Corn coffee Essay Example for Free

Corn coffee Essay Majority of Filipinos are coffee drinkers. The growing number of coffee shops in almost every corner of the metro has become the most evident indication that the coffee industry is a thriving business. Whether it’s a form of social activity or simply a favorite pastime, drinking coffee has become an inevitable trend. With the popularity of coffee as a beverage comes the cautious effort to lessen the caffeine intake especially among health conscious consumers. Hence, introducing alternative drinks that will let people enjoy drinking coffee without worrying too much caffeine intake. â€Å"Corn coffee looks and tastes like your good ol’ caffeinated coffee, but it is healthier to drink. Perhaps a distinction comes with the aroma since corn coffee comes from ground, roasted corn,† explained Mr. Chito Rodriguez of the Institute of Plant Breeding-University of the Philippines Los Banos (IPB-UPLB) in a seminar talk organized by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR). In the presentation titled, â€Å"Corn Coffee: Health and Economic Benefits,† Rodriguez underscored the â€Å"dark side of caffeine† one common of which are panic attacks. â€Å"Caffeine intake triggers the fight-or-flight mechanism in our bodies. When the fight attack mode wears off, panic attack starts. We get nervous, jittery, sweaty, and shaky. Caffeine is also addictive so once we get into the habit of getting our caffeine fix, our body begins to crave the boost that we get from it. If we fail to get the dose of caffeine that our body has adapted to, we become irritable, tired, and even depressed,† Rodriguez explained. Given the side effects of caffeine, he advised trying coffee corn instead. The healthful benefit. Essentially, the healthful benefits came from corn which is packed with vital nutrients that provide energy, growth and development, and regulate bodily functions. â€Å"Although some of these may have been reduced after roasting and grinding the corn, the essential nutrients are still there. Every 100 gram of corn coffee contains carbohydrates, fiber, ash, protein, and antioxidants,† explained Rodriguez. In a taste test conducted after the seminar, Mr. Patrick Lesaca, one of the participants and a coffee enthusiast, revealed that, â€Å"corn coffee does look like your regular cup of coffee, except that it smells roasted corn. † â€Å"Clearly, a great distinction comes with the health value of corn coffee. The dark liquid you are drinking is caffeine free and is healthier,† Rodriguez added. Aside from the nutritive value, Rodriguez enumerated some of the healthful benefits one can get from drinking corn coffee. â€Å"It can control diabetes, prevent cardiovascular disease, lower hypertension, reduce cholesterol level, minimize risk of colon cancer, and prevent neural-tube defects in infants,† he reported. The economic benefit Corn coffee is not new. In fact, people in the province have been boiling their roasted, ground corn as alternative to coffee. Currently, with the advent of new technologies and the need for healthy alternative, corn coffee has already reached the mainstream market. It is being commercially sold and is available in the supermarket, one of which is the famous Sumilao Corn Coffeeâ„ ¢. â€Å"But if you want to produce your own coffee, it’s easy. Ground corn is roasted until the color turns to dark brown. The resulting coffee powder is boiled for 10-15 minutes. You just allow the sediments to settle and then get the black liquid and then your hot corn coffee is ready to serve. Sugar and cream can also be added to enhance the taste,† explained Rodriguez. The production cost of corn coffee is cheap. â€Å"One kilogram of corn when processed can produce an approximately one kilogram of coffee,† he said. When packaged, the production cost is about Php120 per kilogram. Corn coffee is currently being sold in the market from Php 350 – Php 500 for every kilogram. This means at least Php230 profit for every kilo of corn coffee sold.

Satisfying Customers Needs And Wants Marketing Essay

Satisfying Customers Needs And Wants Marketing Essay Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customers needs and wants. Critics however maintain that marketing goes beyond that and creates needs and wants that did not exist before, According to these critics, marketers encourage consumers to spend more money than they should on goods and services they really do not need. Marketing process can be explained as creating value for customers and building customer relationship by doing this the organisation makes profit The various elements of marketing process can be classified as follow Fig 1 Understanding the market place and customers needs and wants is achieved through in-depth market research and thereby identifying a product gap or needs gap. This will involve trends , how to make things easier , comfortable, better and user friendly. In the early 80s there were few or no mobile phones. A thorough market research has created the need for mobile phones, then came the massive first generation mobile phones. This were later followed by smaller ones and these days we can see the smart phones with inbuilt cameras, time online movies and news ability to actual work from your mobile Samsung note to the new tablets. Every day specialist market research companies, innovators, technicians and scientist all work hand on hand to create a new niche market or brand that makes our lives much more comfortable. Even the pay as you go concept became apparent as people could not continue to pay the incredible high cost then been charged by manufacturers who were looking at ways to cover the cost of their research and development. So the critics may not be far from the truth but the ideal is marketers coming with ways and products that makes our lives easy. Design a customer driven marketing strategy. Marketing strategy is a long term means of achieving a corporate objective. If we take the example of the mobile phone industry where the likes of Samsung, IPhone, Nokia are in serious competition each as to design a marketing strategy to capture a share of the market. Like a military personnel will define the art of going to warfare. Marketing program that delivers superior value : This refers to the marketing mix that is the 4ps Usually referring to E. Jerome McCarthys  [1]  Ã‚  4 P classifications for developing an effective marketing strategy, which encompasses: product, price, placement (distribution) and promotion. When its a consumer-centric marketing mix, it  has been extended to include  three more Ps: people, process and physical evidence, and  three Cs: cost, consumer and competitor. Depending on the industry and the target of the marketing plan, marketing managers will take various approaches to each of the four Ps. The benefits and cost of marketing orientation Market orientation is the understanding of customers requirement and creation of marketing mix which will meet these needs. Market driven means the firms capability to understand, attract and keep valuable customers G. Armstrong and P. Kotler define marketing as social and managing process by which the individuals and groups procure what they need by creating and exchanging values with others.  [2]   A market-oriented company is in a position to achieve competitive advantage thanks to its unique innovative approach to customers. In addition to this, according to the opinion of P. R. Dickson, a competitive advantage should be understood in the sense of dynamics of competition. He expresses disagreement with the standpoint of neoclassic theory of market equilibrium and claims that the main characteristic of the market is its disequilibrium. He sees marketing as a science and skill of creating changes (disequilibrium) in the market in the manner that would provide for the changes that are beneficial for the company. Various responses of salespersons and customers to changes in supply and demand, thinks Dickson, create possibilities that could be used by the company that understands market. He underlines the importance of adjusting company to the market occurrences.  [3]   Benefits and cost of market orientation Figure 2: Customer relationship groups Source: G. Armstrong, P. Kotler, Marketing: An Introduction, 7. ed., Pearson/Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2005, p. 25. The above summaries the benefits and cost of market Orientation other advantages and disadvantages. Responding to Demand Building Customer Value Disadvantages Extensive and Expensive Research and Increased cost. Micro and Macro environmental factors that affect marketing Decision The micro environmental factors are factors that can be controlled by the organisation and relates directly with the business these are considered using the factors in fig 3 Micro Environmental factors Fig 3 Fig 4 shows how different public affects organisation. The public that affect the marketing decision of the yet they can be controlled and are regarded as micro are the relation with the following members of this public e.g Financial public this is based on say for example the organisations annual returns. Fig 4 Macro Environmental Factors The Target market for mobile phones companies and IT companies are more likely to be the high income earning spectrum of the society or the new graduates and the city bankers and young people in the top echelon of society who will be able to afford the integrated packages that are about to be launched into the market very soon The package will include home entertainment, office package, security package, phone and video calls and financial/banking package all launched as one integrated hand held device. Market segmentation, and Target is followed by positioning, this should be developed and implemented by creating an image for the product, profiling the target market, High Tech gadgets like this integrated hand held device will be bought based on the technical specification what comfort or ease of doing a task it provide. Buying Behaviourur is the way and act of people involved in buying and using products. To understand these we need to consider, why a buyer will make a purchase, what factors influence will influence a buyer to buy a certain product. Buying Behaviour refers to how people will behave when buying a certain product. A firm needs to consider and study buying behaviourur and peoples reactions to the organisation marketing strategy has this will have great impact on the firms success. The marketing concept show how a marketing mix (MM) that satisfies (gives utility to) customers, hence it important to understand the what, where, when and how consumers buy. Stages of the Consumer Buying Process There are Six Stages to the Consumer Buying Decision Process (For complex decisions). Problem Recognition Information search The evoked set. Evaluation of Alternatives Purchase decision- Post Purchase decision Buying behaviour is often determined by the level of consumer involvement in the purchase decisions, the importance and level of interest the consumer decisions is determined by the motivation to seek information about the product or service. High involvement purchase such as buy a luxury car or other expensive items. Also the element of risk involved in the use of the product that is the social risk and the economic risk. The four type of consumer buying behaviour: Routine Response/Programmed Behaviourr, Limited Decision Making, Extensive Decision Making/Complex, impulse buying, Routine Response/Programmed behaviour this are low involvement very little or no decision effort is required E.g. A can drink . Limited Decision Making- This are product bought occasionally example are like clothing but not brands Extensive Decision Making/Complex: This involves unfamiliar, expensive and infrequently bought goods. It involves a high degree of economic performance, and psychological risk. e.g. cars, homes, computers, it also involves a lot of time seeking information and deciding. and consumers will go through all six stages of the buying process. Impulse buying, this are purchase which are unplanned it like buying chewing gum in the Conner shop without actually thinking about it. Also prices at time lead to impulse buying. They are usually low valued items. Ethan Lyon said The goal of market positioning is to find the ideal opportunity in the market based on customer needs, market forces and financial and strategic considerations. Once the market opportunity is identified then the organisation can further develop its product and elevate its brand to deliver outstanding value. To clarify the market position, the firm will need to find an overarching theme, then define the details. (sparxoo.com) Brand Idea-The idea is an aspirational concept it defines the idea of what the company. For example the Samsung note goes with the concept of designed for human Value Proposition- A customer or a consumer buyers the Samsung note they see high value and high quality Differentiating Attributes-Samsung has distinguished itself from Apple by targeting the main stream yet providing quality and comparable or better phones than those provided by Apple Word count1450

I Lost My fiancé, Best friend, and Soul-mate :: Personal Narrative Writing

I Lost My fiancà ©, Best friend, and Soul-mate Sometimes the worst bonds of confinement are the invisible ones. It is not always physical chains that keep one prisoner. The strongest force of imprisonment I have ever felt was not to another human or a concrete cell of any type, but to an emotion. One of the most powerful emotions God has given to us is Grief. Grief can entangle a human being in her suffocating web in an instant. Then she takes days, months, years, even decades to fully release her grip on the soul. Last April I began to feel the painful vise of Grief take hold of me like I never imagined. I have been grieving for a lost relationship for well over a year. Seventeen months ago I lost my fiancà ©, best friend, and soul-mate. We had been dating for three years. During this time we had been through some very challenging trials. The biggest one being his decision to join the United States Marine Corp. Over the course of his last deployment (which lasted 7 months) he was involved in some very intense training and covert missions. Upon his return he was a changed man. I no longer knew the cold, heartless, angry person who returned from the Middle East. The loving and caring man whom I desired to be my husband was nowhere to be found. His training in the Marines had stripped away all aspects of his personality. The only things left were the anger, rage and meanness that made him such an outstanding Marine to begin with. Somehow he had lost the power to turn these emotions on and off. The relationship had to be abandoned for my own safety. I experienced overwhelming feelings of sadness and loneliness. I had previously read about Grief, specifically, Elizabeth Kubler Ross and the five stages of grief associated with any type of loss. I can now tell you from experience that reading about denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance is far different from actually living through these extremely powerful emotions. I can honestly say I felt these stages full-throttle. It is much more than a proces s of gently gliding from one into the next. More like bouncing in between them and sometimes lingering in one feeling for an extended period of time.

Kurtzs Last Words Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad presents the character of Kurtz as a man who is seen differently by all who know him depending on their individual experiences with him. His cousin knew him as a man with great musical talent, others knew him as a great leader, and his â€Å"Intended† fiance knew him as an admirable humanitarian; but all of these knew him to be a remarkable genius. When the narrator, Marlow, first hears of him, he is told that Kurtz is known as a great leader destined to hold high positions and fame. However, as he travels the river, he also learns that Kurtz has become insane during his time in the African jungle. After Marlow finally comes into contact with him, he discovers that Kurtz has become a god among the natives and has been brutally collecting the coveted ivory. Marlow finally convinces the deathly ill man to return to the ship where he finally dies. Upon his death, Kurtz’s facial expression causes Marlow to feel as tho ugh he may be seeing his entire life passing just before it ends; and finally, he murmurs his final words â€Å"The horror! The horror!† (Conrad, p. 64).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although these last words seem full of meaning, they can be interpreted as being so vague that they are devoid of any specific rationalization. In spite of this, they have several explanations, mainly relating to his life and the choices he made. As Kurtz succinctly verbalizes the terrible visions â€Å"of ruthless power, of craven ter...

Laws of Life :: essays papers

Laws of Life "Each contact with a human being is so rare, so precious, one should preserve it."(Anais Nin). This means that every person one comes in contact with has an influence on his life. One should never forget the people who go out of their way to be nice to them. Influences others have on my life are the most important details of my life. There have been many influences on my life, three of which stand out the most, my laws of life. One influence on my life is people. Miss Haferman is a person who has had a very great influence on my life. She was my first grade teacher. She was the most caring and dedicated teacher I ever had and she respected every student as an individual. On the other hand, she had a very negative influence on my life. She is the person who told me there was no Santa Clause, which ruined Christmas for me for a very long time. Another person who has had a great influence on my life is Mr. Robinson. He was my first band teacher. He is the person who convinced me to join band, which helped me make many great friends and also made school fun for me. He also taught me how to play the clarinet. Now, I love playing the clarinet and it could even get me a scolarship for college. Another influence on my life is incidents. Moving to Tennessee was an incident that was very influential on my life. One way it was influential was losing all my old friends whom I had known my whole life. They were a big part of my life and I still regret ever losing touch with them. Moving to Tennessee was also influential because I had to make new friends, and I became less shy and more outgoing. My friends in Tennessee and my friends in Illinois are very different, but they are all very great people. Another influential incident in my life is going to FCHS. Going to FCHS also caused me to lose some of my friends. Even though I lost those friends, I made many friends who are really nice. I also learned alot about who my real friends are. Society has also had a great influence on my life. Princess Diana had a great influence on my life. One of the great things she did that influenced my life was when she auctioned seventy-nine of her dresses and donated the money to charity.

Amiri Baraka- Black Arts Movement

The Black Arts Movement Experience The spirit of the 1960s’ Black Arts Movement is captured in Amiri Baraka’s â€Å"AM/Trak,† which addresses the theory of the underlying relationship between art and culture. This simple theory of how culture works and how art reflects and influences the culture that produces it was the whole purpose of the literary movement led by Baraka. In order for one to understand their own experiences, they must acknowledge what factors have influenced how they have shaped their lives.By doing so, they will self-consciously discover and create themselves. The basis of Baraka’s poem, â€Å"AM/Trak† illustrates the defining concept of the Black Arts Movement; the notion of creating identity influenced by experiencing racial and social alienation. The development of a modernized black culture is continually drawn to question because there are many outliers that can influence the basic fundamentals of experience. â€Å"What make s experience such an important concept for Baraka is how it frames the relation between the individual and the collective†(Punday 782).The Black Arts Movement was a period of an assembled reaction against several things including the Korean War, capitalism, and the assassination of Malcom X. Although Baraka incorporates these historical events into â€Å"AM/Trak†, the history of the Beats is approached more by expressing an individual’s reaction, rather than a single technical change or influence of history on society. The appreciation of the degree of exposure from an artist or individual models how the Beats linked the identity of black culture to specific trials and tribulations.A desirable relationship between culture and society is a focalized theme in African American literature, but has been obliterated by the constant severance between historical transitions and the lack of ethical alertness (Quayson 1). Isolation of the African American population from w hite America has been influenced by harsh racism and inequality for several centuries. Although the discrimination thrived for thousands of years, the collective attitude towards the relations of the past began to deviate into a different outlook in the 1960s.The black community began to celebrate an emphasized change when exercising their self-proclaimed freedom of personal expression to improve social and economic conditions of the African American community (Yost 2). In order to establish a distinct black identity against the social reality of separation, they incorporated music, literature, and other forms of art as a way of advocating their presence not only in the United States, but the world.Baraka captures the true meaning of the new scholarly awakening with the influence of the Beat-generation by describing John Coltrane in â€Å"AM/Trak†, in which he uses a distinct style of writing to portray not only the life of the artist, but specific annotations of his music. T he musical embodiment of his work prevails that he was undoubtedly a major contributor to the spirit of the 1960s’. By analyzing Coltrane’s passion and transformation during this decade with extreme expression and struggle against racism, â€Å"AM/Trak† is brought to life: Trane was the spirit of the 60’sHe was Malcom X in New Super Bop Fire Bahhhhhh Wheeeeeee . . . Black Art!!! (152-155). The poem is a clear representation of not only the musical development of John Coltrane’s career and repressed life, but also the importance of how African-American musical expression extrapolates the expectations and contributions of individuals under the pressure of alienation (Quayson 3). According to literary critic, Henry Lacey, Baraka uses imagery to encompass the variety of ways the poem portrays the inspiring musician to be the â€Å"interpreter of the Black experience† through his music (Lacey 14).The different stages of achievements, hardships, a nd responses during Coltrane’s life are a direct narrative of the same ones produced throughout the history of the Black American life. There is an undeniable similarity of technical elements displayed in Amiri Baraka’s writing that support the same individualist revolution. One painful aspect of the African American experience begins with the lack of consciousness influenced by authority and pressure. Baraka begins the second section of the poem by describing the early experiences of Coltrane’s career in a very degrading fashion.The mood of the poem immediately digresses when Baraka mentions the names of alto saxophonist, Johnny Hodges, John Burks Gillespie, and Eddie Vinson and Blues vocalist, Big Maybelle (Lacey 15). Amiri even incorporates an allusion from Langston Hughes poem â€Å"Jazzonia,† in which he writes †Trees in the shining night forest† (Lacey 16). The tree is used as a direct reference to the lack of originality Coltrane embodi es while he works with the Joe Webb Blues Band, followed by Miles Davis.As the poem continues, the depression of the main character develops into a substance addiction and even an abusive relationship with a fellow musician, Davis. In fact, Amiri uses the word â€Å"honk† to symbolize the repetition of his continued unimportance at performances and as cry for help in the only way he knew how to; musical expressionism. It was not until Coltrane could accept his past and everything he had learned, that he could regain full consciousness of his true identity and potential future as a great musician.Similarly, the Black Arts Movement began in spite of depression and the constant repetition of haunting racism. More specifically, the death of civil rights activist, Malcom X, hindered Amiri Baraka’s determination to reform the presence of the African American culture in the United States. Consequently, the African American culture endured a period of recovery, as did Coltrane . Coltrane quest to continue searching for his identity as a musician began again by joining Thelonious Sphere Monk, co-founder of bebop, in part four of â€Å"AM/Trak† (Lacey 18).Baraka’s disjunctive mood swings represent how Coltrane conveys his emotions with Monk’s unique style of expressionism and unexpected musical transitions to understand music on a deeper level. Which then leads to the entire Be-bop movement. Coltrane uses this time as a period of regaining consciousness of the experiences that have shaped him. There was nothing left to do but be where Monk cd find him that crazy mother fucker duh duh-duh duh-duh duh duh duh duh duh-duh duh-duh duh duh duh duh duh-duh duh-duh duh duh duh uh Duuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh (71-80). At first glance, the lines representing Monk’s compositions differ from any syntax or vocabulary used in the previous allusions. Baraka uses the distinct sounds of Monk’s work in a disjunctive manner that can only be approach ed if read aloud. When read aloud, the simple word transforms into a series of playful melodies. â€Å"Trane stood and dug / Crazy monk’s shit,† provides substantial evidence that the short time spent with Monk, Shadow Wilson, and Wilbur Ware had a lasting impact on John Coltrane’s career.In fact, it also suggests the sources essential to his success in music were also responsible for shaping his identity despite past alienation and struggle. Similarly to many African Americans during the Blacks Art Movement, Coltrane was allowed to completely expose himself. â€Å"This was Coltrane’s College. A Ph motherfuckin d / Of Master T Sphere† (100,104). As Amiri Baraka wrote the poem, he also established symbolism that the reader may relate to exemplify Coltrane’s efforts to battle several obstacles.Accordingly, in American society graduating college and especially receiving your PhD is one of the highest accomplishments recognized in our country. U tilizing this metaphor near the end of section four not only summarizes his success, but also leads the reader to question, ‘What’s Next? ’ because of the lengthy section that follows. â€Å"AM/Trak† undergoes another mood change as section five introduces the destructive forces of class struggle and maintaining true identity after being exploited by the public.Although the poem portrays the hardship of life of a musician and inspiration leader, Lacey refers to Coltrane as the â€Å"prophetic voice of his age† (Lacey 18) or as described in the poetry â€Å"A man/ black blower of the now† (121-122). However, Baraka does not immediately persuade the reader to believe that Coltrane has collectively reshaped the Be-bop movement and the black cultural identity; he forces them to establish an answer themselves based on their individual experience after reading the poem.Based on the dynamics of writing style portrayed in the poetry, Coltrane influen ces future musical generations to come with the creative features within that clearly influenced the Black Arts Movement within the text, the validity of the following quote by literary critic, Joyce A. Joyce, â€Å"An understanding of Negro expression cannot be arrived at without a constant reference to the environment which cradles it,† can be useful in making a final decision as the reader. Amiri Baraka continues the poem by concentrating the rest of the text on his own impression of Coltrane’s influence on the Blacks Art Movement, musicians, and society.He precisely acknowledges the relationship between the collective and individual response to the end of the revolution of identity and creation of the reputable quartet: â€Å"Jimmy Garrison, bass, McCoy Tyner, piano, Captain Marvel Elvin / on drums, the number itself-the precise saying / all if it in it afire aflame talking saying being doing meaning (169-171). The quartet inspired the African American community t o become believers and to preserve their true identities despite social alienation and harsh racism.If the band expressed their opinions and identity freely, then the entire black culture should have possessed the same rights without limitation as well. Fortunately, at the end of the poem, the Black Arts Movement was reflected as the turning point in accepting cultural identity; a representation of their contributions that shaped the historical experience. But did the Black Arts Movement really change â€Å"black† and â€Å"white† cultures and criticism? Literary critic, Joyce A. Joyce disagrees with the idea that white America has changed its attitude toward the African American population.Although there has been a significant transformation in the merger of black literature and white literature in our society through out the past century, African Americans are usually forced to adopt the mainstream values and lifestyles of those of in the modern American society. Joy ce disassociates Black literary criticism with mainstream analyses because African Americans have a unique duty to express their own ideas without a predetermined and uniformed consciousness based on culture or even color (Joyce 339-341).The poet’s opinions remained somewhat vague until the narration of the poem alters from Trane to Amiri Baraka, the poet himself. His vulnerability exposes his current condition and state of mind when recollecting his wearisome life compared to Trane’s portrayed personal anecdote expressed in his music: ( I lay in solitary confinement, July ‘67 Tanks rolling thru Newark and whistled all I knew of Trane my knowledge heartbeat and he was dead They saidWhen Baraka was confined in prison for the Newark riots of 1967, Lacey notes that â€Å"the poet attributes his survival to the memory of Coltrane’s music† (Lacey 19). As the poem concludes, Baraka decides to choose life over death because he is influenced by character of his own work of art and the actual inspirational of the power of his music. Most scholars would agree with Gayle, Jr. claim that, â€Å"The question for the black critic today is not how beautiful is a melody, a play, a poem, or a novel, but how much more beautiful has the poem, melody, play, or novel made the life of a single black man?How far has the work gone in transforming an American Negro into an African-American or black man? † (Joyce 340). This is perhaps an attempt to illustrate the fact that both the artist lives are surrounded by changes revolved around freedom of expression through art and alienated culture. Without enduring these experiences, good or bad, the identity of an individual cannot be defined, nor the basis of an individualistic black culture. Work Cited Lacey, Henry C. â€Å"Baraka's â€Å"AM/Trak† Everybody’s Coltrane Poem. Obsidian II: Black Literature in Review. 1. 1-2 (1986): 12-21. Print. Joyce, Joyce A. â€Å"The Black Canon: Re constructing Black American Literary Criticism. † New Literary History. 18. 2 (1987): 339-341. Print. Punday, Daniel. â€Å"The Black Arts Movement and the Geneaology of Multimedia. † New Literary History. 37. 4 (2006): 777-794. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. Quayson, Ato. â€Å"Self-Writing and Existential Alienation in African Literature. † Research in African Literatures. 42. 2 (2011): 30-45. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.

Coca Cola Market Plan and Market Research Essay

In the role of marketing consultant, I am presenting a marketing plan and a marketing research brief for Coca-Cola, a leader in the soft-drinks industry. Introduction Marketing is definitely one of the major factors that contribute towards the success of any business. Especially in today’s growing competitive economy it is essential that correct marketing is executed so as to survive and grow in the globalized world. This academic report is intended to provide a detailed analysis of the marketing plan of Coca-Cola Company. The external environment is analyzed to demonstrate the threats that it imposes. It will also help to understand the monitoring system to be able to deter these threats. The analysis is made on the internal capabilities of the company as well. Within these analyses, the objectives of the company have been discussed. A reflection has been done on the marketing strategies undertaken by the company. Amidst all these, possible implementation, control and monitoring system have been highlighted. The marketing plan is followed by a marketing research to identify the area of opportunities. Several resources have been studied to put together the plan and the research. These resources are mentioned at the end of the report. Coca-Cola Coca-Cola was invented way back in the year 1886 by Dr. John Pemberton. He was a pharmacist in Atlanta in Georgia. The formula of Coca-Cola was fabricated by him in the backyard of his house in a three legged pot made up of brass (History of Coca-Cola). The intention at this point was to make a tonic for headache which turned out to be so tasty and refreshing that it gained orders due to this reason. The name Coca-Cola was pronounced by Frank Robinson, who was partner of Pemberton as well as a bookkeeper. He penned the words â€Å"Coca-Cola† in a script which is represented as a flow. This is how the name appears today on the brand and is famous overall. At that time, the average sale in a day was nine drinks. In the entire year, the sale was 25 gallons of the syrup. With the passage of time, when Pemberton started to lose health, he decided and sold off the company to Asa Candler for a consolidated price of $2,300 in 1891. The first time that Coca-Cola was bottled was in 1894, by the owner of the Biedenharn Candy Company, Joseph Biedenharn. With the increased fame of the brand, there were fake imitators that entered in the market. To avoid confusion, the currently famous contour bottle was designed by the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana. By the year 1919, the product of the company was spread to all the states and the territories. In the same year, the company was bought by a group including Ernest Woodruff for $25 million. Robert Woodruff’s (eldest son of Ernest Woodruff) leadership for more than six decades made Coca-Cola a big success all over the world. On May 15, 1950, Coca-Cola was the foremost consumer product to appear on the issue of Time magazine. Robert Goizueta became President of the company in 1981. Soon, he was recognized as one of the most successful leaders worldwide.   The Company introduced â€Å"New Coke† in 1985 and later brought up Coke II. This was unable to get the public’s favor and the people demanded their own previous coke back.   Visualizing and passing through all ups and downs, today, Coca-Cola is available in 200 countries over the world and the trademark â€Å"Coca-Cola† is represented in about eighty languages (The History of Coca-Cola). Objectives of the Company The objective of the company is to utilize its assets— its brand, the financial strength of the company, excellent distribution system, worldwide reach, and last but not the least a strong sense of commitment by the team that manages and executes work all across the world—to attain long-term growth that persists and is maintained (Coca-Cola Company, 2010). The vision that the company has for sustainable growth are explained as under: Profit – It works towards being able to provide maximum return to the shareholders of the company. The strategies are framed keeping this objective in mind. People – The workplace should be where people are motivated to work better. Coca-Cola provides a good work environment for the workers to be happy while working. Portfolio – The Company aims to provide the beverage portfolio to the people that are able to satisfy the desires of the people. The marketing research done by the company before the final product, this factor is kept to be checked in the initial phase. Partners – Coca-Cola aims at maintaining a loyal relation with the partners and till date there is demonstrated a good relationship with all. Planet – The Company has an objective to do something different. This is represented by the fact that new types of beverages are introduced by the company to be different from the competitors and provide variety to the people. Productivity – It aims at maintaining to be effective and fast paced company (Coca Cola’s mission, vision and values, 2010). This has been at the core of every action by Coca-Cola as it has an effective space today in the global market. Marketing Plan While a marketing plan is drafted or studied, it required thorough examination and in depth research. Market Segmentation Coca Cola is one of the successful companies in the context of market segmentation as well. Demographic Segmentation – This segmentation is on the basis of age, gender, income and family size of the consumers. It has introduced various flavors for small children group. After a research when the company discovered that the Light Cola was considered as feminine drink by many, it introduced Coke Zero that aims at male consumer group who are health conscious. Different packing has different cost and targets to meet all the income groups. There is economy packs introduced which targets consumers as per the family size. Geographical Segmentation – Due to different climatic conditions and regional differences, Coca Cola varies the taste of the product as per the people of that particular country.   Psychographic Segmentation – The advertisements done by Coca Cola are the best examples to express how the company segments the market as per the interests, attitudes and values of the consumers. Whenever a famous event takes place, the company introduces an ad in context of the event so that it touches the heart of the people. Still, the primary market segmentation that is measurable, accessible and whose response can be noticed and worked upon is the segmentation on the basis of Demographic Segmentation. Coca Cola focuses most on youngsters between the ages of 13 to 25 Marketing Strategies Current Market Strategy Coca – Cola undertakes the segmented marketing strategy by marketing its products to different segments by separate offerings to them. This is called the differentiated marketing strategy.   Coca-Cola is quite popular in the younger group and hence most of its advertisements and campaigns are undertaken keeping in view the younger generation. An appropriate example for this will be that it has put vending machines in the schools and they have announced officially that they will be continuing to target the market. Another example is the â€Å"diet coke† that caters to the need of specific people. The basic product, Coca Cola Soda is targeted to the entire market as a whole. The market strategy thus put to effect by the company is targeting all the possible domains and providing them with soda that meets their demand. This differentiated marketing strategy has provided Coca-Cola with a stand in all the possible markets. Life Cycle of the Product It has been a number of years that Coca Cola has introduced the drink in the market. As we can understand from the history, Coke has attained a stupendous response from the people and their likeness, which has contributed towards the growth of the product. Once the product has been introduces and placed well in the market, comes the maturity stage. And as per the in-depth analysis, Coca-Cola stands at this stage in the product life cycle. At this stage there is a rapid growth in the sales of the product and later starts settling down. To be able to survive at such a phase, it is important to differentiate the product from the competitor’s product. This has been persistently followed by Coca-Cola and as can be seen, has been done very well. Since the sales begin to settle at a particular point, it is essential to give a differentiation to your product. Branding Strategy Coca-Cola is a famous international brand. The company has been working effectively and actively on maintaining its brand equity for quite some time now and has been able to achieve a well know brand equity and attained brand loyalty. Coca-Cola provides a lot of varieties to the people in the range of soda. These varieties cater to the needs of all the market segments. The brand is excellently symbolized in the packaging. This makes it easy for the people to recognize the product. The red color that is implemented is quite eye-catchy and attracts the entire market domain including the primary market of youngsters in the age group of 13 to 25. The contour bottles as well as cans are designed in such a way that the product from Coca-Cola can be easily ascertained. The brand equity by Coca – Cola has been created through rigorous campaigns undertaken and extraordinary advertisements designed for promotional purposes. It is after a lot of effort that Coca-Cola soda has attained this brand equity. The branding strategy implemented by Coca-Cola Company has been quite effective in being able to gain a major market share. There are several kinds of brand strategy that can be implemented for the creation of brand equity. Some of these are – Private brand strategy, Family brand strategy, Manufacturer’s brand strategy and Hybrid brand strategy. Coca Cola has made the use of the Individual brand strategy. This can be explained as major products of Coca Cola are provided with their own brand names. For example, Sprite, Fanta, etc. may be represented and publicized as separate lines; the domain remains the same – Coca Cola. Coca-Cola has introduced new products from time to time. Here is a marketing research brief to demonstrate how Coca-Cola expanded with large range of products. Marketing Research Brief Marketing research is as important as the marketing itself. It is essential that we are aware of the current market and the actions and plans of our competitors so that the framing and implementation of the marketing strategies move in the correct direction. The development of the marketing strategy depends a lot on the marketing research. The plan can only be drafted after there is sufficient information regarding the market.   The implementation of the strategy is dependent on the market research again as before the implementation it is important to know how the draft has to be implemented well to achieve the desired results. Evaluation is a comparison of the achieved result and the expected result. Since, it has to be done on the marketing strategy this has its dependence on market research. There are many opportunities identified for Coca-Cola in the marketing research. These are all derived from the major one is the partnership of Coca-Cola with International Olympic Committee (IOC). Coca-Cola has been a known name so far. Analyzing the responses and current situation, the major challenge faced by the company’s soda pertains to the health issues and concerns. I believe that it is required to revisit the entire make of the soda and check it for any harmful products that can be taken off from the making. Also, there can be some additional nutritional or healthy attributes added to the drink. But all this will be required to be done with the taste of the soda not changing or changing negligibly. A subsidiary of Coca Cola in Britain took a decision of expanding without acquisition of new companies but by itself. This time, the company chose on implementing an internal strategy of marketing to develop new product (A., 2012). Five stages of marketing research will be required to be implemented to develop the new product and float it successfully in the market. Identification of the Opportunity – Understand the concept behind the need of the change and pen down the ideal product Exploring the Solution – Surveys, focus groups and interviews can be conducted to understand the expectations from the upcoming product by the public. Measuring the Effectiveness – It needs to be gauged that if the new product will be effective enough so as to gain the targeted share in the market. Testing the Market – It is quits a costly affair to launch a new product. The internal and external capabilities of the company assist in being able to do so effectively. Track Market performance – After the launch of the new product, the performance needs to be checked and evaluated against the target. External Environment of Coca-Cola We shall conduct PESTLE analysis to understand the external environment of Coca-Cola. This is important because all of the factors are inter-related. If there is a political decision that is taken, it would impact the economic situation of the country and thus the environment (Monitoring system of coca-cola) The first factor is the Political analysis. It inspects the present and prospective political influences. These include the influence of the tax laws, reforms by the government, tariffs and restrictions in trade. Guardian report of August 7, 2006, advises that there was a ban laid on the sale of coke, in some states of India, in the government offices and the institutes pertaining to education. This led to the company being destitute of prospective market of around 30 million. The next is the economic analysis. This analyzes the impact by local, countywide and worldwide. If we look at this side, outside the United States, there is increased sale of beverage without alcohol. This means that all these countries will ensure stability and growth for the company. In the sociological analysis, the analysis catered to the affects to the company with the changes in the attitude and lifestyle of people. This will mean that the target market of the young crowd will keep influencing the strategies of the company. Technology is another significant analysis where it is evaluated that how the company is affected and influenced by the changing technology. Cherry coke was introduced in 1985; this was a result of the technological advancement. The impact that the legislation has on the company is examined through the legal analysis. All the inventions and the developments of the product have to go through proper patent procedure. This is done by the company and like any other sector; it is required to meet the legal requirements. Lastly, the environmental analysis is conducted which ascertains the issues. All the facilities of the company are consistently monitored and checked so as to meet the guidelines set by the government (tabishnehal) It is discovered that the company takes due care in keeping a check and monitoring the external environment so as to keep up with the standards and avoid any prospective threats. Internal Capabilities The analysis of internal capabilities assists in formulating better strategies. Once the internal analysis is done, the company is aware of the resources that are available and are under its control (PremiumWritingService.com) The increase in the revenue of the company as compared with that in 2009 was $6.48 billion in 2010. The total of the capital of Coca-Cola at that time was announced to be $72.929 billion. The company possesses various resources for it to sustain and grow as a leader in the production of soft drinks. We shall review these capabilities in terms of tangible and intangible resources (PremiumWritingService.com). While analyzing the tangible resources, we shall cover the financial, human and physical resources of the company that contributes towards its success. The physical resources comprise of the equipments, infrastructure and the land and buildings. It has the set up units in all the states and regions. Because these are self-owned, it keeps the cost of production low. The financial position of Coca-Cola is not hidden from anyone. It is amongst the largest companies and has a strong financial set up. It is thus easy for it to execute new ventures and innovations because the cost, if productive, is not a restriction. There is highly motivational work environment and thus the staff of the company. The company has worked towards the improvement of its workers through lot of trainings. The workers are therefore able to deliver quality and timely work. The other aspect to look at the internal capabilities is the intangible resources of the company. These comprise of the goodwill, intellectual property and the technology advancement. The company has always had an edge over others through the technological expertise that it holds. It has helped the company to be able to introduce new products in the market which today are quite successful such as flavored drinks. Once these products are discovered, they are patented by Coca-Cola and hence the company enjoys full right over the production of these drinks. The goodwill of the company is stupendous and gives an upper edge to it over any other company. Differentiation There have been lots of changes demonstrated by marketing mix of Coca – Cola.   Product – The Company has almost 3300 products with a range of variety.   Price – The price of the products vary as per the geographical location and the market. Due to variety of products, most of the products have different pricing strategy. Place – It is supplied in most of the parts of the world and is liked by all. It has a planned and effective network of distribution. Promotion – There are many strategies pertaining to promotion and advertisement by Coca-Cola. The marketing mix is floated keeping in view the differentiation as per the product, service, channel, people and image. For the primary target market, the product differentiation is done by keeping in mind the kind of soda that will be liked by this sector. The Service differentiation is as per the needs and requirements of the young crowd which has to be prompt. The images used in the products that are most used by the youngsters are meant to be attractive and eye-catching Positioning By positioning it is meant the process of forming and embedding the image that the product has made in the mind of the customers as compared to the products of the competitors. Many companies make soft drinks these days. Although other companies may try to compete at the level of Coca-Cola, they will be unable to match the level of Coca Cola. Positioning assists in making the customers understand the unique value and image of the product, as compared with the products of the competitors. Coca Cola has plans in place to form such positions that will provide it with a lot of advantage pertaining to its different target markets. The positioning of Coca Cola has been based on the procedure of positioning through direct comparison and it has been able to position its products to be able to place towards benefit of its target market. Most of the people in general, form an image of a product through putting a comparison with some another product. This is quite evident in the well known professional was between Coca-Cola and Pepsi in all the product domains. Supply Chain The supply chain of Coca-Cola Company includes the company itself and nearly 300 bottling partners over the world. These bottling partners are not under direct control and supervision of the company. The entire supply system of Coca-Cola runs through mode of various local and national channels. The company is responsible for manufacturing and selling the concentrates of Coca-Cola, the beverage base of the drink and also the syrup to the bottling operators. It still is the owner of the brand and has the responsibility and accountability for brand marketing initiatives for the consumers. These bottling partners then are involved in manufacturing, packaging, merchandising and distributing the ultimate beverages to the wholesale and retail customers and also to the other vending partners. All of these further sell the products to final consumers. All of the bottling partners of Coca-Cola work in direct contact with the customers. These customers here refer to the amusement parks, convenience stores, grocery stores, street vendors, restaurants and movie theaters. These also help the Company to be able to execute many of the localized strategies which are planned and prepared in partnership with the bottling partners. Market Share In the year 2011, Coca Cola possessed a market share of around 42% as against the 30% of Pepsi’s market share. With the launch of Diet Coke, Coca Cola was able to expand more and augment its earning and profit levels. Monitoring and Controls Monitoring and controlling mechanism permits the companies to be able to check if there exists a variance when the actual budget is compared with the projected budget. This is essential to be executed because it helps in advising and suggesting important and necessary actions to meet the set marketing objectives. There are three tools that have been implemented to assess the performance of the market plan put in place: * Sales Analysis In this sales analysis, the total sales affected is broken down to precisely explain the sales in each segment. This will help in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the plan in the small sections. The sellers of products of Coca Cola range from chief retail supermarkets to quite small stores at the corner of the street. * Market Share Analysis In this Market share analysis, the business sales of Coca Cola will be compared with the sales affected by its major competitors. Currently, Coca Cola is going through lot of changes and hence aims to regain the similar control and old of the market as it used to have previously. * Marketing Profitability Analysis The Marketing Profitability Analysis checks the cost involved and expended in marketing. Majorly, three ratios are put to use to be able to monitor and control the marketing profitability; they include market research to sales ratio, the advertising to sales ratio and the last one being sales representatives to sales ratio. From the result of these ratios, Coca Cola can determine and gauge any of the emerging trends which may not be welcomed. These can be any variation such as the requirement of a different product altogether. When we compare these ratio results with the actual results it provides the company with an idea on when change should be brought. Recommendation After the research, there are a few recommendations proposed. These include: Coca-Cola has been a known name so far. Analyzing the responses and current situation, the major challenge faced by the company’s soda pertains to the health issues and concerns. I believe that it is required to revisit the entire make of the soda and check it for any harmful products that can be taken off from the making. Also, there can be some additional nutritional or healthy attributes added to the drink. But all this will be required to be done with the taste of the soda not changing or changing negligibly.   Coca Cola needs to consider a number of issues relating to the physical distribution of its soft drink products. A distinctive promotion and communication strategy can be incorporated. Since the value proposition of the company is â€Å"uniqueness† of soda, there should be communication done to demonstrate the distinct features. I believe this will give a sense of confidence to the consumers that they are able to attain what has been promised to them. Conclusion After conducting research and framing the academic report, we have been able to understand the various strategies implemented and the areas of improvement for Coca-Cola. There are some opportunities as well identified which can be worked upon to gain a wider market. The entire research assisted in gaining knowledge and understanding the concept of marketing better. Also, it helped to understand the overall soft-drinks industry – its strengths and weaknesses as well. References A., E. (2012, 09 04). 5 Tips for Developing Product Ranges Through Smart Market Research. Retrieved 01 31, 2013, from www.instant.ly: http://www.instant.ly/blog/2012/09/5-tips-for-developing-product-ranges-through-smart-market-research/ Coca Cola’s mission, vision and values. (2010). Retrieved 01 31, 2013, from ww.coca-cola.co.uk: http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/about-us/coca-cola-mission-vision-statement.html Coca-Cola Company. (2010, 02 26). Retrieved 01 31, 2013, from www.wikinvest.com: http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Coca-Cola_Company_(KO)/Objective History of Coca-Cola. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 31, 2013, from www.coca-cola.co.uk: http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/about-us/history-of-coca-cola-company.html Monitoring system of coca-cola. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 31, 2013, from