Discuss the real-world changes that appear to be occurring with respect to media images of women.

For this assignment, locate and read the case study on page 448 of your textbook, “Riding the Plus-Size Wave.” Once you have read and reviewed the case scenario, respond to the following questions, with thorough explanations and well supported rationale.

1. Explain the success that Lane Bryant is currently experiencing in relation to self-concept, self-esteem, and self consciousness. How can the plus-size industry leverage what we know about consumer behavior to address self esteem issues?

2. Discuss the real-world changes that appear to be occurring with respect to media images of women. What are the reasons for this? Compare this to the media images of men.

3. How do you reconcile the greater degree of acceptance of plus-size women with the parallel emphasis our society continues to place on thinness (as evidenced by the billions we spend on diet products, exercise and so on)? Given the health problems associated with obesity (heart disease, diabetes, etc.), should the industry continue to encourage this acceptance?

4. Assuming that Lane Bryant decided to take this globally, what is your recommendation with respect to identifying the correct marketing mix strategies (product, pricing, place, and promotion)?

Your response should be a minimum of three pages, double-spaced, excluding the cover and reference pages. References should include your textbook plus a minimum of one additional credible reference. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations, and cited per APA guidelines.

RIDING THE PLUS -SIZED WAVE

For years, Hollywood and the advertising media perpetuated a stereotypical image of women. As a result, many consumers have the unrealistic expectation that many women are (or should be) poreless, hipless, silken-haired, high-cheeckbones, size ), 20-year-old goddesses. But is this beauty myth finally changing? Companies like Ascena Retail group, parent to plus size retailer Lane Bryant, are doing their darndest to see that it does.

Lane Bryant was founded in 1900 in New York as the first women’s apparel retailer devoted excluslively to plus-sizes. In 2012 they were acquired by Ascena Retail Group, who believes that Lane Bryant’s iconic brand and market leadership will contribute to Ascena’s strategic plan for ongoing growth and profitability.

The future looks bright. The apparel industry defines plus-size as 14 and up-today that includes 62 percent of American women. According to one industry executive, “Peaople are more accepting of their bodies today, and I think there has been a positive influence with role models. Years ago, manufacturers were only interested in making low-end plus-size merchandise because they thought customers were always in transition. Now no longer.”

Lane Bryant is fighting this tide. With a new flagship store in New York City, the company sends the message that it’s not only OK to be plus-size, but that women in this category can be as stylish as anyone. Lane Bryant focuses on en vogue style previously available only to more modest sized shoppers. Their strategy also includes marketing the Cacique brand of plus-size lingerie, which is known for its appealing fit and fashion styling.

Lane Bryant’s sales hit $1 billion in 2012; other retailers are noticing this market and beginning to make a move. One of these companies, online retailerModCloth, reports that their plus-size customers tend to spend 25 percent more per order and they buy 17 percent more items per order than non plus-size customers.

 

Plus-size bloggers are grabbing the attention of other retailers who are also increasing their stakes in the game. H&M, Gap/Old Navy, Target, Land’s End, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Macy’s are among national retailers offering or expanding their assortments of plus size apparel and increasing promotional efforts for this category. In fact, H&M gained media attention recently by casting a size 12 model for a swimwear photo without labeling the photo with the term plus-size. With these industry changes, who knows what the images of women the media and the future will celebrate?

Compare and contrast a four Ps approach to marketing versus the value approach

Compare and contrast a four Ps approach to marketing versus the value approach (creating, communicating, and delivering value). Select and examine these approaches for at least one standard and non-standard problem.  What would you expect to be the same and what would you expect to be different between two companies that apply one or the other approach?

 

Note: Please review my expectations for the assignment.  I expect your response to include 2 or more references from the APUS Library system (failure to include such references will detract from your grade on the assignment), and be presented in APA Format.

 

Deliverable length is a minimum of 2 body pages.

Compare and contrast a four Ps approach to marketing versus the value approach (creating, communicating, and delivering value). Select and examine these approaches for at least one standard and non-standard problem.  What would you expect to be the same and what would you expect to be different between two companies that apply one or the other approach?

 

Note: Please review my expectations for the assignment.  I expect your response to include 2 or more references from the APUS Library system (failure to include such references will detract from your grade on the assignment), and be presented in APA Format.

 

Deliverable length is a minimum of 2 body pages.

Marketing Promotion Quiz

Multiple Choice

 

1.While waiting to be seated at a restaurant, Joylee receives a customer loyalty coupon through an app on her mobile phone for half off a dessert with the purchase of an entrée. This use of a location-based software application is designed to promote which of the 4E framework objectives?

A. Engage
B. Energize C. Excite
D. Experience E. Educate

2.Which type of pricing model for apps prompts/allows customers to make small “micropurchases” to enhance the app itself?

A. ad-supported apps 
B. freemiumapps 
C. in-app purchases 
D. paid apps   E. multi-level apps

3.Especially for marketers with new products or services, IMC is needed because

A.  consumers need to know all about the features of new products before making a purchase decision.             B.    consumers are unlikely to buy products they are not aware of. 
                                       C.   it is impossible for products to sell themselves through word-of-mouth 
communication. 
            D.   pricing decisions cannot be made without IMC.                                                                                       E.    new products and services need to be integrated into the supply chain value 
proposition.

Essay

4.Explain how a company can use search engine marketing.

5.You are the owner of a new deli that encourages customers to “build their own sandwiches.” What social and mobile media tools could you use to enhance your business?

 

 

Cooper Processing

The Cooper Processing Company

The Cooper Processing Company (CPC) is a manufacturer/processor of food products. Located in the city of Lansing, Michigan, the company services a national market with processed and packaged meat items such as hot dogs, bologna, sausage, etc. Because the company has been experiencing increased costs in marketing and logistical activities it has hired you as an expert to analyze costs and investments and make recommendations to management. In its most recent fiscal year, the company achieved sales of $100,000,000.

The company sells its products through two separate channels of distribution and each is treated as a profit center with full financial responsibility for income statement and balance sheet. The first channel is to retail grocery stores and supermarkets. The second channel is to foodservice wholesalers who, in turn, sell to restaurants and other foodservice establishments. According to the company accounting records, the retail segment accounts for 60 percent of sales, foodservice for 40 percent. The cost accountant believes that both channels are profitable. He says that the company achieves an overall average gross margin of 60 percent on its sales.

The cost accountant also provides you with the following total costs for various marketing and logistics functions at CPC:

The total of all other expenses at CPC is $15,000,000.

The company’s cost accountant has always allocated all expenses and investments to the channels based on the percentage of sales volume and has used the overall company average of 60 percent gross margin to determine the profitability of each channel of distribution.

You, being much wiser than the company cost accountant, decide to do a little further analysis. The first thing you discover is that, due to differences in product mix sold in each channel, gross margins actually are different in each. You find that the gross margin in the retail channel is 70 percent, in the foodservice channel it is 45 percent.

Next, you find that all of the salespeople are paid a straight salary and all receive exactly the same amount of salary. However, you find that of the 50 sales people employed by CPC, 40 of them are devoted to the retail channel, 10 of them are devoted to the foodservice channel. Since there are no sales managers and each salesperson pays for selling expense out of their salary, this accounts for all of the personal selling expense.

You learn that all sales promotions were conducted in the retail channel.

Next, you discover that there is a great difference in the number of orders placed by customers in each channel and the deliveries to each channel. You find that the retail channel accounts for 70 percent of the orders placed and 80 percent of the delivery expense. The foodservice channel accounts for 30 percent of the orders placed and 20 percent of the delivery expense. Your activity-based approach suggests that this is a reasonable way to trace the costs directly to each segment.

Next you learn that packaging differs for each channel. You discover that retail accounts for 80 percent of the packaging cost, foodservice for 20 percent. (Don’t worry about how you discovered this.)

Next, you discover that only the retail channel requires “labeling.” The company has a machine which applies these labels. The labeling expense of $2,000,000 includes materials, labor, and depreciation of the machine. The machine has an asset value of $10,000,000.

Next, you find that the company has inventory of $10,000,000 (this has also been the average amount of inventory held by the company during the year). You learn that the inventory is specialized by channel. For the retail channel, the inventory is $4,000,000. For the foodservice channel the inventory is $6,000,000. Inventory carrying costs for the firm are 20 percent.

Finally, you learn that the different channels have different terms of sale. Accounts receivable for the retail channel are (and have averaged) $3,000,000. Foodservice accounts receivable are (and have averaged) $1,000,000. You found that the cost of financing accounts receivable is 10 percent.

As hard as you have tried, you cannot find a reasonable basis to trace any other costs or assets directly to the channel segments.

Questions

1. How “profitable” is each channel?

2. What is the ROA of each channel?

3. Any recommendations?

Discuss on the influence of Social Media

Review the social media channels you’ve used throughout the course so far. Reflect on what you have learned about each. Which is your preferred, and why?

Write a one to three (1-3) page paper in which you:

  1. Describe each of the seven (7) social media platforms that have been covered in this course.
  2. List at least two (2) things you have learned about each platform.
  3. Identify which platform is your favorite, and list at least two (2) reasons for your choice.
  4. Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
    1. Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
    2. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, your professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.Review the social media channels you’ve used throughout the course so far. Reflect on what you have learned about each. Which is your preferred, and why?

      Write a one to three (1-3) page paper in which you:

      1. Describe each of the seven (7) social media platforms that have been covered in this course.
      2. List at least two (2) things you have learned about each platform.
      3. Identify which platform is your favorite, and list at least two (2) reasons for your choice.
      4. Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
        1. Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
        2. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, your professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.

Perception Of The Marketing Discipline

In this assignment, use the following scenario: Your company, which makes wine, has just received a multimillion-dollar contract to market its product to the people in the Republic of Georgia. Compose a multimedia presentation of 6 to 8 slides about your wine products. This presentation should demonstrate cross-cultural competency so that your product can be as successful in this foreign country as it is in the United States.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breaking-through-the-language-barrier-in-a-globalized-workplace-210985391.html

Submit an 8 slide PowerPoint presentation

Though the rubric states no requirement on references, please use a minimum of 3.

Instruction:

Please compose an 8 slide presentation of the scenario listed above.

Follow the rubric requirements (attached).

Sources must be cited with APA format.

Plagiarism is unacceptable.

In this assignment, use the following scenario: Your company, which makes wine, has just received a multimillion-dollar contract to market its product to the people in the Republic of Georgia. Compose a multimedia presentation of 6 to 8 slides about your wine products. This presentation should demonstrate cross-cultural competency so that your product can be as successful in this foreign country as it is in the United States.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breaking-through-the-language-barrier-in-a-globalized-workplace-210985391.html

Submit an 8 slide PowerPoint presentation

Though the rubric states no requirement on references, please use a minimum of 3.

Instruction:

Please compose an 8 slide presentation of the scenario listed above.

Follow the rubric requirements (attached).

Sources must be cited with APA format.

Plagiarism is unacceptable.

Discuss on Marketing Management

This week, we looked briefly at marketing research tools. One popular tool is the focus group. In your assignment this week, you will read more about conducting and analyzing focus groups, before conducting your own sample focus group.First, locate the following articles through EBSCOhost:Herich, D. (2015). 7 reasons to add focus groups to your marketing mix. Global Cosmetic Industry, 183(4), 50-51.Ingram, W. C., & Steger, R. A. (2015). Comparing the quality and quantity of information received from traditional, webcam and board chat focus groups. Business Studies Journal, 7(1), 33-45.Second, document the steps you will take to organize a “focus group” for the product you are developing for this course.Write 2-3 pages that include a discussion on:Who you would invite (if this were a “real” focus group)What questions you would ask (provide 5 sample questions)What information you hope to gainHow you would compensate the participants for their time (if this were a “real” focus group)The logistics of conducting the focus group (refer to the assigned articles for ideas)How you plan to record the proceedings of the focus pThird, conduct the focus group with family or friends to obtain some sample data for analysis. Upon completing the focus group, discuss the process of conducting the focus group along with your findings in approximately 2-3 pages.What issues arose during your sample focus group with family/friendsHow did the focus group participants interact with each other?What challenges did you face regarding data collection and analysis?What insights did you gain upon analyzing the results of the focus group?The requirements below must be met for your paper to be accepted and graded:Write between 750 – 1,250 words (approximately 3 – 5 pages) using Microsoft Word in APA style, see example below.Use font size 12 and 1/2 margins.Include cover page and reference page.At least 80% of your paper must be original content/writing.No more than 20% of your content/information may come from references.Use at least three references from outside the course material, one reference must be from EBSCOhost. Text book, lectures, and other materials in the course may be used, but are not counted toward the three reference requirement.Cite all reference material (data, dates, graphs, quotes, paraphrased words, values, etc.) in the paper and list on a reference page in APA style.References must come from sources such as, scholarly journals found in EBSCOhost, CNN, online newspapers such as, The Wall Street Journal, government websites, etc. Sources such as, Wikis, Yahoo Answers, eHow, blogs, etc. are not acceptable for academic writing.

A detailed explanation of how to cite a source using APA can be found here (link).

Download an example here.

Is The United States Losing Its Innovation Edge? Discuss

Is The United States Losing Its Innovation Edge? Discuss

In comparison to the research reports in 2007 to now it has been found out that US government needs to widen its doors for welcoming foreign nationals. As its figured that US has been relying on the foreign engineers and scientists since centuries. (focus on this problem)

C. Discussion on possible alternative solutions, including the best selected solution suggestion by the group 

Have more of an open door mentality to foreigners welcoming academics/scientists/doctors from abroad.

Write: the introduction 0.5 page

problem definition + solution 1.5 pages

total 2 pages

plz have at least 2 references/ MLA style

A. Problem definition/theme 

In comparison to the research reports in 2007 to now it has been found out that US government needs to widen its doors for welcoming foreign nationals. As its figured that US has been relying on the foreign engineers and scientists since centuries. (focus on this problem)

C. Discussion on possible alternative solutions, including the best selected solution suggestion by the group 

Have more of an open door mentality to foreigners welcoming academics/scientists/doctors from abroad.

Write: the introduction 0.5 page

problem definition + solution 1.5 pages

total 2 pages

plz have at least 2 references/ MLA style

Evaluate IKEA’s business model concept

1. Evaluate IKEA’s business model concept and how it has evolved through the years. It has been stated that they have essentially changed the way people shop for furniture. What are the pros and cons of this type of strategy for IKEA? 2. Through the application of a PEST analysis, what are the current environmental factors impacting IKEA? 3. Who are the top three competitors of IKEA, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to satisfying the value proposition of their customers? 4. As IKEA looks to maintain markets in the United States as well as expand to areas such as Asia and India, what would you recommend to maintain customer value, satisfaction, and loyalty? In formatting your case analysis, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use an essay format with subheadings. Your APA-formatted case study should be a minimum of 600 words in length (not counting the title and reference pages). You are required to use a minimum of three peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations.

1. Evaluate IKEA’s business model concept and how it has evolved through the years. It has been stated that they have essentially changed the way people shop for furniture. What are the pros and cons of this type of strategy for IKEA? 2. Through the application of a PEST analysis, what are the current environmental factors impacting IKEA? 3. Who are the top three competitors of IKEA, and what are their advantages/disadvantages with respect to satisfying the value proposition of their customers? 4. As IKEA looks to maintain markets in the United States as well as expand to areas such as Asia and India, what would you recommend to maintain customer value, satisfaction, and loyalty? In formatting your case analysis, do not use the question-and-answer format; instead, use an essay format with subheadings. Your APA-formatted case study should be a minimum of 600 words in length (not counting the title and reference pages). You are required to use a minimum of three peer-reviewed, academic sources that are no more than 5 years old (one may be your textbook). All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased material must have accompanying in-text citations.

Business In China Case Questions

Crisis at the Bally Wedding Dress Company

1. What is the difference between the business model of Bally and those of traditional foreign trade enterprises? Why could Bally develop quickly in its initial years of operation?

2. What is the crisis facing Bally? How did it happen?

3. How can Bally cope with such a challenge to resolve this crisis? What are the pros and cons of each alternative available to it? What should it do?

4. Fiona Lee’s decision to buy the factory in 2009 was an example of vertical integration. Should she revise her initial decision? Why?

Crisis at the Bally Wedding Dress Company

1. What is the difference between the business model of Bally and those of traditional foreign trade enterprises? Why could Bally develop quickly in its initial years of operation?

2. What is the crisis facing Bally? How did it happen?

3. How can Bally cope with such a challenge to resolve this crisis? What are the pros and cons of each alternative available to it? What should it do?

4. Fiona Lee’s decision to buy the factory in 2009 was an example of vertical integration. Should she revise her initial decision? Why?