Journal 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Journal 4 - Essay Example Their experience showed that contrary to common sense, aggression, accidents and the stress of enforcing rules are all reduced and transformed when rules were discarded by the staff in a collaborative process. There were three non-profit site centers (63 students in a university campus, 42 children in a workplace setting, and 32 children in high school). All are in inclusive settings with resource teacher consultants for children with special needs. There was a lot of diversity in the three centers including speakers of English as a second language, newly arrived immigrants, children from a single parent family, etc. All centers were practicing the conventional way, which was rule-based. There was an abundance of Do’s and Don’ts, in other words, over-regulation, which was suffocating the children. They also found out that it was draining the teachers just policing and redirecting the children. Finally, they found out that there was a better way of doing these things. With the influence of the Reggio Emilia Approach in their series of workshops, they were able to question old concepts and approaches. They initiated new and innovative ways to make learning more meaningful and stress-free. The operative word was â€Å"collaboration†. With brilliant results emanating from the reduction of rules in a setting, it also led to explorations with the physical environment, such as redesigning the layout of the cots at naptime, enlarging the block area from 4 ft by 6 ft to 10 ft by 20 ft, thereby giving ample space to chidren with better results. They also started redecorating their environs with Monet prints, flowers and even the bathrooms to make for a calmer effect on the children. As a result, the rule-driven, clock-driven practice was changed into values-based, responsive pedagogy. Of course, there were some who were resistant to change. Eventually, they had to embrace the new innovation because it lessened

Information and Communication Technology in Higher Education Essay Example for Free

Information and Communication Technology in Higher Education Essay Introduction: Information and communication technology (ICT) is a force that has changed many aspects of the way we live. If one was to compare such fields as medicine, tourism, travel, business, law, banking, engineering and architecture, the impact of ICT across the past two or three decades has been enormous. The way these fields operate today is vastly different from the ways they operated in the past. But when one looks at education, there seems to have been an uncanny lack of influence and far less change than other fields have experienced. A number of people have attempted to explore this lack of activity and influence (e.g. Collis, 2002). There have been a number of factors impeding the wholesale uptake of ICT in education across all sectors. These have included such factors as a lack of funding to support the purchase of the technology, a lack of training among established teaching practitioners, a lack of motivation and need among teachers to adopt ICT as teaching tools (Starr, 2001). But in recent times, factors have emerged which have strengthened and encouraged moves to adopt ICTs into classrooms and learning settings. As we move into the 21st century, these factors and many others are bringing strong forces to bear on the adoption of ICTs in education and contemporary trends suggest we will soon see large scale changes in the way education is planned and delivered as a consequence of the opportunities and affordances of ICT. This paper seeks to explore the likely changes we will see in education as ICT acts as a powerful agent to change many of the educational practices to which we have become accustomed. In particular, the paper will explore the impact both current and emerging information and communication technologies will be likely to have in coming years on what is learned, when and where learning will take place and how the learning will occur. The impact of ICT on what is learned: Conventional teaching has emphasized content. For many years course have been written around textbooks. Teachers have taught through lectures and presentations interspersed with tutorials and learning activities designed to consolidate and rehearse the content. Contemporary settings are now favoring curricula that promote competency and performance. Curricula are starting to Emphasize capabilities and to be concerned more with how the information will be used than with what the information is. A. competency and performance-based curricula: The moves to competency and performance-based curricula are well supported and encouraged by emerging instructional technologies (e.g. Stephenson, 2001). Such curricula tend to require: access to a variety of information sources; access to a variety of information forms and types; student-centered learning settings based on information access and inquiry; learning environments centered on problem-centered and inquiry-based activities; authentic settings and examples; and teachers as coaches and mentors rather than content experts. Contemporary ICTs are able to provide strong support for all these requirements and there are now many outstanding examples of world class settings for competency and performance-based curricula that make sound use of the affordances of these technologies (e.g. Oliver, 2000). For many years, teachers wishing to adopt such curricula have been limited by their resources and tools but with the proliferation and widespread availability of contemporary ICTs, many Restrictions and impediments of the past have been removed. And new technologies will continue to drive these forms of learning further. As students and teachers gain access to higher Bandwidths, more direct forms of communication and access to sharable resources, the capability To support these quality learning settings will continue to grow. B. information literacy Another way in which emerging ICTs are impacting on the content of education curricula stems from the ways in which ICTs are dominating so much of contemporary life and work. Already There has emerged a need for educational institutions to ensure that graduates are able to display Appropriate levels of information literacy, â€Å"the capacity to identify and issue and then to identify, Locate and evaluate relevant information in order to engage with it or to solve a problem arising from it† (McCausland, Wache Berk, 1999, p.2). The drive to promote such developments Stems from general moves among institutions to ensure their graduates demonstrate not only skills and knowledge in their subject domains but also general attributes and generic skills. Traditionally generic skills have involved such capabilities as an ability to reason formally, to Solve problems, to communicate effectively, to be able to negotiate outcomes, to manage time, Project management, and collaboration and teamwork skills. The growing use of ICTs as tools of Every day life have seen the pool of generic skills expanded in recent years to include information Literacy and it is highly probable that future developments and technology applications will see This set of skills growing even more. The impact of ICT on how students learn Just as technology is influencing and supporting what is being learned in schools and universities, So too is it supporting changes to the way students are learning. Moves from content-centered Curricula to competency-based curricula are associated with moves away from teacher-centered Forms of delivery to student-centered forms. Through technology-facilitated approaches, Contemporary learning settings now encourage students to take responsibility for their own Learning .In the past students have become very comfortable to learning through transmissive Modes. Students have been trained to let others present to them the information that forms the Curriculum. The growing use of ICT as an instructional medium is changing and will likely Continue to change many of the strategies employed by both teachers and students in the learning Process. The following sections describe particular forms of learning that are gaining prominence in universities and schools worldwide. A. Student-centered learning Technology has the capacity to promote and encourage the transformation of education from a Very teacher directed enterprise to one which supports more student-centered models. Evidence of This today is manifested in: The proliferation of capability, competency and outcomes focused curricula Moves towards problem-based learning Increased use of the Web as an information source, Internet users are able to choose the Experts from whom they will learn The use of ICT in educational settings, by itself acts as a catalyst for change in this domain. ICTs By their very nature are tools that encourage and support independent learning. Students using ICTs for learning purposes become immersed in the process of learning and as more and more Students use computers as information sources and cognitive tools (e.g. Reeves Jonassen, 1996), the influence of the technology on supporting how students learn will continue to increase. B. Supporting knowledge construction The emergence of ICTs as learning technologies has coincided with a growing awareness and recognition of alternative theories for learning. The theories of learning that hold the greatest Sway today is those based on constructivist principles (e.g. Duffy Cunningham, 1996). These Principles posit that learning is achieved by the active construction of knowledge supported by various perspectives within meaningful contexts. The strengths of constructivism lie in its emphasis on learning as a process of personal understanding and the development of meaning in ways which are active and interpretative. In This domain learning is viewed as the construction of meaning rather than as the memorization of facts (e.g. Lebow, 1993; Jonassen Reeves, 1996). Learning approaches using contemporary ICTs provide many opportunities for constructivist learning through their provision and support for resource-based, student centered settings and by enabling learning to be related to context and to pract ice (e.g. Berge, 1998; Barron, 1998). As mentioned previously, any use of ICT in learning Settings can act to support various aspects of knowledge construction and as more and more Students employ ICTs in their learning processes, the more pronounced the impact of this will Become. The impact of ICT on when and where students learn In the past educational institutions have provided little choice for students in terms of the method And manner in which programs have been delivered. Students have typically been forced to Accept what has been delivered and institutions have tended to be quite staid and traditional in terms of the delivery of their programs. ICT applications provide many options and choices and Many institutions are now creating competitive edges for themselves through the choices they are offering students. A. Any place learning The concept of flexibility in the delivery place of educational programs is not new (e.g. Moore Kersey, 1996). Educational institutions have been offering programs at a distance for many Years and there has been a vast amount of research and development associated with establishing Effective practices and procedures in off-campus teaching and learning. Use of the technology, However, has extended the scope of this activity and whereas previously off-campus delivery was An option for students who were unable to attend campuses, today, many more students are able to make this choice through technology-facilitated learning settings. The scope and extent of this Activity is demonstrated in some of the examples below. The communications capabilities of modern technologies provide opportunities for many Learners to enroll in courses offered by external institutions rather than those situated locally. These opportunities provide such advantages as extended course offerings and eclectic class Cohorts comprised of students of differing backgrounds, cultures and perspectives. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  The freedoms of choice provided by programs that can be accessed at any place are also Supporting the delivery of programs with units and courses from a variety of institutions, There are now countless ways for students completing undergraduate degrees for example, to Study units for a single degree, through a number of different institutions, an activity that Provides considerable diversity and choice for students in the programs they complete. B. Any time learning In concert with geographical flexibility, technology-facilitated educational programs also remove Many of the temporal constraints that face learners with special needs (e.g. Moore Kearsley, 1996). Students are starting to appreciate the capability to undertake education anywhere, Anytime and any place. This flexibility has heightened the availability of just-in-time learning and provided learning opportunities for many more learners who previously were constrained by other commitments (e.g. Young, 2002). Through online technologies learning has become an activity that is no longer set within Programmed schedules and slots. Learners are free to participate in learning activities when time permits and these freedoms have greatly increased the opportunities for many students to Participate in formal programs. ï‚ ·Ã¯â‚¬  The wide varieties of technologies that support learning are able to provide asynchronous Supports for learning so that the need for real-time participation can be avoided while the Advantages of communication and collaboration with other learners are retained. Emerging Issues A number of other issues have emerged from the uptake of technology whose impacts have yet to Be fully explored. These include changes to the makeup of the teacher pool, changes to the Profile of who are the learners in our courses and paramount in all of this, changes in the costing And economics of course delivery. A. expanding the pool of teachers In the past, the role of teacher in an educational institution was a role given to only highly qualified people. With technology-facilitated learning, there are now opportunities to extend the Teaching pool beyond this specialist set to include many more people. The changing role of the Teacher has seen increased opportunities for others to participate in the process including Workplace trainers, mentors, specialists from the workplace and others. Through the affordances And capabilities of technology, today we have a much expanded pool of teachers with varying Roles able to provide support for learners in a variety of flexible settings. This trend seems set to Continue and to grow with new ICT developments and applications. And within this changed pool of teachers will come changed responsibilities and skill sets for future teaching involving high levels of ICT and the need for more facilitative than didactic teaching roles. B. expanding the pool of students In the past, education has been a privilege and an opportunity that often was unavailable to many students whose situation did not fit the mainstream. Through the flexibilities provided by technology, many students who previously were unable to participate in educational activities are now finding opportunities to do so. The pool of students is changing and will continue to change as more and more people who have a need for education and training are able to take advantage of the increased opportunities. Interesting opportunities are now being observed among, for example, school students studying university courses to overcome limitations in their school programs and workers undertaking courses from their desktops. C. The cost of education Traditional thinking has always been that technology-facilitated learning would provide economies and efficiencies that would see significant reductions in the costs associated with the delivery of educational programs. The costs would come from the ability to create courses with fixed establishment costs, for example technology-based courses, and for which there would be savings in delivery through large scale uptake. We have already seen a number of virtual universities built around technology delivery alone. The reality is that few institutions have been able to realize these aims for economy. There appear to have been many underestimated costs in such areas as course development and course delivery. The costs associated with the development of high quality technology-facilitated learning materials are quite high. It has found to be more than a matter of repackaging existing materials and large scale reengineering has been found to be necessary with large scale costs. Likewise costs associated with delivery have not been found to diminish as expected. The main reason for this has been the need to maintain a relatively stable student to staff ratio and the expectation of students that they will have access to teachers in their courses and programs. Compared to traditional forms of off-campus learning, technology-facilitated learning has proven to be quite expensive in all areas of consideration, infrastructure, course development and course delivery. We may have to brace ourselves for the advantages and affordances which will improve the quality of education in the near future to also increase components of the cost. Efforts of Indian government in this aspect Realizing the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the Ministry of Human Resource Development as per the Mission Document, ICT is the tool in education available to enhance the current enrolment rate in Higher Education, at present 15 percent to 30 percent by the end of the 11th Plan period. The Ministry also launched a web portal named â€Å"SAKSHAT† a ‘One Stop Education Portal’. The high quality e-content once developed will be uploaded on SAKSHAT in all disciplines and subjects. Several projects are in the completion stage and are expected to change the way teaching and learning is done in India. The Mission has two major components viz., (a) content generation and (b) connectivity along with provision for access devices for institutions and learners. It seeks to bRDge the digital divide, i.e., the gap in the skills to use computing devices for the purpose of teaching and learning among urban and rural teachers/learners in Higher Education domain and empower those, who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy. It plans to focus on appropriate pedagogy for e-learning, providing facility of performing experiments through virtual laboratories, on-line testing and certification, on-line availability of teachers to guide and mentor learners, utilization of available Education Satellite (EduSAT) and Direct to Home (DTH) platforms, training and empowerment of teachers to effectively use the new method of teaching learning etc. On the one hand, the Mission would create high quality e-content for the target groups and on the other, it would simultaneously seek to extend computer infrastructure and connectivity to over 18000 colleges in the country including each of the departments of nearly 400 universities/deemed universities and institutions of national importance. The peer group assisted content development would utilize the Wikipedia type of collaborative platform under the supervision of a content advisory committee responsible for vetting the content. Interactivity and problem solving approach would be addressed through â€Å"Talk to a Teacher† segment. It is an opportunity as well as a challenge for the bright faculty members of our Universities and Institutions of Excellence to invest their intellectual capital for the knowledge empowerment of all the learners of our Country. We need to synergize our individual efforts in this direction. Summary and Conclusions This paper has sought to explore the role of ICT in education as we progress into the 21st century. In particular the paper has argued that ICTs have impacted on educational practice in education to date in quite small ways but that the impact will grow considerably in years to come and that ICT will become a strong agent for change among many educational practices. Extrapolating current activities and practices, the continued use and development of ICTs within education will have a strong impact on: What is learned; How it is learned; When and where learning takes place; Who is learning and who is teaching. To ensure that the opportunities and advantages are realized, it will be important as it is in every other walk of life to ensure that the educational research and development dollar is sustained so that education at large can learn from within and that experiences and activities in different institutions and sectors can inform and guide others without the continual need for re-invention of the wheel. Once again ICTs serve to provide the means for much of this activity to realize the potential it holds. References Collis, B. (2002). Information technologies for education and training. In Adelsberger, H., Collis, B, Pawlowski, J. (Eds.) Handbook on Technologies for Information and Training. Berlin: Springer Verlag. Duffy, T., Cunningham, D. (1996). Constructivism: Implications for the design and delivery of instruction, Handbook of research for educational telecommunications and technology (pp. 170-198). New York: MacMillan. Oliver, R. (2000). Creating Meaningful Contexts for Learning in Web-based Settings. Proceedings of Open Learning 2000. (pp 53-62). Brisbane: Learning Network, Queensland. Oliver, R. Towers, S. (2000). Benchmarking ICT literacy in tertiary learning settings. In R. Sims, M. O’Reilly S. Sawkins (Eds). Learning to choose: Choosing to learn. Proceedings of the 17th Annual ASCILITE Conference (pp 381-390). Lismore, NSW: Southern Cross University Press. Soloway, E. Pryor, A. (1996). The next generation in human-computer interaction. Communications of the ACM, 39(4), 16-18. Starr, L. (2001). Available at http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech075.shtml [Accessed July 2002]. Stephenson, J., Ed. (2001). Learner-managed learning- an emerging pedagogy for online learning. Teaching and Learning Online: Pedagogies for New Technologies. London, Kogan Page. Young, J. (2002). The 24-hour professor. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(38), 31-33.

Patient Discharge Process Reflection

Patient Discharge Process Reflection This reflective commentary will focus on a patients discharge planning liaison drawn from my experience in attending a Multidisciplinary team Meeting (MDT) held at my Elective Placement (Cardiology Ward) in the context of the dimensions of Interprofesssional Working (IPW) I will preliminary define in the introduction IP working; recognize policies; introduce patient scenario, identify the Reflection Model which I will use to evaluate and analyse the Dimensions of IPW. IPW refers to professionals with different training backgrounds (medical, surgical, counselling, psychotherapy, Occupational Therapist, physiotherapist) sharing common goals an objectives but who make a difference but complimentary contribution to the given client group in order to provide holistic care (Leathard, 2003). IPW has been highlighted by the United Kingdom (UK) government in a series of policies which shaped and continue to shape the way services and professionals work interprofesssionally. In 1998 The Department of Health (DoH) (1998) encouraged joint working through integrated provision. In 1999 papers such as DoH (1999) re-enforced that the effective care is the product of interagency working, promoting NHS to move towards interagency collaborative working or IPW in a shift from institutional to community-based care. The DoH (2000) a ten year programme of redevelopment practice to design and promotes a patient centered service and promote IP and Holistic care. One of the areas the DOH (2000) considered needed improving was the older generation patient discharge. To combat this, standard two of The Single Assessment Process (SAP) and Intermediate care services (ICS) was introduced by the National Service Framework for Older People by DoH (2001a) and this required services and professiona ls to work together in a co-ordinated assessment of needs for patients. From this, House of Commons Health Committee (2002) called for a number of key changes, one of them being a named Care Manager to coordinate all stages of the patient journey through hospital, up to and beyond discharge. And this coordination liaison could take the form of an MDT discharge planning meeting (DP). New ways of working have to be found that cross professional boundaries, in order to allow a more flexible approach to care delivery (DoH, 2002). To achieve this, the Government introduced Interprofesssional Education (IPE) in pre-registered students modules and their aim was to integrate IPE into their curriculum, enabling students to develop transferable skills that will facilitate communication and collaboration in the future (Barr, et al., 2005). Rattay and Mehanna (2008) suggest that as students should make an effort to attend MDT meetings to develop IP. I have used pseudonyms throughout my reflective commentary, to protect confidentiality in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2009). I will refer to the patient as Sam. Sam is a 74 year old lady who lives alone in a ground floor flat. Sam has no family living locally however her neighbour visits regularly. Sam suffers from Chronic Heart Failure (CHF). Prior to admission Sam was fully independent at house cooping with her Activities of Daily living (ADLs) with slight difficulty due to breathing and poor balance (which Sam reported to suffering from for years). Sam was originally brought into hospital via accident and emergency by her neighbour as her breathing became progressively worse. There are many potential models of reflection. I will use Gibbs (1988) Model of Reflection (Appendix 1) as I find it more straightforward due to being depicted as a cycle, encouraging critical evaluation and analysis of the incident. Cyclical models are suggested by Ghaye (1998) to deepen awareness and increase knowledge and skilfulness from repeated movements around them. Reflection will able me to learn from the experience and identify my learning needs in areas which solicit improvements (Allen, et al., 2008). As suggested by Price (2006) Reflection makes a connection between theory, policies and practice required to develop evidence-based practice, professional and academic growth throughout my career; important in the development of lifelong learning (NMC (2009). Description The MDT meeting was held at the sisters office. The MDT consisted of a Ward Nurse (who was there intermittently due to staff levels), a Heart Failure Nurse Specialist (HFNS). Care Manager (Social Worker), Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Doctor (Cardiologist Register) and myself. The meeting was led by the Doctor who gave an introductory overview of the Sams social situation and medical condition. The Doctor recommended that Sam was medically fit for discharge with a referral for HFNS community visits, as further health education was necessary. The physiotherapist suggested Sam was regaining confidence in her mobility but recommended further input to improve Sams balance and posture. The ward Nurse suggested Sams Nursing needs were stable and no input was required on discharged, upon this, I respectively argued that Sam discussed with myself earlier in the shift that she felt she was not coping at home and would feel more confident if she had minimal assistance with her ADLs at home. The Doctor re-directed the question to the HFNS, who re-directed the question to the Ward Nurse, both dismissing my input. At this point I respectfully assured the MDT that what I was advocating, it was also documented in Sam care plan. Subsequently, The HFNS requested Sams discharge planning to be discussed in a second meeting.. Following to this, The Occupational Therapist recommended she would liaise with Sam regarding any house equipment that would facilitate Sams ADLs. The social worker (Care manager) who would be coordinating all stages of Sams journey through hospital, up to and beyond discharge, organise possible (i) care (ii) meals on wheels. The Doctor summarised the MDT plan and rescheduled the meeting for 2 days to allow professionals to liaise with Sam in order to evaluate the discharge planning in partnership with Sam. Doctor was reluctant to reschedule and to change Sams expected day of discharge (EDD), it seemed. In the follow up MDT meeting, Sam was medical ly fit for discharge, her it seemed, had improved, as had her slightly her confidence but she could still benefit from further rehabilitation; therefore, Sam was referred to Intermediate Care Services (ICS) (Appendix 2) for further rehabilitation in the community, with out-patient medical follow up and HFNS home visits. Feelings When I asked my Mentor to attend the MDT meeting, I was excited as I was going to be able to see how the IPW provides a positive outcome for the patients. Slightly anxious but ready to be a Patient advocate. Soon it dawned on me when I was introduced to other professionals and given opportunities to work with them and I felt slightly insecure at the thought of having to expose myself to the criticisms of others. When Discussing Sams DP I commented on her behalf the feeling of slight insecurity was soon overpowered by a feeling of achievement as I was in a position to be her advocate appropriately and contribute in making a difference to her life for better. This feeling overpowered the shuttled frustration I felt when the Doctors dismissed initially my input but understandable due to my still pre-reg position, he needed reassurance as this input was going to change Sam EDD. As the meeting was lead by the Doctor I had inadvertently imposed a sense of hierarchy upon the group. I soon f elt that the hierarchy, even after the incident above, was not actually evident once a patient DP was being discussed as every professional was having a say and all professional seemed to understand each others responsibilities, roles and the documentation used involved all MDT input. I felt that through the discussions each professionals identify was gain and respect was given accordingly, although, I considered there was possibility of gaining a professional personality stereotypes and therefore ultimately a hierarchy may develop in future group meetings. By the end of it, I still felt slightly daunted to be in a MDT meeting working with professionals who knew so much (i) HFNS who developed their careers to a point of extreme knowledge, it overwhelmed me, that I am still just in the beginning of an extraordinary journey. Evaluation In accordance to Holland, et al. (2005) and Gonseth, et al. (2004) Heart Failure Nurse Specialist (HFNS) input was fundamental as HF patients as Sam require close clinical management and encouragement to manage their symptoms in order to remain in the community (James and Sarah, 2008). Furthermore, Blue, at al. (2001) randomised controlled trial suggested that HFN have the ability to focus not only on the clinical needs of the patient, but the educational and supportive needs as well as establishing effective liaison between health and social care. Although HFNS is important in the provision of Sams Good Health in the community, without front line staff (i) ward nurse to document appropriately and report to the appropriate professional and act as an advocate for patients in meeting such this, the provision of IP working and Safe Discharge Planning would be compromised (Atwal and Caldwel (2006). Record keeping was to be commended as the Discharge planning Form (DPF) (Appendix 3) was filled in from admission and updated regularly by Sams Multidisciplinary team regarding assessment, planning, and implementation and evaluation goals specific to each professional to establish safe discharge. Effective record keeping is the key factor to effective care and continuation of care of Patient; and a Code of Conduct requirement for excellence practice and care (NMC, 2009). The Community Rehabilitation/Intermediate Care Services (ICS) Appendix 3. Referral was suggested appropriately in order to meet Sams needs, in accordance with the DoH (2001a, 2001b) agrees that ICS establishes IP working and avoids duplication, enhances communication and allows each team member to view and check the patient notes at all times. Furthermore Godfrey, et al, (2005) suggests that it enhances Holistic care. According to Leathard and Cook (2009) Sams care could be considered Holistic as her physical, psychological, sociological, spiritual needs were addressed, and Sams views were considered alongside any recommendations offered by all the different multi-disciplinary teams in a mutual participation in a shared decision-making partnership. With changes in Nhs such as patient-centred care (DoH, 1998), and the establishment of sophisticated holistic approach to health and social care, one of the key features of Sams patient centred care is the development and  implementation of integrated care pathways (ii) collaborative care plans such ICS, providing Sam with a continuity of care. MDT meeting structure seemed to reflect The DoH (1998) in its drive for a first class service as staff seemed to clear understands of how their own roles fit with others in both the health and social care professions. Although, Role Clarity was predominant and significant, the Status caused distress within the MDT; it made some members feel their opinions are not as important as others (Robinson, et al., 2005). Furthermore, at certain points of the discussion the blurring of the boundaries of ones discipline Ward Nurse and (HFSN) (i) Doctor redirected the question about Sam to the HFSN first instead of the ward Nurse. I agree with Molyneux (2001) is a factor that may create a competitive atmosphere rather than a collaborative one. In addition to the group dynamics, the situation of Sam needing care set up also highlighted the tension between professionals and in a sense organizational aims and resources. Analysis The DoH (2000, 2006) stressed the need for team working to helping rove the quality of care to patients and encourage role development to meet the demands of IP working. (i) Registered nurse specialists are expanding their roles and skills in numerous clinical areas (DoH 1999, 2006) due to patients diversity of needs in todays society (Furlong and Smith, 2005). According to DoH (2000, 2003) and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2003) Heart failure care and management is one of this areas which had an increase in nurse specialists (HFNS) in a broad evaluation by Patterden, et al., (2008) which showed that HFNS reduced (i) all-cause admissions by an average of 35 per cent an average saving of  £1,826 per patient is gained after the costs of the nurse have been deducted. Furthermore, a systematic review by Holland, et al., (2005) argues that HFNS management of HF associated with (reducing readmissions, improving patients quality of life, Like Sam and reducing finan cial costs is more efficient compared with medical management. In outcome, Hewison (2004) and Abbot, et al., (2005) agreed that although the development of roles and increased flexibility is usually a benefit to many  professions, it can be seen as a threat for their own interest and power status, generating a resistance to IP collaborations. Moreover according to Molyneux (2001) a tribalism sense. This is normally the professional at the top of the hierarchy (i) as when the doctor was resistant to move the EED. Furthermore, as far back as 1998 when (DoH, 1998) was published, Stapleton (1998) suggested that Collaborative working emphasis that demarcations and hierarchical relations between professions are neither sustainable nor appropriate. Although, in Sams MDT it was apparent in agreement with Hean (2006) my preliminary feelings of hierarchy are common and traditionally hierarchies place more power to the medical profession. The tension seemed in a way to be overcome through th e structured but open discussion regarding Sams needs which according to Freeth (2001) open discussion helps develop the team and recognise the benefits and the diversity and development of skills. Martin and Roger (2004) highlight that it is important to premise a clear understanding and appreciation not just for the roles but also for the pressures of other professionals (i) performance targets to meet. The Qualitative methodology questionnaire led interviews and focus group (18 cases studiers across Europe) by Coxon (2005) suggestion that IP working promotes job satisfaction, improved team working, good communication and enhance co-operation with other agencies, and identifies IP difficulties to be due to organizational boundaries and financial limits. Additionally, Hubbard and Themessi-Huber (2005) used the same method as Coxon (2005) although he identified that a main difficulty to IP is managers focusing on policies and changes of services: arranging MDT meeting whilst front line staff, as ward nurses need to adapt to practicalities of the IP. Atwal, and Caldwell (2006) argues the importance of staff ratios as a barrier to nurses developing IP practices, furthermore a study carried by both with nineteen nurses in acute health care ward, it is spotted that in MDT meetings not all the professionals involved in the care of a patient are invited and that nurses did not regularly att end the meetings due to staff ratios. Another conclusion of this study is that nurses not always express their opinion for fear of being made a scapegoat, the result from the research show as well, that consultants and medical staff usually speak first and with more confidence on all issues. In divergence, Barrett and Keeping (2005) argues that collaborative working should minimise staff pressures from a ward level to community (primary and secondary setting) but research done within this Era of IPW still shows that at a nursing level in a 2005 survey by RCN (2006) found that 49% of nurses left the NHS due to stress/workload problems. Horder (2004) and Pullon and Fry (2005) goes further to suggest to overcome the work pressure, shared decision making is the ultimate hallmark of partnership and this requires distribution of power or the empowerment of all involved within the multidisciplinary professionals in a manner that would equalize the hierarchy through (i) through IPE. It is essential that health and social care professionals realise the important of IPW as it has now been recognised that a single profession can no longer deliver the complex patient care that is demanded nowadays, a holistic approach is required (CAIPE, 2007). Rattay and Mehanna, (2008) suggest in summary that structured MDT meeting provides the discharge process with a structure that is organised professionally and timely, allowing patients to return home earlier safely, consequently reducing the NHS cost, minimising the risk of hospital acquired infections, promoting independence and enabling patients to return back to their homes and community, like Sam. Lack of co-operation between agencies has led to a failure of service (Glasby, et al., 2004). Communication within the team is also an important issue to good collaborative working, developing ways to communicate and to work together is the key for successful IP working (Abbott, et al., 2005). The NMC (2004) advises that at the point of registration students should have the necessary skills to communicate effectively with colleagues and other departments to improve patient care. Cook, et al., (2004) identify that communication and decision making are very important for teams. Larking and Callaghan (2005) argue that teams who do not regularly hold meetings for policy making and resolutions of differences, should not be considered a team, these findings are also emphasized by Molyneux (2001) who states that communication is supported with weekly MDT meetings in order to evaluate and plan patient centred care delivery. Conclusion This reflective commentary allows me to connect policies, NMC requirements, theory and practice. It provided me with the assurance that the dimensions of IPW is complex but possible in practice IPE exists. It highlighted that different professionals have to deal with their own perceptions and adapt to changes. There is no doubt that IPW promotes a better and more holistic care and the documentation in place promotes further patient-centered care. The MDT gave me the opportunity to work closely with other professionals and understanding further their roles. This will help me to effectively work together in the future. Action Plan I will allocate the Action Plans in my professional portfolio to demonstrate achievement in clinical practice linked with theoretical knowledge. All my Action Plan are made SMART Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time (Drew and Bingham, 2004) 1. Inter-Professional To develop an awareness of the roles and services provided in the inter-professional team and identify examples of how this is appropriate in delivering appropriate patient/client focused care. 2. Enhance my knowledge about decision-making processes within care management 3. Continue to reflect in and on Practice therefore to participate in further process of reflection to establish my own learning needs (Appendix 4).

Cowboys With Guns :: essays research papers fc

Cowboys with Guns during the Wild Wild West   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Old West, guns played an important role in the lives of cowboys. There were various kinds of guns that cowboys used. They fell into two categories: hand gun and rifle. The most common handguns were the Derringer and the Colt .45; as for rifles there was the Winchester. Most of the time guns were used for shooting animals for food or calming the cattle. Occasionally, a cowboy might have to use one against Indians or rustlers. On the trail most cowboys would have guns with them but they would leave them in the chuck wagon. (The chuck wagon was a cart that was usually in the back of the herd that held all of the cowboy’s goods.) They left the guns in the wagon because the guns were heavy and often times got in the way and could be dangerous while riding a horse. Most cowboys were not very good with guns and even one cowboy shot himself in the foot. The gun did come in handy though, especially when a stampede occurred. The cowboys would ride to the chuck wagon, grab their guns, and continue to the front of the herd where they would shoot three evenly spaced shots over the leader-cattle’s heads. This would usually stop the stampede. The Derringer was a small pistol with a large caliber that had two barrels, which were parallel horizontally or vertically. It could be laid in the palm of the hand and made a terrible wound when shot at close range. In some towns along the trail cowboys used Hideouts when they had to turn in their 6-Shooters. A Hideout was a Derringer that was hidden in the boot, a shoulder holster, waistband, or hung by a cord down the sleeve or coat. Cowboys would wear one so that if someone accused them of cheating they would be able to defend themselves. The Winchester was the term used for a rifle or carbine. This gun was one of the best-selling guns around. Some cowboys said that this gun could shoot for a week and not have to be reloaded. This, of course, was not true but this was said because the Winchester could hold quite a bit of ammunition. The Colt .45 was also a very common gun in the old west. Cowboys With Guns :: essays research papers fc Cowboys with Guns during the Wild Wild West   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Old West, guns played an important role in the lives of cowboys. There were various kinds of guns that cowboys used. They fell into two categories: hand gun and rifle. The most common handguns were the Derringer and the Colt .45; as for rifles there was the Winchester. Most of the time guns were used for shooting animals for food or calming the cattle. Occasionally, a cowboy might have to use one against Indians or rustlers. On the trail most cowboys would have guns with them but they would leave them in the chuck wagon. (The chuck wagon was a cart that was usually in the back of the herd that held all of the cowboy’s goods.) They left the guns in the wagon because the guns were heavy and often times got in the way and could be dangerous while riding a horse. Most cowboys were not very good with guns and even one cowboy shot himself in the foot. The gun did come in handy though, especially when a stampede occurred. The cowboys would ride to the chuck wagon, grab their guns, and continue to the front of the herd where they would shoot three evenly spaced shots over the leader-cattle’s heads. This would usually stop the stampede. The Derringer was a small pistol with a large caliber that had two barrels, which were parallel horizontally or vertically. It could be laid in the palm of the hand and made a terrible wound when shot at close range. In some towns along the trail cowboys used Hideouts when they had to turn in their 6-Shooters. A Hideout was a Derringer that was hidden in the boot, a shoulder holster, waistband, or hung by a cord down the sleeve or coat. Cowboys would wear one so that if someone accused them of cheating they would be able to defend themselves. The Winchester was the term used for a rifle or carbine. This gun was one of the best-selling guns around. Some cowboys said that this gun could shoot for a week and not have to be reloaded. This, of course, was not true but this was said because the Winchester could hold quite a bit of ammunition. The Colt .45 was also a very common gun in the old west.

Mkt100 Textbook – Chapter 1

SECTION ONE Assessing the Marketplace CHAPTER 1 Overview of Marketing CHAPTER 2 Developing a Marketing Plan and Marketing Strategies APPENDIX 2A Writing a Marketing Plan CHAPTER 3 Analyzing the Marketing Environment CHAPTER 1 Learning Objectives After studying this chapter, you should be able to 1. LO1 Define marketing and explain its core concepts 2. LO2 Illustrate how marketers create value for a product or service 3. LO3 Summarize the four orientations of marketing 4. LO4 Identify the role of customer relationship management in creating value 5.LO5 Explain the importance of marketing both within and outside the firm M arketing is essentially about creating value for consumers and the company's shareholders. As you will learn throughout this book, creating value for consumers and the firm requires that marketers develop and nurture long-term, profitable relationships with consumers. This means that marketers must understand consumers' needs and wants and try to satisfy them through the goods and services they offer, the prices they charge, and the way they promote and deliver the goods and services.Let's take a look at how one of Canada's most successful and profitable high-tech companies, Research In Motion (RIM), is creating and delivering value to its consumers and shareholders with its BlackBerry. 1 The BlackBerry is one of Canada's most successful and innovative products. It changed not only the way business executives and professionals communicate, but also the speed and timeliness with which decisions are made. Users around the world attest that the BlackBerry enhances their ability to access key corporate information and connect with co-workers anywhere, anytime.The resulting efficiency means that business deals are made more quickly and key decisions are communicated to stakeholders even when they are on the golf course. The BlackBerry smartphone has become the one device that many business people can't live without. The BlackBerry was designed for w ireless email use. Within a few years of its release, it became the dominant device in the market. Not surprisingly, BlackBerry's market position is consistently challenged by new rivals, such as Apple's iPhone, HTC's Droid Incredible, and Palm's Pre.The iPhone, launched in 2007, created huge buzz and took the smartphone market by storm, gaining more than 25 percent market share in less than three years and becoming the second most popular smartphone. Google's Android, a recently launched operating system (OS) for smartphones, has more than doubled its market share in 2 less than a year. Page 4 To consolidate and grow its market position, RIM successfully entered into the consumer market segment 3 with two hugely popular smartphones, the BlackBerry Curve and the BlackBerry Torch.Consumers quickly adopted both of these smartphones, challenging the market segment where the iPhone is the current favourite. In response, Apple is now trying to gain a foothold in RIM's lucrative business market. The battle between the BlackBerry and the iPhone has many industry analysts pointing to the BlackBerry's weaknesses, such as a lack of applications and a challenging user interface. To silence its critics, RIM released the BlackBerry 6, with a new OS, user interface, and WebKit browser, while also 4 revamping its BlackBerry App World.Although apps and web browsing are all the rage, email access is what drives many voice-only customers to upgrade their plans to include data services, and this area has been the BlackBerry's strength. The BlackBerry also uses wireless networks more efficiently than competing devices, which means that carriers such as Rogers and Bell can offer data services to BlackBerry customers for less money than customers pay to use competing products. In fact, telecom carriers are feeling the squeeze from data 5 hungry smartphones and have responded by introducing usage-based billing for data services.This change could affect consumers' monthly bills, whic h could, in turn, influence their buying decision. RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie has said that carriers are well aware of how profitable the BlackBerry is for their business and how strategically RIM is aligned with them. Clearly, the BlackBerry has some unique advantages over its competitors. Despite fierce competition, RIM's sales grew from US$85 million in 2000 to US$19. 9 billion in 2011. W ithin this same period, the company increased its workforce from about 1000 employees to more than 17 500 employees, of which 3200 are in sales, marketing, and customer support.RIM spent US$1. 9 billion on sales and marketing in fiscal year 2010. Currently, RIM has more than 41 million subscribers globally. In addition to meeting its customer needs with an impressive portfolio of innovati ve products, RIM has made excellent customer service a top priority. It has increased the number of employees providing customer care, improved the number of service contracts to users, and developed training pro grams for corporate customers. This customer focus helps RIM ensure that BlackBerry is â€Å"Always On, Always Connected,† satisfying users who demand information in real time. Page 5What Is Marketing? Unlike other subjects you may have studied, marketing is already very familiar to you. You start your day by agreeing to do the dishes in exchange for a freshly made cup of coffee. Then you fill up your car with gas. You attend a class that you have chosen and paid for. After class, you pick up lunch at the cafeteria, have your hair cut, download a few songs from iTunes, an online music store, and watch a movie. In each case, you have acted as the buyer and made a decision about whether you should part with your time and/or money to receive a particular service or type of merchandise.If , after you return home from the movie, you decide to auction a collectible item on eBay, you have become a seller. In each of these transactions, you were engaged in marketing because you were exchanging something of value that satisfies a need. This chapter will look at the definition of marketing and at how marketing is used to create value in products or in services. We will see how the interrelated marketing mix—or four Ps—create, transact, communicate, and deliver value. As well, we will look at where marketing happens and how it has evolved over the years into today's concept of value-based marketing.Lastly, we will discuss why m arketing is an important function for any successful firm. Refer to the chapter roadmap to guide you through the chapter contents. The Canadian Marketing Association states that â€Å" Marketing is a set of business practices designed to plan for and present an organization's products or services in ways that build effective customer 6 relationships. † What does this definition really mean? Good marketing is not a random activity; it requires thoughtful planning with an emphasis on the ethical implications of any of tho se decisions on consumers and society in general.Firms develop a marketing plan that specifies the marketing activities for a specific period of time. The marketing plan is broken down into various components —how the product or service will be conceived or designed, how much it should cost, where and how it will be promoted, and how it will get to the consumer. In any exchange, the buyer and the seller should be satisfied with the value they obtained from a transaction. In our earlier example, you sh ould be satisfied or even delighted with the song you downloaded, and Apple should be satisfied with the amount of money it received from you.The core aspects of marketing are shown in Exhibit 1. 1. Let's see how they look in practice. CHAPTER ROADMAP EXHIBIT 1. 1 Core Aspects of Marketing Page 6 1. LO1 Marketing Is About Satisfying Customer Needs and Wants Understanding and satisfying consumer needs and wants is fundamental to marketing success. A need is when a person feels de prived of the basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, shelter, or safety. A want is the particular way in which the person chooses to fulfill his or her need, which is shaped by a person's knowledge, culture, and personality.For example, when we are hungry, we need something to eat. Some people want a submarine sandwich to satisfy that hunger, whereas others want a s alad and some soup instead. The topic of understanding customer needs is described in detail in Chapter 5, whichdeals with consumer behaviour. To understand customer needs and wants, the company must first identify the customers or market for its product or service. Generally, the market for a firm's offerings consists of all consumers who need or want a company's products or services and have the ability and willingness to buy them.Although marketers would prefer to sell their products and services to everyone, it is not practical to do so. Thus, marketers divide the market into subgroups or segments of peop le to whom they are interes ted in marketing their products, services, or ideas. For example, even though the marketplace for toothpaste users may include most of the people in the world, the makers of Crest could divide the market into adolescent, adult, and senior users, or perhaps into wine and coffee drinkers, people with sensitive gums, and denture users.If you manufacture toothpaste that bleaches and removes stains, you want to know for which market segments your product is most relevant and then make sure that you build a mark eting strategy that meets the needs and wants of the target groups or target market. The process of how companies segment the market for their products and services and then choose which segment to target and how best to reach that segment is described in Chapter 7. The process of identifying customer segments the company wants to target with its products and services requires market research.The types of market research that help marketers make good de cisions about various aspects of the marketing mix ar e discussed in Chapter 4. Page 7 Marketing Entails Value Exchange Video: The Bottled Water Industry Marketing is about an exchange—the trade of things of value between the buyer and the seller so that each is better off as a result. As depicted in Exhibit 1. 2, sellers provide goods or services, then communicate and facilitate the delivery of their offering to consumers.Buyers complete the exchange by giving money and information to the seller. Suppose you learn about a new Justin Bieber album when watching MTV, which gave a review of the album and mentioned that it was available online at iTunes. You go online and purchase the album. Along with gathering your necessary billing and shipping information, iTunes creates a record of your purchase: information that may be used in the coming months to inform you of the release of Bieber's next album or of his next concert in your area. Thus, in ddition to making money on this p articular transaction, iTunes can use the information you provided t o facilitate a future exchange and solidify a relationship with you —additional value for both you and iTunes. When you purchase a new Justin Bieber album, you are engaging in a marketing exchange. You get the songs, and the exchange partners get money and information about you. EXHIBIT 1. 2 Exchange: The Underpinning of Seller–Buyer Relationships Page 8 1. LO2 Marketing Requires Product, Price, Place, and Promotion Decisions Marketing traditionally has been divided into a set of four interrelated decisions known as the marketing 7 ix, or four Ps: product, price, place, and promotion, as shown in Exhibit 1. 3. Together, the four Ps comprise the marketing mix, which is the controllable set of activities that the firm uses to respond to the wants of its target markets. But what does each of them mean and how do they work together to create value for consumers? EXHIBIT 1. 3 Marketing Mix Decisions Active Exhibit: Exhibit 1. 3 – Marketing Mix Decisions Product: Creating Value One main purpose of marketing is to create value by developing a variety of offerings, including goods, services, and ideas, to satisfy customer needs.Take, for example, water. Not too long ago, consumers perceived this basic commodity as simply water. It came out of a faucet and was consumed for drinking and washing. But taking a cue from European firms such as Perrier (France) and San Pellegrino (Italy), several Canadian-based firms, such as Clearly Canadian, Canadian Springs, and Montclair, have created a product with benefits that cons umers find valuable. In addition to easy access to water, an essential part of this created value is the product's brand image, which lets users say 8 to the world, â€Å"I'm healthy,† â€Å"I'm smart,† and â€Å"I'm chic. Recently, however, there is growing opposition t o bottled water, which not only makes it seem socially unacceptable, but also has se en some organizations banning the sale of bottled water on their premises. For example, the University of Ottawa has banned the sale of bottled water on campus, declaring itself a bottled water–free zone; it has set aside $75,000 to 9 install new water fountains across the campus. Clearly Canadian has created a product with benefits that consumers find valuable. Many offerings are a combination of goods and services.At a Taylor Swift concert, you can enjoy the concert (a service) and buy her CD (a good). Page 9 Goods are items that you can physically touch. Roots clothing, Molson Canadian beer, Kraft Dinner, and countless other products are examples of goods. Carmen Creek Gourmet Meats, a small Calgary-based company specializing in the marketing and distribution of grade A Canadian bison, demonstrates how a company offers value to customers. It provides exquisite gourmet bison meat that is raised, processed, and delivered using appropriate animal health practices. (SeeEntrepr eneurial Marketing 1. later in this chapter. ) Unlike goods, services are intangible customer benefits that are produced by people or machines and cannot be separated from the producer. Air travel, banking, insurance, beauty treatments, and entertainment all are services. If you attend a hockey or football game, you are consuming a service. Getting money from your bank by using an ATM or teller is another example of using a service. In th is case, cash machines usually add value to your banking experience by being conveniently located, fast, and easy to use. Many offerings represent a combination of goods and services.When you go to Hakim Optical, for example, you can have your eyes examined (service) and purchase new contact lenses (good). If you enjoy Taylor Swift's music, you can attend one of her concerts, which can be provided only at a particular time and place. At the concert, you can purchase one of her CDs —a tangible good that provides you with a combination of a go od and a service. Ideas include thoughts, opinions, philosophies, and intellectual concepts that also can be marketed. Groups promoting bicycle safety go to schools, give talks, and sponsor bike helmet poster contests fo r the members of their primary target market: children.Then their secondary target market segment, parents and siblings, gets involved through their interactions with the young contest participants. The exchange of value occurs when the children listen to the sponsor's presentation and wear their helmets while bicycling, which means they have adopted, or become â€Å"purchasers,† of the safety idea that the group marketed. In Chapters 8,9, and 10 of this book, you will learn much more about the decisions, theories, applications, and strategies of product and services marketing. Price: Transacting Value Everything has a price, though it doesn't always have to be monetary.Price, therefore, is everything the buyer gives up—money, time, energy—in ex change for the product. Marketers must determine the price of a product carefully on the basis of the potential buyer's belief about its value. For example, Air Canada can take you from Toronto to Vancouver or New York. The price you pay depends on how far in advance you book the ticket, the time of year, whether you want to fly economy or business class, and more recently whether or not you have luggage to check in. Passengers are charged a fee if they have more than one piece of check -in luggage.If you value the convenience of buying your ticket at the last minute for a ski trip between Christmas and New Year's Day and you want to fly business class, you can expect to pay four or five times as much as you would for the cheapest available ticket. That is, you have traded off a lower price for convenience. For marketers, the key to determining prices is figuring out how much customers are willing to pay so that they are satisfied with the purchase and the seller achieves a reasonab le profit. In Chapter 11, you will learn much more about pricing concepts, decisions, and strategies.The Country Grocer was Canada's first independently owned grocery store to sell groceries online. Place: Delivering Value The third P, place, describes all the activities necessary to get the product from the manufacturer or producer to the right customer when that customer wants it. Place decisions are concerned with developing an efficient system for merchandise to be distributed in the right quantities, to the right locations, and at the right time in the most efficient way in order to minimize systemwide costs 10 while satisfying the service levels required by their customers.Many marketing students initially overlook the importance of distribution management because a lot of distributio n activities occur behind the scenes. But without a strong and efficient distribution system, merchandise isn't available when or where customers want it. They are disappointed, and sales and pro fits suffer. Place or distribution activities and decisions are discussed in detail in Chapter 12. To illustrate how distribution delivers value, consider the experience of The Country Grocer, a small Ottawa-based independent grocery store.The Country Grocer was the first independently owned grocery store in Canada to offer online groceries. You might think that because the store is independent, customers would live within a couple of kilometres of it. On the contrary, The Country Grocer (www. thecountrygrocer. com) gets more than 30 percent of its online sales from the eastern Arctic (Iqaluit) and about 5 percent of its business from customers in the United States. Customers place their orders 11 through the website, and The Country Grocer ensures that their purc hases are delivered on time.Promotion: Communicating Value Even the best products and services will go unsold if marketers cannot communicate their value to customers. Countless Internet companies failed in the late 1990s, at least partly because they did not communicate successfully with their customers. Some such firms had great products at very fair prices, but when customers could not find them on the Internet, the companies failed. Promotion is communication by a marketer that informs, persuades, and reminds potential buyers about a product or service to influence their opinions or elicit a response.Promotion generally can enhance a product or service's value, as happened for Parasuco jeans. The company's provocative advertising has helped create an image that says more than â€Å"Use this product and you will look good. † Rather, the promotion sells youth, style, and sex appeal. The four Ps work together. Although marketers deliver value through each of the four Ps individually, they can deliver greater value to consumers by configuring the four Ps as a whole rather than by treating them as separate components.That is, the product or service offered must satisfy the target customers' spe cific needs and wants, be priced appropriately, be available at loc ations where customers want it, and be promoted in a manner and through media that are consistent with the target consumers. For instance, luxury or high-fashion items from retailers such as Coach, Louis Vuitton, and Swarovski are well -made, priced at a premium, available at exclusive locations, and promoted only in certain media where the advertisements emphasize style, fashion, sex appeal, and so on.Parasuco is known for its provocative advertising, which appears on billboards and uses celebrities to market its denim lines. Page 11 Marketing Is Shaped by Forces and Players Within the Firm A company's marketing activities are shaped by factors that are both internal to the firm and external to the firm, as shown in Exhibit 1. 4. The consumer is the centre of all marketing activities, and offering the best value possible will attract customers to products and keep them loyal.For marketers to deliver the best value to their customers, they must leverage the full potential of their internal capabilities; w ork effectively with their partners (i. e. , suppliers, distributors, and other intermediaries, such as financial institutions, advertising agencies, and research firms); and constantly evaluate and respond to the competitive environment. EXHIBIT 1. 4 Understanding the Marketing Environment Page 12 As described in the chapter vignette, RIM's success rests in the unique email capability of the BlackBerry, coupled with excellent customer service.RIM harnesses its internal capabilities by creating a custome rdriven organization, where all internal departments and functions share information and work collaboratively toward a common goal, balance costs with benefits, and build strong relationships with customers. In addition, RIM relies on corporate partners, such as Rogers, TELUS, and Bell, to sell its BlackBerry devices, so it is hardly surprising to hear RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie making the poin t that carriers are aware of how profitable the BlackBerry is for their businesses.RIM's competitors have improved the value they offer to customers; thus, it is imperative for RIM to enhance its value to customers, or else it could be overtaken by the competition. Suppliers or even natural disasters can exert substantial influence on a company's marketing activities, sometimes with devastating consequences. In March 2011, a tsunami and earthquake in Japan destroyed several nuclear reactors, disrupting power and industrial production in Japan. This natural disaster also affected North American companies that relied on Japanese suppliers or inputs.For example, both Honda and Toyota severely cut back on the production of their 2011-model vehicles because of a shortage of electronic components and other parts that were usually imported from Japan. This reduction created a huge shortage of vehicles among Japanese dealerships in Canada and the United States during the spring season, one of the best 12 seasons for new-car sales. Marketing Is Shaped by Forces and Players External to the Firm External forces such as cultural, dem ographic, social, technological, economic, and political and legal changes shape a company's marketing activities, as shown in Exhibit 1. . For instance, two current social trends that are reshaping the marketing activities of most firms are concerns about the environment and obesity. In response to these concerns, marketers are beginning to use more environmentally friendly packaging for their products; some companies are even using alternative materials in the products themselves. In response to the obesity trend, marketers try to distinguish their products by using labels such as non-fat, low-fat, fat-free, sugar-free, and cholesterol-free. Similarly, food retailers are responding to demographic changes in Canada's population composition.Because the prop ortion of Chinese and South Asian people in Canada is on the rise and is forecasted to increase in the next decade, many food retailers have developed products and services that cater specifically to the needs of these groups. Sobeys's FreshCo store format demonstrates a prime example of a retailer trying to reach out and serve these Canadians. The store's layout, merchandise, level of service, and prices cater specifically to the needs of this segment of the Canadian demographic. The influence of all of these forces is discussed in greater detail inChapter 3. Sustainable Marketing 1. shows how marketers are trying to become more socially responsible in their business practices. Marketing Can Be Performed by Both Individuals and Organizations Imagine how complicated the world would be if you had to buy everything you consumed directly from producers or manufacturers. You would have to go from farm to farm buying your food and then from manufacturer to manufacturer to purchase the table, plates, and utensils you need to eat that food. Fortunately, marketing intermedia ries, such as retailers, accumulate merchandise from producers in large amounts and then sell it to you in smaller amounts.The process in which businesses sell to consumers is known as B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing, whereas the process of selling merchandise or services from one business to another is called B2B (business-to-business) marketing. Some companies, such as GE (General Electric), are engaged in both B2B and B2C marke ting at the same time. However, with the advent of various auction sites, such as eBay and Kijiji, and payment sites, such as PayPal, consumers have started marketing their products and services to other consumers, which requires a third category in which consumers sell to other consumers, or C2C (consumer-to-consumer)marketing.These marketing transactions are illustrated in Exhibit 1. 5. Individuals can also undertake activities to market themselves. When you apply for a job, for instance, the research you do about the firm, the resume and cover lett er you submit with your application, and the way you dress for an interview and conduct yourself during it are all forms of marketing activities. Accountants, lawyers, financial planners, physicians, and other professional service providers also market their services. EXHIBIT 1. 5 Marketing Can Be Performed byBoth Individuals and Organizations Page 13 Sustainable Marketing 1. 1 Green Your Marketing Practices The idea of sustainable development, or sustainability, is popular these days among groups representing various segments of society such as the media, environmentalists, nonprofit organizations, politicians, business executives, and even consumers. But what exactly does sustainability mean, how widespread is the adoption of sustainable development practices and policies among businesses, and what are the benefits of sustainability?You might be surprised to learn that sustainability seems to mean different things to different people. Fo r instance, a recent global survey of 1749 business executives by McKinsey & Company reported that 55 percent say that sustainability is about managing environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, waste management, green-product development, and water conservation. Further, 48 percent say it is about governance issues such as complying with regulations, maintaining ethical practices, and meeting accepted industry standards, and 41 percent say it includes the 13 anagement of social issues such as working conditions and labour standards. In a nutshell, it seems that organizations that practise sustainability must strive to conduct their business in such a way as to minimize harm to the environment, follow good governance practices, and comply with social standards. Indeed, a truly comprehensive and proactive approach to sustainability requires that businesses develop practices and policies around all three perspectives: environmental, governance, and social.This means that sustainability practices and policies must be embedded in all facets of the organization, from human resource management to manufacturing, marketing, production, planning, investments, and corporate strategy. Also, sustainability must involve all employees, from t he CEO to the employee on the shop floor. Implementing a comprehensive sustainability program is quite expensive and so many businesses tend to do the bare minimum or implement low-cost programs.In fact, according to the McKinsey Global Survey, 36 percent of executives believe that the main benefit of sustainability is that it improves corporate and brand reputation, while less than 20 percent believe that it improves operational efficiency, lowers costs, presents growth opportunities (new markets and products), or strengthens competitive position. Clearly, we are in the early stages in the adoption of sustainability policies and practices, and it is not unusual for there to be experimentation and feelings of euphoria, uncertainty, and confusion.O rganizations and executives tend to get better as their learning improves over time. We expect to see a greater number of organizations being more proactive in implementing sustainability policies and practices. Throughout this book, we will present various examples of sustainable marketing efforts undertaken by Canadian companies. Page 14 Social Media Marketing 1. 1 What Is Social Media? W hen you hear the term social media, chances are you immediately think of Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Twitter. Initially, many of these sites were viewed as places where people connected just for fun.Things have changed dramatically over the last couple of years. Today, marketers are euphoric about the marketing potential of these sites. Not surprisingly, a major preocc upation of marketers these days concerns developing an integrated social media marketing strategy. So, what exactly is social media? It's not an understatement to say that there are as many definitions of social media as there are flavours at a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store. In fact, a quick Google search revealed more than 25 definitions, an indication of the diversity of these media.Considering the various definitions of and the use of social media leads us to the following simple definition: Social media is the use of Internet tools and software by individuals to easily and quickly create and share content, such as information, knowledge, and insights, with people who have similar interests to foster dialogue, social relationships, and personal identities. Participants act as both publishers and consumers by creating, sharing, or re-mixing content, such as videos, images, and texts.Social media conversations and relationships may move freely between the online and physical context. That is, they may originate online and continue offline, or vice versa. Openness, authenticity, and transparency are key 14 elements of effective social media. Social media is important to marketers for several reasons. First, more than 90 percent of Canadian Internet users are actively engaged with social media, with each visitor interacting with it for an average of 15 6. 5 hours per month and downloading an average of 120 videos per month.Social media is an excellent way to reach these consumers. Second, consumers are already carrying on conversations about companies, their brands and services; therefore, to be part of the conversation or to initiate conversations, companies must participate in social media. Third, social media enables marketers to accomplish many marketing goals, such as promoting corporate social responsibility, building customer relationships, enhancing customer service, building or defending their brands, engaging customers in research and new product development, and recruiting talent.Although social media is currently very popular among retail businesses and the consumer packaged goods industry, interest from firms of all sizes, all industries, and all types (B2B, B2C, and C2C) a re increasing daily. To illustrate how marketers are embracing this ever -changing world of social media, we have developed Social Media Marketing boxes for each chapter of this book. For a visual look at the impact of social media on the world around us, you may want to view a video called Social Media Revolution, which is available on YouTube. Sources: â€Å"What is Social Media? A not so critical review of concepts and definitions,†http://blog. etaroll. com/2008/11/14/what-is-social-media-a-not-so-critical-review-of-concepts-anddefinitions/(accessed December 2, 2009); Joseph Thornley, â€Å"Social networking isn't just about Facebook,†http://www. itworldcanada. com/blogs/ahead/2009/04/08/social -networking-isnt-just-aboutfacebook/48460/(accessed December 2, 2009); Joseph Thornley, â€Å"What is ‘social media’? † http://propr. ca/2008/what-issocial-media/ (accessed December 2, 2009); ComScore, www. comscore. com, 2009. Regardless of whether organi zations or individuals are engaged in B2B, B2C, or C2C marketing, one thing seems to be clear: social media is quickly ecoming an integral part of their marketing and communications strategies. Social media was widely used in the 2011 federal election in Canada, as politicians tried to win the hearts and minds of Canadians. Even more dramatically, social media played a major role in the crises observed in several Mideast countries. Social media was used to organize protesters and to report news of events in these countries to the res t of the world as they unfolded in real time. Social Media Marketing 1. 1 shows how marketers are using social media to reach out to their customers. Marketing Occurs in Many SettingsMost people think of marketing as a way for firms to make profits, but ma rketing works equally well in the nonprofit sector. Think about what influenced your selection of your college or university, other than family, friends, and convenience. It's likely that your college has a sophisticated marketing program to attract and retain students. Hospitals, theatres, charities, museums, religious institutions, politicians, and even governments rely on marketing to communicate their message to their constituents. A Piece of Africa buys art from African artists and, through its website (www. izinsa. com/apieceofafrica), makes that art available to customers all over the world, thereby creating a market that otherwise would not exist. Page 15 In addition, marketing isn't useful only in countries with well-developed economies. It can also jump-start the economies of less developed countries by actually putting buyers and sellers together to create new markets. A Piece of Africa, for example, buys art from African artis ts and, through its website, makes that art available to customers all over the world, thereby creating a market that otherwise would not exist.Customers become exposed to an array of products from various countries that previously would have b een available only through expensive galleries, and the tribal artists can spend their earnings locally, which stimulates the local economy. Furthermore, A Piece of Africa donates 3 percent of the online sales to goodwill projects in Africa, which solidifies its soci ally responsible appeal. Marketing is often designed to benefit an entire industry, which can help many firms simultaneously. The dairy industry has used a very successful, award-winning campaign with its slogan â€Å"Got Milk? aimed at different target segments. This campaign has not only created high levels of awareness about the 16 benefits of drinking milk, but also increased milk consumption in various target segments, possibly through the use of celebrities such as Hilary Duff and athletes such as soccer s uperstar David Beckham. Overall, this campaign benefits the entire dairy industry, not just one dairy farmer. The dairy industry's â€Å"Got Milk? † ad campaign has created high levels of awareness about the benefits of drinking milk and has increased milk consumption by using celebrities such as David Beckham in its ads.Now that we've examined what marketing is and how it creates value, let's consider how it fits into the world of commerce, as well as into society in general. Page 16 1. LO3 Marketing Helps Create Value Marketing didn't get to its current prominence among individuals, corporations, and society at large overnight. Over the last 100 years, marketing has evolved from an activity designed simply to produce and sell products to an integral business function aimed at creating value for consumers and the company's shareholders.As we have examined marketing practices over the years, we have observed four different marketing orientations or philosophies: product orientation, sales orientation, market orientation, and value-based orientation. Product Orientation Product-oriented companies focus on developing and distributing innovative products with little concern about whet her the products best satisfy customers’ needs. This philosophy is best illustrated by a famous quote made around the turn of the twentieth century by HenryFord, the founder of Ford Motor Company, who remarked, â€Å"Customers can have any colour they want so long as it's black. † Manufacturers believed that a good product would sell itself, and retail stores typically were considered places to hold the merchandise until a consumer wanted it. Companies with a product orientation generally start out by thinking about the product they want to build; they try selling the product after it is developed rather than starting with an understanding of the customers’ needs and then developing a product to satisfy those needs.Sales Orientation Companies that have a sales orientation basically view marketing as a selling function where companies try to sell as many of their products as possible rather than focus on making products consumers really want. These firms typicall y depend on heavy doses of personal selling and advertising to attract new customers. Companies with a selling orientation tend to fo cus on making a sale or on each transaction rather than building long-term customer relationships. They generally believe that if consumers try their products, they will like them.Market Orientation Market-oriented companies start out by focusing on what consumers want and need before they design, make, or attempt to sell their products and services. They believe that customers have choice and make purchase decisions based on several factors, including quality, convenience, and price. Basically, the â€Å"customer is king,† and the market is a buyer's market since consumers wield tremendous power. In this orientation, marketers’ role is to understand and respond to the needs of consumers and to do everything possible to satisfy them.Value-Based Orientation Most successful firms today are market oriented. 17 That means they have gone beyo nd a production or sales orientation and attempt to discover and satisfy their customers’ needs and wants. Better marketing firms recognized that there was more to good marketing than simply discovering and providing what consumers wanted and needed; to compete successfully, they would have to give their customers greater value than their competitors. 18 Value reflects the relationship of benefits to costs, or what you get for what you give.In a marketing context, customers seek a fair return in goods and/or services for their hard -earned money and scarce time. They want products or services that meet their specific needs or wants and that are offered at competitive prices. The challenge for firms is to find out what consumers are looking for and to attempt to provide those goods and services but still make a profit. Every value-based marketing firm must implement its strategy according to what its customers value.Depending on the specific product or service for sale, these valuable benefits could include speed, convenience, size, accuracy, price, cost-savings, or user-friendliness. Sometimes providing greater value means providing a lot of merchandise for relatively little mone y, such as Subway's foot-long subs for $5 or a diamond for 40 percent off the suggested retail price at Costco. But value is in the eye of the beholder and doesn't always come inexpensively. Satisfied Louis Vuitton customers probably believe the Vuitton clothing, bags, or shoes they buy are good value because they have received many benefits for a reasonable price.Similarly, teenagers may be willing to pay a premium for Apple's iPhone because of its extraordinary design and packaging, even though cheaper s ubstitutes are available. This is the power of marketing in general and branding in particular. Value-based marketing is examined in greater detail in the following section; however, the story of Carmen Creek described in Entrepreneurial Marketing 1. 1 illustrates aspects of value beyond monetary cost and price. Page 17 Entrepreneurial Marketing 1. 1 Carmen Creek: Meeting Customer Needs19In 2002, Kelly Long, Pieter Spinder, and Dean Andres joined forces to create Carme n Creek Gourmet Meats. The award-winning, Calgary-based company specializes in the marketing and distribution of grade A Canadian bison, which the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check approves as a healthy substitute for red meat. Carmen Creek saw its revenues increase 15 times during its first year of operation and 18 times during its second year. The company was a finalist for the 2008 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and won the 2008 Calgary Chamber of Commerce RBC Small Business of the Year Award.Carmen Creek attributes its success to its distinctive marketing strategy: it positions itself as a bison-specific producer with a commitment to quality and consistency to reach targeted markets. Carmen Creek brings value to its three target markets, consumers, retailers ( e. g. , Safeway Canada), and foodservice businesses (e. g. , Moxie's Classic Grill restaurant), in a variety of ways. Consumers can choose from an assortment of fresh and frozen bison meat, including bison burgers, bison steak, and prime rib.Retailers are provided with support in the form of recipe cards, a 1-800 help line, shelf danglers, shelf talkers, and in-store sampling booths. Foodservices customers are offered support through menu inserts, table toppers, and server incentives. In addition, Carmen Creek promises all of its customers exquisite gourmet bison meat that is grown, processed, and delivered using appropriate animal health practices, exceptional attention to detail, and superior safety. It provides all of this whi le guaranteeing the best prices that it can offer.Carmen Creek's quality products and competitive pricing is allowing it to successfully satisfy the demands of North American and European customers. Its commitment to building a value chain that embraces pro ducers, processors, and customers is allowing Carmen Creek to break into new markets. On February 27, 2007, Carmen Creek acquired all the shares of Grande Prairie Bison Company, along with its strong European customer base and distribution network. This acquisition opened the door for Carmen Creek to expand its European presence.The company is actively pursuing new European markets in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands to add to its list of international customers, which currently includes Australia and Germany. Carmen Creek Gourmet Meats brings value to its customers beyond monetary cost and price. Carmen Creek carefully focuses the distribution of its investments in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Couple this with its diversified product offerings under a consistent and supported brand, and you get a recipe for success.The company's approach to market development and its unique strategy has launched Carmen Creek Gourmet Meats to the top of both Profit 50’s list of Canada's emerging growth companies and Profit 100’s list of Canada's fastest growing companies. What Is Value-Based Marketing? Consumers make explicit and/or implicit trade-offs between the perceived benefits of a product or service and their costs. Customers naturally seek options that provide the greatest benefits at the lowest costs. Marketing firms attempt to find the most desirable balance between providing benefits to customers and keeping their costs down, as illustrated in Exhibit 1. . EXHIBIT 1. 6 Value Page 18 To better understand value and to develop a value-based marketing orientation, a business must also understand what customers view as the key benefits of a given product or service and how to improve on them. For example, some benefits of staying at a Four Points by Sheraton hotel might include the high level of service quality provided by the personnel , the convenience of booking the room via Sheraton's website, and the overall quality of the room and me als offered. In broader terms, some critical benefits may be service quality, convenience, and merchandise quality.The other side of the value equation entails the firm's ability to provide either a better product/service mix at the same cost or the same level of quality and convenience for a lower cost. The customer's potential cost elements, in terms of value-based marketing strategies, for the Sheraton hotel in our example would include the price of the room and meals, the time it takes to book a room or check in at the hotel, and the risk of arriving at the hotel and finding it overbooked. How Firms Compete on the Basis of Value W ith such a simple formula, marketers should be able to deliver value consistently, right? Well, not exactly.In today's quickly changing world, consistent ly creating and delivering value is quite difficult. Consumer perceptions change quickly, competitors constantly enter markets, and global pressures continually reshape opportunities. Thus, marketers must keep a vigilant eye on the marketplace so they can adjust their offerings to meet customer needs and keep ahead of their competition. Value-based marketing, however, isn't just about creating strong products and services; it should be at the core of every firm's functions. For example, W almart does not serve those customers who are looking to impress their friends with conspicuous consumption.Rather, this store is for people who want convenient one-stop shopping and low prices—and on those values, it consistently delivers. But good value is not limited to just low prices. Although Walmart carries low-priced pots, pans, and coffee pots, cooking enthusiasts may prefer the product selection, quality, and expert sales assistance at a Paderno outlet. The prices there aren't as low as at Walmart, but Paderno customers believe they are receiving good value when they shop there because of the selection, quality, and service they receive.Even nonprofit organizations need to focu s on creating value to ensure the services they provide to stakeholders are of high quality while also minimizing the total fundraising required. How Firms Become Value-Driven Firms become value-driven by focusing on three activities (see Exhibit 1. 7). First, they share information about their customers and competitors across their own organization and with other firms that might be involved in getting the product or service to the marketplace, such as manufacturers and transportation companies.Second, they strive to balance their customers’ benefits and costs. Third, they concentrate on building relationships with customers. EXHIBIT 1. 7 Value-Oriented Firms Page 19 Sharing Information In a value-based, market-oriented firm, marketers share information about customers and competitors that has been collected through customer relationship management, and integrate it across the firm's various departments.The fashion designers for Zara, the Spain -based fashion retailer, for i nstance, collect purchase information and research customer trends to determine what their customers will want to wear in the next few weeks; simultaneously, the logisticians —those persons in charge of getting the merchandise to the stores —use the same purchase history to forecast sales and allocate appropriate merchandise to individual stores. Sharing and coordinating such information represents a critical success factor for any firm.Imagine what might happen if Zara's advertising department were to plan a special promotion but not share its sales projections with those people in charge of creating the merchandise or getting it to stores. Fashion designers for Zara, the Spain-based fashion retailer, collect purchase information and research customer trends to determine what their customers will want to wear in the next few weeks. They share this information with other departments to forecast sales and coordinate deliveries.Balancing Benefits with Costs Value-oriente d marketers constantly measure the benefits that customers perceive against the cost of their offering. In this task, they use a vailable customer data to find opportunities in which they can better satisfy their customers’ needs and in turn develop long -term loyalties. Such a value-based orientation has helped Canadian Tire and Walmart outperform other department stores, and WestJet Airlines and Southwest Airlines outperform mainstream carriers.Also, as noted in the chapter vignette, RIM offers its customers not only the innovative, feature -packed portfolio of BlackBerry products, but also high-quality customer service at a competitive price. By establishing contracts with wireless carriers such as AT&T and BellSouth, it gained a solid footing before competitors such as Nokia entered the market. RIM's marketing savvy in making customer value the centrepiece of its strategy is one of the reasons why it has been able to beat the competition. To provide a great value, U. K. b ased easyJet offers no food service and generally flies to and from out-ofthe-way airports. Until recently, it sometimes cost more to fly within Europe than to fl y from the United States to Europe. 20 But low-frills, low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and easyJet, modelled on Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways, now offer customers what they want: cheap intra -Europe airfares. Like their American counterparts, Ryanair and easyJet offer no food service and generally fly to and from out -of-the-way airports, such as Stansted, which is about 55 kilometres northeast of London.But many customers find value despite such minor inconveniences. Consider, for example, the Lon don to Salzburg, Austria, route for $65 or the London to Sweden flight for $70. Values such as these are also what have given low -cost carriers in the United States approximately 25 percent of the market share. They are so popular that conventional airlines have started their own low-frills/low-cost airlines: Singapo re Airlines provides Tiger Airways and Australia's Qantas offers Jetstar. Page 20 1. LO4Building Relationships with Customers During the past decade or so, marketers have begun to realize that they need to think about their customer orientation in terms of relationships rather than 21 transactions. A transactional orientation regards the buyer–seller relationship as a series of individual transactions, so anything that happened before or after the transaction is of little importance. For example, used-car sales typically are based on a transactional approach; the seller wants to get the highest price for the car, the buyer wants to get he lowest price, and neither expects to do business w ith the other again. A relational orientation, in contrast, is based on the philosophy that buyers and sellers should develop a long-term relationship. According to this idea, the lifetime profitability of the relationship matters, not how much money is made during each transaction. For exam ple, UPS works with its shippers to develop efficient transportation solutions. Over time, UPS becomes part of the fabric of the shippers’ organizations, and their operations become intertwined. In this scenario, UPS an d its shippers have developed a long-term relationship.Firms that practise value-based marketing also use a process known as customer relationship management (CRM), a business philosophy and set of strategies, programs, and systems that focus on 22 identifying and building loyalty among the firm's most valued customers. Firms that employ CRM systematically collect information about their customers’ needs and then use that information to target their best customers with the products, services, and special pr omotions that appear most important to those customers. 1. LO5 Why Is Marketing Important? Marketing was once only an afterthought to production.Early marketing philosophy went something like this: â€Å"We've made it; now how do we get rid of it? à ¢â‚¬  Today, marketing has evolved into a major business function that crosses all areas of a firm or organization, as illustrated in Exhibit 1. 8. Marketing works with other departments, such as research and development (R&D), engineering, and production, to ensure that high-quality, innovative products that meet customers’ needs are available in the right quantity, at the right price, and at the right pla ce, that is, wherever they want to purchase it.It creates mutually valuable relationships between the company and its suppliers, distributors, and other external firms that are involved in the firm's marketing process. It identifies those elements that lo cal customers value and makes it possible for the firm to expand globally. Marketing has had a significant impact on consumers as well. Without marketing, it would be difficult for any of us to learn about new products and services. You may even decide to pursue a career in marketing after you graduate.Even if you pursue a career in another field, marketing knowledge will help you market yourself in ways that could land you your dream job. EXHIBIT 1. 8 Importance of Marketing These brands can be found in many countries. Marketing Expands Firms’ Global Presence A generation ago, Coca-Cola was available in many nations, but Levi's and most other American and Canadian brands were not. But today most jeans, including those by Levi Strauss & Co. a nd Parasuco, are made in places other than Canada and the United States and are available nearly everywhere.Thanks to MTV and other global entertainment venues,cheap foreign travel, and the Internet, you share many of your consumption behaviours with college and university students in countries all over the globe. The best fashions, music, and even food trends disseminate rapidly around the world. Starbucks has adjusted its menu to meet customer wants in the Japanese market more effectively. Page 21 Take a look at your next shopping bag. Whether it cont ains groceries or apparel, you will find goods from many countries: produce from Mexico, jeans from Italy, T -shirts from China.Global manufacturers and retailers continue to make inroads into the Canadian market. Companies such as Honda, Sony, and Heineken sell as well in Canada as they do in their home countries. Sweden's fashion retailer H 23 operates in 38 countries, including Canada. Its upscale competitor Spain's Zara operates in more than 24 80 countries, including Canada. Starbucks even adjusted its menu to meet customer wants in the Japanese market more effectively. How does marketing contribute to a company's successful global expansion? Understanding customers is critical.Without the knowledge that can be gained by analyzing new customers’ needs and wants on a segment-by-segment, region-by-region basis—one of marketing's main tasks—it would be difficult for a firm to expand globally. Power of the Internet 1. 1 shows how the Internet has expanded the r each of marketers and changed marketing practices. Page 22 Marketing Is Pervasive Across the Organization In value-based marketing firms, the marketing department works seamlessly with other functional areas of the company to design, promote, price, and distribute products.Consider the Scion, a car and brand designed by Toyota for the less affluent youth market, which sometimes has been referred to as 26 Generation Y. Scion's marketing department worked closely with engineers to ensure that the new car exceeded customers’ expectations in terms of design but remained affordable. The co mpany also coordinated the product offering with an innovative communications strategy. Because Generation Y is famous for its resistance to conventional advertising, Scion introduced a virtual road race in which participants received mileage points for sending Scion e-cards.The more â€Å"places† they visited, the more mileage points they received. At the end of the competition, each dri ver's points were totalled and compared with other racers’ scores. The driver with the most points won an onboard navigation system worth more than $2000. In addition, when Scion was a new car, the marketing department worked closely with the distribution department to ensure that advertising and promotions reached all distributors’ territories and that distribution existed where those promotions occurred.Thus, marketing was responsible for coordinating all these aspects of supply and demand. Toyota introduced a virtual road race in which participants received mileage points for sending Scion e cards. At the end of the competition, the driver with the most points won an onboard navigation system worth more than $2000. Page 23 Power of the Internet 1. 1 Internet Marketing: Past, Present, and Future25 The Internet was released for commercial use in 1993. Immediately, the media, entrepreneurs, and others began to hype it as the â€Å"new marketing channel† that wou ld revolutionize business practices.For entrepreneurs and investors, it was a time of euphoria, experimentation, and instantaneous wealth; for established companies, it was a time of uncertainty and fear. Many traditional businesses with established brands thought that the Internet was just another fad; while others did not quite understand how to integrate it with their existing businesses. Fear of making mistakes that could harm their brands led many companies to create â€Å"online† businesses that were separate from their core â€Å"bricks -and-mortar† or â€Å"offline† businesses.For instance, Procter & Gamble's online business was called reflect. com and Kmart's company in the United States was called bluelight. com. The apprehension that established marketers had for jumping on the dot-com bandwagon seemed justified when in 2000 the explosive growth of Internet businesses collap sed within a couple of months. The dot-com bust provided established marketer s with breathing room to reflect on how they could incorporate the Internet into their business and marketing strategies.Around 2004, almost a decade later, marketers came to realize that an effective marketing strategy requires an integration of online and offline businesses to provide customers with a seamless â€Å"multi-channel marketing† experience. W hen marketers initially pursued Internet marketing, they were mostly excited abou t designing the best website by using the latest publishing software and technology available. Although most websites were originally text-based, marketers quickly adopted multimedia technologies since their goal was to create an appealing website that would attract visitors and keep them on the site.Little thought was given as to whether or not customers needed or valued these features. The early focus on the technology and the product is reminiscent of the product-oriented market era of early twentieth century. Two decades later, in 2012, we observe that although websites are much more complex technologically, their focus has shifted to the consumer: that is, how marketers can use the technology to identify and fulfill customer needs and deliver the best customer value while generating profits. This focus seems more in line with the value based orientation described in the book.But, how did we get from a technology focus to a value -based focus? What were some of the steps along the way? From Static Websites to Social Media to Mobile Marketing Rewind to 1993 when the commercial Internet came into being; websites were static, text-based sites, which marketers used to â€Å"push† information to customers about their products and companies. Customer s wishing to make a purchase had to call a telephone number listed on the website. Shortly thereafter, email marketing became widespread, and the main focus was on how to create the perfect email and ensure it reached the target customers.Second-generation websites beca me more dynamic and interactive; that is, they provided information to customers’ requests in real time, made greater use of multimedia technology, and offered modest interactivity. The next development was e-commerce capability, that is, the ability to order and pay for goods and services online. This capability laid the foundations for the explosive growth of online marketing since marketers could now reach customers worldwide through their online stores and customers could order products and services anytime, anywhere.The era of instant gratification and ultimate shopping convenience seemed closer than ever. E-commerce transactions grew exponentially year after year, and they continue to grow unabated. B2C, B2B, and C2C via auction sites b ecame possible and grew exponentially. The next phase in the evolution of Internet marketing was personalization and customization, where customers were given the ability to customize the look and feel of a website, and the products show n, to suit their preferences.Today, thanks to social networking sites such as Myspace, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter, and portable devices such as smartphones, social media and mobile marketing is all the rage. What will be next? The Internet is much more sophisticated and complex now than it was in the 1990s. It has changed and will continue to change. No one can predict the transform