generate profits for companies. It has been suggested that the cost of attracting new customers is much higher than maintaining existing ones and thus firms seek to build up efficient and effective retention systems for customers using a marketing mix. While the below-the-line promotional model has established itself as a major component of marketing mixes due to the rapid development of new technologies and globalisation another marketing form, viral marketing, has gained broad attention, (Lanman, 2003). The reason for this attention is that companies have demonstrated their success with minimum marketing budgets in generating millions of profits in using this tool. The International Direct Marketing Network measured the use of different marketing techniques and it found that 84% of firms used some form of below the line marketing (North, 1995). In this way the response of distribution of products and information can be measured immediately. However both organisations and individuals have been subject to an unprecedented rate of change in the way they pursue and are involved in business and commercial opportunities in the 21st century making the case for an expanded role for viral marketing ever more compelling, (Kalakota, 1999). These characteristics include the internationalisation and globalisation of business and the resultant intense competition from these trends which has created new dynamics within marketing structures for all companies, (Chesher Kaura, 1999). One of the most important needs for businesses currently is the need to satisfy increasingly demanding customers who expect immediate responses to their requests both for goods and information. The role of viral marketing in meeting such a need has continued to increase with the expansion of use and users of the Internet. Graham (1999) argues that viral marketing refers to strategies that are absorbed by the people that interact with the messages and then pass them on. Therefore the term viral marketing is often linked with the Internet because it provides a wide range of free channels such as email, website and chatting rooms in which to deliver initial messages. Additionally marketing is not solely about material things but deals with brands, experiences and acts of communication which can be defined as branded, (Moore, 2003). The choice of appropriate marketing model then to a large extent is associated with clear understanding of consumers on the part of organisations. Yet consumer behaviour is complex thus each marketing model has its own advantages and disadvantages in influencing these behaviours. As a result an effective marketing mix should meet key customer requirements in order for the company to succeed in the marketplace and at the same time the usage of any marketing mix strategy will be constrained by the corporate resources and business structures which can be deployed to generate opportunities. Therefore this paper will critically compare viral with below the line marketing models and aim to assess the importance of matching marketing strategies with business structure and characteristics of product through an analysis of Forever Livings usage of viral marketing. Below-the-Line Vs Viral Marketing An important perspective in marketing philosophy is the distinction between efficiency and effectiveness, (Anonymous, 1989). Thus a comparative analysis of below-the-line marketing models and viral marketing ones can be conducted using these twin elements as frameworks. The essential difference between efficiency and effectiveness is that the former is concerned primarily with cost and the latter is customer focused in terms of retention and generation capacities. This framework also corresponds with an understanding based on the core feature of marketing which is to satisfy customer needs in a profitable way by matching services or products with preferences. While above and below-the-line promotion has established itself as a major technique in communicating with customers new challenges facing marketing managers have led to the development of new marketing techniques. Generally speaking above-the-line refers to the usage of all the main advertising media such as TV campaigns and magazine advertisements whereas below-the-line activities are more focused on translating attitudes into sales such as with in store advertisements. Here also public relations become a vital part in the communication process, (Wilmshurst, 1994).However Tauber (1974) argues that a customer orientated marketing strategy easily discourages innovation within organisations such as with the RD process. This is because companies prefer following customers tastes rather than creating new demands avoiding then any risks associated with novel and innovative product development. This can be seen as a negative influence on growth for the whole industry in the long term. Thus viral marketing is argued to be an innovation in marketing which has emerged since 1996 utilising email at first as a global marketing network, (Jurvetson, 2000). The concept of viral marketing is one which is based on word of mouth and its first uses were conceptualised in terms of it being web-based word of mouth marketing. Accompanying further technological development and globalisation viral marketing as such seeks to take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode single messages to thousands at low cost as well as other complex marketing goals at the mature stage. Viral marketing is a method which allows small businesses to grow quickly through the spreading of their marketing message like virus and avoid consequently major entry barriers to the market and exclusionary techniques of competitors, (Jurvetson, 2000). However because of the nature of the Internet Dibb, Simkin and Vancini (1996) point out that all forms of word of mouth to a large extent depend on intangible assets such as brand image, trust and public relations in order to be successful. In this sense a successful viral marketing strategy needs to take advantage of other resources to build up brand image and relationships with customers. In summation different marketing mixes rely on different characteristics of products and industries, organisational competition as well as internal resources including material resources, intangible assets and human resources. Therefore understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each model is vital in helping marketers, whatever their field of business, carry out effective marketing practices. Business Structure An effective implementation of a marketing strategy relies on getting organised for the work and the route a company chooses depends on a variety of factors. However the first step for any type of company is understanding consumer behaviour. This understanding allows a company to position their products or service effectively in relation to the preferences of its target customers. However any customers purchasing decision process is a complex one thus it is useful to bear in mind some key influences on these decisions. First of all the development of technology particularly the Internet has changed both buyers and companies behaviour in various ways. For example research has indicated that the scale of the e-commerce market will reach $7.3 trillion in 2004, from $145 billion in 1999 reflecting its growing importance as means of doing business, (Suh Han, 2003). As a result it is vital that companies exploit the Internet along with other marketing tools such as direct marketing or in store sales to achieve promotional goals while viral in order to create new opportunities for growth in the future. In addition to advertising below-the-line practices play an increasingly important role in communicating and building close relationships with customers. For example Smith and Taylor (2004) argue that each element of the marketing mix communicates so that some major advertising campaigns need to be supported by public relations activities and also at the same time be supported for example by launch leaflets. Combining these elements maximizes the effect of promotions and advertising campaigns for companies. Kitchen Proctor (1991) claim that public relations is a growth area for companies because it is an effective way to generate positive word of mouth for a companys products. A further consideration to take into account when firms make strategic decisions about marketing techniques is the cultural and social effects on consumer behaviour. Web based delivery though can be said to circumvent some of these problems by allowing for easy tailoring to specific contexts due to the absence of any necessity for physical places to conduct marketing operations. Marketing researchers encourage the use of an integrated marketing mix as it is believed to be able to create competitive advantages and boost sales and profits whilst saving time, money and avoids some of the stresses involved in implementing marketing plans, (Harrison, 1995; Smith Taylor, 2004). From this perspective both below-the-line and viral marketing models should utilise different communication tools in relation to customers and developing productive relationships with them. For this reason there are key benefits of an integrated marketing approach yet there are also obstacles due to limited resources in terms of financial, time and personnel factors. In this case inefficiency might occur due to internal competition or unbalanced rationing of resources addressed due to over emphasis on one marketing tool. It can be strongly argued that a web-based viral marketing approach could balance conflicts among different departments as well as with suppliers simply because it seeks t o take advantage of others resources in assisting with the delivery of the companys marketing message, (Wilson, 1999). In considering these two approaches to marketing this work utilises a 4P framework as an analytical guide to their respective strengths and weaknesses. Product It is obvious that no matter what kind of marketing model companies choose the ultimate goal is to sell a product (service) to customers at a competitive price. However the product purchasing decision involves choices regarding brand names, guarantees, packaging and services which accompany the product. Reports suggest that expenditure on below the line marketing in Europe has grown rapidly in recent years due to intense competition, (European Marketing Pocket Book, 2000). Hence one of the most important goals for advertising campaigns is effective positioning of products. Ogilvys (1983) adage is for a business to never sell to a stranger which means it is important to understand the target audience and their purchasing behaviour and also build long term relationships with them. Companies therefore choose different tools in order to segment customers and then position their products in order to sell the right thing to the right people. Below the line marketing strategies often exploit sales people to communicate with customers face to face. This allows an organisation to gain information about customers deeper feelings about products rather than the more impersonal information gathered by web-based questionnaires. Also when companies adopt a viral marketing strategy customers are not able to touch the product or in other words they see tangible assets only portrayed on web pages. This means then that trust plays a major role in delivering the product message to consumers. This is why viral marketing firms use a strategy of giving away free product samples to customers. This is in order to build up trust in the company and brand and then utilise these customers through word of mouth to spread the product message further. Holt (2004) highlights trust as the essential lubricant of web-based business operating successfully with quality products being a critical factor for success in building up trust. Price Price is always used by buyers as an indicator of quality in that higher price tends to send a different message compared to lower pricing. The difficulty for companies is however is hitting the sweet spot in terms of price and quality. Therefore high price product firms prefer adopting differentiation strategies in order to maintain competitive advantages. A typical feature of below-the-line promotions though is an element of price war and price cutting in order to initially entice customers. This has the effect of increasing direct costs to the business and reduces the gross profit accordingly so that sales people have to work harder to earn the same amount as before the price cut. In contrast to below-the-line promotions companies with viral marketing models benefit from the lower cost of not having physical stores, sales people and/or expensive advertising campaigns on TV, radio or magazine and other expensive media forms. As a result viral marketing firms often offer extra disco unts to attract customers and it is suggested that one of the most important reasons for people purchasing online are the lower prices compared to traditional retail stores, (Reedy Schullo, 2004). Reedy and Schullo (2004) also argue as a result that it is vital electronic resources be integrated into marketing mix by both traditional offline as well as online retailers. However an important point worth highlighting is that of strategic versus tactical pricing. Strategic pricing refers to long term pricing which depends on how the company intends to position itself in relation to customers. An example of below-the-line marketing are the practices of the supermarket Tesco which has built a reputation for low prices or the lowest pricing in the town in which it operates. In this case its pricing strategy seeks to generate a competitive advantage while Marks Spenser in contrast utilises an image of better quality food at a higher pricing level in order to differentiate itself and thus avoid a price war with Tescos. Additionally although viral marketing models benefit from lower costs and be able to offer more competitive pricing products like health-related tablets firms tend to not be able to exploit a strong brand name for quality and effectiveness. Rather it is the low pricing which initially attracts customers. Therefore the importance of word of m outh is much more pronounced for the continued success of viral based marketing firms. Promotion As mentioned before researchers and economists have argue that the cost of attracting a new customer is five times that of maintaining an existing one, (Jobber, 2001). Companies attempt then to keep customers satisfaction level high and encourage them to purchase more products through the creation of brand loyalty. Below the line marketing forms by using direct promotion and a human sales force to build a close relationship with customers can be said to do this more efficiently. Examples can be seen from fashion brands like YSL and Christian Dior which deliver their brand images using highly trained and skilled personnel creating strong connections in the minds of customers between brand image and products and form a foundation for brand loyalty. However the cost of sales people as well as training investment is a balancing factor while viral marketing on the other hand is able to take advantage of free internet sources by using tools like email or low cost advertising presences such as banner ads on websites. It is also interesting to note that below the line marketing can be viewed as pushing information to consumers whether it takes the form of communication from sales assistants or leaflets in magazines and so on. In doing so companies attempt to communicate with customers by explaining and giving detailed product or service information to them. In contrast viral marketing can be seen as an information pulling tool which seeks to spread awareness of the product through popularisation. However marketing emails need to provide greater value for readers such as through being more entertaining, engaging or compelling in order that viral marketing message be more effectively taken up by readers, (Reed, 2005). A common inducement often used by companies is to pay those readers who pass on the message to others or can prove products bought have been done so on their recommendations. This can be problematic though due to fraud or other criminal activities. Related to this is the problem of sec urity features emerging in the use of the Internet whereby viral mail is treated as virus mail or junk mail (or spam) and thus the marketing message may be blocked from reaching its intended audience through the workings of such things as email filters. Distribution Brownlie and Saren (1992) argue that the concept of marketing has assumed many of the features of an ideology of faith which dominates the decisions of many organisations. In other words they believe companies must not only take into account giving customers what they need but also focus on the integration of these demands into other core business functions. This entails then the balancing of the satisfaction of consumers with the performance of other company requirements. Therefore it is particularly important for companies which adopt below-the-line strategies to choose an effective distribution channel which satisfies customers demands efficiently as well as other business participants such as suppliers and retailers. Likewise it is important for suppliers to have a physical in-store presence while manufacturers must show more interest in the basics of selling and displaying in store. In this case a well trained and motivated sales team plays a critical role in improving a company s in-store performance. However the costs associated with physical stores are high as well as the cost of training employees. The usage of internet based viral marketing models are able then arguably to better integrate resources at lower cost and concomitantly allows the building of stronger trading relationship between each partner within the business network. For example viral companies conduct strategies such as allowing each customer who makes a purchase to also act as a wholesaler for the company and in doing so encourage them to use their own network of contacts to sell more products for the company and at the same time profit from their selling. Therefore it is obvious that successful viral marketing companies are those which can successfully exploit customers networks and exploit word of mouth to spread rapidly rather than make use of expensive advertising campaigns or below-the-line promotions. Smith and Taylor (2004) though point out that the place of purchase also communicates within a marketing mix which means an item purchased in Selfridges has a differently perceived value to an item purchased online. In this sense strategic branding seems particularly important for companies who rely on in-store marketing. Adding value to physical places could be used as part of a branding strategy in maintaining competitive advantage over low cost viral marketing stores. Forever Living Reports indicate that viral marketing techniques are growing in popularity in their use among corporations in the US ranging from small businesses to multinational companies, (Bulkeley, 2002). Forever Living Product co. can be viewed as a successful example of the usage of viral marketing strategies which have contributed to its now multinational business network. According to Wilson (2000) successful viral marketing strategies refers to those which are able to take advantage of rapid multiplication in delivering the product or service message to as wide an audience as possible. In other words viral marketing is closely linked with the term and process of word-of-mouth marketing. In particular these methods have sought to take advantage of the rapid increase in internet usage and as a result web-based forms have become the most important resource for viral marketing techniques. For example Forever Living Product has promoted itself as an international firm which seeks to exploit natu ral sources in producing products contributing to peoples health. The company delivers its product information through the use of a website and seeks to recruit existing customers as wholesalers for its products as well as utilising them to deliver the marketing message. These inducements psychologically are an effective means of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Linked to this meeting peoples emerging demand for a better quality of life in terms of high health levels is a key factor for the success of Forever Living products. As such along with financial inducements the provision of information supporting the marketing message is a key ingredient for the companys marketing strategy. For this reason the Forever Living website is designed to provide customers with clear information about its products and services as well as information on how customers can join its business model. According to Solomon, Bamossy and Askegaard (2002) people spend a considerable amount of time in searching for information before they decide to purchase high price goods or luxury products. A web-based marketing model enables consumers who are interested in the products and services go to visit websites and acquire information in a convenient and flexible manner. However these advantages are countered by the tendency for viral marketing websites to provide too much information. Reed (2005) argues that efficiency in communicating a marketing message might decrease because of excessive information. Principles of web design then become important considerations to both enhance accessibility and decrease the dangers of information overload. Marketing mix In modern marketing literature the concept of marketing is often expressed as the achievement of corporate goals through meeting and exceeding customer needs better than competitors are able to, (Jobber, 2001). Viral marketing can describe any strategy that encourages customers to pass on a marketing message to others which creates opportunities for potential corporate growth, (Wilson, 2000). Viral marketing consequently as a form of marketing strategy is predicated and based on successfully understanding consumers in terms of what will satisfy them in product and service provision. However as has been mentioned consumer behaviour is both a complex and a dynamic process and therefore understanding this behaviour requires considerable amounts of information. The Internet is widely used as an effective tool in capturing a huge amount of digital data related to consumer behaviour and viral based marketing forms are in a good position to successfully make use of this data and also contri bute means of gathering it. However such information is largely generalised and unspecific given the amount of traffic which the Internet sees in terms of purchasing decisions. Thus Jackson (2000) contends that viral marketing works best only when the key consumer interaction has relatively broad appeal to the target market. Forever Living Product successfully entices people arguably through the opportunity to start their own business and offering the possibility of higher income levels. It is a message therefore with near universal appeal for people. It is also a message which allows for personal emotional investment to be made in products, in that customers will be positive about a product as their interest in selling it is related to their own financial gain. However a key factor for continued success is maintaining the quality of the products as studies indicate that negative word-of-mouth images spread twice as fast as positive images, (Haywood, 1991). In the case of Forever Livings aloe range of products the high quality is based on its International Aloe Science Council Seal of Approval for consistency and purity. Such external confirmations of quali ty add to and enhance the companys internal messages dealing with the quality of its products. Additionally the clear return and guarantee policies offered by Forever Living also contribute to its success since recourse is given to customers should products or the process of purchasing products not meet their expectations. These are considered to be the most important factors affecting customer behaviour in buying online as they enhance significantly customer trust in the product and organisation, (Reedy Schullo, 2004). Managers with communications responsibility must try to deal with complaints as well relate satisfaction dynamically considering the ease of spreading and access to information online. Haywood (1991) believes that people- talking is the best form to communicate but Blythe (2000) argues that the website of a company is principal initial source for the content of such communication. Therefore Forever Living Products website is designed to provide full information about the products as well as the business plan for those who want to get involved. In doing so the firm avoids considerable expense on physical stores and layout, personnel and the possibility of inefficient explanation and communication by sales person dealing with products. Providing contact points for additional customer questions also enhances the effectiveness for this model. Yet a weakness is that if initially the website is not successful in attracting customers it is unlikely they will return. In this sense the persuasive capabilities of below-the-line models with their human elements is missed. Forever Living is a multinational company which runs business in over 105 countries as the words largest grower, manufacturer and distributor of aloe vera, (Forever Living Product, 2005). It is fair to say that during the internationalisation process the Internet has been vital in spreading the business rapidly and easily compared to the opening of physical stores. It has also allowed the offering of an interactive tool tailored for communicating with global consumers in their respective national contexts. Traditionally communication media follow a passive one-to-many model where a firm reaches many current and potential customers through marketing efforts however feedback from customers in such models is limited, (Hoffman Novak, 1996). Forever Living operates a model of distributed computing that facilitates an interactive many-to-many communication tool and model. For example the website is designed to help customers build a solid stable business through professional training meet ings and regular recognition of their efforts. The running of the business online minimises the physical investment necessary and need for large product inventories but requires a motivated and efficient distribution channel. A significant advantage of this model is that full inventory and product control is integrated into supply and distribution as all of these elements from production to sale are realised within the website. This allows for large cost savings and creates a feeling of security for customers and wholesale sellers in the operations of the company. As discussed in the preceding section companies using below and above the line marketing tools view human resource as an important factor in the completion of these forms of marketing strategies successfully. In a positive sense they are able to exploit a skilled workforce in achieving promotional goals but negatively failure might arise from unenthusiastic sales personnel or negative sales manner in the conduct of the promotion. By using a website instead of a sales person along with already satisfied customers Forever Living minimises the risks of negative information provision and capitalises on cheap and effective positive information provision, (Wilson, 2000; Diorio, 2001). In addition to online ordering Forever Living also makes use of more traditional phone call services for those who are not able to access internet increasing its coverage. The online model also allows Forever Living circumvent the considerable entry barriers to participating in the health care market. These b arriers include large investment in physical assets as well as the brand loyalty for other manufacturers or certain retailers concretely established as a result of other marketing strategies. The creative use of the website as both a marketing tool and an intangible shopping space creates competitive advantages for the firm. Although the price of Forever Living products means they are not cheap due to general features of luxury health care goods and compared to pricings and costs associated with other luxury health care products Forever Living is able to compete on very effective grounds with other retailers. Viral branding strategy Over the last few years companies have increasingly moved to incorporate the World Wide Web into their overall marketing strategies. Viral marketing strategy in itself has changed the way to do the business and communicate online by taking advantage of the specific contextual advantages offered by the Internet. However along with internet based marketing the emerging challenge for viral marketing companies is to build up strong brand name in order to compete with below-the-line firms as well as other web-based and offline companies, (Jobber, 2001). The first associations that enter into customers consciousness in relation to a brand name are always those associated with products or product categories, (Franzen and Bouwman, 2001). Thus with Forever Living Product they have sought to link the brand name with superior ranges of aloe vera based products. The corporate research centre creates a professional image of the company matching with images of traditional high-tech pharmaceutical industries but meshes this with an appeal to naturalism and back to nature images associated with its products. The key message then contains both security over the high qualities maintained in the products manufacture but also the manner in which it is a natural product taking advantage of green sentiments among customers. Diorio (2001) argues that one of the obstacles to viral marketing is the difficulty in identifying triggers that can motivate customers to pass along the business message. Beaven and Scotti (1990) claim that consumers develop internal scripts related to their service transactions which they recall for future purchases of that service. Hence a satisfied personalised experience is a key driver in the repeat purchase of products. The tool used by Forever Living Product in this respect is the motivation from self-owned businesses joining satisfied product use with opportunities for personal financial reward. However its branding strategy also contributes to the success of its differentiation from other companies competing in the same market. Web-based branding strategy is able to reach a large amount of customers but the difficulty remains in establishing trust which is the main basis for long term customer relationships using this model. Also there are ethical issues related to viral ma rketing such as those arising from security of investment and personal privacy in providing information online especially financial information. Trust then for Forever Living is not only related to product quality and satisfaction but about providing a completely secure package for customers upon which trusting relationships can be built. Benefits of a website as an integrated marketing tool From an analysis of Forever Living which prefers the use of a website as the core technique and means of achieving marketing goals it is fair to say that the effective design of web sites contributes to whether it will be a success or not to a large extent. First of all the website is able to provide full information

International Trade Theories Essay -- essays papers

International Trade Theories Mercantilism Mercantilism was a sixteenth-century economic philosophy that maintained that a country's wealth was measured by its holdings of gold and silver (Mahoney, Trigg, Griffin, & Pustay, 1998). This recquired the countries to maximise the difference between its exports and imports by promoting exports and discouraging imports. The logic was transparent to sixteenth-century policy makers-if foreigners buy more goods from you than you buy from them, then the foreigners have to pay you the difference in gold and silver, enabling you to amass more treasure. With the treasure acquired the realm could build greater armies and navies and hence expand the nation’s global influence. Politically, mercantilism was popular with many manufactures and their workers. Export-oriented manufacturers favoured mercantilist trade policies, such as those giving subsidies or tax rebates, which stimulated their sales to foreigners. Domestic manufacturers threatened by foreign imports endorsed mercantilist trade policies, such as those imposing tariffs or quotas, which protected them from foreign competition (Mahoney, Trigg, Griffin, & Pustay, 1998). Most members of society are hurt by such policies. Government subsidies of exports for selected industries are paid for by taxpayers. Mercantilist terminology is still used today, an example when television commentators and newspaper headlines report that a country suffered an ‘unfavourable’ balance of trade-that is, its exports were less than its imports. Mercantilist policies are still politically attractive to some firms and their workers, as mercantilism benefits certain members of society. Modern supporters of these policies are known as neo-mercantilists, or protectionists (Mahoney, Trigg, Griffin, & Pustay, 1998). The mercantilists were a group of economists who preceded Adam Smith. They judged the success of trade by the size of the trade balance (Lipsey, & Chrystal, 1996). Absolute Advantage The theory of absolute advantage, suggests that a country should export those goods and services for which it is more productive than other countries, and import those goods and services for which other countries are more productive than it is (Mahoney, Trigg, Griffin, & Pustay, 1998). Adam Smith was the first to come up with the theo... ...1656; Richer-Buttery, 1998, Strategic Management, Infocus ïÆ'Ëœ Tony Lendrum, 1995, The Strategic Partnering Handbook, McGraw-Hill ïÆ'Ëœ Ball Mcculloch, 1999, International Business: The Challenge of Global Competition, Irwin/McGraw-Hill ïÆ'Ëœ Tripodnet, http://members.tripod.lycos.nl/Japan_industry/three.html ïÆ'Ëœ Michael Porter, 1990, The Competitive Advantage of Nations. New York: The Free Press ïÆ'Ëœ Michael Porter, 1980 Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors New York: Free Press ïÆ'Ëœ D Mahoney, M Trigg, R Griffin, M Pustay, 1998, International Business: A Managerial Perspective, Addison Wesley Longman, Melbourne. ïÆ'Ëœ G.R Lipsey, & A.K Chrystal, 1996, An Introduction to positive economics, 8th edition Oxford university press ïÆ'Ëœ Adam Smith, 1776, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations ïÆ'Ëœ Gandolfo, 1998, International Trade Theory and Policy, Springer-Burlag, Berlin, Heidelberg ïÆ'Ëœ N. Gregory Mankiw, 1997, Principals of Economics, The Dryden Press ïÆ'Ëœ Dominic Salvatore, 1995, Theory and Problems of International Economics, McGraw-Hill

Rawls Trawls’ Theory of Justice, Hayeks Theory of Freedom

Friedrich Hayek was a British philosopher who wrote from his experiences of World War one in which he served. It is known that based on Hayek’s experience in the war and his desire to help avoid the mistakes that had orchestrated to the war; he was led to this career in which he developed the theory of freedom. Hayek argues that there are many definitions for the term freedom; however he refers to this as â€Å"freedom without coercion. Hayek also speaks to individual and personal freedom in which he argues that a man is either free or not free. Being free he says is acting on one’s own will and not the will of another and emphasises the idea that there are two types of freedom; freedom to and freedom from. When Hayek speaks to freedom, he makes mention of Political, Personal/Inner as well as Economic freedom. John Rawls on the other hand was an American philosopher who wrote from his experiences of World War two. Rawls developed the theory of Justice. Justice is a concept of moral relevance based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, equity or fairness. Rawls refers to â€Å"justice as fairness† and from the theory of justice, the liberty and difference principle was derived. Rawls argues that â€Å"Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as information is of preparations of thought. † From the theory of justice the original position and the veil of ignorance were also developed. You can read also  Justice System Position Paper   These concepts will be explained further. The aim of this essay is to outline and formulate major distinctions between the two theories listed above by stating the similarities as well as the differences that tells them apart and evaluate both theories, subsequently justifying which of the two provides a better explanation. As was mentioned before, Hayek’s theory of freedom refers to freedom from coercion. The term coercion refers to the act of compelling by force or authority. In Hayek’s words â€Å"coercion can be explained as control of a person's environment or circumstances such that â€Å"he is forced to act not according to a coherent plan of his own but to serve the ends of another,† and so â€Å"unable to use either his own intelligence or knowledge or to follow his own aims. † Hayek went on to say that coercion means having control for the environment so that he/she acts in the interest of the person rather than the interest of their own. Coercion he argues is will, because it removes or eliminates the individual as a thinking person that should be valued and asserts that the only way to prevent coercion is through the threat of coercion. The coerced lacks the ability of using his knowledge for his own purposes, since the effective use of aptitude requires that one be able to predict to an extent the conditions that exist in one’s environment and adhere to an arrangement of action. â€Å"But if the facts which determine our plans are under the sole control of another, our actions will be similarly controlled. † p. 34 For Hayek coercion means doing the will of another and not his own and he gives an example of this, â€Å"Even if the threat of starvation to me and perhaps to my family impels me to accept a distasteful job at a very low wage, I am not coerced by him or anybody else. So long as the act that has placed me in my predicament is not aimed at making me do or not do specific things, so long as t he intent of the act that harms me is not to make me serve another person's ends, its effect on my freedom is not different from that of any natural calamity a fire or a Rood that destroys my house or an accident that harms my health. p. 137 However, what may seem to be coercion to some may not be coercion to others, hence, Hayek outlines that the following conditions must be satisfied in order to say that a person has been coerced; The coerced person's environment must be controlled by another so that, while he does choose, he is made to choose what will serve the ends of another rather than his own ends, The coercer must threaten to inflict harm with the intention, thereby, to bring about certain ends, That which the coercer denies to me must be crucial to my existence or to what I most value, That the act of the coercer must be directed at me. Upon careful examination, it will become apparent that Hayek's definition of coercion is radically defective, primarily because it provides no objective and clear cut standard of what is a coercive act but rather leaves it to individual judgment (with reference to what the individual most values) the determination of when a coercive action has been committed. Hayek speaks also about personal freedom and this he explains as â€Å"inner freedom† which he explains as metaphysical or subject freedom which is the extent to which a person guides his actions by his/her own will, reasons and lasting conviction as opposed to momentarily impulses or circumstances. Economic freedom, which refers to freedom from enterprise or state control and Political freedom which refers to freedom from arbitrary rule or arrest and the opportunities people have to determine who should govern and by what principles. To Hayek, the existence of government is not only permissible but also desirable and he considers, as most classical liberals did, that defence, police, and the administration of justice are indispensable functions of government. He asserts that these governmental activities are not hindrances to a free society, but its guarantees and he argues that the only interference in freedom government should have is preventing one from coercing another. For Hayek freedom means the rejection of direct control over individuals’ efforts and he argues that knowledge must be available, free, unrestricted or controlled and that our faith in freedom should rest on the belief that it will create forces of good rather than evil and that the benefits we derive from freedom depends heavily on how others use it, however, he argues also that we cannot achieve certainty in human affairs so we best make use of the knowledge we have. Thus we should stick to the rules of experience which best serves our way of thinking, although we don’t know the consequences of using this knowledge. He believes civilization is progress and progress is civilization. Hayek also speaks about liberty and stresses that the true meaning of liberty is liberty under the rule of law, rather than unlimited liberty. It follows that freedom of economic activity means ‘freedom under the law, not the absence of all government action’ (Hayek, 1960, p. 220). Rawls on the other hand speaks about the theory of justice, from this the liberty and difference theory was derived and the â€Å"original/initial position† as well as the â€Å"veil of ignorance†. Rawls argued that two principles serve to organize society; the â€Å"liberty principle† which is the first principle of justice that speaks to the fact that person is to have an equal right to the most freedom compatible with everyone else having that same amount of freedom and the â€Å"difference principle† which is the second principle which is an egalitarian conception that unless there is a distribution that makes both parties better off an equal distribution is to be preferred and speaks to the fact that social economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both reasonably expected to be to everyone’s advantage and attached to the position and offices open to all. Primary Goods is a term used by Rawls to cover all the things that the Two Principles of Justice are going to divide up. They are things like rights, opportunities, incomes, power etcetera. Rawls He rooted the original position in and extended the concept of â€Å"social contract† previously advocated by Hobbes, Rousseau, and Locke which made the principles of justice the object of the contract binding members of society together. The original position as that which representatives with limited information about the interests that they represent attempt to agree as to how society should be ordered and the veil of ignorance is the state of not knowing or having all knowledge or information for the alternatives but arriving at a position. This deal with the initial/original position which sets up a fair procedure that any principle agreed will be just. Rawls also speak of social justice which he states ‘is to be regarded as providing in the first instance a standard whereby the distributive aspects of the basic structure of society are to be assessed’; therefore, ‘they may not elucidate the justice†¦of voluntary cooperative arrangements or procedures for making contractual agreements’ (Rawls, 1999, pp. 7-8). For both theories, it can so far be seen that although both theories are different they also have similarities. The first similarity is that Rawls and Hayek both worked from the same tradition-liberalism in which they argued that individuals should to be free to pursue their own idea of the good life and that the state's role is as an enabler. Secondly, they both agree on â€Å"the essential point,† which is that principles of justice apply to the rules of institutions and social practices, but not to distributions of particular things across specific persons. Thirdly, the government is important and that the government exists to serve the people; the people do not exist to serve the government. Finally, they both argue agreed on the idea that the handicaps should be provided for. The differences as it relates to both theories are that; firstly, Hayek is from an economic standpoint while Rawls is more rationale and social. The main difference between both is their attitude to equality as Rawls believed in egalitarian and social justice which are two concepts that Hayek rejected as Rawls believe that each individual has different skill, talents and understanding hence they cannot be equal. Hayek argues that †Whether he is free or not does not depend on the range of choice but on whether he can expect to shape his course of action in accordance with his present intentions, or whether somebody else has power o to manipulate the conditions as to make him act according to that person’s will rather than his own. (Hayek, 1960, p. 13) His view is that one should work in order to achieve what they want and with this point of view, Hayek argues that ‘we may be free and yet miserable’ (Hayek, 1960, p. 18). In relation to Rawls’ definition of liberty, Hayek stresses that the true meaning of liberty is liberty under the rule of law, rather than unlimited liberty. It follows that freedom of economic activity means ‘freedom under the law, not the absence of all government action’ (Hayek, 1960, p. 220). Also, Hayek equates social justice with distributive justice and dismisses both of them. He claims that ‘liberalism aims at commutative justice and socialism at distributive justice’ and that ‘distributive justice is irreconcilable with freedom in the choice of one’s activities’ (Hayek, 1960, p. 440). In conclusion, I believe that Rawls theory of justice gives a better explanation as it is more accurate, I see this theory as the more applicable of the two to our society rather than that of Hayek’s as his notion of freedom and liberty is too wide and far-fetched for our developing societies. His notion on inequality and giving credit to the countries which are ahead is quite debatable, Rawls however believes in equal distribution of wealth. Rawls believes that if each individual is given the same opportunity then society will be just. Hayek on the other hand believes that each individual’s ability, skills and talent is different thus equality is impossible; this is to some extent true but distribution of state goods should be just and fair. Each individual should have equal opportunity regardless of social class or position. For Hayek an individual should be free to do as he so desires. How applicable would this be to our society? He argues that the government’s role should only to be implement sanctions for an individual’s action if they so believe that this individual has infringed on another’s right. Hayek further makes vague arguments that that the government should recognize and protect private domain and in doing so and that private persons will be given rules as to what the government will do in different types of situation. Again- inequality protruding.

Is There Such a Thing as Bad Art? Essay

Perhaps bad art closes oneself to it. One sees something one doesn’t like, and without giving it a further thought one turns away. Or when one does give it a further thought, one thinks only about how the piece of art was, but not about oneself in relation to it. But is having no response a response within itself. Perchance the judging of art cannot be decided by responses. But rather if one cannot speak negatively of an artistic statement, instead one can only speak of one’s inability to find artistic merit. And therefore, to speak negatively of art is really to speak negatively of one’s own lack of imagination or emotional responsiveness. Or maybe one simply does not understand what the function of art is. However, maybe good art IS only good when it provokes a response. And when one looks back at ones response it is only significant if one notices a change in oneself. Still, these feelings may or may not exist when viewing a piece of art. And if those feelings do not exist it is not because the art is universally bad or good. Instead it is because the piece is bad or good to you. Conceivably art’s sole reason for existence is to provoke emotion. But then what type of emotion? One may see a gory painting that makes one revolt, but is that good art? Is a piece of art only good because it is popular or trendy? And if so then does bad art become good art when it is decided popular. Perhaps a painting is considered good measuring by how much money it costs. Or maybe it can only be considered good by the qualifications of the artist who made it. If so, would a finger painting by a kindergartener automatically be considered bad art while a blank canvas by a distinguished artist be genius? That is if in fact a finger painting can be determined as art at all. What even is art? Is it only considered art if it is on a canvas? Or can art be on the walls of a building in graffiti form? Is doodling in your notebook when bored in Philosophy class art? Or are all these creative forms of expression meaningless because they do not have to professionalism of an art gallery? I can say in confidence that I take a reformed socialist view on this. There’s no such thing as bad art but in return there is no great art either. Everything is subjective. There are billions of people living in different worlds, bad only exists to the person and groups of like people. But to be fair so does good. Perhaps instead of questioning, we should simply just let art be. Acceptance that without yin there would be no yang and without bad there would be no good.