Marketing

Write 9 pages thesis on the topic co-branding as a brand strategy. The company is one of the most innovative toy making companies in the market. The sell their products through exclusive Soul Mate stores across The USA and also through some selected retail outlets in the US and Canada. The company is relatively new in the segment. However, it is privileged with the 15 percent market share in the US toy market. The main successful formula of the Soul Mate is the best quality products with the best service in the industry. Soul Mate is having a successful journey for the last four years in the USA and now it is planning to show its supremacy in the international lucrative markets like India and Brazil. The vision of the Soul Mate: The Vision of the company is to be one of the ethically acclaimed leading innovative toy manufacturing companies in the world. The mission of the Soul Mate: The mission of the Soul Mate is to provide high-quality products and services to the prospective customers to gain the trust and distribute the knowledge and happiness among the kids. Soul Mate wants to become the soul mate of the kids forever so kids can cherish their beautiful childhoods. SWOT analysis: Strength: Soul Mate is full of ambition and lust to achieve. The company is having a name which connects to the heart of the kids. The company is there in the market for more than 4 years. It is having its own retail outlets where they sell their products exclusively. The company is equipped with a well-trained research team who are monitoring the new trend in the market. And the main strength is the trust it has built among the kids and the real buyers that is the parents. They have the old toy replacement policy with the exchange with a new one which works like a big strength of the company. Weakness: Weakness is a factor which is most of the time invisible but it is visible after something goes wrong. However, the main weakness is the product range. It is having a product range which is not too long. The product range is consisting of spy gadgets, board games, dolls and scale models and video games. They don’t focus on cars and remote controlled toys. Opportunity: Toy market is not saturated and few big names are there in the industry, so the opportunity is there to be grabbed. Soul Mate has a promising future plan to focus on the unexplored lucrative markets like India and Brazil where people are having high spending habits but they don’t get quality products. Opportunities are waving hands toward the Soul Mate, it just has to react over it. Threat: The product life cycle of a toy is not too long. And with the passing of time, the formation and psychology about the toys are changing very fast. Extinction is one of the main threats. The company needs to be innovative to survive among the highly competitive business world. However, the interactive website is a big problem solver for the Soul Mate Where Kids can Play Demo Games and maybe some free online games which would be licensed under Soul Mate. Product line and the depth and breadth of the line: The product line of the Soul Mate is not too long.

Read: Chapter 3 on the Role of Culture and Chapter 4 on the Economic Impact; plus read the National Public Radio (NPR) article called: The Salmon Taboo. Click here https://www.npr.org/transcripts/729396914 (Links to an external site.). (There is a link to listen, located on the left-hand side of the screen (blue circle with white arrow). 1. Why did the Norwegians want to sell raw salmon rather than cooked salmon? 2. Why wouldn’t the Japanese fish industry executives eat raw salmon? 3. What role does perception play in what we eat? 4. Did the advertising campaigns work to change perceptions and get Japanese eating salmon sushi? Explain. 5. What explains why the younger Japanese generation would willing to eat raw salmon? 6. What is one “take-away” from either of these chapters? Make one connection, in other words, to the readings this week. Reference: Goldstein, J. (2019, June 5) Episode 651: The Salmon Taboo. Retrieved on June 12, 2019 from https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=729396914 (Links to an external site.). Note: The reference above follows the APA style: Author’s last name, initial of first name (date), title. Retrieval date and URL.

The purpose of the presentation assignment is to encourage you to relate your observation on the real-world marketing practices to what you learn in the classroom.Step 1: Pick up one or several related real-world marketing practice(s) you feel passionate about and interested into introducing them to the class. On a lighter note, you relate those practices to a term/concept you learnt or will learn in the course. In some way, your real-world examples help illustrate the idea.Step 2: Develop slides (at least five slides) and a script (i.e., the words you will say to the audience as if you were presenting to the whole class and include the script in the last slide) You are highly encouraged to include visual aids in your slides (i.e., video link, images, charts). The SCRIPT is the words you say as if you were presenting to the class in person. You include your script (font size: 12) in the last slide. Use a slide format (i.e., Powerpoint) compatible with WINDOWS. APPLE only compatible format is not supported here and I will ask you to resubmit. 10% penalty in grades applies. You can Google out how to convert slides to Windows-supported slide format if you were using a Mac machine only.

Assignment: Impact of culture on the international marketing mix Introduction: The standardization vs. adaptation of companies’ international marketing strategy, i.e., the marketing mix comprising of the product, price, place and promotion, has always been a central issue for international businesses. The standardization of marketing strategy involves the offering of identical product lines at identical prices through identical distribution systems and supported by identical promotional programs in different countries. The adaptation of marketing strategy implies the change of any attribute of the product, price, place and promotional policy to fit the particularities of each country about culture, income, consumer tastes and preferences. Quite frankly, almost no marketing mix is only adapted or only standardized. The essence of global marketing is finding the balance between a standardized approach and an adapted one. So, it’s beneficial to envision a marketing mix at different points of a continuum between standardization and adaptation. Most often, adaptation of the product is perceived as necessary to meet the needs and demand of the target market, thus increasing customer satisfaction and overall performance. Outcome: • To be able to define culture with particular attention to a framework by Hofstede. • To be able to research national cultural dimensions. • To be able to draft recommendations for a marketing mix strategy of standardization or adaptation Questions to Examine 1. What are the dimensions of national culture which impact the marketing strategies? 2. How do companies adapt their marketing mix to meet the different national cultures? Read about national cultures Hofstede’s dimensions framework will be used to understand cultural differences across nations and to evaluate the influence of those dimensions on marketing-mix strategies. The dimensions are Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism, Masculinity and Long-term Orientation. Here is the link for Hofstede’s dimensions https://hi.hofstede-insights.com/national-culture(Links to an external site.). Also, check the lecture for Chapter 3 Instructions: Write a one to two-page summary Step 1: Research the cross-cultural differences between countries From Hofstede’s Country Comparison webpage, select a country of your choice and compare it to the U.S. For the link, https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/ (Links to an external site.). Record the Hofstede scores for both countries. Save a copy of the image, too Step 2: Analyze the results. For example, which dimensions are similar, and which are different Step 3: Select a product (perhaps an entrepreneurial idea of yours OR an existing product that has not been exported to your selected country). Cut and paste an image of the product Steps 4. Reflect on whether the product should be exported via the strategy of standardization or adaptation. Explain your response. Review the lecture in Chapter 3 on Hofstede and share some of your initial thoughts on how culture may impact your product in your selected country. Step 5: Read the Power of Color. Also, review International Color Symbolism. (Check out the difference between the U.S. and China about the color white). Given your product and country, would you choose or change the color of the product or packaging? Why or why not? Step 6: How does this assignment connect to Chapter 3? What questions do you have? Step 7: Cite sources and include a list of references, using the APA Style.

Assignment: ForChange: Marketing Effectiveness Analysis: Part 1ForChange is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing about positive social change in communities through programs that promote healthy habits in adults and children. The founders started for change after the Healthy Communities program(https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dch/programs/healthycommunitiesprogram/index.htm) ended in 2012. Since then, the organization has been growing slowly and has recently started to expand its reach through some community efforts and connection to local health fairs and school-sports booster organizations. Some examples of ForChange’s programs include hosting smoking cessation classes at the senior care centers, sponsoring fitness-related after-school programs, and teaching nutrition seminars to new parents. ForChange’s board of directors wants to expand further and see the organization eventually start up new centers that can lead change efforts in other parts of the country and throughout the world. ForChange has a small administrative staff, and the programs are conducted by volunteers. ForChange’s executive director is hoping that the organization can use digital marketing to appeal to volunteer-minded, socially conscious adults between the ages of 25–39. The company leaders are a bit older, however, and feel they need some help and advice for how best to reach this demographic. They are also concerned about approaching their marketing responsibly in a way that will support the organization’s goals to promote healthy families, healthy communities, and a healthy world. They also need some guidance on how best to continually evaluate the success of their efforts so that they can continue to grow, so they contact XYZ Corporation for a consultation to address these concerns.Both parties have an initial meeting to discuss the nonprofit organization’s needs and goals. After that initial discussion, your boss at XYZ, Michael Johnson, determines that there are three main ideas that ForChange needs to focus on: digital marketing, sustainability and social responsibility, and program evaluation. Michael feels that the client should have a further understanding of these topics before he can move forward with them to implement a formal plan, so he asks you to draft a three-part report to address these ideas. Michael provides you with the questions to answer and a template to fill out the report. Your task is to complete the report and present it back to Michael so that he can review and send it to the client.Note: Part 1 of your business report is due this week and Parts 2 and 3 will be submitted as one document in Week 6.To prepare for this Assignment:Review this week’s Learning ResourcesReview the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health Communities Program link in the Assignment description for additional background information.Refer to the Academic Writing Expectations for 2000/3000-Level Courses as you compose your Assignment.Submit Part 1 of your report. The report is based on the following criteria:Part 1: Digital MarketingWhat are three types of digital marketing that are suitable for ForChange? For each type, explain how it can be beneficial to ForChange’s achievement of its goals, and identify any potential drawbacks for each. (225–300 words, or 3–4 paragraphs)Which social media platforms should ForChange use and why? (75–150 words, or 1–2 paragraphs)As the organization considers expansion into other countries, should they use the same strategies for international audiences as for those domestically? If not, how might they adjust their marketing strategy? (75–150 words, or 1–2 paragraphs)

Personnel Survey Results Regarding Gender at Adobo The Scenario You work as the director of operations at Adobo, a major technology company. In the tech industry, market conditions are continually evolving. Your goal is to help the company become an industry leader both in operations and corporate culture. You are mindful of the increasing concerns about diversity and inclusion in the tech industry as a whole and are specifically interested in how Adobo stacks up against other companies in its hiring and promotion practices. Last fall, you sent an email to all Adobo employees asking them to answer specific questions about workplace diversity—specifically regarding gender—at your company. The results of the survey have just been compiled and include the following statistics: Adobo personnel are 63 percent male and 36 percent female (1 percent declined to comment). Forty-six percent of supervisors are female. Sixty-eight percent of managers are male. Seventy-four percent of directors are male. Twenty percent of c-suite positions are held by females. To help gauge how Adobo’s numbers in these areas measured up against its competitors, you pulled some data from other leading tech companies and found that females make up 35 percent of Facebook employees, 33 percent of Apple employees, and 26 percent of Microsoft employees. To increase diversity at Adobo, some departments have examined their hiring practices, and some have implemented communication training. Your Task Write a one-page letter using Times New Roman 12-point font in full-block, mixed punctuation format to all Adobo employees sharing the results of the survey. You may want to applaud encouraging strides in gender-related personnel issues, while also remaining transparent about changes that need to be made in this area. You will need to refer to the article, New LeanIn Study: The Broken Rung Keeping Women From Management (Links to an external site.), to explain more about the broken rung, and what it means for gender relations in your company’s practices in the promotion to management. Take the data from the survey to create a graph that highlights this data in a visual way. Use proper labeling of the graphic and its axis so that it can “stand on its own two feet.” You will also want to come up with a strategy, mission, or committee that will best ensure that diversity and inclusion are taken seriously at Adobo at all levels within the company. Add a goodwill close/call to action at the end of your message. Use the following information to create a letterhead: Adobo 12336 Technology Way, Lehi, UT 84996 (801) 555-6233 [email protected] *View the following video for a great primer on the subject: How the 'Broken Rung' Holds Women Back in the Workplace | NowThis (Links to an external site.) How the 'Broken Rung' Holds Women Back in the Workplace | NowThis *See pages 32–42 for information about how to format the letter styles. Entries will be graded based on the COS rubric on pages 5–7. CHECKLIST Letter does not exceed a page Letter contains a letterhead Letter’s content uses the GDP sequence to organize the information Letter uses full-block, mixed punctuation Microsoft Word’s automatic formatting has been changed to single line spacing with zero before and after spacing Letter contains a graph that highlights the statistical data in a visual way The graph has a title and labels and is explained in the text The letter references the LeanIn Study (no citation required) The letter contains a goodwill close/call to action The letter has been sent to the WSB Writing Lab and has been revised a

Why do you think the world’s largest theme park operator, the Walt Disney Co., was motivated to establish parks in Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong? What particular market characteristics of each of those sites were especially attractive in your opinion? Should Disney establish additional foreign parks, and if so, when, where, why, and how?Your response should be at least 300 words in length.

In Assessment 1 you with others in your group, developed a situation analysis for a selected company in a single geographic marketplace culminating in a SWOT analysis and Issue Identification. This is the current situation that the company is in from a marketing perspective. Based on this situation analysis of your chosen company, you are required to individually reflect on how you would conclude that plan, including develop appropriate marketing objectives, deciding on which markets to target, how to position the product/company, and an outlining overall approach to an appropriate new marketing mix. You need to illustrate the links between the various elements of the marketing plan during this reflection. You must also incorporate business and trade publications and academic literature to support / justify your discussion. Unsubstantiated statements will not provide credibility to your discussion and you may be possibly marked down.

Discussion 1Define the Brand in terms of Marketing.What are Three examples of brands and companies you like and explain why you like those particular brands versus others?Name Three Brands you can’t stand and Why?Convince me to buy one of the Brands you can’t stand by making a marketing pitch.300 Word MinimumDiscussion 21a. When you get your hair cut or go to the stylist, what’s the “core” of what you buy vs. what are the “value-addeds” in the purchase?b. When you go to a consultant? What’s a consultant’s core vs. value-addeds?c. When you purchase Music? What is the core vs. value-addeds for the music?2. Consider one of this purchases: A time-share condo. What elements are tangible vs. intangible? How do the tangible vs. intangible components contribute to your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the consumption?200 words minimum

Notice the problems and the mistakes which were made…sectional issues which resulted in Virginia’s failure to commit to the Market Revolution (explain the “Market Revolution”) and thus failure to close the gap with northern competitors prior to the Civil War? What were the explanations offered for this? What was meant by the phrase “cavalier commonwealth?” So, why was The Old Dominion reluctant to enter the modern age?