Types of exploratory research designs Essay Example for Free

Types of exploratory research designs Essay 2. What type of exploratory research designs would you suggest for each of the following situations? Justify your answers using specific illustrations and examples. a. The research and development director of Louis Vuitton suggests a new type of cologne for men that could be promoted by tennis celebrity Marat Safin. b. The General Manager of Thai Spices Restaurant in Hong Kong wishes to offer customers two new and exciting dinner items that would be a blend of fresh durians, herbs and chicken. c. A retail manager would like to know the popularity of a new brand of dishwashing detergent produced by Proctor and Gamble. a) In developing a research design for this particular situation, it would first be a consideration that Louis Vuitton is not an established force in the fragrance market. Vuitton must enter this field relying on the transfer of its superb reputation in current areas of production to the new endeavour. Can the product be successful? Using the Case Study Method would be suitable in answering this question. It may be advisable to explore the success of other companies who have attempted similar campaigns. For example, Tommy Hilfiger (another fashion designer) has attempted and succeeded in entering this market. It would be worthwhile to analyse the past successes and failures of similar companies and use the information in developing the new product. In the further stages of research it would be effective to use focus group interviews to gauge consumer reaction to the product and its prospective face of endorsement. It must be determined if potential customers feel they would be drawn to buy a fragrance created by Vuitton and what characteristics are important in influencing their purchasing decision (eg. Price, Packaging, Place and Promotion). It would be important to determine how the consumer feels about the promotion of the product by Marat Safin. It  is quite possible for example, that the participants of a focus group may feel that the luxurious, prestigious image of Louis Vuitton may slightly clash with the athletic image of Safin. In which case it would be advisable to use the young, attractive, marketable celebrity image of Safin to promote the product and make no link to Safins tennis career. Examples of this can be seen in the promotion of Tag Heuer watches by Mark Philippoussis. In advertising the products there is no connection made between Mark and tennis. It must also be noted that time must be taken to discuss the particulars of the product itself as products cannot survive on endorsement alone as displayed by the past failure of Michael Jordans cologne. Projective Techniques such as a Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) may be useful to use during the focus group(s). Various visual presentations of Safin and/or the cologne can be made to the participants and feedback can be used in further research and development. As the product research matures and the target audience is now more defined, it would at this stage perhaps be beneficial to conduct depth interviews with potential future customers to provide more direction for the development process. b) The General Manager would benefit from first conducting several experience surveys. Asking informed experts about this particular research problem would be invaluable. It must first be established that the recipes are possible and compatible with the restaurant. Interviewing the head chef regarding this matter should answer such questions. It may then be advisable to ask other chefs from other restaurants for their thoughts and feedback on the matter. For example, durians are notorious for smelling terrible; this factor may lead chefs to suggest the ingredient to be quite unpopular. Finally, if the research process gets this far, it would be advisable to survey the most qualified experts of all; the customer (who is always right and is also the most qualified when it comes to assessing their own appetites). If the experience surveys suggest the addition to the menu to be acceptable it may then be advantageous to gauge consumer reaction before investing large sums of time and money into the project. This may be done with a  simple observational study. For example, offering free samples of the food in question to existing customers will provide valuable insight into popular opinion. c) To gain a better, in-depth appreciation of the marketing environment or consumption behaviour with regard to the new brand of detergent it may first be logical to examine any available secondary data. Analysis of such data may give a very clear indication of the brands popularity. As the product is already in circulation, sales information and other related figures may be extremely useful in determining the brands current market status. Experience Surveys may prove effective in this situation as well. There are many opportunities for experience surveys in this particular marketing problem. Anyone from a company executive to a product merchandiser can provide useful experience and knowledge that can benefit the research. Management can be probed for information obtained overseeing the overall operation of selling the product, whilst sales representatives can be questioned about their experience in dealing with front-line sales. Buying trends can also be measured by interviewing individuals outside the organisation; such as wholesalers and retails who can provide very accurate information and figures regarding popularity (ie. sales). Focus groups can also be used in this situation to measure consumer reaction, indeed focus groups are used in the greater majority of all marketing research. As usual the focus group allows the discovery of new ideas, consumer insight, and hidden motivations. A focus group provides direct, undistorted communication from the consumer to the manufacturer. Thoughts and feelings regarding attributes such as the detergents price, quality and general image can be recorded and used in further development if deemed necessary. REFERENCES David Eccles School of Business [Online], Available: http://www.business.utah.edu/~pmkthl/5 [2004, Apr. 14] McDaniel, C. Gates, R. 2002, Marketing Research, South Western, Cincinnati Zikmund, W. G. 2003, Exploring Marketing Research, South Western, Mason

Tobacco :: essays research papers

So many people are putting their health in danger by this nasty life taking produce. Smoking it's like a deadly disease that you can either choose to have it or not. Choosing not to is the best way to go for you will have better health. Life is so short why make it even shorter. If we could teach people about how smoking can harm your body then we could save many people from being addicted. Not only is smoking bad for you it's also unattractive. Tobacco is highly addictive, and people who have smoked for many years show a higher death rate then non-smokers. Smokers lose an average of twenty to twenty five years of their lives compared to most non-smokers. To all the mothers out there children with parents who smoke have a higher risk of respiratory symptoms and have an increased frequency of bronchitis and pneumonia. Smoking effect many teen they get started at such a young age they don't stop to think about what it might do to them. Many teens underestimate their risk of death or endangering their health and creating an addiction that they will regret. Teens tend to ignore or think they will never get lung cancer or heart problems. Maybe they are thinking they can smoke until they get older, and have kids and a family then stop, but it is not that easy. When a person smokes a tobacco product, they inhale the smoke which contains nicotine as well as over five hundred chemicals. The person gets addicted to the nicotine, they feel as if they need nicotine in order to function normally. Another dangerous substance in smoking is carbon monoxide, which can cause heart problems. Now we all know smoking is bad for your health so lets try to fix the problem. All the little thing will help, like trying to quit, telling people about the risk they are taking or even doing something big. Like banning cigarette advertising and promotion, and sponsorship of Tabasco products like what you see on nascars .

Company Analysis: Wal-Mart Essay

Wal-mart Stores Inc is a United States based company started in 1962 in Arkansas. The company has grown exponentially to open branches in many parts of the world. It operates in three formats: United States based segment, abroad/international segment, and Sam’s Club. Through the three segments, the company owns and runs stores (retail and discount), chains of supermarkets and supercentres, and websites affiliated with the company. In those stores and supermarkets, one can buy foodstuffs, beverages, dairy products, and meat, among many other foodstuffs, electronics, accessories, cloth ware, and many other things. More than retail, the company offers financial services through banks and electronic payments. The company’s retail units are estimated to be around 10,800 all spread in about 27 countries all over the world. Wal-mart Stores Inc. has been listed in top 10 of the world’s 500 biggest companies by Forbes (Fishman 16). An analysis of the company reveals that it is growing remarkably well in spite of the turbulent economic times being experienced in America and many parts of Europe. Corporate and business strategy formulated by the company have enabled it transcend many challenges that have littered its path of progress. This paper will identify the company’s current mission and review its strategies and objectives. The financial status of the company will be analyzed by using financial rations, income data, and balanced sheet data. Additionally, internal strengths and weaknesses will be analyzed using SWOT model. External opportunities and threats will be analyzed using PESTEL and Porter’s five forces model analysis. Based on those analyses, the mission and strategies of the company will be revised. Corporate and business strategies that will enable the company achieve its mission and objectives will be developed and discussed, and appropriate recommendations made. Actions needed to implement the strategies that will be formulated will be outlined. Appropriate long term objectives in areas of marketing, human resources, finance, operations, and information systems will be developed. The results expected will be specified including pro forma financial statements. Lastly, procedural recommendations will be made for strategy review and evaluation. Specific measures to be utilized will be documented. Mission, Objectives, and Strategies Wall-mart growth in recent years has seen it overtake other companies to become the biggest retailer in the world. With a customer base exceeding 200 million customers annually and over 2. 5 million employees, the company’s sales are expected to surpass the $2 billion achieved in 2012 (Roberts, Bryan, & Natalie 14). Low prices and provision of high quality customer care service continue to be the drivers of the company’s growth. The strategies have revolved around attracting and retaining customers by low pricing and great customer care services. The low pricing is achieved by constant pressure on suppliers to lower their prices and redesign all services and products. The company’s mission is summarized in one sentence, â€Å"Save people money so they could live better† (Roberts, Bryan, & Natalie 34). Their objective is thus to lower the prices of their commodities so that customers are happy and satisfied. The low price strategy is premised on the knowledge that large volumes dispensed at a low price will compensate for the lowered price. By putting customers first, the company has survived tough economic times. Through its management strategy, transitions have been achieved efficiently. In recent years, the company has formulated a public affairs strategy that is meant to help it penetrate new markets, in the United States and Internationally. Political climate inevitably determines the success of a company. For that reason, Wall-mart has commissioned a political action committee that is tasked with the responsibility of networking with politicians that will help the company realize its goals in various places around the world. The company has short and long term objectives geared towards maintaining growth. The objectives are aligned to the strategy of low price and customer satisfaction. In the short term, Wall-mart intends to achieve a 95% level of customer satisfaction. In the long term, the company plans to stock all kind of merchandise for diverse customers retailing at low prices. In 2012, Wall-mart launched five central strategies for growth (Roberts, Bryan, & Natalie 24). The first strategy, developing our people, recognizes the supremacy of customers and empowered employees in any business venture. It aims to develop existing talent within the company by use of development programmes. The company also seeks to recruit new talents that are exceptional so as to remain competitive. Towards this strategy, the company plans to partner with Walton Institute and enhance its leadership series so as to produce the next generation of leaders for the company. There are plans to improve diversity and inclusivity in the hiring process. The company has thus committed to champion affirmative action by hiring women and other marginalized groups and investing in their career development. The second strategy is driving the productivity loop. The company aims to lower operation cost so that prices can be reduced further. The third strategy, labeled Wining in Global ecommerce seeks to harness the power of information technology in driving growth. The launch of @WalmartLabs is the precursor to this strategy and there are plans to replicate it in other countries such as Britain and Canada. With a growing online population, the company plans to expand its presence in social media so as to reach as many people as possible. The fourth strategy involves reinvigoration of the customer-centered culture. The growth of the company has been driven by the company and as indicated earlier, there is a strategy to hit a 95% customer satisfaction. The last strategy is directed towards retention of legitimacy and maintaining a good relationship with the society and community around the company’s premises and beyond. Dubbed Leading on social and environment issues, the strategy will drive Wall-marts corporate social responsibility activities. Through philanthropy, educational support, and women empowerment, the company intends to promote and maintain its corporate integrity.

The Standard Of Care Of Counseling - 2083 Words

Counselor professional identity encapsulates the idea of nonstop growth and development within a certified context. To be an effective counselor growth and development is a successive and lifelong process. Work in secular or Christian setting counselors must pay particular attention to the possibility of regarding their development in a form of culture transition. Reality therapy is an effective therapeutic strategy to address many issues, and valuable in treating sensitive problems. As a Christian counselor there will be obstacles, but God’s wisdom and understanding will be our strength and source. Christian counseling is distinct from secular counseling in that it specifically incorporates the spiritual dimension, Biblical truths, and a seeking of God’s will in an individual’s life the standard of care of counseling is to be culturally competent in responding to a client’s life context. Just as, there is a need to be delicate to cultural, racial, ethnic, and gender aspects of a client’s life, there is a corresponding need to be responsive to the religious aspects to the client s life when making therapeutic interventions. Counselors need to be culturally and religiously competent. Client s needs and spiritual disciplines in clinical practice can help define the parameter of appropriate therapeutic care. Reality therapy is a particular approach in psychotherapy and counseling. William Glasser a psychiatrist, developed reality therapy. GlasserShow MoreRelatedEthical Decision Making For Professional Counselors1526 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract In the counseling profession, situations may be come about in the areas of ethical, professional, or legal concerns. New Counselors can become frustrated by the lack of dilemmas they can face in the field of mental health. 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