Business

Lockheed Martin has taken several steps in order to make sure that there employees practice ethical behavior. Lockheed Martin believes that employees and management should treat people correctly and always show respect to each other and their customers. The company trains its employees to make sure that they follow the company code of ethics. In the last year there have been several senior executive and corporate directors that have been interested in how ethical practices in the workplace benefit companies. (The Conference Board Inc, 2010) With that in mind, there are three major ways that Lockheed Martin promotes integrity.

One way that Lockheed Martin promotes integrity is through multimedia. The company has its own newspaper, that is called the Lockheed Martin Today. They also provide a video about ethics The Integrity Minute. They also have a monthly video called LM1. Besides that, they also have a website and messages from company CEO Robert J. Stevens. Because this is the 21st century, it is a very good idea to use all kinds of media to get across your message. There are some people that will still read paper newspapers and newsletters that may be put out by the company that they work for. There are others that would be interested in something more visual such as Internet or television. It is a very smart move to use something such as media that people use in their everyday life to get the attention of all of your employees.

Another way that ethics is promoted is that performance evaluation is about more than the bottom line. How the employees of the company get the job done is as important, if not more important than the job that is done. Something else that is measured through the Full Spectrum Leadership template is how an individual employee treats his fellow workers and that is something that is also taking into consideration in the final performance evaluation. Lockheed Martin is smart to go this route because if integrity is important than the analysis of an employees body of work should include how an employee treats his co-workers, superiors and customers.

Finally, Lockheed Martin has their employees sign a code of ethics upon being hired. There is also awareness training every year and business conduct compliance training. It is always good to remind your employees what your goal is and what your companies mission statement is.

Executive Summary
The current stiff competition in the business world calls for equivalent strong marketing strategies. Most importantly it is prudent for business oriented individuals to come up with strategic plans and effective business plans in order to address the current increase in the demand for products globally. One way of solving the problem of inequality in the supply and demand of products is through initiating small and micro enterprises. In this regard the needs of middle class and the low class individuals who have been ignored by the large business entities will be effectively addressed. Similarly, marketing strategies including advertising, marketing research, promotion and pricing cannot be overlooked in ensuring that quality products effectively reaches the consumers at the right time. This business plan will keenly highlight all the areas that a business should put in place in order to be in a competitive edge. The plan will also discuss the marketing strategies that should be put in place, the budget allocation of various departments and the expected sources of funds to make the business venture a success.

Introduction
My business idea is to initiate a small and medium enterprise in the United Kingdom dealing with wide range of cosmetics. I will work full time in my shop with the support of few employees who will handle various tasks in the operations of the company. The business will focus on distribution of cosmetic products, initially within the city London and then expand it to cover other major cities. Much of the work will entail customer service, marketing and promotion activities as well as delivery of the products to customers. This kind of business gives me the opportunity to expand in future based on the exposure that I will gain from my new venture which requires less capital. I expect this business to expand and grow rapidly by reinvesting part of the profit back to the business. Initially, most of my customers will be located in London city 5 Conduit Street. Within London, there is a big population of people who apply body care creams, lotions, perfumes, hair care products and powders. The main features that will attract my customers are personalized customer service, quality natural products and competitive prices. Having worked with large cosmetic chain retailers, I have gained adequate experience in the cosmetic industry. In my previous job, I have served several clients who have recommended my good customers care services to their friends. With this network of customers and their friends, I expect to acquire and retain more clients through customer-focused experience. With industry experience, quality products and customer focus, I expect the business to grow steadily without major risks.

Business name
The name of my business is Natures Beauty. This is a cosmetic shop which will deal with a wide rage of products to serve the high number of customers in the UK who have recently increased their demand for beauty products. The name was chosen for its simplicity, visual element associated with natural beauty, and positive emotions that are associated with the word beauty. The name is simple to spell and the customer can identify themselves with the word beauty, which is the reason why people purchase cosmetics. The word nature in the business name brings in the concept of safety and quality of the products.

The products
Natures Beauty shop will stock a wide variety of cosmetics including skin care creams, hair care products, perfumes and body lotions. This shop will focus mainly on natural and high quality products. The assurance we have for the customer is that the products will not only pass the recommended regulatory authority compliance, but also meet Natures Beauty Shop internal quality requirements.

Location
Natures Beauty will be located in 5 Conduit Street in the city of London. This is based on the fact that the location is central and hence it will have a great effect in terms of exposing the business to many potential customers. Likewise, 5 Conduit Street is an area that displays a lot of business opportunities in future due to the good infrastructure system that has been put in place by the UK government.

Marketing strategies
Marketing strategies refers to the tactics that Natures Beauty will employ to meet its objectives of satisfying the customers and effectively utilizing available resources to enhance its competitive advantage. This section highlights some of the vital areas that the business will emulate in its marketing techniques for the purpose of giving quality products and services to its consumers.

Market research
Market research defines the process that I will use to gather vital information about the market and the target customers. Market intelligence is a powerful avenue and a strong collection tool that can support decision-making processes. Through efficient market research, my business will identify among other things customers buying behavior, what they need and their expectations. The market research will also identify market information like the prices of cosmetics offered by the competitors and the demand and supply dynamics. This will be conducted across the whole city using primary and secondary data techniques. Market segmentation is another area that my market research will examine. This will determine the difference in demographic characteristics, motivation and product differentiation. A keen look at the competitive environment will also reveal my competitors and the reactions I expect from them.

Market penetration strategies
Market penetration strategies describe the tactics that will be employed to launch the business operations. These tactics will be formulated from the market intelligence reports generated by the market research. In this regard Natures Beauty will adopt penetration pricing strategy and high quality cosmetics products.

Penetration pricing
One of the tactics that will ensure that Natures Beauty gain competitive advantage is the use of penetration pricing. I propose to keep initial profit margins small by lowering the prices of cosmetic products. Due to the recent economic crisis, lower prices and quality products will attract many customers. This will get my competitors unaware and before they respond by making any price adjustments, Natures Beauty shop will have won most of the customers.

High quality and safe products
The penetration tactics for Natures Beauty will include the introduction of new quality products with attractive features like safety. The main reason for insisting on the quality cosmetic products formulations is to assure customers on the safety of these products. This gains more significance considering the concern many customers have about the effects of cosmetics on personal health and skins. In addition, this tactic will help Natures Beauty to create positive customer perception especially in the long term, which will be critical in enhancing customer loyalty.

The marketing mix
The marketing mix refers to the basic, tactics that will guide the Natures Beauty Shop marketing plan. This party keenly highlights some of the vital components of the marketing mix which will be applied by the new business venture in giving the UK customers excellent services.

Product strategies
Product strategies will focus on the three levels of the cosmetic products, which are the core product, the actual product and the augmented product. The core product will entail the benefits each product will give to the consumers. Natures Beauty Shop products are expected to give the customers the value of beauty. The augmented product level describes the tangible part of the product of which the customer can apply while the augmented product refers to the non-physical attributes of the product and the value added. The product life cycle will also be managed to strengthen business operations at each level of maturation.

Pricing strategies
After capturing a substantial competitive advantage and market share, Natures Beauty Shop is expected to change or adjust its overall pricing strategy from penetration pricing to product line pricing, premium pricing or value pricing since it may also be necessary. The premium pricing strategy will reflect the competitive advantage conferred by quality and safe products. Product line pricing on the other hand will be structured based on the range of products and the benefits of each product range. In response to external factors, Natures Beauty Shop will use value-pricing strategies to retain its sales and customers.

At the introductory stage, I propose that more emphasis will focus on promoting the business and its cosmetic products. Due to the presence of few competitors, a skimming price technique will augment the penetration strategy. At the growth stage, I expect Natures Beauty Shop market share to stabilize significantly. To deal with UK competitors at this stage the business will spend more on promotional activities aimed at building a strong brand. As the business products enter the maturity stage, the business will take steps aimed at product and brand differentiation to meet changing consumer tastes and preferences. It is also expected that the Natures Beauty Shop will minimize its expenditures on marketing at the decline stage while pursuing market diversification vigorously.

Promotion
Promotion refers to the communication channels that Natures Beauty will put in place to persuade the customers to buy more products. In the promotional mix, Natures Beauty Shop will apply different promotional tools to reach its customers effectively. For instance, the business will employ advertising tactics through television, magazines, newspapers, billboards as well as internet .Other components of the promotional mix that will be utilized is the personal selling, sales promotion and sponsorship.

Advertising
Natures Beauty will use paid communication channels to create customer awareness. This will involve use of combination of several communication media like television, print media as well as outdoor advertising.

Television advertisements
Based on the recent survey report indicating that the average television watching time is five to six hours in London, it is very clear that this medium will reach most of our customers. In addition, television advertising is powerful due to its audio-visual characteristics and the opportunity it offers for advertisers to design creative adverts. Moreover, television advertisement has a wide coverage and uses the power of motions to create the desired effect.

Print media advertisements
Natures Beauty will use print media to create more awareness on its products. This will involve placing advertisements on newspapers and magazines. The choice of print media is due to its ability to elicit loyal readership habits and specific audience segments. In this regard, Fashion magazines, one of the most purchased magazines in UK will be utilized by the business as a channel of its advertisements in the market.

Out door advertising
To complement the other advertising media, I will undertake outdoor advertisements using billboards and posters. The benefits of using outdoor advertisements include the assurance that an effective choice of location will effectively reach the audience.

Online advertisement
Natures Beauty will use the internet and World Wide Web to promote its products. Contextual advertisements will be placed on search engines while social networking sites will be utilized to advertise the cosmetic products. Email marketing will be employed to give information to specific customer segments. This method of advertisement is chosen due to its advantages over the traditional advertisements. Similarly, online advertising enhances the advertisement efficiency as it allows for customization of content. It is also a prerequisite preparation as Natures Beauty prepares to go global in the near future. The other advantage of using online advertisement is that due to its wide coverage especially for the consumers with access to the internet it will greatly enhance product awareness.

The table below indicates the advertisement expenditures that Natures Beauty Shop will incur.

Advertisement medium
Cost of advertisement (dollars)
television          8,000
magazines         3,500
newspapers         2,000
Online advertisement         3,000
billboard        4,500
posters       2,000
total        22,000

Personal selling
Natures Beauty Shop will use personal selling tactics to push for sales. This will be done by prospecting, communicating and selling the products to individual customers. Supportive service will also be offered to customers to ensure that they understand fully how to apply the products. The first advantage associated with this type of promotion is that it enhances personal attention to customers while giving room to demonstration and immediate feedback. Secondly, personal selling will serve the purpose of customer acquisition and retention due to the creation of long-term relationships. Sales people who will give presentations, trainings and incentives to customers will be given adequate orientation by the marketing department on how to undertake personal selling services. Telephone as a mode of communication, will be highly utilized to streamline conversation between the consumers and the sales teams.

Sales promotion
The use of media and non-media communications will increase sale volumes. When designing the promotional strategy focus will be on consumer attitudes, advertising tactics and the competitive strategy. I propose that with each purchase offer the customer will be given a gift. Cash discounts will also be an initiative that will be adopted by the Natures Beauty shop in order to make customers purchase products in cash.

Sponsorship and public relations
My business will sponsor beauty contests within the city of London. Natures Beauty will also invest in gaining positive public image by contributing to charity. The shop will contribute to environmental conservation efforts by collaborating with environmental agencies. This being one of the corporate social responsibilities will have positive effects on the business in that it will enhance the public image of the shop.

Table of the cost of sponsorship
activityCost (dollars)periodBeauty contest sponsorship1,000Once yearContribution to charity1,000Once yearTotal 2,000Once yearThe customer

Customer retention and relationship building
To understand our customers better, steps will be undertaken to enhance customer retention rates. This will involve creating customer loyalty by focusing on satisfying customer needs and providing an experience that exceeds the expectations. At Natures Beauty Shop, value to customers will be the core aspect of all operations. Efforts will also be made towards the creation of positive perceptions among the customers.

Quality standards
All operations at Natures Beauty Shop will comply with specified quality levels. This includes the pre-transaction period where each customer must be given due attention and records made even if no purchase has been made. Every member of staff must receive customers warmly. Customers are to receive timely and quality services and if they raise any question about any product, the staff will provide adequate explanations. Customers relations department will be adopted to handle all inquiries.

Identifying the customer
In order to serve the customers better, Natures Beauty will employ appropriate market segmentation strategies. This is the division of the market into categories of individual markets each market with unique characteristics. The segmentation criteria will categorize customer groups in terms of gender, age, family size and social class. The use of gender in this case will enable the cosmetics shop to meet the expectations of both men and women. The women segment is especially vital because it is the biggest consumer segment for cosmetic products. The identification of this group of consumers will go ahead and deliver a product that can meet the expectations. The men category is growing steadily as more men are becoming more conscious about their glooming habits. Aftershaves and perfumes are gaining wide acceptance among men of all races in London. This means that to promote the use of cosmetic products among men, efforts should focus on delivering just what they need in a cosmetic product. Age group will also be used to categorize consumer groups. This is especially important considering the fact that children have sensitive skin, which requires the application of gentle and subtle cosmetics. Young women represent a sub segment that forms the buck of cosmetics consumers.

It is also expected that the shop will pay special attention to the needs of the youth as another vital segmentation technique. Natures Beauty Shop will also embrace an approach that utilizes consumer segmentation to retain its customers. This will entail implementing strategies aimed at retaining profitable customers by using appropriate tactics. These tactics will consider consumer behavior and business prospects to determine the most profitable customers. Some of the factors to consider include the risk of the customer becoming a non user of our products, the prospects of maintaining the customer in terms of profitability and the strategies that will improve the retention rates.

Positioning
After the segmentation process is through, the business will embark on positioning plans. The positioning policy will focus on creating positive perceptions about the products we offer and the pricing aspects. This will involve the marketing and communications strategies, which will strengthen positive perceptions.

Distribution
This is the link between the production and consumption of the products. Natures Beauty Shop will use the two level distribution channel, where it will operate as a retailing store. In this case, products will be obtained from quality cosmetic product manufacturers and sold directly to the customers. The advantage of this distribution channel is that it will enable the shop to concentrate its efforts in distribution and customer service. This means that the shop will have greater focus on customer dynamics. Elimination of costs associated with wholesalers and other intermediaries is another benefit that Natures Beauty is going to enjoy. To serve each customer effectively, the shop will employ competent sales people. According to this business plan, the shop will employ three full time sales people and seven part time sales representatives in its initial stages. As the number of customers grows, I expect the number of sales people to increase.

Management
This refers to the top leadership that will make vital business decisions on a routine basis. It is imperative to note that without effective management system, the success of the business is not possible. This part analysis the management strategies that will be adopted by Natures Beauty shop.

Organizational structure
The shop will have a structure that emphasizes the concept of subordination and collaboration to contribute to common objectives. The management will constitute three departments whose managers will report directly to the chief executive officer. These divisions are the sales and marketing department, finance department and the human resources department. The marketing department will be responsible for all sales and marketing planning. Financial department will handle financial control and planning issues. The human resources department will focus on employee satisfaction, recruitment, hiring, human resource training and development as well as guiding the business to comply with labor laws. Special desks will also be set up under each department. The customer complaints desk will operate under the sales and marketing division. This desk will handle customer related issues and its major responsibility is to enhance customer loyalty. Quality control desk will operate under the finance department. This desk will manage the general quality systems by implementing internal and external quality standards. The quality assurance desk will collaborate closely with all other divisions to effectively shape the general quality policy.     This organizational structure will give room for allocation of responsibilities and coordination of business processes. The benefits of this organizational structure are that it improves efficiency and creativity and instills sense of responsibility. It also permits rapid response while giving room for individual participation hence enhancing flexibility. The Natures Beauty Shop organizational structure is simple thus encouraging decentralized reporting and eases the monitoring process (Sullivan et al, 1996).

Table showing salaries for top management
post
Salary per year (dollars)
Chief executive officer8,000
General manager6,500
Human resources manager6,000
Marketing manager6,000
Internal auditor4,000
total30,500

Table showing payment for subordinate staff
post
Salary per year (dollars)
Full time sales assistants         (3)    10,500
Part time sales representatives (7)    7,000
Driver                                       (1)    2,000
Mechanic                                (1)    2,000
Security personnel                (1)   1,000
Total                                       13   22,500

Staff recruitment
I expect to attract talented and competent employee to work in various sections of the shop. The process will start by identifying a need for a new staff or the need to replace an existing one. It will also entail creativity to weigh out the possibility of doing the same task without adding new staff or making any replacements. The human resources department coordinates the hiring process by assembling a panel that must include top management, a subordinate staff and one customer representative. The human resource officer will also generate a systematic checklist to track the hiring and recruitment process. The recruitment will focus on matching personal skills and abilities to the task.

Motivation and benefit scheme
Natures Beauty employees will be adequately motivated in order to increase their productivity. For example, the marketing team will enjoy extra rewards when they meet specific sales targets. In addition, staff will have freedom to choose when to go for leave or the number of working hours for sales representatives. Outstanding performers will also be identified and a reward given to them.

Training and development
Performance appraisals will be done regularly to determine if performance improvement is required. The business will also implement an overall professional development program. There is need to ensure that all employee are well trained to handle the responsibilities accorded to them. Staff will also be encouraged to do refreshment courses especially those pertaining to customer service. The training will focus on key business processes like communications, customer service, computer skills, human relations and good relations. These skills will increase employee motivation, job satisfaction, enhance efficiency and creativity as well as reduce employee turn over. The Nature Beauty Shop will also reap the benefits of improvement in company image.

Trading status of the business
Natures Beauty Shop will operate as a partnership entity. The business will have four equal partners whose legal structure is governed by a partnership agreement. The name of the partnership will be registered under the registration of Business Names Act. The main features of the Natures Beauty Shop include capital contribution by all partners with no appeal for public subscription, each partner will act as an agent of the shop with clear authority to enter into contracts under agreed terms, and each partner will equally share any debts of the business. Likewise, profits and losses will be shared under the agreed terms. The choice of this type of partnership is based on the benefits of trading under such an agreement. First, partnerships are easy to form and less costly. To launch the cosmetics shop will require substantial amount of capital. In light of this, partnership will raise more capital than operating as a sole proprietor. Exemption from taxes is another advantage of the partnership business. This is due to the fact that partnership is not a legal business entity and therefore it does not pay certain taxes paid by big companies. With this business arrangement, it is possible for members to take those tasks that suit them best hence encouraging creativity and innovation. Sharing of debts and profits will motivate the partners to work hard with the interest of the business taking the priority.

Sources of business finance
Sources of capital describe the sources that the partners will use to raise financial capital to launch the business and run it successfully. Natures Beauty Shop will use different sources to raise funds. These sources will be vary in application due to their difference in terms of costs and risks involved, effect on the ability of management to have control and the period upon which the funds will be available.

Internal sources of finance
The partners will contribute equally form their own savings, to raise funds for financing the Natures Beauty Shop. The advantage of this type of contribution is that the funds are made available immediately. It is also notable that this type of financing has minimal risks because it is from partners contributions and therefore no interest is charged. The management will also have full control of this type of financing because there are no other conditions attached to it other than what the agreement among the partners.

Borrowing from external sources of finance

Bank credit
Natures Beauty Shop will also approach commercial banks for short term loans in the form of overdrafts. The bank overdraft will be given on a formal agreement between the bank and the business concerning the maximum amount by which the partners may overdraw the account. However, this will depend on the personal judgment of the bank on issues such as trade situation and the economic environment. The advantage of bank credit is that it is cheap and convenient source of business finance.

Trade credit
The business will also use credit from suppliers as a source of finance. The business will have an agreement with selected cosmetic manufacturers to be supplied with some products and the payment to be made later. The advantage of this type of financing is that it is a cheap and convenient short-term source of capital. This will also give the shop the benefit of extending credit to customers in the long-run while maintaining flexibility.
Table showing sources of business finance
Source of finance
Amount (dollars)
Partners contribution40,000
Bank credit60,000
Trade credit45,000 (worth of cosmetic products)                                      

Sources of support and advice
Natures Beauty will source for business support and advice from impeccable business institutions. The partners agree that for the management to competently handle the start up logistics there is need to seek the advice from professionals. The management will also receive support and training from these professional in order to enhance business performance through the acquisition of critical skills on financial management, marketing strategies and customer satisfaction. Information on financial management will be sourced from banks and financial advisors in the United Kingdom. Legal advice from professional lawyers will help the company to streamline its operations in line with the stipulated laws and regulations in the United Kingdom. The partners will also seek the advice of professional insurers to evaluate the need and benefits of implementing insurance policies.

Implementing the plan
Natures Beauty Shop is expected to commence its operations on 1stDecember this year. The choice of this date is due to the Christ-mass season and new-year festivity, which is a period when people spend a lot in cosmetics. This implies that the business will break the ground running by making huge sale volumes as people rush to make cosmetic gifts. The business will operate full time to enable shoppers and patrons the opportunity to purchase as much as they want and to get information about the shop. Before the start of trading, it is expected that staff recruitment process will be through for both part time and full term employee. The business premises will have been rented and a complete fit-out done to ensure that everything is ready. Furniture and other minor equipment will also be installed one month before the opening. Advertisements and marketing activities will start two months before the opening to give the shop enough publicity. The marketing campaign will start by using television advertisement to create public awareness on our products. This will be followed briefly with the introduction of billboards in strategic locations to emphasize on the cosmetics we offer. Advertisements will also be placed on magazines to attract customers who use magazines to search for information on fashion and beauty. After breaking the ground, Natures Beauty Shop will employ other marketing tactics to increase sales.    

The possibility of delay
The chances for delaying the start of this business are very slim. However, the business may not have control over for some things. The business may not have a lot of control on what time the business finance may be available for use. In this regard, it is therefore notable that a delay in disbursing the funds may affect the start up dates. Supply arrangements may also take some time to conclude meaning that the process may delay as we finalize the deals.

Compliance to legal requirements
Our business will have complied with all legal requirements by the end of august this year. These legal requirements include the trading license, registration, environmental health requirements and planning regulations.

Risk analysis
One of the greatest risks that may face Natures Beauty Shop is the risk of inadequate business finance. This is based on the fact that the partners will fund much of the capital through borrowing. This exposes the business to the risk of delayed disbursement of finances. Lack of finance will affect the business especially at the initial stages. This is due to the fact that the business will heavily rely on finances for most of its operations like marketing and promotions. To minimize the impact on the business, the partners have the option of borrowing from friends and seeking for grants from well-wishers. Although this type of borrowing may not fully offset the deficit, it will be useful in stabilizing the financial situation. There is also the risk of failing to get adequate supply from the suppliers. This may mean that the business will operate at a lower capacity than expected. To minimize the risk posed by inadequate supply, the partners have identified optional suppliers who can fill this gap.

Monitoring and control systems
The business will use several strategies to monitor and control its operations. In the financial department, an effective accounting system will be employed to improve accountability and transparency. This will involve the use and documentation of Sage accounting systems, petty cash book, preparation of annual financial reports and routine cash flow monitoring. In the total quality department, it will focus on customer satisfaction. To enhance customer loyalty, the business will regularly analyze sales orders, respond to customer questions and ensure compliance to quality specifications. The sales and marketing department will monitor sales revenues and the achievement of sales targets. The effects of promotion will be evaluated to determine the profitability of such activities. A market analysis and intelligent reports will be performed occasionally to determine market trends and changes in the competitive environment. To ensure that the human resource remains productive, the business will do employee performance review to identify areas that need improvement to enhance productivity. Training needs and the effect of motivation will also be analyzed to aid in decision-making process.

The Business Plan for a National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum, is being proposed to be a floating museum to preserve a vital piece of history and create a lasting reminder of the strong ties between Greece and the United States (Raptakis, 2008). The liberty ship, called The Arthur M. Huddell is the last of the Liberty Ships vessels which played a vital role in the efforts of the United States to aid European allies during World War II and during the Cold War years. For years, the Huddell had been anchored off Fort Eustis in Newport News Virginia and managed by the United States Maritime Administration. In 2008, the Arthur M. Huddell liberty ship was transferred to Piraeus, Greece to become a floating museum after a memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Greece (Voice of Greece, 2009).

The Business Plan looks into the marketing, financial and administrative viability of managing the floating museum. The proponent was able to provide convincing evidences, backed by reliable statistical and demographic data and solid research that showed that putting up the National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum would be highly desirable and profitable. The governments of Greece and the United States will both profit from this business venture .as it will promote global tourism and appreciation for the role of liberty ships during World War II.  The floating liberty ship memorial museums premier historical significance lies on reminding us of how precious liberty is to our nation and to the world.

Future generations will benefit from the uniqueness, accessibility, and transportability of the floating museum because it will not only be a permanent attraction of Greece but the museum can be transported anywhere in the world. As the symbol of freedom, the the Arthur M. Huddell liberty ship, the last of its kind, will be preserved and will continue to advocate for freedom from all wars.

The proponent is seeking funding to the tune of 5 million for the costs of repair and restoration of the liberty ship. Obviously, there are other expenses like museum facilities, equipment and materials, among others, that are needed which will enable the floating museum to be sustainable over the long term. Both public and private funding are being strongly sought to enable this plan to be financially viable.
Knowing the impact that the National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum will have on preserving the history and heritage of World War II to Greece and to the rest of the world, it is therefore highly recommended that this business plan be approved and implemented as soon as possible.

The Strategic Business Plan proposes to put up the National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum, which will be a floating museum that has for its mission to preserve and promote the heritage of World War II liberty ships for the benefit of both present and future generations. The floating museum also serves as a concrete sign of the long-lasting friendship and alliance between the government of the United States and the Hellenic Republic of Greece. To fulfill this overall mission, the museum shall
 Manage and preserve the last liberty ship SS Arthur M. Huddell (now known as Liberty Hellas).
 Promote the floating museum not only to the Greeks but also to the rest of the world.
 Administer the museums personal property and rights.
 Obtain and manage historical objects and artifacts related to World War II.
 Publish history books and journals of World War II liberty ships.

The Business Plan includes the following key aspects mission statement, core principles, strategic goals, start-up costs, business description, brief history of liberty ships, business environment analysis, market analysis, promotional strategy, promotional strategy, SWOT analysis, distribution strategy, pricing strategy, staffing strategy, management strategy, and museum operations and activities. The Business Plan presents the details of all of the factors that will ensure the viability of the project and its financial sustainability over the long term (Bangs, 2009).

Some of the key issues regarding the conversion of the liberty ship include funding, repairs and restoration, and efficient management team. Estimated cost for the repair and restoration of the World War II ship is more than 5 million, and possible sources of funding include public and private sectors, community investors, and government agencies. However, the aforementioned amount does not include expenses for museum facilities, information technology infrastructure, necessary equipment and materials, among others. On the other hand, some of the key issues affecting museum industry are the following the ongoing financial global, global terrorism, and competition pose as threat to the venture. Short-term goals and long-term goals have also been identified. Long-term goals include strategic plans for the museum to be a prominent and remarkable public attraction in Greece and in the region to be a significant educational and historical destination and resource in the areas of war history and World War II events and to offer a unique personal and family experiences, nostalgia and information.

For its marketing strategy, the business venture will focus on the students as its primary customers and will make use of a web site to promote the museum. The web site will have greater reach, i.e., international exposure, because the museum will have an online presence.

For the SWOT analysis conducted, it yields a positive result, since the number of strengths and opportunities outweigh the number of weaknesses and threats. For instance, the floating museum has the following strengths uniqueness and transportability its capacity to offer unique and satisfactory experience to visitors pre-existing popularity its one-of-its-kind feature accessibility, among others. It can be concluded that from the standpoint of marketability, financial viability and sustainability

In order to successfully manage the museum, it must have the right staffing requirements with qualified museum personnel. By creating the highest governing body, which will be called the Board of National liberty Ship Memorial Museum, the project will be assured of effective management and control of all the assets of the museum, and the Board will have the authority to make strategic decisions for the best interests of the museum.

The giant leap from being an old liberty ship to a modern, well-equipped floating ship memorial museum will be the greatest challenge that this project will face. However, based on the market analysis, SWOT analysis, the analysis of competition and comparative advantage, the financial analysis as well as analysis of the museum management aspects, all the results point to the viability, feasibility, and sustainability of this business venture, and it can be concluded that it would be to the great advantage of the Greek government its people to support this plan to establish the first-of-its kind  National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum in Pireus, Greece and to provide the financial support needed to make it a reality.

Today, many consumers are educated and they keep on changing their characteristics. The study of consumer behavior assists organizations and companies promote their marketing strategies. For effective dealing with consumer characteristics, the organizations are required to  learn the psychology of how consumers reason, feel and choose between various alternatives learn how the consumers are influenced by their environment for example media and culture know the consumers behaviors while making marketing decisions know the differences of consumer decision and strategies of various products (Johnson and Scholes, 2002).

Applications of consumer characteristics
The most common application of consumer characteristics is the market strategy. For example, hotel managements can learn to advertise snacks in the afternoon when they understand that consumers are more amenable to advertisement of food when they are hungry. Having the knowledge that new products are often initially accepted by few consumers and they only get used to it later, organizations can learn that introduction of new products must be properly financed so that they can survive until they succeed commercially and that it is vital to please first customers because they might influence other customers.

As Lars (2008) puts it, consumer strategy is associated by passing relevant ideas to consumers and not simply selling something. As a long run benefit, study of consumer behaviour assists in making individuals good consumers. As an example, it is obvious that if one buys a 64 liquid ounce bottle of cleaning detergent pays less for every ounce pays less than if heshe bought two bottles of 32 ounce. Nevertheless, in practice, one pays a size premium by purchasing a quantity that is larger. Alternatively, the knowledge of this fact improves the consumers need to check the price labels to know if heshe is getting a bargain or not.

For organizations to be able to give consumers what they want, they have to assess their own organizational weaknesses and strengths and those of their competitors. For example if companies make a product to target older consumers which is a growing segment, a competing company aims at babies which is a shrinking market, is likely to move towards the latters market. To analyze a competing organizations probable threat, an organization is required to evaluate its assets. For example, technology, knowledge of market and patents.

According to Johnson and Scholes (2002), another thing required by organizations is to analyze conditions of environment marketing strategy. For example, even a new product may be developed by an organization, and that the product impresses a majority of consumers, a recession may dramatically reduce the demand. Examples of companies that have been successful in addressing the consumer characteristic changes are Lonrho Africa, deer consumer products and Hewlett Packard (hp).

Conclusion
Consumer and environment strategy is very important for any organization or business firm. The current consumer behaviour is very dynamic and a lot of research is needed to be carried out in the future to enable organizations and business firms give consumers what they need. There are a good number of companies that have been able to accomplish consumer satisfaction as illustrated in the paper.

UK retailers are said to be advantageous compared to European and US counterparts because it possesses distinct features that make the markets more profitable.

Using the Five Forces Model, it can be seen that UK retailers have a significant profitable advantage compared to European and US counterparts.

First, considering the bargaining power of  buyers, UK is said to be advantageous as such there is a significant strength in terms of the buyer concentration and number of alternative sources of supply. Since UK retailers are owned by the public, there is less competitor compared to private owned business in a country (Seth  Randall, 1999). There is a great chance for more competitors if the business sector is owned by private companies and individuals. Likewise, since the markets are publicly owned, the number of buyers or consumers are centralized.

Another strength of the UK retailers is the collective bargaining power of the suppliers. Since there are no private competitors, the power of the suppliers is centralized. This means that there is more profit for the suppliers since there is competitor.

Furthermore, in terms of the threat of new entrants, UK market is said to be advantageous because there is no evidence of competitive private sectors. On the other hand, this is also associated to disadvantages since competition is a strong ground for products and services improvements and innovations. But the UK retailers can cover up this disadvantage because of their advantageous margin on sales. It is indicated in the case study that profit margin on sales of the UK retailers consistently rose for several years (Seth  Randall, 1999). Likewise, since the distribution of goods are centralized, there is a logistic and proper deliveries of goods and services to different warehouses.

Labor costs in UK, in addition, are lower compared to Europe and US because the proportion of part time labor in supermarket is higher than others (Seth  Randall, 1999). Nevertheless, in terms of competitive rivalry, UK is said to be less advantageous since the distribution is centralized and the markets are publicly owned.

Hence, in general, UK retailers are to be considered more profitable than the other counterparts as far as the Five Forces Model is concerned. Uks centralized system of distribution, power of buyers and retailers are the determining factors that put them in the ladder of success.

SWOT analysis is an important tool for strategic analysis in any organization. SWOT is an acronym which means strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing an entity in its day to day activities. SWOT analysis involves analyzing an organizations internal and external environment to ensure that all possible loopholes which may lead to its failure are eliminated while at the same time taking advantage of any opportunity that may arise from these environments. SWOT analysis is one of the widely used marketing tools by organizations and companies today.

Internal and external environmental analysis of Boeing Company
Boeing Company is one of the largest aerospace companies in the United States and globally with the largest number of customers.

External forces and trends

Political legal factor
The regulatory and policy decisions of a countrys government usually have dramatic impact on the civil transport aircraft demand. The federal aviation administration and the government of the United States are very influential as aircraft industry is concerned. These two legal frameworks oversee the biggest market of air transport in the world. Various regulations by the European governments as well as the United States may affect the driving force for demand of new aircrafts or even their engines. Also, the European airlines deregulations which commenced in the 1990s offer an opportunity for expansion of markets especially those of smaller regional jets. Following the formulation of GATT or the general agreement on tariffs and trade in the year 1979, trade involving large commercial airlines, no tariffs has been imposed on large commercial jetliners. Regulation and deregulation by the government have different impact on the aircraft industry (Parker, Logan, Wencel, Corum  Thul, 2006).

Increasing political intervention has a great influence on the demand for aircrafts. Buyers decisions to
purchase aircrafts are largely dependent on the support or the interferences of the government. Today, the largest market for Boeing planes is China. As a result, China has been able to obtain political leverage in the United States. Any interference of this scenario may cut off Chinas purchases of Boeing thus affecting the overall performance of this company (123HelpMe.com, n. d).

Economic factor
Manufacturers of aircrafts rely on government subsidies. Potential or likelihood of fuel costs increase, environmental restrictions, higher security prospects, an increase in insurance costs and congestion due to various factors would to a great extent affect the productivity and profitability of Boeing Company. Following the terrorist attacks in the United States and London in year 2001 and 2005 respectively, the aviation industry was highly affected. Fuel costs rose and this is expected to continue in the future. This would in turn lead to tremendous losses for Boeing Company and other aircraft companies around the world (Parker, Logan, Wencel, Corum  Thul, 2006).

Various airlines in the United States have been filing for bankruptcy while others have already closed down. Also, global tourism industry is experiencing a recession leading to a decrease in the overall prices of aircrafts.

Social factor
Following the 911 terrorism attacks in the United States that involved Boeing 737 aircrafts, an anti-United States feeling was generated which negatively affected the sales of Boeing in west Asian countries. This area had been a lucrative business market for the aircraft industry but so far it has recorded tremendous drops in sales (123HelpMe.com, n. d).

Technological factor
Technology in the aircraft industry is changing and this poses a major opportunity for Boeing Company. Supersonic transport is promising to create a new market segment and this is an opportunity for Boeing Company to expand. Most of the commercial carriers are expected to purchase supersonic aircrafts in their quest to satisfy the needs of their customers of speed. One of the best and largest cost effective technological advancement of the aircraft industry is the faster designing of planes. The increased time of production is expected to save labor costs and also ensure more effective use of resources during construction work. Boeing has already taken advantage of technological advancement and it has come up with Boeing 777, a new model created by employing computer technology to come up with a prototype. By doing so, the company did not absorb prototype costs it could have incurred had it done this work normally or manually. Advancement in technology is also expected to help airline companies be more efficient as far as resources usage is concerned. Robots are today used by airplane manufactures to reduce resource wastages and they have proven to be effective (Parker, Logan, Wencel, Corum  Thul, 2006).

Global networks and globalization of airline industry
The international customer base for the Boeing Company is a source of strength for this company. Boeing Company is one of the largest aerospace companies in the world and its fleets are used by different airlines around the world. Having an international customer base ensures that the company does not incur losses which accrue from operating from a single country of few countries. The networks Boeing holds for supplier components around the world also form a major competitive strength for the company.
Another possible opportunity facing Boeing Company is the frequent airline travel changes being implanted which are supportive of the product line of the company. Most airlines are going global while at the same time increasing their internal flights within their localities. Boeing is an internationally credited and known company and this poses a major opportunity for the company to expand its customer base. Also, due to the different range of fleets it offers, such changes in travel patterns pose a good opportunity for the company (123HelpMe.com, n. d).

Internal forces and trends

Resources capabilities
Boeing Company is endowed with technical expertise and also has innovative and creative employees. Boeing is credited for having highly skilled engineers thus ensuring that the quality of products is high. The rate of labor turnover at engineering department of this company is low thus ensuring that work continues uninterrupted for long periods of time. Workers are also very innovative and committed to the overall goal and vision of the company. This reduces the cost associated with labor turnover and improves the competitive position of this company (123HelpMe.com, n. d).

Another internal strength of Boeing Company is that it has had a long standing relationship with its customers that have enabled the customers to become loyal and committed to the companys product. Boeing Company was established in the year 1916 and ever since its inception it has had good relationship with its customers thus forming strong business bonds. This makes it difficult for its competitors to take away the companys most relied customers. Also, due to the length of time and success the company has recorded, it has proven its longevity to withstand any financial blows which may be brought about by recessionary periods and other calamities. Boeing Company has been in operation for over 60 years and for all this time, it has been a market leader in the aviation industry. It has also accumulated assets to help it bounce back in times of financial crisis. Such records have helped in developing customers loyalty and faith in the company forming a major strength for this company (Parker, Logan, Wencel, Corum  Thul, 2006).

Strategy
Diversification is a major strength possessed by Boeing Company. Boeing Company does not only manufacture commercial aircrafts for its customers. It has other five divisions in operation within the company. Diversification enables the company to ensure it continually makes profit while hedging itself from major losses which may occur due to specialization. Also, the company offers or manufactures diverse aircrafts which gives customers a wide range of variety to choose from. Poor performance from one department can thus be hedged by good performance from another line of production. In the commercial market, Boeing has five fleets of airplanes to choose from which include Boeing 737, 767, 747, 777 and the latest 787 model.  The most known, preferred and commonly used model is the Boeing 747 (Parker, Logan, Wencel, Corum  Thul, 2006).

Processes and systems
One of the biggest weaknesses of the Boeing Company lies in the development cost incurred while coming up with new products. By the year 2006, such costs were estimated to range from  8 to  10 billion. This has the capability of reducing the overall net profit as well as returns on investment for stakeholders (Parker, Logan, Wencel, Corum  Thul, 2006).

Another weakness of the Boeing Company lies in its reliance on the suppliers component manufactures. Relying on suppliers component manufacturers may be dangerous for the company in cases where these suppliers may retaliate from their agreement. Also, sourcing from different suppliers for different components is costly to the company (123HelpMe.com, n. d).

SWOT Analysis table for Boeing Company

Strengths
Diversification strategy
Technological advancement and expertise
Highly qualified and experienced engineersWeaknesses
High airplane development costs
Reliance supplier component manufacturers

Opportunities
Government deregulation policies
Creation of new markets as a result of supersonic transport
Globalization of airline industry

Threats
Anti-United States feelings by West Asian countries following terrorism attacks in the US
Increased security demands and government regulation which may increase manufacturing costs
Rising fuel costs
Increased number of airline companies closure

According to Laudon and Laudon (2008, p. 32), technology ought to be changed and designed in a way that fits individuals as well as organizational needs. Therefore Google and Microsoft are capitalizing on this fact to improve on the storage of patients information in the United States by creating massive databases. These companies perceive that the efficient information systems when well utilized transforms data into significant information for sound decisions that enhance performance of organizations (Laudon and Laudon 2008, p. 32). In the present digital world coupled with globalization, massive databases proposed by the two multinational companies in health care industry stand to transform the industry and better the lives of Americans.

These initiatives would grant more control to individuals, a trend a number of health professionals see as indispensable. When these projects are realized patients in the United States will finally be the custodians of their own health information (Moller 2009, p. 1). The principle behind these databases to be created by Google and Microsoft is that medical records belong to the patients and thus they ought to encompass control over them as well as deciding the content of these records. Besides, these massive health databases would save lives of several Americans (Moller 2009, p. 1). Electrical databases enable quick identification of patients at risk together with access to their medical history and thus enabling hasty disease diagnosis and treatment particularly in critical scenarios. Since these massive databases will be accessed through the internet this will drastically reduce the communication costs between health institutions regarding the patients history and other pertinent information (Laudon and Laudon 2008, p. 9). Furthermore, other strengths of Google and Microsoft massive health databases for United States population would comprise improved quality of medical care, error limitations, and reduction in service duplication. All these strengths are intended to save both lives of Americans as well as money spent in seeking medical services (Lohr 2007, p. 1).

However, the anticipated projects of these enormous companies have a number of disadvantages or weaknesses, such as lack of privacy, lack of security, and complexity issues. The grave weakness of these health plans is the privacy of patients information. We are living in the world where an individual privacy rates above all other factors and thus very few individuals would be comfortable regarding their full medical information digitized and recoded for the public (Welter 2008, p. 63). Incursion into individuals privacy will be spearheaded by these projects, thereby compromising the essential health factor of confidentiality.

Additionally, peoples health records on the massive databases are never secure or safe. Though, these companies assure the patients and general public of the safety of their online health account, loss, theft, and even damage of health records do occur from time to time. Encryptions and passwords used to protect the account do not adequately and effective protect the data. Stories of stolen identities, data hacking, and blackmail are not new to these two companies. Even databases of high security like those run by credit institutions and banks are frequently compromised (Welter 2008, p. 63). Therefore, the plans of massive databases to hold the United States populations health records are double edged.

This research paper aims to study advertising as far as the aspect of its effectiveness is concerned. The paper shall be discussing the theories claiming ads are a very effective type of marketing communications, and examining the ways in which the effectiveness of advertising can be measured. The industry that has been chosen for the research is the beverage industry and the company that has been selected is the Coca Cola Company. This paper aims to review whether advertising has been effective in the case of Coca Cola Company in promoting and selling its beverages to the general market or not.

I strongly believe that advertising is very effective and that it works extremely well helping the companies to promote and sell their products to the general market. Advertising is considered to be a promotional tool which is used by the companies to promote their products by them-selves in the market. Advertising is the paid form of non- personal presentation of a product or service or an idea and it is the enhancement of sales of these ideas, products or services. Advertising includes different kinds of specific tools like commercials, print ads, broadcasts or billboards etc. When any company is advertising its products to the general public, it needs to make sure that the ad itself is artful and that is it uses visuals, print, sound effects and colors to make it more appealing to the broad audience. The commercials need to be extremely colorful, very appealing, to have nice visual and sound effects, to be catchy so that they would appeal to customers of all age groups and would attract them to the companys products.

Beverage Industry 
The industry that the Coca Cola Company operates in is the soft drink industry. The soft drink is a beverage which does not contain alcohol. These are carbonated drinks also known as soda, fizzy drinks or soda pop. The carbonated drink bottlers are under the considerable pressure from the side of the gas companies. The soft drinks market is the largest market in the world and it has the highest consumption rates per capita. The highest level of soft drinks consumption is registered in the US. Coca Cola is the leading company in the carbonated soft drinks market, having a 60 market share and being closely followed by PepsiCo.
It is the bottler network which makes the drink a success or a failure. And it is the bottler network which has made the soft drink industry a success. The soft drink industry actually uses a considerable variety of multiple outlets, which help to make a difference between numerous types of retailers and also help with saturating the market with a certain product. With the intensive distribution channel, a soft drink manufacturer receives considerable coverage, customer recognition and a high turnover. But it must be remembered that, if a company applies an intensive distribution strategy, it would have to face a tough competition.

Company Background  Coca Cola Company
The largest beverage company in the world is Coca Cola Company it is also the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non  alcoholic drinks. The company is known for its product, Coca Cola, which was invented in 1886 by John Smith Pemberton. The formula was bought in 1889 by Asa Griggs Candler, who later on created the company, in 1892. The company has over 400 different brands in more than 200 countries around the globe. Besides, its namesake product Coca Cola, the company has other varieties of non  alcoholic beverages which are linked with Coca Cola.

The company is known throughout the world due to its logo, which is very eye catching. The logo itself is a part of a promotional strategy by the company for advertising the product, the it is easy to remember and it establishes itself the minds of the customers in such a way, that wherever they see it they associate it with the company. The logo was created by Frank Mason Robinson in 1885, who was a bookkeeper of John Pemberton. Frank Robinson played a very important role in the advertising of the product. He produced ideas, like giving free drink coupons to customers, plastering publicity banners all over the City of Atlanta, for the promotion of Coca Cola. Today, Coca Cola Co. spends more than 2.5 billion on promotion (i.e. advertising etc.) on all of their products every year. (Coca Cola 2010)

Effectiveness of Advertising 
Advertisements are considered to be effective if they manage to deliver the message the advertiser (in our case Coca Cola Company) created to the public at large and consumers respond (by buying Coke), as this was intended by the advertisers . But to become effective the ads need to communicate the message that motivates the consumers to respond in a certain way.

To move consumers to action, Coca Cola Company needs to gain the attention of the audience. This is generally done through ads the ad must ensure the public interest long enough to convince the consumers to change their buying behavior and try the product. If the ad is entertaining (for example, HYPERLINK httpwww.youtube.comwatchvIJGg9jIWr60httpwww.youtube.comwatchvIJGg9jIWr60) the audience will remember it and when they out for purchasing soft drinks they will remember coke and will ask for it. The effective of advertising can increase the popularity of a certain product in the market.

One thing that needs to be remembered is that advertising of the product needs to be purposeful or else the advertisement will not be effective at all. Determining effectiveness depends on setting a goal in terms of the impact the Coca Cola Company hopes to create in the minds of their customers who read, listen and see their ads in magazines ads, radio commercials and television commercials respectively (Duncan 2005).

Promotion
Promotion is one of the four elements of the marketing mix tools. Promotion is the only means where the merits of a product and service can be communicated to the customers through advertisements, direct selling or sales promotion etc. For example, The Coca-Cola Co. spends more than 2.5 billion on promotion on all of their products which used to include Coca-Cola black, every year.

Marketing can be defined as a social and managerial process where individuals or groups of people get what they want and need through the exchange of products and services with others. The best way to promote a product is through the use of the marketing mix which brings all the areas of marketing into one (Sandhusen 2000).

The first thing the company does when promoting Coke, is creating a marketing message the second step is developing a set of marketing options like, advertisement, speaking or writing etc. There are different forms of promotion like advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and direct marketing. But it must be remembered that communication it not just only about these promotion tools but even more. The products size, design, color, price, the retail outlet where it is sold, also communicate something to the customer about whether to purchase the product or not, for example, Coke can communicate trough the design of its bottle, its flavor, for instance, diet coke, cherry coke, vanilla coke, coca cola zero, coca cola black, and diet cherry coke etc., the price of the Coke also plays an important role in the promotion of the product as well.

The promotion strategy which is mostly used by the company is the pull strategy, where Coca Cola spends a considerable sum of money on advertising (print media and online advertising) their products in this way Coca Cola is able to build up the consumers demand, for example, Cherry Coke. And if the strategy becomes a success then the consumers will demand from their retailer for Cherry Coke and the retailers in return will demand the product from the wholesalers and the wholesalers would demand it from the producers. In the pull strategy the chain works in a backward fashion (Sandhusen 2000).

Advertising 
Coca Cola Company uses intensive advertising to promote its products to the general masses all over the globe. Coca Cola resorts to different kinds of advertising to attract their customers towards their soft drinks and juices. Coca Cola uses print, online and other kinds of media for promoting their products.

Print Media
Coca Cola Company has mostly used the reminder advertising, this kind of advertising is highly important for mature products like Coca Cola. For example, four-color Coca Cola ads in magazines or in news papers have the purpose of not informing or persuading the customer, but these ads remind the customer that they have to buy Coke.  The company uses the reinforcement advertising that makes the buyer believe that he or she has bought the right beverage regarding the choice between it and its competitor, which is PEPSI. (Duncan 2005)

Concerning print media there is a limited amount of advertising, because the company has to pay huge amounts of money for a limited space in a newspaper or a magazine. It is also very important that the company is portraying a positive and not a negative message in its ads. The ads would have to be colorful and highly appealing, with the right kind of style, tome, words and format or else it would not catch the eye of the reader. There should be personality symbol present in the ad like the logo of the company. Some of the print ads of the company are as follows-
             
Online Marketing The internet as we know is a global web, which connects approximately 45,000 networks, and this interconnection has made the global communication possible. Coca Cola is one of those companies which have setup online information (about their company and products) and marketing services (like advertising). Why have online services become so popular Online services provide a number of benefits to marketers like Coca Cola. The company can build up the relationship with their customers. That is, online marketers can communicate with their customers and learn about them and their preferences and in return the consumers can learn about the company by downloading it history, the work it is doing for the society etc (Duncan 2005).

Coca Cola is able to size up their audiences. That is Coca Cola marketers learn that how many visited the companys site and how many stopped at a particular place on the website, so that with that information the marketers of the company are able to improve their offers and ads. Website of Coca Cola (Coca Cola  The Official Website).  

The customers will be able to get information about the company very quickly. The company can put up ads on online billboards the ads can pop up when the user is using the service, even when the user did not ask for an ad. Coca Cola has launched its ads on youtube.com. When users visit the website, they will be able to view the ads of coca cola. Like the ad of holidays are coming has been put up on youtube.com another ad which has become quite famous that now is floating on YouTube, this ad is called the Coca Cola Happiness Factory (Duncan 2005).

Integrated Marketing Communication 
One of the biggest trends that affect advertising is the development of the integrated marketing communication (IMC). Integrated marketing communication is expanding the scope of what we have referred as the new advertising. IMC is the practice of unifying all marketing communication tools so that they are able to send a consistent, persuasive message promoting companys goals (Dole  Lowe 2008).
The practice of advertising will continue to evolve as the dynamic industry adjusts to changes in the environment with less emphasis in the non-personal and mass-media elements and more on interactive communication as well as more sense of advertisings place within a coordinated program of communication efforts (Dole  Lowe 2008).  

Advertising Strategies
There are different strategies which are related to advertising, but in the case of Coca Cola Company it uses the undifferentiated marketing segmentation.

Undifferentiated Marketing Segmentation
Segmentation is not always the optimal approach. It may be that a single product and appeal will be equally effective for everyone. Naturally, this type of strategy requires substantial resources. The Coca Cola Company would be considered to be pursuing an undifferentiated marketing segmentation strategy with Coca Cola (in other words Coke). The product name, package and advertising are designed to appeal to virtually everyone (from a child to an adult). It could be argued, however, that the Coca Cola Company, too, has moved away from a pure strategy of un-differentiation, with their product Diet Coke, different flavors (for example, Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke, New Coke or Coke II etc.), caffeine free versions, and new brands aimed at new segments (for example, Fruitopia, OK Coke etc.). Such a move is partly natural evolution for a company like Coca Cola Company. As a product class gains maturity, consumer needs often become more specialized and a segmentation strategy is a natural response of manufacturers of Coke to these needs (Dole  Lowe 2008).

Marketing Mix
The marketing plan of the company is that it is making sure that the consumers and the beverage market are aware of the existence of Coca Cola and to do that the company has adopted marketing mix. Marketing mix can be defined as a set of tools for marketing purpose that the company uses, so that it can achieve its marketing goals and objectives in their targeted market. The marketing mix is also known as the 4Ps. The 4Ps include the following-

Product product variety, quality, design, features, brand name, packaging, sizes, services, warranties and return. Coca Cola provides its customers products ranging from water to soft drinks to juices to energy drinks. The companys product are Minute Maid for health conscious people, Coke Zero for weigh conscious people etc (Kotler 2005).

Price list price, discounts, allowances, payment period and as well as credit terms for its customers. The price of the companys product is quite affordable, the company ensures that all people within the society are able to buy the product.

Promotion sales promotion, advertising, sales force, public relations, direct marketing and the company also uses its catalog for promoting of their products worldwide. The company uses internet for its promotion along with the TV ads and magazine ads as well.

Place the company uses channels, coverage, assortments, locations, inventory and transport for its product. The place which is mostly used by Coca Cola is the shelves of the supermarket and the logo of the company has made it quite easy to remember the product (Kotler 2005).

Measuring Advertising Effectiveness
 It is important for Coca Cola Company to find out whether a certain product (for example, Diet Coke) is effective or not. Advertising can be measured in the following ways
Survey research
In-depth interviews
Focus groups
Observation research
Internet and virtual research

Conclusion
Any person reads, watches, listens to and looks at advertisements starting from his or her childhood. An advertisement is a complex form of communication that operates with the objectives and strategies leading to various types of impacts on consumers thoughts, feelings, and actions. In general, an ad works if it creates an impression for a product, influences people to respond in some way and separates the product from the competition in the mind of the customer this will help make the ad effective.

Business strategizing describes the careful analysis of the interaction between the internal aspects of the company and the external environment. This paper will analytically describe a business plan for Mikes Bikes organization. The business plan will identify company strengths, resources and propose a plan of achieving company goals.

For the Mike Bike organization, strategic placement is very critical when venturing in the industry. This is especially so given the huge costs involved and the low rate of production. The initial costs will be part of the start up capital and initial running costs (Sveiby, 1997). The strategy for placement will seek to minimize initial costs while maximizing on profits. To minimize cost further, Mike Bike will focus on producing value added bikes with an already established market. Initial production will be low and the company will adjust its operations to meet market demand. Market entry pricing will be adjusted to quality of the bikes and the competitive environment.

The first objective is to come away with a profit of 5 each year. To achieve this, Mikes Bikes will focus on reducing costs by maintaining an effective but low price for advertisement in television and magazines. The organization will leverage on the quality of the bikes to beat competition in the industry (Traverso, 2000). Another strength the company will use is the quality and dedication of its employees who will provide appropriate services to the customers. The second objective is to produce high quality products by ensuring that quality levels are above 85. This objective will be achieved by investing in research and development activities to enhance product reliability satisfy the customer and ensure that the product is user friendly. In addition, Mike Bike will ensure that the products have efficient performance and zero defect by implementing effective product management processes. The third objective is to ensure sales growth and sustainability by increasing customer loyalty to 80 within two years of operation. This goal will be achieved by enhancing customer satisfaction, customer support systems and advertisement and publicity activities. Market research and segmentation strategies will also be done focusing on satisfying the customer. Fourth objective is to contribute 0.5  of the total profits to educate the public on road safety. This will be done by collaborating with transport stakeholders and the traffic department.

This assignment will greatly benefit my future career in business. I have learned fundamental concepts of formulating and identifying business objectives and the successful implementation of plans to achieve the objectives. I have also learned the application of internal company strengths in business strategizing and the matching of the internal capabilities with the external business environment.

UK retailing has been considered a profitable business as opposed to other Western world counterparts based on several factors. The article, however, focuses on two factors margin on sales and return on capital employed (ROCE).

In the margin of sales, the UK clearly has a large profit margin as compared to other countries based on several factors. However, ROCE shows that the UKs higher margins only serve as a buffer to higher cost of capital that is needed to set up and get the businesses running. Analyzed in the Five Forces Model the UKs retailing industry can be seen in a better light.

In terms of the bargaining power of buyers, supermarkets have banded together resulting in an oligopoly to dictate prices across many supermarket brands across the country, which results to low bargaining power. In terms of the suppliers bargaining power, the article states that they are more experienced and skillful in extracting better terms from suppliers, thus resulting into high buying power. In both cases, integration into the retail business is difficult if new entrants are not integrated into the oligopolistic group which has all the technology and knowledge to jack up margins. This results into a low threat of new entrants especially with the high capital requirements as is the case for buying sites and building superstores. Although, while in the oligopolistic group, there would be no switching costs since they carry most of the brands consumers require anyway. This analysis leads to high threat of substitutes since retail stores have multiple products in their shops and are rarely exclusive to one shop. Competitive rivalry is high since there are a number of large competitors, and are intense because the market is already mature, have high fixed cost that push them to increase sales, have high redundancy costs in exit barriers, and are mostly undifferentiated.

Because of these factors, it is evident that the profitability of the retailing industry is fair and not excessive especially because the high margins only serve as mitigation to the high costs.

IssueProblem Identification
GE has legally released polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in the Hudson River for decades before the substance was banned in 1977. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified upper area of the Hudson River as a Superfund site in 1983. This classified the upper Hudson River as toxic and required cleaning. GE is identified as the major contributor to PCB dumping. This has not been contested even by GE. EPA developed a plan for clean-up funded by GE. GE is adamant not to take responsibility. A coalition of environmental groups supported the EPA plan. Some citizen groups opposed the plan. To achieve a compromise, the EPA entered into an agreement with GE for the use of performance standards at every stage of the clean-up to determine whether continuation to the next stage is justifiable. Environmental groups condemned this agreement as shady. (Carroll and Buckholtz 901-905)

The overriding issue is whether GE is responsible for cleaning the Hudson River. There are underlying issues. GE believes that it has no responsibility to fund the clean-up because PCB does not pose real harm to people. There remain differing expert opinions over the hazards of PCB. The EPA has considered PCB to cause cancer and affect the nervous system. However, there are no actual cases directly linked to PCB. The civilian groups also oppose dredging because this would stir up the chemical and cause more harm and criticize the plan as politicized. Environmental groups support EPAs declaration and PCB as an environmental hazard.

AnalysisEvaluation
All stakeholders have high stakes in the resolution of the issue. GE would either spend or save millions. The EPA would either receive commendation or criticism as the government and administration front liner. GE and EPA both hold high influence or power and comprise the parties whose actions would likely resolve the issues. Communities along the Hudson River stand to benefit from expected employment opportunities and development or health and other problems depending on the direction the issues may lead. Recreational firms and other businesses dependent on the Hudson River face closure or growth. Civilian and environmental groups stand to win or lose in their advocacies. While civilian and environmental groups also hold a certain degree of power, these can be moderated by the actions of GE and EPA.

Low InfluencePowerHigh InfluencePowerLow InterestStake

High InterestStakeCommunities along the Hudson River

Civilian Groups

Recreational Firms along the Hudson River Environmental GroupsGE

EPA
Balancing pitting interests is the challenge created by the stakeholders. GE does not want to create a precedent by accepting responsibility. EPA, which represents the government, needs to serve its functions to protect the environment and uphold social wellbeing but the government also recognizes the importance of business allies. Other stakeholders act to advance the urgency of resolving the issue to mitigate the adverse impact on them and create benefits.

GE has both a legal and ethical corporate social responsibility over the issue. Its legal responsibility is to comply with EPA directives in conjunction with court decisions on its actions and appeals. It has to comply with the performance-based plan. GE answers to the EPA and the courts over its compliance with this legal responsibility. GE has ethical responsibility to support the interests of communities affected by the closure of the Hudson River and people left unemployed after closing its plants. GE is not compelled to fulfill this ethical responsibility but inaction or ineffective action would adversely impact its business reputation.

GE stood firm over its lack of responsibility in funding the clean-up plan imposed by the EPA. It filed actions to suspend the plan. Afterwards, it negotiated with the EPA for a revision of the plan. On one hand, these moves intended to prevent a precedent for the imposition of further obligations on the company. On the other hand, the strength of clamor from environmentalist groups created bad publicity for GE. However, the issue has not died down. GE should have taken a proactive stand on the issue right from the beginning. This meant taking ethical if not legal responsibility but seeking the help of other stakeholders in completing the task. Doing so could have allowed the company to negotiate its financial liability without unnecessarily antagonizing the company with environmental and other advocacy groups seeking river clean-up.

Recommendations
Since GE is already spending a lot of money to stave off its responsibility, it can channel the cost towards the clean-up of the Hudson River. GE can address the issues by complying with the performance-based plan, which provides the company with some benefits. In the short run, GE can improve its public relations by complying with the performance-based plan, sponsoring private sector research on revitalizing the Hudson River and community development, and reporting its achievements. GE should directly initiate or support studies measuring improvements in the water quality of the Hudson River. The company can use the results to market its environmental performance (Fergusson and Langford 183). In the long-term, GE can reinforce its mission to build better lives by initiating environmental preservation and livelihood in the area. It can even launch a campaign to seek help in cleaning the Hudson River by allocating a percentage of product price tothis cause. By assuming responsibility, GE can optimize the situation to boost its business reputation, strengthen partnerships with the government sector and advocacy groups, and develop positive relations with the affected communities and the public. The risk is the creation of a precedent that could open GE to responsibility in other states. As a business risk, GE should again take a proactive position and plan its response. The issues will not go away and GE might as well face these strategically.

The age of information technology has so much taken over the operations that for a long time had been performed using physical means or other less efficient ways. Today, information technology has so much advanced and developed that the rate of transfer of information from place to place and among different persons and companies has reached an all time high. There are different avenues and media through which information technology systems have been able to operate, including the internet and the web. In order to ensure that the flow of information is as efficient as it could be, different organizations have come up with ways that are equally varying, ways that are aimed at overseeing the entire process of communications and information technology exchange. One such organization is Club IT which has been providing different IT solutions to its clients. This essay analyses the operations of the firm, with a specific focus on its mission, its clientele, possible competitive strategies, and its information resources.

Club ITs Mission and Clientele
The mission of an organization is what the organization is out to achieve in future. Missions are usually long-term goals. Club ITs endeavors range from having a huge clientele base that will be supported as best as possible to achieve their information technology goals. It seeks to be a support group that will be readily available to offer guidance and direction to its members so that every one of them gets satisfied with the service offered. It seeks to assert itself as the IT department that every client will be seeking in order to get those IT issues that have been presenting challenges finally addressed. To achieve this, Club IT seeks is to continue strengthening its technical base by hiring the best experts in the sector.

It is also seeking to be the ultimate solution for those IT problems that have been in need of attention but a good solution has just never been forthcoming. By signing up as a client of Club IT, one is expected to be able to get nothing short of good service. That aside, Club IT seeks to have dominance in the area of IT solutions provision in all fields of organizations and individual business ventures. Club It has a variety of clients, all of whom are people or organizations with different information technology needs. They are individuals, companies, corporate bodies, and even students.

Information Resources and Management
Club IT has a wide base of information resources for its vast network. It, however, relies mainly on its online resources like internet and information contained on sites hosted on the web. The organization has most of its information organized in databases that are then made available to users online. It develops programs that are capable of ensuring that its many information systems are free from dangerous people always making sure safety is given a priority. The firms IT department ensures that every need of the client as well as the firms own in terms of resource management is addressed fast enough to avoid unnecessary inconveniences.

Cost Leadership
While the company is advancing its market base, the competition has been growing too. As such, it needs to develop a competitive strategy through cost leadership. This is because the more players there are in the field, the lesser the demand for Club ITs services and products. Therefore, it has to understand its competitors and what they are doing, and proceed to price its products in such a way that they will be the least priced in the market yet their quality is not compromised. Club IT has to find out how to provide the services cheaply without compromising quality. The ability of the firm to assert cost leadership as a competitive strategy will also depend on its ability to have a clear understanding of what the competition is capable of doing in revenge or reaction to such a price reduction move. This is because competitors are likely to come up with other survival tactics to help them remain in business.

Conclusion
Information technology has been, and is bound to continue, transforming the way, rate, and efficiency of information transmission from one place to another. Different communication channels have been made available to ensure that communication is efficient and timely. Club IT is an organization that has been in the forefront in the provision of IT consultancy services to individuals and to corporate organizations. It has been ensuring that each person or firms information technology requirements are met as fast as possible through their many different services and products developed with this goal in under consideration. The future goals of the firm includes seeking to assert itself as the leading IT service provider that will be the choice of all people, and whose operations will be greatly beneficial to the society. In order to achieve this, the firm needs to beat the competition that it is facing presently, and among the most probable approaches is cost leadership. This is expected to help it realize its mission.

The profitability of the UK Supermarket industry is a product of several different industry factors which will be analysed using the Porters Five Forces model. Each of these will be considered in turn. The first four all feed into the ultimate fifth force of competitive rivalry.

Threat of Entry
The threat of entry in the UK supermarket industry is relatively low increasing the profitability levels for those within the industry. High capital requirements in terms of buildings and infrastructure for logistics and distribution make it hard for new competitors to enter the market.

Threat of Substitutes
Substitution options are also relatively low which means that UK supermarkets do not suffer considerable price pressure. One of the main selling points for the UK supermarket is that it allows consumers to do all food shopping in one place. Certain aspects of the shop such as meat can be substituted for example at the butchers, but the ultimate one stop convenience is not subject to substitution.

Power of Buyers
Although there are a high number of consumers, buyers are able to swap their choice of supermarket very readily. Based on this the UK supermarket industry is in a constant position of trying to gain and maintain its customer base.

Power of Suppliers
UK supermarkets have, in most cases got several supplier options giving the a high level of power. Certain key items however may be subject to pressure from suppliers and allow certain supermarkets to maintain a competitive edge over others.

Competitive Rivalry
The UK supermarket industry is relatively mature and there are high fixed costs meaning that it is a highly competitive market that is very price sensitive. It is not however, as price sensitive as other countries allowing for a higher profitability level.