Logistics Issues Facing Both Easyjet and Ryanair

Logistics Issues Facing Both Easyjet and Ryanair Free Online Research Papers 1. INTRODUCTION After the deregulation of the airline industry in Europe which became fully effective in April 1997, one of the main and most interesting aspects of the free market has been the entry in the industry of Low Cost Airlines (LCA). Taking their business model from American air carrier Southwest, Ryanair and its Luton-based rival EasyJet are by far the largest low cost airlines in Europe. Even though the two firms have slightly different strategies the competition between them is extremely intense. This paper will be made up of three parts: first a general description will present some interesting figures of both companies EasyJet and Ryanair followed by a more accurate explanation of their strategies and eventually logistics issues will be discussed. 2. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION LCA fly to short-haul destinations and use only one or two types of aircraft. Most competitors have chosen the Boeing 737 to have large flexibility, fewer stand-by crews, and lower training and maintenance costs (Cranfield University Report, 2000). 2.1 Fleet Headquartered in Luton, UK, EasyJet is one of the leading low fare airlines in the European airline market, with a fleet of 122 aircrafts in 2006 from which 35 are Boeing 737 and 87 are Airbus A319s (see Appendix, Table 1).The age average of the aircrafts being 2.2 years. Meanwhile Ryanair’s fleet is made of 120 Boeing 737 with a capacity of 189 passengers each. 2.2 Employees On the 30th of September 2006, EasyJet employed 4,859 people. Among them were cabin crew, pilots, baggage handling agents and others. Meanwhile, Ryanair employed 3,453 people. 2.3 Route Network Both firms have high frequency daily flights (which correspond to â€Å"product availability† for Kasilingam, 1998). Ryanair has even â€Å"been voted as the airline with the best punctuality and highest frequency† (Ryanair Holdings PLC Datamonitor Report, 2007). It operates between 133 airports across 24 countries on 436 routes, carrying approximately 45% of all scheduled travellers traffic between Dublin and London (Ryanair Holdings PLC Datamonitor Report, 2007). Regarding EasyJet, it flies between 74 key European airports providing a transportation service for leisure and business customers on 289 routes in 11 countries which are UK, France, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Czech Republic, Greece, Germany, and Portugal (see Appendix, Map 1 and 2). 2.4 Passengers According to their respective websites, in 2000 EasyJet transported annually 5.996 million people while Ryanair carried 7.002 million passengers. Last year, in 2006, EasyJet and Ryanair transported respectively 32.953 million and 42.500 million customers (see Appendix, Chart 1). 3. TWO COMPANIES, ONE STRATEGY: COSTS REDUCTION According to Proussaloglou and Koppelman (1999), when passengers choose a flight, they try to maximise their â€Å"air travel utility†. In their analysis, the elements that influence the choice of travellers are â€Å"the market presence, quality of service, frequent flyer membership, fare levels and travel restriction, and schedule convenience offered by each available flights†. Do EasyJet and Ryanair meet travellers’ requirements? Ryanair’s Chief Executive Michael OLeary is obsessed about keeping costs down and said We want to be known as the Wal-Mart of flying (Maier, 2006) In order to be competitive and be able to offer low fare airline services, LCA try to cut all unnecessary costs so that they can boost their tight profit margins. Regarding the â€Å"placement of facilities†, EasyJet flies mainly to leading airports while Ryanair uses far more secondary airports; In so doing, they reduce costs as secondary airports are generally â€Å"less congested than major airports and can be expected to provide higher rate of on-time departures† (Ryanair Holdings PLC Datamonitor Report, 2007). O’Leary wants to make air travel free (free as in zero cost). By the end of the decade, he promises, more than half of our passengers will fly free (Maier, 2006). EasyJet gains efficiencies through rapid turnaround times (30 minutes and below) and progressive landing chares agreements with the airports. Free seating which is offered by both airlines, contributes to the rapid turnarounds. The use of an innovative distribution system such as the Internet enables EasyJet and Ryanair to reduce their distribution costs. Over 90% of all seats on EasyJet’s flights are sold over the Internet, making them one of Europe’s biggest Internet retailers. â€Å"Ticketless† travel reduces costs as it eliminates the cost of issuing, distributing, processing and reconciling millions of tickets each year. Furthermore the Internet allows travellers to book; change and view flights 24 hours a day which is referred to, by Kasilingam as â€Å"accuracy of filling an order† (Kasilingam, 1998). LCA do not, in general, provide loyalty cards to attract frequent flyers, thereby avoid the setting up and maintenance costs of the service. Other ways in which EasyJet and its main rival reduce costs include not serving meals to passengers on their flights, which reduces the cleaning fee. It also means charging passengers for practically every amenity they might consume. 4. LOGISTICS ISSUES Kasilingam (1998) defines logistics as the â€Å"process of moving, storing and retrieving material, people and information efficiently and economically†, then goes on to divide its system into major planning areas: 4.1 Customer service levels â€Å"Product availability† and â€Å"accuracy of filling an order† have already been mentioned in sub-sections 2.4 and 3.1 respectively. ? Regarding staff language skills we can say that English being one of the most popular language worldwide, staff members from United Kingdom are advantaged. But, it is not enough. Both companies require their cabin crew to be fluent in written and spoken English. No other languages are required and no language training is conducted. According to Ryanair and EasyJet passengers’ comments, staff language skills are respectively â€Å"very poor† and â€Å"poor† (Skytrax). This could be a major problem for both airlines as globalisation is expending very fast. Wanting to avoid language training costs or not hiring enough qualified staff could make them lose customers as it diminishes the quality of the customer service provided. ? This lack of skills can also result in complaints. EasyJet and Ryanair had to face lot of complaints regarding the fact that there is no information about compensation for missing a flight and no attempt to provide alternates solutions to travellers. Some passengers put forward the fact that it is cheap but the cheap prices do not in any way make up for the lack of services (Skytrax). The fact that these companies are viewed as â€Å"money grabbing tactics† users is damaging both companies’ brand image and reduces their competitiveness. 4.2 Location decision The competitive advantage taken from â€Å"Placement of facilities† has already been discussed in sub-section 3.1. 4.3 Transportation Management â€Å"Transportation mode, fleet size, route selection and just in time† have been examined in section 2. But we can also point out that the creation of new route networks leads to another logistics issue. More routes imply more flights and consequently more planes. This means that, the more routes companies take on, the more planes they will have to purchase. Apart from Kasilingam major planning areas, companies like airlines have to face other issues related to logistics: 4.4 Petrol We all know that petrol is one of the commercialised goods that suffer fluctuation nearly everyday. It affects not only direct consumers in gas stations (car/motorcycle owners) but also airline companies who generally augment ticket prices to cover the rises. Ryanair remains one of the only airlines to guarantee no fuel surcharges ever, prompting even more passengers to flock to their lowest fares. This marketing strategy allows the firm to keep the same price range whatever the variation of petrol price. In doing so, its customers will not be affected and thus not disappointed by the petrol fluctuation. 4.5 Airlines and the Nature 4.5.1 Environment By owning young fleet and flying to short haul destination, with an average of 954 kilometers in 2006, EasyJet was able to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel burn per passenger kilometre. Ryanair has as well achieved to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of almost 52% between 1998 and 2006 (Ryanair). Both airline companies deliver travellers directly to their destination, it is to say with only one flight (point-to-point).This avoid passengers to take connection flights which necessitate two take-offs and two landings, in so doing both airlines limit emissions. This concern for environmental issues does not go unnoticed by clients and, like for the petrol issue, it permits both companies to gain new clients and/or keep their customers. 4.5.2 Climate Bad weather is a big worry for airlines, and LCA are well known for their lack of organisation when it happens. Kevin Shanahan, an EasyJet client, witnesses on the 20th March 2007 on a Skytrax passenger forum: â€Å"Inbound flight to Geneva couldnt land due to bad weather late at night. Found out by phoning home before EasyJet told us at the airport. No help from EasyJet staff to find a hotel for the night (Too late for tourist information), no help to get transport to the hotel. Insufficient places on flight next day [†¦]†. Once again disappointment is present. 5. CONCLUSION â€Å"The traditional low-cost model has been that of the charter or non-scheduled airlines which have been such a success in Europe. But the second model introduced into Europe in the late 1990’s is that of the point-to-point, low-cost, no-frills scheduled airlines like EasyJet and Ryanair† (Doganis, 2001). Europe’s LCA models are without a doubt EasyJet and Ryanair, but as every other firm, they have to cope with logistics issues. In this report we have tried to examine them at a strategic level, not focusing on what they do and how, but on WHY. 7. REFERENCES ? Cranfield College of Aeronautics, 2000. Europe’s Low Cost Airlines. An Analysis of the economics and operating characteristics of Europe’s charter and low costs scheduled carriers. Air Transport Group, Cranfield University, Cranfield. ? Doganis, R. (2001) The Airline Business in the 21st Century. New York: Routledge ? Easyjet, About us (2006) Information pack. [Cited 20th March 2007]. ? Kasilingam, R.G. (1998) Logistics and Transportation: design and planning. Kluwer Academic. ? Maier, M. (2006) A radical fix for airlines: Make flying free. Business 2.0 Available on CNN Money website ? Proussaloglou, K. and Koppelman, F. S., 1999. The choice of air carrier, flight, and fare class. Journal of Air Transport Management. 5: 193-201. ? Ryanair, About us (2007). [Cited 21st March 2007]. ? Ryanair Holdings PLC Datamonitor Report, 2007. ? Skytrax, Airline Ranking (2007). [Cited 26th March 2007] ? Yahoo, Finance UK (2007) Investing. [Cited 15th March 2007] Research Papers on Logistics Issues Facing Both Easyjet and RyanairNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaTwilight of the UAWDefinition of Export QuotasOpen Architechture a white paperMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Project Managment Office SystemInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 Europe

Compounds Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compounds - Assignment Example The shampoo is used for pets and is not used for human needs. The shampoo is used to groom mainly dogs and horses and they are rendered fatal if consumed. This is due to the high iodine content which can cause iodine poisoning when consumed. Another iodine product that is commonly used is Kent Marine Concentrated Iodine used in aquariums. Iodine occurs naturally in plants and in some animals and animal products. Iodine easily attaches to organic compounds and this explains why the main sources include animals and plants. Many plants contain iodine as it occurs naturally on earth and when plants are growing, they absorb it from the soil. Iodine is more concentrated in water bodies as compared to the dry earth (ACP, 1996). For this reason, seaweeds are considered to be the richest in iodine concentration compared to other plants. Examples of such seaweeds include Nori, Hijiki, Dulse, sea lettuce, Kombu, and Wakame and they are all edible. Animals and animal products also contain natural iodine. Examples include sea animals, especially fish and shellfish, especially the ones found in salt water bodies. Milk and eggs are also a rich source of natural iodine. Food fortification technology is a common practice in the food industry. Table salt was among the first products to be iodized and its use is to supplement dietary iodine. Food fortification is aimed at achieving the required dietary intake of any given minerals. It is also aimed at improving the bioavailability of that given mineral by enhancing its absorption in the body. This technology utilizes the ionic form of Iodine (Iodides and Iodates). Iodization of animal products is also done so as to increase the natural source of iodine content in animal products. Iodine is also used in other fields. In the medical fields, radioisotope technology is commonly used in the diagnosis (Eagleson, 1994). This is referred to as nuclear medicine where a radioactive isotope is used to map the extent of the

Introduction to Marketing PowerPoint Presentation

Introduction to Marketing - PowerPoint Presentation Example outsourcing social media marketing services from the social media companies that have since been established and now, looking to dominate the industry. The overall market size for the social media advertising companies cannot be estimated precisely because to do so, one will need to count the ever-growing number of companies and institutions being established daily, and who essentially need to market their products. Thousands of existing companies and institutions are already outsourcing social media services, so an estimate of 50% of all businesses countrywide would be an appropriate market size, for now. 1. Placing adverts for companies and institutions on all the six most popular social media platforms. These include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google Plus+ and You Tube. The choice of platforms to use depends on the social media sites preferred by the client and most importantly, the nature of products and serviced being advertised. 2. Content creation and campaign management services. In an effort to marketing a particular product or service, there has to be a campaign to sensitize its use and the content in that campaign needs to be original. 4. Research, monitoring and analysis of social media marketing.- success depends on your ability to measure and understand your efforts. Community measurement is an essential tool in social media marketing. 2. The top areas businesses want to flourish in are tactics and engagement processes - At least 89% of companies want to use the most effective social tactics and engagement plans for their social media audience. 4. Businesses want to make the most out of Google+ - While 54% of big corporations are using Google+, 65% of smaller companies want to know more about it and 61% plan on increasing Google+ activities this year. 5. Podcasting is on growth trajectory-Though only 6% of companies have utilized podcasting in their advertising, 21% plan to increase their podcasting activities this year. That is

International Business And Organizational Factors Apple Inc Smartphones

International Business And Organizational Factors Apple Inc Smartphones Global marketing is perhaps one of the most significant factors in todays business world since it has made tremendous changes in the way the business is carried out around the world. Globalization and international business have been central to the developments and radical changes in the recent years and it has deeply affected people, management processes, business and economy. A large number of companies went global to utilize marketing opportunities for the realization of their business potential by successfully establishing sustainable competitive advantages and better marketing position where as many firms have failed in their international expansion efforts as they didnt heed the basic tenets ingrained in the critical business environments. In todays increasingly competitive and international free market economy contexts, transnational exchanging of technology, infrastructure and demographic movement have become increasingly important (Johnson and Turner, 2003, p. 1). The ultimate outcome of this growing importance of international business is that a customer, no matter whether he lives in Europe, Asia, Africa or Australia, will be familiar with a large number of world-class brands like Apple, Cadbury, Coca-cola, Dell, Ford, HP, Nestle, Nokia, Toyota and so on. The effect of globalization is that new brands are seemingly born global, For this research paper, Apple Inc- specifically its Smartphone sector- has been chosen to conduct detailed analysis on the literature related to the international business and organizational factors. This research paper presents an analysis on internal and external environment of the chosen organization- Apple Inc and examines its strategies for international marketing in terms of effectiveness and usefulness for its international operation. International Business: The case of Apple Inc Apple inc, founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in the 1970s is one of the most internationally influential and highly successful companies of today. It is an American multinational company that designs, makes and markets PCs, portable music players, cell phones, software, computer peripheral and services. It markets through its own retailing, online stores and third party sellers (Sander and Slatter, 2009, p. 81, Linzmayer, 2004). Apple was the first mainstream marketer for personal computers and is still an important market player worldwide and it has become a niche player by setting the pace for ease of use, innovative design and customer loyalty. Apples story is that one off-hobby machines that a most talented electronic expert made for himself has eventually become the core of the global marketing of one of the most successful companies of all times (OGrady, 2008, p. 1) Most of high tech companies focused only on a particular line of product whereas Apple made it different that it manufactured personal computer, created an operating system that can run in it and designed various application and software programs that fits it, and more over discovered and established market for digital music players and Smartphone. Apple is not confined in a particular market; instead, it plays significant roles in various high competitive markets like PC, software, operating system, digital music player and Smartphone. With innovative design and product differentiation strategy, it has so far produced a number of various unique products including iMac, iLife, iTunes, iPad, iPod, iPhone and 3G iPhones. Apple is better known for its wise and visionary strategic thinking that has helped it overcome marketing and competitive issues. For instance, when it experienced significant financial loss of around $45 million in 2002, Apples visionary management took effective competitive strategies that could help it stay strong in the market. The strategic thinking of Apples management has always guided it to create a focal point for decision making to help it protect the organization from the ambiguous and uncertain situations (Walker, 2003, p. 4). Apples recent developments -iPhone and 3G iPhone- became some of the most discussed new technology outcomes of the recent generation throughout the world. Its strategies of ease of use, simplicity, efficiency and fun are the major factors that helped it make its Smart phones seem to be different species than that of its competitors (Newsweek, 2007) Tilmann (2010) reported that Apples share in the worldwide PC market is constantly increasing. It has become the fifth largest PC seller in the US market for the first quarter of 2010, shipping 1,398 milion Macs computer machines. Apple is the seventh largest cell phone marketer, holding 2.7% market share in the worldwide cell phone markets, having a 112.2% increase in mobile devise sales. Apple is the third largest Smartphone marketer in the world during the first quarter of 2010. (Gartner, 2010) Apple is going to release its iPhone OS and therefore it is expected that second quarter of 2010 will be a very important one for Apple (Gartner, 2010). Apple is spending huge on RD in order to provide its customers with products and services, made up of latest technology and innovation, with supreme quality and reliability. Carson (2008) reported that more than 500 million subscribers were offered a legitimate iPhone deal in the beginning of 2008, with a target of big gains from its international marketing. The launch of iPhone had thus created a massive global footprint. Apples international marketing of iPhone has been first channeled through SingTel of Singapore, Bharti Airtel of India, Globe Telephones of Philippines and Optus of Australia, adding 100 million potential customers to its brand. International marketing has been highly significant for Apple in recent years. Its global sale of PCs and digital music players have contributed major share of its total revenues. For instance, Apple posted revenue of $9.6 billion and a net quarterly profit of $ 1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2008, showing a gross margin of 34.7% from the 31.2% figure of the year of gross profit. International sales accounted for 45% of its total revenues (OGrady, 2008, 162). International Business Environment of Apple Inc This section of the research paper analyzes micro and macro environments of Apples international business. The SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis are considered in this section to analyze international business environments both micro and macro levels. SWOT analysis of Apple Inc Analyzing both internal and external environments is vital in strategic planning because it can help management take decisive actions regarding resources allocation, measuring efficiency of operation and evaluating the productivity of employees. SWOT is a very useful technique for analyzing both micro and macro environments of a firm drawing together key strengths and weaknesses as presented internal (micro) analysis and opportunities and threats as presented external (macro) analysis (Beamish and Ashford, 2007, p. 42). Internal Environment: Strengths According to Datamonitors (2010) report, Apples total revenue has been increased to the highest record figure of $ 42,905 million in 2008 from 2007 total revenue of $24,578 million. This growth shows that its annual growth rate is 32.15% which is an outranking performance as compared to many other firms playing in the same market. Apple has very recently reported that its financial performance for the 2010 first quarter has been increased to $15.68 billion (Apple.com). When it comes to its focus on innovation, technology and RD, it is obvious that its focus on RD and its thrive on innovation has been a critical factor behind its success. Its RD spending for 2009 only was accounted to be $1,333 million (Datamonitor, 2010). Apple is highly rewarded for its unique brand success and brand loyalty. Datamonitor (2010) reported that Apples brand image has been im porved to the 20th position in 2009 from the 24th position of 2008 and 35th position of 2007. With a number of unique names, Apples products like iTunes, iLife, iMac, iPad and iPhone are not attributable to any brand other than Apple. This brand image and loyalty remains to be its major strength in its international markets. Internal Analysis: Weaknesses Design and manufacturing defects are major risks that many high tech electronic companies often face from its corporate customers and end users. As Apple is dealing with innovative products and advanced technology, any defects in its products can adversely affect its international business. For instance, Apple faced risks of defects with Ultracompact USB in 2008 causing it to exchange every components for new redesigned adapters (Datamonitor, 2010). Similarly, patent infringement seems to another risk, as common for high tech and Multinationals. In 2007 alone, Apple had to spend huge amount only for defending more than 47 patent infringement cases (Datamonitor, 2010). External Environment: Opportunities When it comes to Apples international business, the main opportunity that it enjoys is its growing market-share Apples Smartphone. It is still expected to grow further in the years to come. Apples Smartphone market has been valued as 15% of the total mobile market of 2009. It is estimated that Apples Smartphone market is likely to account 35% of the worldwide mobile market in 2012. Apart from this, touch screen device has been a trend among customers that in turn will be another opportunity for Apple in its global marketing (Datamonitor, 2010) Apples mobile PC is another species that recently attracted greater number of customers. The market for mobile PCs also is expected to increase in the coming years. Apples mobile PCs sales have been found to be increased by 15% in 2009. Both Smartphone and mobile PCs give greater opportunities for Apple and therefore it can grab the slices of these emerging hot markets by further enhancing quality, diversity, technology, innovation and designs. External Environment: Threats Self reliance for components is always a positive point for a manufacturer especially when it goes global. As far as Apples case is concerned, it is depending on third party components like DRAM, NAND and flat panel displays, that in turn not only bring chances of causing cost disadvantages but also raises issues of liabilities and components defects (Datamonitor, 2010). The competition in the worldwide market for PCs, software, digital music players and cell-phones is extremely rigorous. Apple is playing in such an environment where large multinationals like HP, Dell, Acer, Microsoft, Nokia, Fujitsu, Sony Ericsson are major competitors and going head on head with them is extremely challenging. PEST analysis of Apple Inc A better organization is one, which easily gets accustomed with changing business contexts. Changing business environments can be evaluated and understood only if effective analysis can be carried out. PEST analysis is an invaluable tool for analyzing external (macro) environment of a firm including competitors, suppliers and customers. PEST analysis divides a firms overall environments in to four, political, economic, social and technological (Gregory, 2000, p. 49). Apples external environments are detailed below: Political Environment Shenkar and Luo (2004) emphasized that the political processes faced by an MNE, let it be compliance, evasion, negotiation, cooperation and coalition building, are more difficult and problematic than that in domestic operation. It is mainly because; the number of political constituencies including government, union, political parties and interested groups are multiplied in international business environments (p. 175). As far as Apples case is concerned, its marketing in countries like China, India and other Asian countries are more likely to be affected by any changes in political and government policies can have significant impact on its business. Economic Environment When Apple chooses a specific entry mode to enter in to a country, it has to consider a number of economic and other factors. Economic factors in other countries like financial strength, exchange rate fluctuations, Foreign direct investment and related policies and other economic variables can also have significant influence on Apples international business. The growth of Apples market share in Smartphone and other sectors shows that it has been less affected by the worst financial downturn of the recent years as compared to other firms. Social Environment The significance of social and cultural factors to a firms international business cannot be overestimated. Consumers worldwide tend to become more attracted to Smartphone and touch screen devices. Even though the general social factors are positive for Apples Smartphone market in other countries, various other social factors like attitude towards foreign products, cultural entities and social values can up to an extent create challenges on its business (Shenkar and Luo, 2004, p. 150). Technological Environment Apples relentless focus on technology and innovation is its major strength that helps it gain better competitive advantages. Apples technology is its another positive factor because people worldwide tends to embrace latest technology quicker. Apple is introducing its 4G iPhone which is now expected to gain good sales across other countries as well. International Strategies of Apple Inc This part of the research paper relates to the major international business strategies of Apple inc. Apple strategies Innovative product design, Brand loyalty, Own store strategy and education sales are detailed below. Its strategies like complete solution and Product differentiation are intentionally omitted because, the specified sector for the research is Apples Smartphone sector. Innovative Design strategy Apples products like iPod and iPhone became widely known for its excellence in innovative product design and development. Apple was not a technology follower until 1990s. Steve Jobs realized that technology creation is critical to stay for long in a market and thence he made significant changes of Apples products lines after 1997 (Betz, 2002, p. 194- 195). This is how Apple has eventually become a technology creator and now created success stories of iPhone throughout its worldwide markets. When companies like HP and other players in hardware and software markets focused on lower costs and high volume sales, Apple focused on technology and product differentiation (Hoskisson, Hitt and Irelandl, 2008, p. 133). Apples international business is committed to bring high quality mobile communication, digital music players and video experience to its worldwide customers. Its business strategy is its effort to design and develop its own hardware products like iPhone with its own software, ease of use and innovative design being its major features (Apple Annual Report, 2009). Brand Loyalty Strategy Apple brand is one of the strongest in todays international market. A number of products like iPad, iPhone, iMac, iLife, iTunes and iDvd are clearly positioned in customers mind with Apple brand. Its strategy to design and develop innovative products have been closely related with its digital hub and thus to have gained a unique successful brand position among its customers. Apples brand personality is created with an emphasis on emotion, touching customers lifestyle, imagination, innovation, dream and aspiration (marketingminds.com). Apples brand is likely to change the lifestyle the people listen music, use mobile for communication and music needs etc (Cuneo, 2003). According to Keates and Clarkson (2003) Apples strong brand image and its loyalty only were the factors that saved Apple from being fully wiped out form the market when its managerial mistakes caused it to be closer to be bankrupted in 1990s (p. 43). When it comes to the brand positioning, Apple gains 50%. ADWEEKs (2009) study concluded that some customers are found that they couldnt live without Apples brand as it is highly inspiring to them. Readers brand choice was 50% Apple, 26% Google and 4% Starbucks (Brand of the Decade, 2009). Apples own store strategy Apple has been creating its own stores for the international marketing of its products including its Smartphone. Apart from online selling and third part sales force, Apple has used own store as a strategy for enhancing better distribution and by facilitating its customers enjoy music and other products and services. Its own stores are friendly places where customers have easy access to play and experience new technologies (insidecrm.com). Apple opened 34 its own stores in 2005 for a total of 135 and dramatically its international business by opening stores in Canada, three stores in UK and in Japan as well (OGrady, 2008, p. 129). Its own store strategy helps it gain more customers, attract them towards its products and technologies, provide better direct services and collect more accurate information from its customers. Education Sales Apples another strategy for its international business was education sale by focusing on selling its products and services to schools and universities and thus to spread its technology to the new generations. Students by seeing Apple products at schools or colleges become highly attracted to using or owning one for them and this is how Apple has been using education sale strategy for its marketing (insidecrm.com). Effectiveness of Apples Strategies This section of the research paper uses Porters generic Strategy (given in the appendix) to determine the effectiveness and success of Apples international business, mainly focusing its Smartphone market. The attractiveness of the firm and its position in industry are major factors that determine effectiveness. Apples case shows that it has been able to boost its market share for Smartphone in recent years. According to Porters generic strategy, cost advantage and differentiation are two major factors that determine strength of a firm. Apple has remained far positive with its market shares and larger number of shipping, and when considering Smartphone market, the market share was highly impressive. Apples RD is its main power that is a critical factor behind its differentiation; innovative design and technology focus strategies as well. Apart from its differentiation strategy, the major points to look at are 1) brand loyalty and 2) its iPhone buzz across the world. These both are major success factors of Apple Inc. Brand loyalty remains to be a strong advantage because it can help the company stay very strong in its international market. Similarly, the iPhone buzz throughout the world also has been a success factor that shows how far Apple has been gaining the international business and competitive advantages. Evaluative Conclusion and Recommendations Apart from the above-discussed Apples strategies, this part of the research paper recommends Customization facility and direct marketing as other two important strategies for Apple. Customers are different in tastes, requirements and lifestyles. They require different products at different features. A customer may require an iPhone with camera facility whereas the other may require it with additional inbuilt memory to store more songs. It goes like it. By facilitating customization, customers will be able to access Apple website, design their own products, select features for it, add specifications and finally order the goods. It will not only help increase the number of its customers, but also add more customer loyalty and satisfaction as well. Secondly, I would recommend that Direct marketing, by directly selling its products to the international customer, will be helpful to reduce middlemen costs and extra inventory handling too. It will help the company to make its products ultimately cheaper to the customers This research paper has highlighted the literature related to the Apples international business, mainly regarding it Smartphone sector. The paper has presented detailed analysis on the micro and macro analysis of Apples international business environment by using appropriate tools of SWOT and PEST analysis. The international business strategies of Apple are detailed in this paper, drawing the effectiveness of its strategies and operation.

Comparing My Dad and Me Essay -- Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Comparing My Dad and Me In a world of over six billion people, what could be more boring than a bunch of look-alike clones? Everyone on this earth shares certain traits with others. Each person, though, shares more similarities with some people than with others. Strong similarities can be seen most frequently among family members, most likely because people in one family come from the same gene pool. My dad and I represent prime examples of people who share a lot in common. Regardless of how much we resemble each other, though, we are different people and always will be. Setting aside the physical differences between my dad and me – I am significantly taller but have a smaller build than he – quickly reveals our similarities. Though the majority of our shared traits come as a result of the fact that I received many of his genes, our most important similarity– our faith in and fervent love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – does not exist in anyone’s genes. Rather, this comes exclusively from God. Every day my dad goes out and fixes garage doors. Working in people’s garages on a daily basis, he gets numerous opportunities to talk to people. Just about every day, my dad has a chance to share his faith with others. Not only does he deal honestly and fairly with his customers, he frequently talks to them about his belief in God and explains why Jesus died 2000 years ago – for them. Likewise, I often must defend my beliefs in school. In past English classes, we have had many debates on a great variety of moral issues and I have been able to give my stance on â€Å"the issues,† based on what the Bible, God’s Word, teaches. Hopefully, I will have additional opportunities in American Government class and possibly even in English.... ...I. He does not mind confronting people when they do something with which he does not agree. I have a more difficult time confronting people. When I do, so as not to anger them, I beat around the bush rather than telling them blatantly that they are wrong. While my dad and I are very similar even in such little things as our mannerisms, our similarities do not in any way, shape, or form make us the same person. No two people are the same, in spite of all their likenesses. If we were all exactly alike, what good would we be? If we all excelled in construction work and could build anything from a shed to a skyscraper, who would prepare food? If everyone cooked, who would treat the sick and injured? More fundamentally, who would make the equipment used for cooking? People identify us by who we are, by our differences – not by what we have in common with everyone else.

Reflection paper Essay

Visiting the Daybreak Family Centre gave me the opportunity to learn more about social services in reality. Albeit not having the chance to interact with their clients because we were untrained, I had a fruitful discussion session with the social workers there. â€Å"Learning in social work isn’t a linear process,† shared one of the social worker. Theories though being taught in school – seems like there is an accurate answer – social work is not a mere transfer of learning. With real clients, it takes time to generate solutions. Some lessons can only be self-discovered through experiences. Since social workers usually deal with case-works, this provided me another insightful take-away of the importance of self-reflection – which allows most practitioners to explore reasons they response in certain ways, helping to create self-awareness of own strength and weaknesses. Social workers too have attitudes, past and prejudices that will affect their resp onses to certain things. Without learning from oneself and acknowledge all these, it will be exceptionally difficult for social workers to assist clients effectively. These social workers shared that critical reflection allows them to form new perspective of the situation, understand themselves better and hence, advance. In social services, the importance of maintaining confidentiality and establishing professional boundaries could not be emphasizes enough. Also, bearing in mind, social workers cannot overpower clients, make assumptions or put own expectations on them. I have learnt that only when appropriate, can then a social worker take more control of clients’ lives. Social services focus on client’s self-determination. Clients ultimately have to be responsible of the decisions they make. Social workers cannot allow a particular incident to affect them so as to continue their profession. It is apparent that females mainly dominate the social work profession. It struck me on how this negatively impacted the manpower issue. In particular, the root cause of delinquency is the distant-father-figure at home. The  general consensus that men are more likely to be receptive towards other men in this issue causes a greater demand for male social workers. Unless the society takes a step forward and change this delusion that social work is a â€Å"voluntary-work†, not a profession, it will be rather difficult to ameliorate this situation. This general misconception has to be addressed meritoriously. On a side note, all the social workers I have meet were like angels, kind-hearted, understanding and never failed to wear on a big-smile!

Ancient Cultures Beliefs - 644 Words

Way back in the ancient cultures beliefs’ and faith played a major roll in their lifetime. It treasured the art that spoke to them and made them closer to god, since writing was not indicate back then. Some believed in only one god, some in many gods and some people believed in objects like animals, the sun, items and even the weather. After visiting the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth and observing some of the ancient Egyptian art collection displayed, I have decided to pick the theme of God to inform about. After my research, I discovered new and different key points about the Egyptian beliefs in god and how it affects us in our world today. My first object is the Kneeling Statue of Senenmut, Chief Steward of Queen Hatshepsut, the second object is Red-Figure Cup Showing the Death of Pentheus (exterior) and a Maenad (interior) and the last object is the Head of a Ewe. The first object that I have picked while I was at the museum is the Kneeling Statue of Senenmut, Chief Steward of Queen Hatshepsut. It is said that it was created in the early 18th century between the years 1473-1458 B.C. The instant I walked in into the Ancient Egyptian collection I couldn’t take my eye off of that sculpture, due to that being it was probably the the darkest object there. The kneeling Statue of Senenmut was engraved from a grayish green stone, I like this object because, all the achievement and work that Senenmut have done in his life was carved all over this object. One of my dislikes isShow MoreRelatedEssay on Christianity vs. Greek Mythology1309 Words   |  6 Pageshas been a very important part of history. It shaped many cultures and allowed us to better understand many civilizations. Two of these cultures are those of the Christians and Greeks. 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