Finals Week Care Package

Theres no doubt that cookie-filled care packages raise the spirits of homesick college students, but when exam time rolls around, stressed-out kids need healthier fare. As the parent of a young adult, you know they may be skipping meals or eating more than their share of pizza and guzzling caffeine when what they need is protein, complex carbohydrates and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Instead of shipping cookies, which send blood sugar soaring and then crashing back to earth, try filling that care package with a few of these instead. Healthy Care Packages Fresh organic fruit, such as apples and tangerines, from your garden, favorite market or a fruit delivery service like the Fruit Guys—theyre a San Francisco-based organic fruit delivery company, known for their workplace fruit deliveries. The DormSnack package includes 16 servings of organic fruit, delivered to any dorm ($49 and up).Spicy chipotle-glazed pecans or other energizing nut snacks.Beef jerky or hard salami.Tasty and satisfying whole-grain crackers, or peanut butter-filled crackers.A small jar of natural crunchy peanut butter and a box of graham crackers.Dried fruit such as apricots, cherries, apples, and more. Also, organic fruit snacks are easy to carry around and eat in a pinch.Instant hot cocoa mix, instant hot soup, instant oatmeal—anything healthy that can be made in a microwave is a good idea.A can of bean dip and a bag of chips.Microwave popcorn or popcorn kernels and plain brown lunch bags, which is cheaper and healthier and without the nasty chemical s or oozing fat: Drop a 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels in a paper bag, fold over the top a couple of times and microwave it for a minute and a half to two minutes.A Starbucks gift card.Biscotti, which offer sweet crunch without a lot of sugar.A mini-loaf of homemade chocolate chip pumpkin bread.Sugar-free throat lozenges, Vitamin C lozenges or Emergen-C packets, along with ibuprofen for sore necks from hunching over a laptop for hours at a time.A DIY set of adorable exam worry dolls that will do the worrying instead.An assortment of teas to calm and relax at the end of a stressful day of studying—chamomile, peppermint, and honey ginger are just a few of the more relaxing teas.A lavender-scented body lotion for the girls is one of the most relaxing scents and is often used during massages. A lavender-scented pillow is a great way to help students who are stressed and have a hard time sleeping—a few deep breaths and theyll be off to dreamland in no time.

Video Games and Sociological Theory Essay - 600 Words

Video Games and Sociological Theory July 22, 2012 Video games have become as pervasive an aspect of our society as television, with many people spending more time playing video games than watching television. There are many perspectives with which to gauge videos games’ effect on society, from a functionalist, conflict or interactionist perspective. (Schaefer, 2011) Each of these sociological theories can provide a different view of video games, how they affect society and the subcultures that develop around them. The functionalist perspective would emphasize the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain its stability. (Schaefer, 2011) A functionalist may point out the manifest functions of video games as a†¦show more content†¦A more in-depth study may look at video games from a Marxist point of view, characterizing the games as a modern day â€Å"opiate of the masses† with multi-billion dollar corporations publishing the games to keep the proletariat occupied and oblivious to their plights. A feminist may cite the standard role of female video game characters as being the â€Å"damsel in distress† and even strong female characters usually being relegated to sex symbol status. An interactionist would study the effect of videos games on individuals, rather than on society as a whole. (Schaefer, 2011) Some things they may study would be any influence the games have on a behavior of a person. Another interactionist aspect would be the effect on families, where, like many things, video games can bring a family together or alienate members. Online multiplayer games now can also allow people to interact with other players from all over the world, being exposed to people and aspects of culture they may never have encountered otherwise. The interactionist may also look at gaming clans, and how the interaction of members affects daily life outside of video games. The sociological interpretations of video games are almost as numerous as the games themselves, and like many aspects of our society can be harmful or beneficial depending on how they are utilized by anShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Television Violence On Today s Society1518 Words   |  7 Pages Aside from video games, there is a multitude of media that today’s youth is exposed to every day. Such media includes social media websites such as Twitter and Instagram, movies, television, and news broadcasting programs. Television, however, plays arguably the largest role in influencing adolescents in today’s society. According to Marina Krcmar and Kathryn Green, â€Å"Viewing of violent television and interest in television violence has been linked to a host of antisocial behaviors such as increasedRead MoreHunger Games Sociology Essay1098 Words   |  5 PagesSuzanne Collins’ novel The Hunger Games and its big screen adaptation follow the journey of a teenage gir l in the dystopian country of Panem. Katniss Everdeen must fight to survive in a game of death against other youth from the twelve districts in Panem. However, The Hunger Games is not just a young adult genre obsession, but also a complex study of the social sciences. The symbolism and plot of The Hunger Games are prime examples of Sociology because they display different societal rules and normsRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Technology990 Words   |  4 Pagesthey do in other activity except for sleeping. The vast majority of young people have access to a bedroom television, computer, the Internet, a video game console, and cellphone†. Although, this can be a great advantage for children it can also be a great disadvantage. The media is a great place where children can learn from educational programs, video games, and others. Young kids can learn literacy, numerical, and social skills. They can learn this from television programs such as Sesame StreetRead MoreEffects Of Video Games On Children Essay1357 Words   |  6 PagesNew Zealand able to identify signs of dependency or addiction in their children due to over use of screen-time from the recreational use of video games? Digital technology and the vast amount of video games have increased the amount of screen time consumption in contemporary New Zealand society. The saturation of smart phones, ipad’s, tablets, computers, game consoles and the Internet are devices with the means of connection to gaming. Many New Zealand families integrate these gaming devices intoRead MoreThe Media s Influence On Society s Attitude Toward Pointing Out An Apparent Ongoing Struggle Between Whites And Blacks1668 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"issues of race and ethnicity can be observed through three major sociological perspectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (237). Interactionism is the first of these theoretical perspectives. According the book, â€Å"†¦some interactionists propose that the symbols of race, not race itself, are what lead to racism†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (237). An example of this might be if an individual whose primary source of news is social media, and whose beliefs are derived from the pictures, videos, and sto ries represented on these common sites, and are assumedRead MoreWeek 1 Sociology Notes1548 Words   |  7 PagesWeek One Assignment Chapter One The Sociological Perspective The sociological perspective provides a specific view of the world. Briefly describe this perspective and the assumptions this perspective is based on. The sociological perspective puts emphasis on the social context in which people live in and how these contexts influence their lives. At the center of this perspective is the question of how groups influence people, especially how people are influence by their society. SociologistsRead MoreEssay on Video Games and Violence1481 Words   |  6 Pagesexpress to in most of these cases they are entertainment media like video games. Now I know there are some who would disagree that video games have nothing to with this about this topic. However as this paper goes deeper in this issue we can finally find out whether video games had influence regardless how powerful it is on gun violence. Throughout this paper we research what type of behavioral and psychological effect video games especially those very heavy gun violence in them, and what we as aRead MoreThe Social Construction Of Gender978 Words   |  4 PagesBerger, as a sociologist responsible for helping create the social constructionism theory, is not just extending an invitation to sociology. He is already explaining how the world can be viewed by people who already are actively participating in society. This consciousness allows the layer of how people participate to be revealed, and under what circumstance do they engage in the discourse. Thinking within the sociological discipline, I reflected upon how I participated in a gendered society. As a masculineRead MorePsychological and Sociological Theories of Domestic Violence Essay1674 Words   |  7 Pagestheir victims (Gosselin, 2005). Due to the complexity of this crime, many criminologists and socialologists have studied its causes and the effects in order to determine social policies and additional theories to better understand the causation of domestic violence. The social policies and theories that are developed from this research can better explain, educate, and assist the victims of domestic abuse, the judicial system, and law enforcement on how to gain a clearer understanding regarding theRead More VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA Essay782 Words   |  4 Pagesthe caves men, but only recently has television lifted its ban on the graphic depiction of violence. American children and adolescents are being exposed to increasing amounts of media violence, especially in tel evision, movies, video games, and youth-oriented music. Video game violence, childrens cartoons, and music lyrics have become increasingly graphic. In movies, action films depict vivid precise murders, rapes, and assaults; with each sequel, the number of deaths increases dramatically. Although

Definition and Examples of Verbal Paradox

Is Kart Caselli a Hero - 1725 Words

Hero to All Who Knew Him A person whom is looked up to and inspires just by possessing the overwhelmingly powerful personality that so many desire, yet can never achieve; it’s similar to a gift given when born that graces them from that moment forward. Heroism can be based off something of a personality trait, or something that makes a person the naturally whole type of person they are. The word ‘hero’ can have many different types of meanings and connotations that can come with it but the best definition to fit the legacy of the late Kurt Caselli is as follows: â€Å"A man who is idealized for possessing superior qualities in any field† which defines Caselli in all ways and directions; backwards, forwards, sideways, and upside down (dictionary.com). Kurt Caselli was one that hung his head high no matter what the circumstances and always emerged on top, and in the process was affecting the lives of thousands of young and old followers alike with inspiration to be the best and â€Å"be remembered as a person, not a racer† (personal quote from Kurt Caselli). Caselli should be considered a hero because of his determination to perform, appeal to crowds, and just be an all-around good friend to lend out a helping hand when needed. He has touched the hearts and souls of many, even though still believed he was a little guy, just like every other ‘average joe,’ but for those he left behind, whether on the trail or in life, he left an effect that would never be lost. Living life and making

Strategic Evaluation Document for Boots Free Essays

string(91) " over time is also providing Boots with a new view of its traditional products categories\." | Strategic Evaluation Document for Boots| e-Commerce| Words: 4,998| Ei Cho Mon| MCC Training Institute, Yatanarpon| | Contents 1 Management Summary3 2. Introduction4 3. Strategic Evaluation6 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Evaluation Document for Boots or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1 SWOT analysis6 Strength6 Weakness6 Opportunity7 Threats7 3. 2 PEST analysis7 Political7 Economic8 Social8 Technology8 4. Impact of IS9 5. E-Marketing Strategy11 5. 1 E-Marketing strategy I will advise the organization to adopt11 5. 2 The value proposition and differential advantage of this strategy11 . Legal and ethical issues13 7. Conclusion14 8. References15 1 Management Summary As an experienced consultant, I have been invited by Boots Senior Management. I need to put together a strategic plan based on the evidence supplied. The Management is also seeking a thorough investigation into the analysis of the impact of the new system on the culture and the productivity of the organization. I produce a management report title by â€Å"Strategic Evaluation Document for Boots†. In this report, I investigate the impact of the new IT/IS system on the culture and productivity of the organization and also I identified the evidence that corroborates, or falsifies the claim that the new system has delivered value and provided the organization competitive advantage that Boot’s management were seeking. Boots is a retailer company that launched Advantage Card base on the result of recording purchasing patterns and customers’ behaviors. Boots already have analysts and marketers and also the database system exist too. But Data didn’t flexible and also query response times are taking so long. Therefore, Boots managed Customer Data Analysis System (CDAS) by using the help of IBM. After using this system, the problems are nearly solved. Boots want to gets customer to use their brand all over their lifetime. So, it intends to make Campaign Management System. In the future, Boots’ valuable customer will purchase Boots product peacefully and happily. To achieve all of this, Boots’ analysts try to research all possible ways of marketing strategy, legal and ethical issues. It is a bit difficult to research the big company system but I try my best to collect all require data and information. 2. Introduction Boots is the long life retailer that stands as a private limited company. Its main marketing environment is the Toiletries, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Beauty, and Photography. Boots also have a strategy for their market. But for the company’s growing team of analysts and marketers, it is driving to change its strategy as a customer-centered view from the traditional product category focus according to the information on purchasing patterns. According to the result of strategy manager, Boots have the loyalty data related with customer for a real impact on the business. To fulfill their plan of changing company’s culture, Boots intend to make Advantage Card for their customers. Advantage Card plan is depend on customer behaviors for Boots. So, they research extensive trials for two year in the Norwich and Plymouth areas. These trials tested out the reward levels and had begun to identify what card holders wanted from Advantage Card plan. Boots targets women as the majority. For this time, Boots want heir scheme different from the others. So, they focus to give ‘treats’ to card holder customers. Customer will be rewarded with a personal item that they would not normally buy for themselves. This scheme got a good result for Boots because its sales growth is even greater than expected in two years. Boots invested around ? 25 million for Advantage Card including database in first year to get a significant sales growth that was an important part of the rational for the scheme. Boots more value the records that focus to consumer behavior which can reveal the buying patterns. To get these valuable records, Boots use sophisticated data management and analysis tools. The grower the customer database, the greater the result of boots will be. Boots’ IS team and the marketing department researched thoroughly the available options for the new customer analysis system even though it is a long-established customer of IBM. But IBM can offer a complete solution and the retail experience of their support team to Boots. So, database project started at 1997 and project went well. But it is very much state of the art technology and IT is also difficult for everyone at first. After researching more than 2 years about individual card holder transaction records and a selection of non-card holder sales records, the size of the database was larger and larger. Therefore, Boots wanted to get the right structure database with maximum flexibility and also it can achieved to store data at the lowest level of granularity for user to build it up to any level they require during analysis. Commercial analysts can also have rapid real time access to all of the data without having to make special requests on IS support. The database structure should be to support the analytical process. To fulfill all the requirements, Boots decided to use Customer Data Analysis System (CDAS) by giving advice from IBM. According to the support of this system, most queries response times were 30 times faster than before even though the database has reached 1. 200 GB. Because of this, the analysts of Boots were delighted. CDAS includes IBM’s intelligent Miner for Data being used for more advanced data mining such as segmentation and predictive modeling. Analysts are more interests in the behavior of groups of customers. They use market basket analysis to provide insight into the product purchasing repertories of different groups of customers. By using the advantage card data, the insight team has been able to identify four groups of promotion buyers. They are:The deal seekers (ever buy promotional lines), Stockpilers (bulk buying and then don’t visit for weeks), Loyalists (revert to their usual buying patterns),New market (buy items on promotion, continue to purchase same product). By using the result of analysts, marketers can understand what they are achieving via their promotions, rather than just identifying the uplift. Analyzing market basket trends by shopper over time is also providing Boots with a new view of its traditional products categories. You read "Strategic Evaluation Document for Boots" in category "Essay examples" Boots builds up its understanding by combining data from a number of customer dimensions: RFM (Recency, Frequency and Monetary value) analysis enhanced with profitability. Boots managed Boots relationship marketing programme enabled by the Advantage Card. To fulfill this relationship marketing, Boots is planning to make Specific campaigns system. This system will provide customer-center view technique. Campaign management system is based on CDAS development by IBM. By integrating campaign management system within the analytic environment of CDAS become the main strengths of Boots. 3. Strategic Evaluation Boots is a retailer company in United Kingdom. Boots marketing strategy change from the traditional product category focus to a customer-centered view. Boots already launched Advantage Card to fulfill customer requirements. By recording consumer behaviors in database, Boots collect the source data for their strategy. This technique is useful for Boots but database size is larger and larger and also data doesn’t flexible. The users, analysts took a long time to research require data. So, this becomes one of the problems for Boots. By using Customer Data Analysis System (CDAS), Boots can solve this problem. One of the purposes of Boots is to change Loyalist customer to New Market and to remain New Market customer as Loyalist. The later, Boots also want to create Campaign Management System to give pleasurable shopping to loyal customer of Boots. To complete these purposes, Boots need to consider the organization’s current position by using SWOT and PEST analysis. 3. 1 SWOT analysis Strength * Launching Advantage card scheme- This is a very valid vision. It can improve Boots sales growth and also can get the trust and respect from customers. It can also supply a loyalty market environment. Real time access over CDAS- It can reduce the time that will take to ask special requests on IS support. By having real time access, analysts can analyst consumer data more effectively. * Making Brand Loyalty over customer- Customer loyalty is one of the important parts for Boots marketing strategy. Having loyalty customers supply Boots to create strong business environment. For an instant, a sho pper visiting Boots once a fortnight and buying nappies is probably buying from a number of supply sources whereas one calling at the store twice a week probably gets most of her baby’s nappy needs from Boots. This increases nappy sales. * Customer Focus- Boots pride itself on developing experience retail and wholesale teams which manages their respective areas. By doing this, Boots creates an internal management system, managing customers purchasing habits. Weakness * Treats – Rewarding Treats to customer can be pleasure but too much treats can make customers annoying and also become careless vision for Boots products when treats are repeat and repeat. * Large stores overwhelm small stores – Branching a group of stores in particular geographical area can provide Boots customer to buy boots products any time, any where. But large stores are more persuade customer than the small stores. So, it will be a waste of store, staff, money and time. E. g. Boots large store and small store are together in the same area, and then customer will go to large store and ignore small stores. * Cannibalization – Customer behaviors can supply Boots analysis a lot but customer manners can change. If it comes out like that, that will be a big damage for Boots. For example, when boots produce a new and similar products, customer only buy these new products and never return to his/her original products. CDAS – This system can almost fulfill the requirements of database system but it also has a weak point. When analysts analyst the result of recording data, there can be different point of view to make decision. Sales growth conversion can appear also. * Time delays can be caused at the Point of Sales due to updating of points into card. Opportunity * Campaign management system – This will be a good opp ortunity for Boots. By planning campaign management system, Boots can persuade customer according to seasons, holiday and festival. Boots Gifts Christmas TV show launched in December is a good example of this. This will give customer’s peace and earn extra points. * Relationship marketing – By making customer to become lifetime customer, boots will get a valuable customers of the future. Relationship marketing can give personal or emotional connectivity to Boots customer. By giving direct mail to valuable customer will be an example for this. * From Loyalist to new market – this will also be a good opportunity. If loyalist customer changes to new market, boots products point of sale growth will increase and also boots need to maintain new market customer as loyalist. For an instant, Customer buy skin care products often buy hair-care products in promotions and then Customer continually buy both skin care products and hair-care products. * 4% growth – quantifiable growth rate in second year Threats * Customer personal data usage – This can suffer customer personality by recording consumer purchasing data. * Competition – there will also be other companies that will use the same techniques and strategies. * Loss of revenue – promotion will get revenue in average. If deal seekers and stockpilers involved then that will be damage to point of sales system. E. g. When Boots promote bodycare products, deal seekers and stockpilers bought these more then promotions will meet fill. * If Loyalist customers get multiple treats then it will be co placement and also overwhelm options for repeat purchase as new market. 3. 2 PEST analysis Political * Toiletries and pharmacy market are the market provided the basic requirements of daily life so that this can’t affect Political directly. But making a promotion system will directly relate to Political. If Country policy changed, then promotion techniques will be unstable conditions. * Planning Campaign management system will also directly imply Political. For example, Boots plan to produce new Christmas TV show but policy change than it will be a failure. * Advantage Card can also affect on political. Advantage card scheme based on customer behavior so policy changing can be imply to reduce or improve sales growth of Boots business strategy. Economic * Rewarding treats may be a good idea for promotion. But sometimes too much rewarding treats make affects to Boots promotion system. * Boots launched Advantage Card scheme in 1997 and this will be a great future for Boots as this development is more efficient and reliable for most customers. Investigating ? 25million over database system will be an important part of the rational for Advantage Card Scheme. It already had great profit in first year. So, sophisticated data management and analysis tools can give Boots a big effort. Social * Relationship marketing system will change according to the culture of people. This can affect Boots’ sales growth. * Discussing basic customer demo graphic data (such as age, gender, number of children and postcode) to expend business environment can affect Social. Sometimes, customers don’t like to tell their personal. Targeting geographical area to open a group of Boots stores led to a greatly improved understanding of the role different stores play within that area. Technology * Customer Data Analysis System (CDAS) is one the main techniques for Boots database system. It can reduce time and cost. * Analyzing market basket trends by shopper over time is also providing Boots with a new view of its traditional product categories. * Real time Access – This can improve analysts’ analyzing system more rapidly. By using this, can reduce time to requests on IS support. 4. Impact of IS Both Science and technology are already developed and also technological innovations develop along already. It results to the emergence of new equipment and gadgets. For all big or small company, technology transports both intangible and tangible advantages to turn into cost efficient and to get together the growing orders and requirements of customers. Technological advances change business efficiency, traditions and relationship between employees, clients, suppliers and customers. The type and quality of technology used influence the security of classified business information. All big and small companies depend upon computers to achieve their administrative works when the trouble brought by organizational tasks, like inventory, bookkeeping and records keeping. Because of producing Internet and online social networking sites reduced the costs of business operations. One advantage of it is to become more useful and easy for companies to use Six Sigma management methodologies. Some firms changed to outsourcing rather hiring their own personnel between the low costs correlated with it. According to the huge impact of technological innovations to companies, it will be impossible for them to live with it. Advantages of Technology to Business: * Customer Relations. Technology concerns the way companies correspond and create relations with their clients. In a fast moving and business environment, it is crucial for them to interrelate with clients frequently and rapidly to expand their trust and to attain customer reliability. By using Internet and online social networks, firms cooperate with consumers and respond all their queries concerning the product. Launching useful communication with customers not only produces connection with them, but it also creates strong public image. It permits business enterprises to decrease and to slice carbon dioxide emissions. * Business Operations. Amid the exercise of technological improvements, business owners and entrepreneur understand their cash flow better, how to manage their storage costs well and enables business to save time and money. * Corporate Culture. Technology lets employees communicate and interact with other employees in other countries. It establishes clique and prevents social tensions from arising. * Security. Modern security equipment enables companies to protect their financial data, confidential business information and decisions. * Research Opportunities. It provides a venue to conduct studies to keep themselves ahead of competitors. It allows companies to virtually travel into unknown markets. * Corporate Reports. With technology, business enterprises communicate effectively with their branch offices to deliver quality financial and operational reports. Disadvantages of Technology to Business Unemployment – While information technology may have streamlined the business process it has also created job redundancies, downsizing and outsourcing. This means that a lot of lower and middle level jobs have been done away with causing more people to become unemployed. * Privacy – Though information technology may have made communication quicker, easier and more convenient, it has also bought along privac y issues. From cell phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge. Lack of job security – Industry experts believe that the internet has made job security a big issue as since technology keeps on changing with each day. This means that one has to be in a constant learning mode, if he or she wishes for their job to be secure. * Personal Touch – Technology streamlines business processers, but in order to do so, it often displaces the personal touch of business (e. g. getting an automated service instead of a phone representative when calling a company. ) * Commonness – The commonness of a technology in business tempers the disadvantages of that technology to some degree. For instance, since so many companies use the Internet, network specialists are very familiar with how to fix issues of network security, speed and connectivity. Boots culture also has significantly changed over the years. In the early years boots had its own its structure which basically dealt with all IT needs. Consequently, boots has realized that over the years it can improve on its IT infrastructure, granted that the company boost its pride on consumer satisfaction. Boots launched its Advantage Card scheme by researching in Norwich and Plymouth areas between two years trials. According to these trials, reward levels are tested out. This had begun to identify what card holders wanted from the scheme. Boots total invest ? 25 million to both Advantage Card and database. For boots, a significant slaes growth was an important part of the rationale for the scheme. Boots already have IS team and database. Boots is a long-established IBM customer. Before the implementation of available options for the new customer analysis system with IBM, Boots’ IS team originally researched it. IBM can give the real value during the solution development cycle. The database project started in 1997 and the project generally went well. But it is very much state of the art technology and it give a lot more painful at times than expected. At first, IT is very uncomfortable and so no one wants to use it. After using this more than 2 years, card holder transaction records and a selection of non-card holder sales records that provides card holder behavior are increased and increased. The size of the database was going to be a challenge for performance. Analysts want database flexibility, rapid real time access to all of the data without having to make special request on IS support. It was necessary for Boots to restructure their ongoing out sourcing deal with IBM. The company’s main aim for the improvement in its IT sector, is to focus on how it can improve its customer relationship, decreasing its IT operational cost and improve on its delivery capabilities. To fulfill this, Boots create CDAS according to IBM’s DB/2 UDB database under AIX. After 18 months the database has reached 1,200 GB but most queries take a few minutes to run. Boots customer insight strategy team runs 23 full-time analysts. Finally, Boots plan to manage Campaign Management System to provide customers’ peace of mine. . E-Marketing Strategy E-Marketing Strategy is a major part for every kind of business. By using e-marketing strategy, there are many aspects to be a successful business. The e-Marketing Strategy is normally based and built upon the principles that govern the traditional, offline Marketing. E-marketing strategy is significant as with any strategy to recogn ize. Finding the business environment is also the important part such as intentional groups, originating massage, choosing the right media, tools and services. Thinking based on strategy is also an essential part. Therefore will I look into the; â€Å"how†, â€Å"what† and â€Å"why† of e-marketing, remote the advantages and pointing out how it varies from traditional marketing and communication methods and how knowledge about communication and marketing theories, technology tools, innovation and creativity can assist an enterprise to advance its e-marketing. E-marketing strategy in this term paper represents the whole thing from the conceptualization of a full e-marketing strategy, during to the completion of a range of methods, tools and services needed to make that strategy a reality. A defined e-marketing strategy should explicitly identify the business goals which e-marketing efforts support the enterprise to achieve. 5. 1 E-Marketing strategy I will advise the organization to adopt There are four targeting strategies that E-marketers mostly select. * Mass marketing (undifferentiated targeting) – when the firm offers one marketing mix for the entire market. * Multi-segment marketing – when a firm selects two or more segments and designs marketing mix strategies specifically for each. Most firms use a multi-segment strategy. * Niche marketing – when a firm selects one segment and develops one or more marketing mixes to meet the needs of that segment. * Micromarketing (individualized targeting) – when a firm tailors all or part of the marketing mix to a very small number of people. In this case of Boots, the best e-marketing strategy will be to pursue Multi-segment marketing, by dividing into many sub-markets from bigger markets and an organization chooses different marketing strategies to reach each sub-market it targets. The reason of choosing this strategy is because Boots offer multiple products within a larger product category for consumer. For an instant, the main category, Toiletries, there are many kinds of products such as Hair care, Hair Accessories, Tooth brushes, Tooth paste, etc. 5. 2 The value proposition and differential advantage of this strategy There are different segmentations of marketing strategy that I chose. They are Geographic segmentation, demographic segmentation, Behavioral segmentation and Psychographic segmentation, etc. All of these segmentations focus on customer center view. For analysts and marketers of Boots, this strategy will probably apply effectively. Geographic segmentation divides the Boots market into regions characterized by climate, population and cultural differences. This type of segmentation often occurs naturally. For example, Boots produces Suncare of Beauty products and it won’t advertise in the middle of December. However, some geographic segmentation strategies are deliberate: Boots will produce Beauty products in different countries based on cultural tastes. This segmentation strategy can provide Boots effectively when promotions come. Demographic segmentation divides the market into groups based on age, family, income, occupation, education, religion and many other variables, For example, Children clothing from Boots only target on children and mother and target higher income families. Demographic targeting is so specific that marketers have developed acronyms for certain markets; for example, Drinks stands for double income, no kids. Most tactical plans in marketing involve demographic segmentation. Boots really need this segmentation for researching of purchasing patterns and customer behaviors. Behavioral segmentation focuses marketing efforts on consumers’ researched behavior toward the product. For example, if most consumers purchase a product during the Christmas holiday season, behavioral segmentation would encourage heavier marketing in the time leading up to that season. In addition to specific occasions like holidays, other variable include usage rate for the product, the benefits consumers seek from the product and consumers’ status as a first-time or card holder. This segmentation will effect at Campaign Management system. Marketers who distribute activities, interests and opinion (AIO) surveys are conducting research for psychographic segmentation, which alters marketing strategy according to consumers’ lifestyle preferences. This method of segmentation is useful when Boots wants to make its brand’s image more appealing to specific consumers. By discovering the values and attitudes of consumers who most frequently use the product, Boots can improve their public relations strategies and build brand lyalty. Multi-Segment Marketing helps companies achieve stronger positioning. Positioning is creating a distinct perception in customers’ mind about what makes Boots products different and better. Having more narrowly defined segments makes it easier for marketers to deliver effective messages that convey the benefits and value desired by that distinct segment. By breaking customers into defined segments, Boots can remove prospects from consideration when selecting media for message deliver. Messages delivered to people not in a given segment have little business benefit and wastes money. Segmenting markets and selectively distributing marketing messages improves the value of the message. Carefully and accurately defined market segments can gives a competitive advantage over competitors. Essentially, Boots that best understands what makes customers unique within a segment, and different from one segment to the next. By better knowing customer segments, Boots is most likely to deliver an effective value proposition that entices the customer to Boots brand. Boots can perform more targeted research to learn more about customers and deliver messages that best match their brand strengths to their needs and wants. If Boots is planning camping system, for instance, presenting an add in an outdoor or adventure magazine might make sense given likely interests of the business market. Selecting the best media class and vehicle to deliver Boots marketing messages is crucial to efficient marketing. Market segments are known for utilizing certain types of media more often. 6. Legal and ethical issues As a long range business company, Boots need to consider Legal and ethical issues. Legal and ethical issues are directly affect business strategy, and how business deal with challenges involving government agencies, legislation, or the press. Ethics is a branch of philosophy and according to the â€Å"Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, â€Å"business ethics is the branch of ethics that considers moral activities in a commercial enterprise. In practice, businesses are looking for policies that ensure legal compliance and confidentiality, examine diversity and management issues, and encourage employee honesty. In these legal and ethical issues, minimizing the privacy issues of organization is an important part of Business Company. That guideline is very useful in Boots because Boots marketing strategy is based on customer data and purchasing pattern. If the important data are spreading to the other rival company, this will cause a big scratch for company. So, Access to personal information should be limited to individuals that have proper authorization. Individuals should be able to review their records and correct any inaccuracies. For instant, allowing all users to read, write and edit every part of organization can occurred data lost and data copyright. So, this way will be save ethical issues. Boots also use internet to give information, promotion message to its valuable customer. By using internet is very supportive for business but the raise of the Internet has brought forth many new legal issues. For instant, Cybercrime, a term for illegal acts that occur online, includes â€Å"phishing† and identity theft. â€Å"Phishing† occurs when an official-looking email, usually spam, asks for a user’s private information. To prevent this, there must be a well-defined purpose for collecting and maintaining the Internet user data and also only the data that is needed for the specified purpose should be collected. To protect Data of business organizations, US produce Selected US Data Protection Laws. They are: * Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act requires websites to get parental consent before collecting personally identifying information from children 13 or younger. * Graham-Leach-Bliley Act- requires notice and â€Å"opt-out† consent before financial business may sell or share consumers’ financial information. * HIPAA – protects the privacy of health care information by medical providers and insurers. * ADA – limits access and requires employers to protect the confidentiality of disability-related information. Above laws are very essential for all organizations and already fit for Boots business. By using these laws for company, organization system will be secure to the gathering, processing, distribution and use of information on the Internet. 7. Conclusion Finally, is is a summary report based on the expert study required from the management of Boots. In this report, I consider strategic evaluation by using SWOT and PEST analysis. Both analyses for Boots are really useful for considering the organization’s current position. For example, In Strength, Launching Advantage card scheme- This is a very valid vision. It can improve Boots sales growth and also can get the trust and respect from customers. It can also supply a loyalty market environment. For weakness, Treats – Rewarding Treats to customer can be pleasure but too much treats can make customers annoying and also become careless vision for Boots products when treats are repeat and repeat. In PEST analysis, investigating ? 25million over database system will be an important part of the rational for Advantage Card Scheme. It already had great profit in first year. So, sophisticated data management and analysis tools can give Boots a big effort is sample for Political. In my report, I already use Four (4) E-Marketing Strategies. Mass marketing (undifferentiated targeting),Multi-segment marketing, Niche marketing, Micromarketing (individualized targeting). For Boots, I chose Multi-segment marketing because of its segmenting strategies are the most suitable for Boots. Finally, Boots has done so far with developing a loyalty card scheme to collect data then analyzing them by using the CDAS system is a excellent basis for the understanding the consumer behavior in order to implement recommended e-Marketing strategies to raise the generally long term sales growth. 8. References http://www. azpublishing. org/articles/hd/index. php? =disadvantages+of+relationship+marketing : 12:28 AM 11/20/12 http://www. strategicdriven. com/marketing-blog/bid/78310/5-Benefits-of-a-Relationship-Marketing-Strategy : 12:29 AM 11/20/12 http://www. boots. com/en/Photo/Digital-Cameras/ : 12:29 AM 11/20/12 http://ezinearticles. com/? e-Marketing-Strategy:-7-Dimensions-to-Consider-%28the-e-Marketing-Mix%29id=21976 : 1:04 AM 11/20/12 http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Supply_and_demand : 1:51 AM 11/20/12 http://www. slideshare. net/RuneHaugestad/emarketing-strategy : 3:26 AM 11/20/12 Rune Haugested, e-marketing strategy, rune_haugestad@yahoo. no, Oslo University College http://www. nowthis. com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/targeting-markets/develop-marketing-strategy/: 4:09 AM 11/20/12 Decision Analyst; Market Segmentation; Jerry W. Tomas Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Research on Market Segmentation Variables (PDF); Wei He, Yingzi Liu : 8:19 AM 11/20/12 Business Dictionary: Market Segmentation Definition Strategic Marketing Segmentation: Four Benefits of Market Segmentation Strategic Marketing Segmentation: Market Segmentation: Media http://www. ehow. com/info_8124974_effects-market-segmentation. html http://www. ehow. com/info_8406701_market-segmentation-variables-characteristics. html How to cite Strategic Evaluation Document for Boots, Essay examples

Elizabeth And Luther WorldShakers Essay Research Paper free essay sample

Elizabeth And Luther: World-Shakers Essay, Research Paper Elizabeth and Luther: World-shakers Our society favours conformance over rebelliousness. We would instead obey than inquiry authorization. We prefer passiveness to activism. But who helped determine our universe, who moved people to action, who prompted reforms? Those who went against the flow, who took the hazards, who remained true to their strong beliefs. They were the 1s that changed society and made a grade in the history of world. Martin Luther, spiritual reformist and Elizabeth I, Queen of England are among those whose names equaled rebelliousness and reform. Both non-conformists themselves, Luther was the leader of spiritual reforms in the sixteenth century while Elizabeth # 8217 ; s accession marked the great era of English history. Like Luther who dared to oppugn the authorization of the influential Catholic Church, Elizabeth severed ties with Rome and restored Protestantism as England # 8217 ; s official faith. Luther had to postulate with the resistance from Catholics and so was Elizabeth who was marred by Catholic challenges and secret plans throughout her reign. We will write a custom essay sample on Elizabeth And Luther WorldShakers Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One of the troubles experienced by Elizabeth in regulating the English province was the bias against adult females swayers. It would hold been hard for her to win the support and the cooperation of work forces in regulating efficaciously. Elizabeth # 8217 ; s refusal to get married was another mark of her incensed character, declining to portion power with a hubby. Like Luther she chose to step the route less traveled by even if it meant being entirely. Luther interrupting off from the Catholic Church was like # 8220 ; contending over windmills # 8221 ; , so was Elizabeth # 8217 ; s interrupting off from the established monarchal tradition. Luther and Elizabeth possessed the bravery of their strong beliefs. They did what they thought was right to make even when it meant considerable oppo sition. Although Elizabeth was known to hold summoned the most figure of parliaments, she undauntedly ended the Sessionss when she did non like the parliament’s advice. Luther who himself was an appointed clergy attacked the corruptness of the mediaeval church and went on to agitate its authorization. Their capacity to move harmonizing to their rules affirms the strength of their characters. Very few people chose to follow their Black Marias like Luther and Elizabeth for fright of rejection and failure. They â€Å"made the route by walking through it† on their ain. The blessing of people around them was non really necessary to move on what they believed in. Elizabeth was really much attuned to the issues of her land even before her accession to the throne. This allowed her to convey approximately reforms, which were good and pertinent to her components. Luther # 8217 ; s reforms focused straight on certain church philosophies to which he himself was knowing of. Bing immersed into their specific worlds allowed them to progress their causes. After all, it is merely in confronting the job forthrightly that you are able to work out it. Both saw a higher ground for what they tried to carry through in their clip. They did non seek to differ for interest of being disagreeable. They were clear of the higher causes of their actions and so they were extremely motivated to weather through bolder classs. Luther # 8217 ; s influence lives on in the spiritual universe and Elizabeth # 8217 ; s 45-year regulation resolutely shaped the England of today. Two people, Elizabeth and Luther, were on one manner or another groups, risk-takers or controversial figures who helped determine our society and made our universe today much richer. Bibliography History of Mother Europe And the U.S. # 1 Pual Zeigler Louis Salveri Kenneth Moyniham Johon McClymer

Strategic Management Cases Amazon.com

Question: Discuss about the essay on Strategic Management Cases for Amazon.com? Answer: Introduction: It is seen that online market is proving to be new ground of excellence where many businesses are trying to put their hold on. It is necessary for every business be it a big or small retailer to have a knowledge and plan its strategies well to survive in the highly competitive market today. Big online market giants like Amazon also face many challenges in the course of its operations. There are few models that can be applied for analysing the opportunities and the areas where it is needed for a business to improve to stay in the market. A well maintained supply chain with a strong base of suppliers and loyal customers can make any business flourish in any market. Critical discussion of the strategic models from the evidences: Analysing the porters value chain in relation to Amazon: Porters Value Chain: Porters value chain is a process based analysis of the organisations functioning that includes the systems of input from the sources and the processes till the finished goods are reached to the consumers. Value chain takes into consideration the each system or process that is necessary for the organisations to have a competitive advantage in the market. Values are determined based on the activities that may be internal or external that helps the organisation in a better functioning. The activities are analysed on the basis of the value that it adds to the organisational functioning and performance. This model states that the factors are to be analysed in a systematic manner so that the organisation can manufacture articles that consumers will buy. It is required for every organisation to implement the processes in an organised manner to provide for efficient manufacturing. The company focused here is Amazon.Co.Uk, one of the largest online retailers having various operations that make it the market leader in customer satisfaction. As online retail business is growing in todays competitive market it is required for the market players to have a systematic approach. There are varied activities identified by the Porters Value Chain that leads the organisation towards building a favourable image among the consumers. As per the porters value chain there are few activities from the process of procuring the materials to delivering of the product to the consumers. The activities are classified as primary and secondary activities according to the Porters Value Chain. The primary activities include the following: Primary Activities: Inbound logistics includes the activities that are important for storing, keeping and distribution of the materials or products internally in the organisation. Amazon being an online retailer has to deal with many vendors. In the annual reports of Amazon in 2014, it was stated that among all the vendors Amazon worked with no single vendor accounted for 10% of the total purchase made on the website. It was also put forward that Amazon did not enter into any long-term contracts or made arrangements with the suppliers so that the availability of the goods can be guaranteed. Outbound logistics deals with the activities aimed at delivering of the materials to the consumers using the different postal and delivery services available (Luchs et al. ,2010). Amazon promises to be a leader in the delivery services to be able to reach the customers on time. Amazon has warehouses near every important location where the demand can be higher. Amazon uses the warehouses to provide for quick and faster delivery to the customers. Cova and White (2010) stated that as the demand of the people is rising so is the need for faster delivery is rising as people if not provided with the material till he has the urge, he will shift to other product. Amazon has partnered with various courier and delivery services to help deliver the products more conveniently and within a shorter span of time. Amazon has about 109 fulfilment centres all across the globe. Amazon aims at providing for an exact delivery time for the goods purchased on the websites. In UK Amazon has eight fulfilment centres to dispatch packages from there to the whole of Europe and UK. Amazon has a value driven approach for its Operations where it wants to increase its value by providing with faster deliveries to the customers in the UK and worldwide. Amazon also launched Prime Now services in London and Birmingham in 2015 to improve the faster delivery option of Amazon (Amazon.co.uk, 2016). Amazon works on the principles of customer satisfaction and it looks to improve its services by providing quality goods at best prices possible. Amazon is specialised in creating a personalised shopping experience for the customers by suggesting them goods based on their purchase history. Amazon has also added the feature of sending personalised gifts to loved ones. Amazon is still the market leader just because it provides for the best services at lower prices than its competitors. Amazon works on the principle of providing customers with better services all the time customers chose it as their shopping destination. Amazon has been a leading organisation in implementing and using the new technologies to provide for a better customer service. Amazon is also a leader in making the latest goods available to the customers as early as they launch in the markets. Amazon looks to provide for new features that can provide for a better shopping experience. In 2014 as per the annual reports i t was evident that Amazon tried to improve the shopping experience for the customers by adding 516 new features and services to their websites in 2014. Amazon also provides for an efficient platform for the consumers to sell their products easily and effectively. Secondary Activities: Human resource is an important factor that decides for the marketing and the market position of the organisation. Amazon has the policy of providing for 95% of fees for an employee to choose his career in any course that is in demand. It is also evident that Amazon had low employee retention although providing for such benefits to the consumers. Amazon has a very effective policy regarding the procurement of materials and storing of the inventory. Amazon has decided not to use physical outlets for delivery and procurement of goods. Teece (2010) was of opinion it has implemented the policy of storing of frequently demanded products and keeping the rest of the goods stored with third parties. These third parties are to supply the goods to Amazon as and when demanded by the seller. This procedure helps the company to cut down its cost of storing and procurement of the merchandises (Slack, 2015). Amazon using this process has considerably reduced the prices of the product as they can cut down the storage and selling cost. Consumers prefer the options that provide for quality products at lower prices and the convenience that companies like Amazon provide to the consumers. The technological environment is updating and changing from day to day; to keep itself updated Amazon has used the latest technologies available to provide for the better experience to the shoppers online. As online retail business has no physical contact with the buyers it becomes important for the retailers to provide for options that can make the customers get a glimpse of the satisfaction they are expecting to get from using the product. Amazon provides for services like looking inside a book before a customer buys a book. Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart (2010) opined that these facilities help the organisation to have a better customer relation building by providing for easy and one-click purchase option. To support an organisation, the importance of a good and effective infrastructure is of utmost importance in the aspect of the serviceability of the organisation. Large websites like Amazon has to maintain a huge server for providing the customers with a smooth and streamlined us er experience while shopping. To maintain such big servers it requires were a well-planned architecture to hold the server and also a team of the skilled employee to handle the data that are being transported regularly through the servers. Analysis of the Porters five forces in relation with Amazon: This model provides for a framework to be followed for building plans and strategies for being competitive in the market. It is seen that there are five major forces that affect the competition the organisation has to face in the due course of its operations. The different forces help the organisation to set its focus on the force that has the capability to build a favourable market for the organisation. If the forces are analysed in a proper way it can help the business to take advantage of the forces that seem to be favourable for the business operation McGrath (2010). The power of suppliers can be said as the dependency of the organisation on suppliers for their operations. The power of the suppliers is high when the number of options as suppliers is less for the organisation to choose from. As in the case of Amazon, the suppliers for goods that are readily available have less power over Amazon. Whereas, goods that are unique to particular suppliers as in the case of high-end goods and designer goods, the suppliers have more power on Amazon. It can also be a challenge for Amazon if the supplier is in itself is capable of setting up its own online supply chain for the customers. Ghazinoory et al. (2011) commented that it happens in the course of function that many new companies emerge in the market that poses a threat to the existing business. As in the case of Amazon the power of the new entrants is relatively low as Amazon has a major market share in the online retail sector. Also, Amazon is a leader in term of the services and variety of options provided to the customers. Amazon has a healthy catalogue of products that make the competitors have less power of control on the business. The only threat that can be seen is online marketplace is comparatively less complex to enter and require less capital. This can facilitate entry of new players in the market and pose a competition in later years to Amazon. Amazon-operations.co.uk.(2016). Consumers are the most important aspect of any business unit that lay the path for success or downfall for an organisation. Consumers today have access to wide range of options available online from where they can choose the best option that is best for them. As the online market is also getting saturated there are many business organisations entering in the market to make their presence felt. As the competition rises so the power of buyers also rises, as they can choose the better option by simply comparing online. Hitt et al. (2012) stated that another disadvantage that online marketplaces have is the lack of physical contact of the product and the buyers. Buyers may prefer to see feel and then decide to buy a product, this is where online giants lose their advantage. And thus, give way to the consumers to have power over them as they have many choices available in the terms of physical outlets. Amazon in the recent times has seemed to face a bit of competition in the terms of another substitute like the EBay that also operates worldwide. But still Amazon has an edge over its competitors due to the trust and reliability that Amazon provides to its customers. Threats from substitutes will continue to be an issue for any business as the market is getting competitive each day. The competitive rivalry has been very significant in the online business as entering in this type of market is comparatively less complex than the traditional markets. Also, the capital investment for setting up physical stores is higher as compared to the online market. This has made many businessmen jump into this market to explore the opportunities of the market. This has made the rivalry in the market grow to a level where the business has to focus on satisfying the customers in a better way than its competitors. Competitors are looking to take the advantage of price discrimination to make customers f ocus on other inline retailers than the Amazon. Analysis of the Strengths and opportunities in relation with Amazon: According to Helms and Nixon (2010), SWOT analysis is one of the most prevalent methods of analysis the opportunities of the business in the present market and look for the threats to take corrective measures. This model is used to identify the threats that the company can face in the due course of its operation. As the online market is easily accessible to anyone, many new players are entering in the market with aggressive marketing policies. Being the threats that Amazon is facing from the competitors it is still accepted as one of the leading online marketplace due to its customer oriented outlook. Amazon being faced with adverse competition from the competitors is proving its ground on the basis of strengths it poses. Amazon features one of the largest operational networks being able to reach customers all across the globe. Amazon has a large network of fulfilment stores from where it operates and sells its goods to a wide range of customers of various provinces. Not only it has a large network for transfer of goods but it also has a wider range of products. The ranges of products that Amazon has provided the customers with a one-stop place for shopping all their required items with convenience. Wheelen and Hunger (2011) opined that having the large network of its own storing and delivery units it can provide the customers with wide range of products at quite lesser price than its competitors. Amazon not only provides for a range of products at lower prices but it also creates for a personalised shopping experience for the customers. It has used various technologies to create for a personalised experience for the shoppers based on their preferences and buying history. The company also provide for career development help and opportunity for the employees. Amazon owing to its widespread distribution centres and the customer oriented outlook has helped it gain an advantage in relation to the threats from the competitors. Every business learns about few weaknesses in the due course of operation of the firm in the competitive market. The financial aspect is an area where Amazon is found to be lacking in the present times as the internet cost and another cost to incur the goods increased. This lead to a decrease in the operating profit of the organisation drastically. These weaknesses can be left behind if the company looks to cash in the opportunities it has in the market at the present time. Amazon has been able to build a favourable image of its operation in the online market and thus it must look to use its reputation to set up new units in other places. Amazon may look to increase its business in the UK as the spending power of the citizens of UK has grown. It can also use the support that government is providing in easing the regulation to facilitate the growth of online retail market in the UK (Xu et al., 2011) Findings from the strategic theories in practical implication Findings from the value chain analysis: From the value analysis, it was evident that logistics plays an important role in the business operation of Amazon. Amazon has a healthy number of storing facilities but still does not have its own delivery house. This has caused Amazon to lose on the advantage of cutting down the delivery cost. It has to depend on third party courier services for delivery of its goods. The prime delivery option available in the UK has put pressure on the cost Amazon has to bear to get the delivery done in such short span of time. The delivery houses generally charge for higher fees for speedy delivery that has made Amazon incur a higher cost for delivery of its goods. Amazon is required to develop and build its own delivery channel for faster and quick delivery all across the UK and another place worldwide. Findings from porters five force analysis: From this model, it was seen that the suppliers are posing a threat to the operation of Amazon. It is needed to set up a strong base of suppliers that can be loyal to the business and help the business achieve competitive advantage in the market. The suppliers are given an option to keep track of their products that are sold even after they are sold to the customers. Amazon has introduced policies to provide for feedback system for the suppliers to let them know their goodwill among the buyers. Another threat that Amazon has to face is related to the physical local retailers who have a better reach of the local customers. But Amazon can deal with this by providing the unique membership policies that provide the customers with extra benefits (Sethuraman et al., 2011) Findings from SWOT analysis: After analysing this model, it was seen that employees in the organisation were facing some kind of issue that were to be taken care of by the company. The challenge was regarding the additional cost that was incurred by the organisation to support for the low employee retention. Amazon needs to build its own delivery house and a strong base of loyal customers that can help the company to save the additional costs. Issue and recommendations provide by an individual in course of the study In the course of the study, it was seen that Amazon was proving its ground even after facing competition from many another firm that has entered in the market. As it is seen that even though the threats Amazon has a reputation in the market, it can be beneficial for Amazon to expand its operations. Amazon can use its build reputation to reach in the markets in other countries where there are more prospects. Also, delivery becomes a problem in areas Amazon does not have physical reach, this makes the customers opt for the local retailer and other local e-retailers whose delivery are faster as compared to Amazon. Amazon must look forward in extending its market reach and market share by providing for faster delivery options to the customers in the UK. Amazon's prime service is such an example that should be spread to other regions too so that people can have the advantage of the faster delivery from anywhere. Also, it can help the company to remain competitive in the market when there are a lot of new online retailers approaching online business. Individual contribution in the analysis of the strategic planning process objectives Skills needed Time Frame Communication within group It was felt that there was a need for an effective communication among the group. I felt I lacked the formal communication skills in the group during the presentation. 1 week Setting of goals It was needed to set a goal that was to be achieved through the planning process that was to be implemented. I felt the goal setting was well planned that made the project successful. 2 weeks Finding the issues The issues that were affecting the functioning of the company was analysed using the various models such as SWOT analysis, Porter's five force model and Porter's Value Chain model. 2 weeks Providing the recommendation Recommendations were provided after the findings were analysed using the above-mentioned models. I found the models were accurate in terms of analysing the different market factors. 3 weeks Action Plan (Kozinets et al, 2010) Conclusion: In this study, the various models like the Porter's Force model and the SWOT analysis are used to analyse the threats the company is facing or may face in the long run. Also, the opportunities available for the company are analysed to recommend the steps that can be taken by the company to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. Amazon being a leader in the online business has a strong customer oriented outlook that has helped the firm to stay on top even when it has to face competitors from many other online retailers. Even though the advantage is with Amazon, it still has few weaknesses that are to be improved by the company to have a better control over the market. Reference list: Books: Hitt, M., Ireland, R.D. and Hoskisson, R., (2012).Strategic management cases: competitiveness and globalisation. Boston: Cengage Learning. Slack, N., (2015).Operations strategy. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Wheelen, T.L. and Hunger, J.D., (2011).Concepts in strategic management and business policy. New Jersey: Pearson Education. Journals: Casadesus-Masanell, R. and Ricart, J.E., (2010). From strategy to business models and onto tactics,Long range planning,43(2), pp.195-215. Cova, B. and White, T., (2010). Counter-brand and alter-brand communities: the impact of Web 2.0 on tribal marketing approaches,Journal of Marketing Management,26(3), pp.256-270. Ghazinoory, S., Abdi, M. and Azadegan-Mehr, M., (2011). SWOT methodology: a state-of-the-art review for the past, a framework for the future,Journal of Business Economics and Management,12(1), pp.24-48. Helms, M.M. and Nixon, J., (2010). Exploring SWOT analysis-where are we now? A review of academic research from the last decade,Journal of strategy and management,3(3), pp.215-251. Kozinets, R.V., De Valck, K., Wojnicki, A.C. and Wilner, S.J., (2010). Networked narratives: Understanding word-of-mouth marketing in online communities,Journal of marketing,74(2), pp.71-89. Luchs, M.G., Naylor, R.W., Irwin, J.R. and Raghunathan, R., (2010). The sustainability liability: Potential negative effects of ethicality on product preference,Journal of Marketing,74(5), pp.18-31. McGrath, R.G., (2010). Business models: a discovery driven approach,Long range planning,43(2), pp.247-261. Sethuraman, R., Tellis, G.J. and Briesch, R.A., (2011). How well does advertising work? Generalizations from meta-analysis of brand advertising elasticities:,Journal of Marketing Research,48(3), pp.457-471. Teece, D.J., (2010). Business models, business strategy and innovation, Long range planning,43(2), pp.172-194. Xu, H., Luo, X.R., Carroll, J.M. and Rosson, M.B., (2011). The personalization privacy paradox: An exploratory study of decision making process for location-aware marketing,Decision Support Systems,51(1), pp.42-52. Websites: Amazon.co.uk, (2016). Amazon.co.uk: Low Prices in Electronics, Books, Sports Equipment more. [online] Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2016]. Amazon-operations.co.uk.(2016). Amazon Operations Careers. [online] Amazon-operations.co.uk. Available at: https://amazon-operations.co.uk/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2016].