Ruxolitinib for Intermediate-2 Primary Myelofibrosis.

Ruxolitinib for Intermediate-2 Primary Myelofibrosis. Critical appraisal on the use of ruxolitinib for treatment in adult with intermediate-2 primary myelofibrosis. Introduction: Patients with primary myelofibrosis are prone to develop complicated infection due to defect in their humoral immunity. In addition, patients may develop complication such as portal hypertension, splenic infarction (which may lead to nausea, vomiting and shoulder discomfort), osteosclerosis, hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, occasionally periostitis, spinal cord compression, seizures, haemoptysis and gastrointestinal (GI) tract bleeding. (6, 7, 8, 9) In UK, Novartis holds the marketing authorisation for oral formulation. Ruxolitinib works by inhibiting Janus associated tyrosine kinase (JAK1 and JAK2) protein signalling. Ruxolitinib (Jakavi) is licensed for the treatment of disease related splenomegaly or symptoms in adult patients with primary myelofibrosis, post-polycythaemia vera myelofibrosis or post essential thrombocythaemia myelofibrosis but not recommended by NICE.(10) The major adverse drug reaction associated with Jakavi, documented in the summary of product characterisation (SPC) at incidence greater than 10% are urinary tract infection, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, hypercholesterolemia, dizziness, headache, increase both alanine aminotransaminase and asparte aminotransferase, bruising , bleeding and increase blood pressure. Novartis also recorded other common side effect patient experienced incidence between 1-10% was weight gain, flatulence and herpes zoster, whiles tuberculosis incidence was 1%.(3) The following clinical study, COMFORT-I and COMFORT-II trails as well as primary peered review articles Verstovsek S, Masa RA, Gotlib J, et al and Harrison C, Kiladjian JJ, Al-Ali HK, et al published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is used to address the questions below; Evidence recommendation for or against the use of ruxolitinib in Mrs MN treatment Pharmaceutical care plan and medication optimisation for Mrs MN. Creditability and quality of evidence The clinical trial from COMFORT-I was a multicentre (USA, Canada and Australia), phase III, randomised, double blind trial (large sample size, n=309) that compared patient treatment in primary myelofibrosis with ruxolitinib (n=155) to placebo (n=154). All patients enrolled in the trial had intermediate-2 risk or high risk of myelofibrosis, a palpable spleen length of at least 5cm and was 18years or above. Patients excluded were those with an absolute neutrophil count of 1x 109/L or less, platelet count less than 100x 109/L. Incyte pharmaceutical funded this trial.(5) The COMFORT-II trial, was a multicentre (Europe with UK inclusive), phase III, randomised, open label trial that compared ruxolitinib (146) with best available therapy n=73 (hydroxycarbamide, prednisone, opoetin, lenalidomide and thalidomide). The trial was funded by Novartis pharmaceuticals. (4) The primary outcome for both trails was the proportion of patients having a spleen volume reduction of 35% or more from baseline and assessed by MRI or CT scan. The primary efficacy outcome was measured at 24 weeks in CONFORT I and 48 weeks in COMFORT II. Also the COMFORT trail (50% of primary myelofibrosis PM) population of patients with different subtypes of myelofibrosis did not reflect the global prevalence (i.e. PM is 30 times more) data reported. In addition the trials were not powered to measure overall survival or to detect statistically significant differences between subgroups (that is sex, myelofibrosis subtype), IPSS risk category or JAK2 mutation status.(1,2,3,4,5) Patient background verse evidence: Mrs MN creatinine clearance (CrCl) is 60ml/ min (normal about 100-125ml/min). The UK guideline for identification, management and referral March 2006 show that, she has stage 2 mild degree of renal function. But from SPC it is unclear, how this will increase Mrs MN risk of taking ruxolitinib. I must point out that Mrs MN is overweight with a BMI of 28 and ruxolitinib common side effect is weight gain (1-10% incidence rate). Mrs MN is capable of carrying out light house or office work from her ECOG status 1. Again patient is taking clarithromycin prescribed by GP, for possible chest infection. Novartis pharmaceutical (Javaki SPC) advises to treat any infection prior to taking ruxolitinib. (3) Mrs MN presenting complain with symptoms of anorexia, lethargy, night sweats, fever and a productive cough is a suggestive of tuberculosis (TB) infection. She is returning from holiday where risk of getting TB infection is high. If Mrs MN is prescribed ruxolitinib, she has high chances of developing complicated TB. Base on the evolution of patient background and evidences, I will not recommend ruxolitinib treatment for Mrs MN. Since Mrs MN will be receiving treatment for tuberculosis (isoniazid/ rifampicin) for at least 6 months, there is significant interaction between isoniazid and clarithromycin. Isoniazid will increase the level or effect of clarithromycin by affecting hepatic or intestinal enzyme CYP3A4 metabolism. Hence clarithromycin dose be reduce when taking with isoniazid and monitor closely. (4, 5, 11) If opting for rifampicin TB treatment, rifampicin will decrease the level or effect of clarithromycin by affecting hepatic or intestinal enzyme CYP3A4 metabolism. Hence, increase the dose of clarithromycin for the duration of treating chest infection.(11) Also, Mrs MN should be advised to recognise signs of liver disorders to discontinue treatment and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, malaise and jaundice develop. (11) References: Verstovsek S, Masa RA, Gotlib J, et al. A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trail of Ruxolitinib for Myelofibrosis. The New England Journal of Medicine.2012; 366(799): 807. Harrison C, Kiladjian JJ, Al-Ali HK, et al. JAK Inhibition with Ruxolitinib versus Best Available Therapy for Myelofibrosis. The New England Journal of Medicine.2012; 366(787):98. JAKAVI, Summary of Product Characterisation. Novartis Pharmaceutical Ltd, http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/26991. [Assessed on 07/02/2015] JAKAVI (ruxolitinib), COMFORT-II Clinical Study Fact Sheet. file:///F:/Appraisal%20Assignment/COMFORT-II-ClinicalTrial-fact-sheet.pdf. [Assessed on 08/02/2015]. .JAKAVI (ruxolitinib), COMFORT-I Clinical Study Fact Sheet. file:///F:/Appraisal%20Assignment/Jakavi.pdf. [Assessed on 08/02/2015] Heuck G. Zwei Falle von Leukemie mit eigenthumlichen Blutresp. Knockenmarksbefund. Arch Pathol Anat Physiol Virchows. 1879;(78)475-96. Barosi G. Myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia: diagnostic definition and prognostic classification for clinical studies and treatment guidelines. J Clin Oncol. 1999;17(9):2954-70.. Vallespà ­ T, Imbert M, Mecucci C, Preudhomme C, Fenaux P. Diagnosis, classification, and cytogenetics of myelodysplastic syndromes. Haematologica. Mar 1998;83(3):258-75. Jacobson RJ, Salo A, Fialkow PJ. Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia: a clonal proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells with secondary myelofibrosis. Blood. 1978;51(2):189-94. NICE, Ruxolitinib for disease-related splenomegaly or symptoms in adults with myelofibrosis http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta289/evidence . Assessed on 11/02/2015 BNF 68 September 2014 to March 2015. Joseph Appleton K0606850 Group 3Page 1

The marketing activities of nestle

The marketing activities of nestle 1. INTRODUCTION In this report we are trying to investigate and analyse the Marketing activities of NESTLE. We have analysed the marketing strategies of nestle through identification of the Organisation Orientation, understanding the impact of the Marketing Mix, SWOT analysis and Competitive Advantage. 1.1 HISTORY OF NESTLE Nestle is one of the major food and beverages company in the world. It was established in 1867 by Henry Nestle, who was a trained pharmacist. The introduction of the company in the market was through the development of an alternative source of infant nutrition for mothers who were unable to breast feed and named it as Farine Lactee Nestle. He chose his surname Nestle which means a little nest for his companys name logo. In 1904 Nestle introduced its chocolates in the market. But when the availability of raw materials reduced during the First World War, Nestle purchased lot of factories in U.S and increased their production to twice as their pre-war production. Immediately, after the end of the war consumers switched back their choice to fresh milk due to which Nestle recorded its first loss. However they streamlined their operations and brought production in line with sales and thereby dropping the debts. The 1930s saw Nestle introducing several new products like Milo and Nescafe. Nestle achieved considerable growth after the end of Second World War because of diversification within the food sector. The sales of Nescafe instant coffee quadrupled between 1960 and 1974. In 1980s Nestle drew flak from many organizations on account of promotion of infant formula over breast feeding which allegedly led to death of infants in less developed countries. The boycott of Nestle products was suspended in 1984 after Nestle agreed to comply with the international code. Nestle had major acquisitions of the Italian mineral water company San Pellegrino, Spillers Pet Foods in UK in the year 1990s, and Ralston Purina in 2002. Nestle also formed a merger with Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company with the aim of widening its product range and merged its ice cream business with Dreyers in U.S. Since its entrance in the market, Nestle has prospered in various product innovations and business achievements due to which it had become the major Food and Nutrition Company in the world. In 2010, Nestle was also recognised as the top 4th Innovative Company among the Innovative companies for food for by the Fast Company Magazine. Nestle has introduced a wide range of products like chocolates, soups, coffee, cereals, frozen products, yoghurts, mineral water, food products, pet foods, pharmaceutical products and even cosmetics in the family of NESTLE. They diversified beyond food industry by acquiring a major share in LOrà ©al cosmetics and acquired an American pharmaceutical company, Alcon Industries. In all these products one common outcome is the high quality of NESTLE. There are several important rules in the companys strategy. Few of them are mentioned below: While sustaining a balance in terrestrial activities and product lines, the firms goods are grown through innovation and restoration. The priority is given to Long-term prospective rather than to short-term performance. The aim is to deliver the best and most reliable products to people 2. ORGANIZATION ORIENTATION There are different types of business orientations: 2.1 PRODUCTION ORIENTATION Brassington Pettitt (2006:12-19) believe that production orientation emphasizes on availability and affordability of the products and thus production oriented companies concentrate on efficient production and distribution techniques. Jobber (2001: 4) says that production oriented management believes in attaining economies of scale as their primary goal by producing only a small range of products or defining business by its production facilities. In production orientation their key focus is on their current capabilities of production. 2.2 PRODUCT ORIENTATION According to Adcock et, al. (2001:17) product orientation is concentrated on products rather than needs and wants of customers. Companies following product orientation are interested in the quality, design of products which have greater value for money. Brassington Pettitt (2006:12-19) say that these companies assume that the customers are interested in the products and that they are interested in the quality. 2.3 SALES ORIENTATION According to Brassington Pettitt (2006:12-19) sales oriented organizations believes that the products are sold, not bought. They emphasize on personal selling and other sales techniques, assuming that the consumers are reluctant to purchase. Adcock say that sales orientation concentrates on promoting the products and that this is effective only for short time period. 2.4 Marketing Orientation: Adcock (2001) says that market orientation occurs when the customers identify the difference in a company and when all the benefits offered to the customers are measured. According to Jobber (2001) marketing oriented companies focus on the customer needs and for them the opportunities arise from the changing needs of the customers or market. Brassington Pettitt (2006:12-19) believe that an organization which is concentrated in its marketing and production activities with the understanding of the customer needs and satisfaction is market oriented. The main advantage of a company being market oriented is that it would have a higher customer value and there would be a consistency in superior performance in the business. Nestle concentrates on their consumers and tries to understand their physical and emotional desires. They have a wide range of products and consumed by all age groups. Nestle try to understand the economic, geographic and social factors which affects the diets of the consumers and try to concentrate on the nutritional and health value of the products. Example Nestle have used their research and technological expertise to their ice cream products to lower the calories and fats and yet to have the same taste (http://www.nestle.co.uk/ourbrands/productrange/icecream/). They have also introduced sugar free products in their confectioneries like Polo and lower sugar products like Kit Kat Light. Nestle also have concentrated on the lower-income consumers and made their products available at affordable prices while providing a diet compensating the local dietary deficiencies and including relevant nutrition. Nestle also try to understand the motivations, routines, decision making and purchasing habits of the customers by spending time with the people. Example: Nestle employees spent three days living with people in suburbs of Lima in PERU to understand their everyday aspects of their life, and based on their understanding they sold relevant products in the local markets and stalls (http://www.nestle.com/Resource.axd?Id=602C42FE-04D6-4669-BEE1-1027492FE5E8). Another example of Nestlà ©s consumer focus the launch of Jenny Craigs weight management programme in France on 8th March 2010 (Press Release 2010, http://www.nestle.com/MediaCenter/PressReleases/AllPressReleases/Jenny_Craig_launch_in+Euro pe.htm?Tab=2010) and they offer menus and lifestyle advise in response to individual consumer needs. Thus its clear that Nestle is a Market Oriented company since they try to understand the customer or market needs and produce products accordingly to achieve the organizations goals. And they believe that people are the main strength of the company. According to Narver and Slater (1990) marketing orientation comprises of three main components: Customer, Competitor, and inter-functional coordination. Customer orientation includes all the aspects of buyers in the designated area and competitor orientation includes the information about the competitors in the targeted area whereas inter-functional coordination involves the delivery of superior value for the target customers by the efficient use of available resources. 3. MARKETING MIX The Marketing mix is a set of controllable, tactical marketing tools that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market (Armstrong and Kotler, 2001). This is mainly used by organisations to increase the demand of their products in the market by understanding the customer wants. Most of the marketing practitioners regard marketing mix as a tool as a tool for transaction marketing and the archetype for operational marketing planning The above fig describes how a company could by research and successful adaptation can understand and develop products to match the customers requirements. According to Baker (1999: 303), by understanding and matching the needs of the customers efficient management of marketing mix is possible. 3.2 COMPONENTS OF MARKETING MIX Impact, Positive and Negative 3.2.1 PRODUCT Kotler and Armstrong (2001) define a product as any entity that can be offered to a market by a company for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy the needs of their customers. 3.2.1.1. Product Mix Product mix is the total range of products that are manufactured by a company. The major aspects to be considered in product mix are explained below. Research on the reciprocal effects of brand extensions suggests that failure, poor quality, or low typicality of an extension has an adverse effect on the parent brand evaluations (Kumar, 2005:183). In the case of Nestle, the sales of noodles dropped after it introduced Atta noodles in 1996 as the consumer response was adverse. A Nestle brand name on a product is a promise to the customer that it is safe to consume, that it complies with all regulations and that it meets high standards of quality Packaging: Packaging involves designing and developing a cover for a product in order to make it attractive to the consumers. Packaging was just a means for protecting the product in the past, but today increase in competition has resulted in the need to differentiate the product from those of its competitors to attract the customers and to describe the features of the product in order to gain consumer recognition. Poor designs can be one of the reasons for reduction in sales of a product due to less customer satisfaction. Nestle uses very attractive packaging as one of their main marketing strategies. For its efforts, Nestle has won several accolades such as the Silver Star and Best in category as Best Packaging Innovation leading to a significant reduction in household waste by the British Institute of Packaging for the Dairy Box biodegradable tray which is manufactured by using renewable resources. 3.2.1.2. Product Growth Strategies The emphasis in product portfolio analysis is on managing an existing set of products in such a way as to maximise their strengths, but companies also need to look to new products and markets for future growth (Jobber 2007:405).The most efficient way for analysing the opportunities for growth in an organization is the Ansoff Matrix. 3.2.1.3. Market Penetration Market penetration is the process of increasing its customer base in the existing market by winning over the customer base of its competitors for further growth by means of advertisements, promotion, price cutting, differentiation and seeking new segments. This can be achieved by acquisitions in the case of Nestle, when it acquired Kit Kat from Rowntree in 1988 (http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-studykit-kat-revitalising-brand-leader7-52-2.php) and Kraft Foods frozen pizza business in March 2010 (http://www.nestle.com/MediaCenter/PressReleases/AllPressReleases/Kraft+pizzas.htm). Nestle became the 2009 processor of the year by growing sales in Nestles SAs operations in the various operations through growth and acquisitions. 3.2.1.4. Product Development Product development involves the development of new product ranges for an already existing market for further growth. One way of product development is replacing the old product with a newer version. Another means of achieving this is to expand its product line thereby providing more choices to the customers. Nestle has opened a global Research and Development Centre in January 2010 for developing a new generation of Cereal based snacks and Biscuits 3.2.1.5. Market Development Market development entails the promotion of new uses of existing products to new customers or the marketing of existing products (and their current uses) to new market segments. Nestle has launched the Jenny Craig weight management programme which is an existing business for the past 10 years in the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to the new market in France in March 2010. 3.2.1.6. Diversification Diversification can be achieved either with related products and markets or unrelated products that are totally unconnected with the existing products and markets. Nestlà ©s Product Diversification is clearly evident from its product portfolio where they have pet foods which are different from the other products. 3.2.1.7. New Product Development Development of new products is vital for the sustenance of any organization as it is essential for their growth. In order to develop a successful product, a company must have an understanding of its customers, the markets in which they operate and its competitors. The figure below shows the key steps involved in a new product development process. Idea Generation The new product development cycle starts with the generation of an idea of the product. The major sources of new product ideas may be internal sources such as the research and development team of the company or external sources like competitors, brainstorming sessions for customers, the suppliers and distributors of the company etc. who can all act as sources of ideas for the organization. Idea Screening This stage involves the careful scrutinizing of the ideas from idea generation stage to select the good ones and drop others by evaluating them against certain general criteria. Concept Development and Testing In this stage a concept of the screened idea is developed. A product concept is the comprehensive version of the idea stated in meaningful consumer terms (Armstrong and Kotler 2001:269). Concept testing involves the evaluation of the performance of the product concept by presenting it to the consumers. Marketing Strategy Development This stage involves the development of a primary marketing strategy based on the product concept before introducing the product into the market. Business Analysis This stage comprises of an analysis of the sales, costs and the projection of profits for the new product to find out whether it satisfies the needs of the company. If it does, then the product moves on to the next stage. Product Development If the product satisfactorily passes the business analysis then it is sent for product development which involves the development of a physical product by the research and development wing of the company. Then this product may undergo rigorous testing to ensure the safety and efficiency of the product. Test Marketing In this stage, the product developed is introduced into a realistic market segment. Test marketing lets the company test the product and its entire marketing programme- targeting and positioning strategy, advertising, distribution, pricing, branding and packaging and budget levels. Commercialization Commercialization of the product involves the introduction of the product into the market. The major factors to be considered in this stage are the timing of launching of the product and the choice of markets to introduce the product. Nestle has been at the forefront of developing new customer- centric health products and their researches are aligned with consumer and business needs. For example, Nestle has made the vital breakthrough in Nutrigenomics, a study of effects of food and the constituents of food on gene expression. The researches in the field have enabled Nestle to achieve targets for developing a diet to manage canine osteoarthritis in an improved manner. 3.2.1.8. Life Cycle of a Product The life cycle of a product consists of four stages: Product development Product introduction Growth Maturity Decline Product development stage starts with the generation of an idea for a new product by the company. Product introduction is the phase where the product is introduced into the market. For example, consider the case of Maggi noodles. Nestle India Ltd. (NIL) introduced Maggi noodles in India in 1982. With its introduction, NIL created an entirely new food category instant noodles in Indian market. Nestle attained the market leadership with this product in its category because of its uniqueness. Maggi Noodles Growth stage involves the period of the product being accepted by the customers and increase in profits of the company. The introduction of a new product can alter the structure of the market by creating new benefits (Shocker, Bayus, Kim 2004:29). At the time of its introduction in India, Maggi noodles enjoyed around 50 percent market share in its segment. Maturity stage is denoted by a fall in sales growth of the product. The profit also falls due to increased expenses incurred for marketing the product efficiently against its competitors. Decline is the stage where the sales of the product decreases and the profits fall drastically. In 1990s, Maggi faced a decline in sales owing to the increase in popularity of its competitors. It was also because of the change in formula of Maggi noodles. NIL reinstated the old formula in 1999 and also launched soups and cooking aids under Maggi Brand name after which the sales increased 3.2.2. PROMOTION Stanton and Futrell (1987:418), describe promotion as an important element of marketing mix which aims in informing and persuading the market about the products and services of the company. According to Baker (1999, 310) the method of communicating the product offer which is made by a company to match the needs of the customers and to persuade them to try the product is Promotion. They feel that the significance of promotion increases when the distance between the producers and customers increase and as the number of customers increase. Promotion activity does not depend on the demand; even if the demand is high promotional activities should go on in order to keep the manufacturers name before the customers. Nestle uses promotion as one of the major source to reach their customers to make them aware of the different products introduced in the market and the value of the products introduced. Promotion Mix according to Armstrong and Kotler (2001:387) also called as marketing communication mix consists of all the promotion tools in a perfect blend which an organisation uses to promote its products. Nestle adopts a promotion mix with a perfect blend of several different promotion tools to promote the value of its product and make the customers aware of their different products. 3.2.2.1. Promotion Tools PERSONAL SELLING: According to Stanton and Futrell (1987: 418), personal selling is mainly used when the market is geographically concentrated (Few customers) and when the products are custom made. It is defined as a face to face communication with buyers in the aim of pursuing the customers to purchase by Simon(). Its a one to one marketing. Tele marketing, door drops inserts, Door to door selling are all techniques used in personal selling. ADVERTISING: Advertising according to Groucutt (2005:215) is to communicate to a specific audience to stimulate action and its success is in the way the right information reaches the right person at the right time. Majaro (1993) say that advertising is any paid form f non-personal communication of products, services or ideas through a commercial media. (Stanton and Futrell, 1987) Promotion through advertising is mainly done when the market is geographically dispersed or when the product is standardised. Nestlà ©s advertisements are well known in the market and they have made sure that the advertisements are attractive through all the possible media. Internet is one of the latest media used by nestle to promote their products, where they have different websites hosted for different products. Different strategies for each product like online competitions and distribution. HOW ADVERTISING WORKS Tim Ambler and Demetrios Vakratsas have formulated a framework for studying how advertising works for a company. They have considered the input to be advertising own and competitive brands. Scheduling the media and message contents are the motivation factors or triggers the consumers response. Cognition, the thinking dimension of a persons response, and affect, the feeling dimension, are portrayed as two major intermediate advertising effects (Ambler, Vakratsas, 1999:26) SALES PROMOTION: Sales promotion represents non- media campaigns such as sampling displays, shows, exhibitions and contests (Majaro, 1993:35). Stanton and Futrell (1987:418) believes that sales promotions one of the fastest growing promotional methods these days. Free samples, Money off coupons, extra value offers buy one get one free, bundling, privilege points are all different methods used in sales promotion. Nestle also uses sales promotion as one of their promotion tools by offering programmes like every day eating coupon codes and discounts and offers for online shopping on nestle products. PUBLICITY: Publicity is a promotional method where the organisation is not paying for the communication about its products and is benefiting from it (Stanton and Futrell 1987:419). This occurs either through a non-personal news story appearing in a mass medium or is delivered by a person in an interview or a speech. Publicity is achieved mainly through public relations activities. According to Jobber (2007) sponsorship provides more opportunities for publicity in the media. Nestle is a well known brand in the market and its fame describes its publicity and the further publicity occurs during various interviews of officials of nestle. Publicity for nestle also occurs during the launch of every new products and when the annual sale reports are published. This publicity obtained by nestle is not by paying any of the media. PUBLIC RELATIONS: According to Groucutt (2005:224) public relations is a means of communication used by organisations to deal directly with the customers and vice versa. There are different departments in organisations which deal with all issues or concerns of the company with any other organisation or individuals. Nestle, public relation activities is evident from how they try to communicate with government organisations as well as the customers about the different issues that they face. Through public relations nestle try to bring to the attention of all the customers and organisations concerned about the various issues or concerns and the current approach they are taking towards these concerns. 3.2.3. PRICE Price is defined as the value of a product that we get in return for all the effort that was taken for its production and also for marketing of the same product. Price is the revenue earner so it is considered as the odd one in the marketing mix. It is also considered as an important market tool which is visible to both customers and competitors (Baker 1985). The price of a product depends on a number of factors like, changes in technology, effect of suppliers, competitive pressure and the increasing price sensitivity of the customers. Price is also directly dependent on the demand of the product. If the demands increase the price will also increase and vice versa. Consumers generally show a keen interest in tracking the prices of the products which they usually purchase. This enables them to analyse the attractiveness of the product and be vigilant about the changes in price of the product, thus enabling them to compare the prices of the product in various stores (Vanhuele and Dreze 2002:72) 3.2.3.1. Pricing of the Product Companies usually do not set a single price, but rather develop a pricing structure that reflects variations in geographical demand and costs, market-segment requirements, purchasing timing, order levels, delivery frequency, guarantees, service contract, and other factors (Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman and Hansen: 2009). According to David Jobber, pricing of a product mainly depends on 3 factors: cost, competitor and the market. COST ORIENTED PRICING The most common method of pricing of a product is cost oriented pricing, in which it is divided into full cost pricing which involves the calculating of cost of all labour and materials and direct cost pricing which involves the calculation of only those costs that are likely to rise as output increases. COMPETITOR ORIENTED PRICING The approach to pricing which only depends on the competitor rather than costs when framing a business is called competitor oriented pricing. Every consumer will judge the price of a product by comparing it with a similar product in the same range which is produced by their competitor (Kotler, Armstrong, Saunders and Wong 2001). MARKET ORIENTED PRICING Market oriented pricing is one of the important area which depends on competiveness of a product in the market. For a new product the positioning strategy controls the pricing and for an existing product price will depend on the strategic objectives. 3.2.3.2. Price-Quality Relationships Price is directly dependent on the quality of the product. As the quality of a product increases the price also goes up. Nestle is a quality focused company and hence to compete with current market it need to carry out the pricing process of the product very carefully. Nestle is a very successful company and all its products are at affordable prices. PRODUCT LINE PRICING Most of the companies usually develop product lines rather than single products. In product line pricing the management must decide on the pricing steps to set between various products in a line (Kotler, Armstrong, Saunders and Wong 2001). In product line pricing, cost difference between the product in the line, evaluation of customers and also the competitors products with small price difference is also taken in to account. EXPLICABILITY Explicability is defined as the capability of sales people to explain a high price to customer. In market customer demands the economic justification of product prices. If the sales people fail to give a clear idea of the product development stages, it will reduce the value of product. As Nestle is very innovative it needs a high financial support for its RD and it is not easy to give idea about the product development costs to an ordinary customer. COMPETITION Competition plays an important role in the cost consideration of a product in a business. The main competitors of Nestle are Heinz, Kraft, ConAgra, Mars Incorporated, Hershey, Cadbury, General mills etc. Since all their main competitors are also well branded, they cannot price a product without analysing the competitors pricing. But the main advantages behind their successful pricing are that they are very superior in its market position. NEGOTIATING MARGINS In certain market customer expects a price reduction in some products. Competitive discounts, fast payment discounts an annual volume bonus and other promotional allowances come under this category. Nestle and its negotiations with its suppliers made them to gain a good reasonable margin in all its goods. EFFECT OF DISTRIBUTORS/RETAILERS Well qualified suppliers and efficient retailers is also a factor which affects the price of a product. If a distributor supplies a product with high price or a retailer sells a product in high margin it will cause the variations in price of the products. Nestle itself agreed that their distributors are well developed and hence the company can control the price of its products. POLITICAL FACTORS Nestle sometimes blames the policies of governments for its poor reflection on the exports. Some of the government policies which results in increase in packaging cost makes the product less competitive in the global exporting market. 3.2.4. PLACE Armstrong and Kotler (2001) describes place as the activity of a company to make the products available to the customers. 3.2.4.1. Place Strategies The major factors to be considered while formulating a place strategy are Channels, Coverage, Assortments, Locations, Inventory, Transportation, and Logistics. Channel distribution strategies deal with the decisions on making the products available to the target customers in usable condition. A channel of distribution is the combination of institutions through which a seller markets the products to the user or ultimate consumer (Peter, Donnelly 2004:145). As the time and finances required for setting up a channel of distribution are comparatively high, the place strategies are often critical for the success of a firm. The channels of distribution can be of two different types on the basis of the targeted consumer. It may differ when the end user of the product is a consumer or an organization, the Consumer Marketing Channel and the Business Marketing Channel. Nestle adopts the consumer marketing channel where the products from the producer reaches the consumer through the wholesalers or retailers. Nestle has e-marketing for some of its products where the products reach the consumers directly from the producer. According to Donnelly (2004:150), the channel of distribution strategic decisions are determined on the basis of the following factors. Distribution coverage required Degree of control desired Total distribution cost Channel flexibility Distribution coverage may vary based on the features of the product, the market and the target customers. The company may opt for intensive distribution, selective distribution or exclusive distribution. In the case of intensive distribution, the company tries to sell the product through the maximum number of retailers and wholesalers. In selective distribution, the company may limit the number of wholesalers and retailers which are the best in that market while in the case of exclusive distribution; the manufacturing company may provide exclusive rights for distributing the product to only one or a few distributors. Nestle has adopted intensive distribution strategy in order to make its products available to a large customer base. Nestle products are available through a large number of retail outlets. Besides this, Nestle has also launched an e-shop for promoting its confectionary in Japan which allows the consumers to buy Kit Kat chocolates online. The coverage of Nestle is world-wide as it has a wide distribution channel and several manufacturi

Fort Pillow Attack :: essays papers

Fort Pillow Attack THE GRAND FABRICATION It is almost as difficult to find consistent information about the incident at Fort Pillow as it is to determine the moral significance of its outcome. Scholars disagree about exactly what transpired on April 12, 1864 at Fort Pillow, when General Nathan Bedford Forrest captured the fort with his 1,500 troops and claimed numerous Union lives in the process (Wyeth 250). It became an issue of propaganda for the Union, and as a result the facts were grossly distorted. After close examination it is clear that the  ³Fort Pillow Massacre ² (as it became known by abolitionists) was nothing of the sort. The 1,500 troops under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest acted as men and as soldiers in their capture of Fort Pillow. It is first necessary to understand what happened in the battle before any judgment can be made. A careful study performed by Dr. John Wyeth revealed the following information: from April 9-11, 1864, troops under the command of Ben McCulloch, Tyree Harris Bell, and Brig. General James Chalmers marched non-stop to Fort Pillow to begin their assault under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Confederate sharpshooters claimed the lives of several key Union officers during the morning assault on the fort. The losses included the commanding officer Major Loinel F. Booth, and his second in command shortly after that. These losses created a complete breakdown of order and leadership among the Union troops within the fort. (251) During the morning engagement, the gun boat the New Era was continually attempting to shell the Confederate forces from the Mississippi, but with minimal success. The Union forces fought back heartily until around one o ¹clock in the afternoon, when both sides slowed down. Around that time the New Era steamed out of range to cool its weapons. It had fired a total of 282 rounds, and its supplies were almost totally exhausted. During this hiatus in the firing, while Confederate troops waited for supplies that would arrive around three o ¹clock, Forrestwas injured when his horse fell on him after being mortaily wounded (252). When the supplies arrived, Confederate troops under a flag of truce delivered a message from Forrest that said,  ³My men have received a fresh supply of ammunition, and from their present position can easily assault and capture the fort, ² (253). Forrest demanded  ³the unconditional surrender of the garrison, ² promising

Resturant Law Essay -- essays research papers

In the business world every business has its own set of laws and regulations to follow and adhere too. Some have very few laws and others have so many it is mind numbing but, each law is set up to protect every worker, customer or person associated with that business’s location. However, some of these laws are outdated or just plain unnecessary in today’s 21st century business environment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The business that I chose to examine is the restaurant industry. I chose it because I have a great love for cooking and I hope to someday open my own restaurant. It made great sense to learn some of the laws now while still in school that could impact my future business endeavors. First I will review the laws and regulations pertinent to the restaurant business and then I will explain the impact of those laws on the restaurant business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first laws that I found were the laws from OSHA. OSHA contains many laws that are designed to create a safe workplace and keep workers out of situations that can be potentially harmful. Without OSHA many workplaces would be a lot more unsafe than they are now. OSHA reduced the number of work place injuries and deaths, making it one of the most important sets of laws to govern all business and especially the restaurant business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  OSHA calls for two different types of fire prevention equipment to be placed in all restaurants. First it calls for automatic sprinklers to be installed per OSHA standards. These standards are that they have a certain spraying pattern, densities, water flow that can cover the whole area that it is above. After meeting those specs the business then has to get the system to meet water supply standards. Basically the standard is that the system has a water supply that can flow for thirty minutes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next statute that must be met is the piping needs to be protected from freezing and corrosion from the surrounding environment. This assures that if a fire occurs the piping will be able to take the water pressure that is flowing through to the sprinkler system. Also it calls for the system to have a proper drainage system that allows the system to drop the water from the sprinkler system and then have it drain back into a reservoir. The final statute from OSHA 1910.159 is that the sprinklers be space... ...and not even paid in a way that allows them to live in a normal way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is only one change that I feel the Department of Labor should enact. That is a raise in the minimum wage. Many friends I have work so hard for their $5.25 and never really have much to show for it. If the minimum wage was raised many people who are working two part time jobs to make ends meet would have a better chance of making those ends meet. Not to mention raising minimum wage could spur the economy by placing more spending power into the hands of the demographics that tend to spend the most, the youth of America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this country we have seen the world of business change over and over. As the country has grown so has the need to keep our workers safe and happy. The laws I have discussed are meant to keep the restaurant industry a safe and happy place for the many people who work in them day in and day out. Without those laws the restaurant industry would not be a very healthy or safe place to frequent as much as American people do. So each of the laws are essential to making the industry profitable and safe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Of Mice And Men? Is More Than Just The Tragedy Of Lennie; It Shows Th :: essays research papers

The world in the 1930’s was a very uncaring place. Due to the depression, many families were split up, so loneliness was running ramped. Ranch hands were thought of as the loneliest people in the world â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world† (page 15). Loneliness wasn’t the only kind of sadness and suffering that was endured by the workers. Lost dreams, discrimination and being disabled were only some of the problems faced. But these were not only limited to workers, women also felt these kinds of sadness and suffering a lot. In the book, Crooks, Curley’s wife and Candy are the main examples of these. Crooks is a black stable hand who has been called Crooks due the hunched back he has after a horse kicked him. In the 1930’s, being black was an extreme disadvantaged. You would be discriminated for your colour and this would lead to loneliness. Crooks was always being blamed for everything that went wrong even though he was hardly involved. The boss picked on him because of his colour â€Å"An’ he give the stable buck hell† (page 21) â€Å"Ya see the stable bucks a nigger† (page 21). Candy says this when George and Lennie arrive at the ranch and after Candy said that Crooks was a nigger, George accepted the boss’ treatment of Crooks. Another time Steinbeck talks about Crooks being discriminated was when he writes about the Christmas party where Smitty took after Crooks and the men did not stop the fight because Crooks was black, but did not allow Smitty to use his feet in the fight due to Crooks’ disability. Crooks has a room to himself because the guys won’t let him into the bunkhouse because he smells. This makes Crooks a very lonely man. Candy says â€Å"Got books in his room† (page 21) as if that is some sort of replacement for the company of another person. â€Å"A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody† (page 72) â€Å"I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick† (page 72). This Crooks way of trying to explain to Lennie that Lennie is a lucky man to a friend like George, and he is also saying something about his own death to loneliness. Curley’s wife experiences nearly, if not more sadness and suffering than Crooks. She is discriminated like Crooks, but for a different reason.

Diary entry for Helen Stoner Essay

Write a diary entry or entry’s as if you are Helen Stoner. Review the cases and recount how Holmes solved it. Focus on an appropriate style. Diary entry for Helen Stoner I can not tell you how relieved I feel to be finally in my aunt’s cosy house! I would be most contented to have a good nights rest, but before I do I would like to note down the events that occurred today. This day was a day to remember as it will have an effect on me, in many ways for the rest of my wretched life. It all started when I got up at the break of dawn and travelled all the way into town to see Sherlock Holmes in Bakers Street. I was taken aback as to why such a remarkable detective like Sherlock would even consider seeing me. Even more so, Sherlock gave me quite a fright when he told me what time I departed home and how I travelled to Bakers Street. However, it just proved to me how observant Sherlock is, which made me feel safe in leaving the mystery of my sister’s fate in his hands. I had to relive that tragic night, (two years ago from now) of my dear sister’s fate and the events before and after that had occurred, in order to give as much detail as possible to Mr Holmes. I was absolutely thrilled when Sherlock Holmes assured me he would do all he could to solve the mystery of beloved Julia’s death. Sherlock had then skilfully noticed, under my frill of lace reviled marks of four fingers and a thumb on my wrist. This was from the night before when my stepfather (DR Roylott) had become angry and given me a firm hand. I did not wish to tell Sherlock about this as I was scared of the consequences if my stepfather had found that I had visited Sherlock Holmes. After all DR Roylott barely knows his own strength. I felt so lightened after talking to Holmes about my troubles, as he was the first person I have ever told about those horrifying events. Later that day when I met up with Holmes, I then discovered Sherlock had crossed paths with my stepfather after I had left. I instantly felt as though my life had crumbled before my eyes. I was now unsure weather to go ahead with the mystery. However it was too late to change my mind now, Sherlock was already fall steam ahead and investigated all of the Moran, as anticipated. Later that day I discovered many secrets that I had never thought about in depth. Holmes had shown me a small ventilator that was in my sister’s room and lead to my stepfather’s room. The bell pull in my sister’s room was indeed a dummy and he also cunningly observed that there was no logical reason whatsoever for me to have been moved into my sisters room, as there were no ‘repairs’ that needed seeing to in my own room. The bed was strangely clamped to the floor as Sherlock had pointed out. All of this information didn’t make sense to me. My mind was buzzing with so many possibilities but my main focus was clearly to find out the cause of my sister’s death. Holmes is a remarkable man, but sometimes gave me doubts on things when asked the question does your stepfather keep a cat in the safe? How peculiar that must have sounded! When Sherlock Holmes had finished inspecting every room top to bottom for the slightest thing out of place, to my horror he told me my very life depended upon my obedience of him. As you may have guessed, I felt very fearful and anxious of what clues he had found that made him say such a thing. Holmes requested to spend a night in my sister’s room while I was to still stay in my original room. Dr.Watson, Holmes and I, had agreed that when my stepfather had retired to his chamber for the night I was to give them a signal from my sister’s room that all was okay to carry on as planned. This I did and I then slipped back into my own room. I spent all night tossing and turning under the security of my bed covers. Plenty of thoughts were whizzing around my head, too many to sleep upon. I pleaded that my stepfather would not awake and see to a noise, as he would be most dismayed with what he would have seen. When finally getting to sleep, I awoke not long after to hear the sound of something striking my sister’s wall. I heard the most ghastly shriek through the night, just like the one my sister had described the night before her death. I was so panic-stricken all I wanted to do was to run and get help from someone. My heart was telling me where to go, despite this I stayed put, just as Holmes had strictly told me. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Golding’s modern fable “Lord of the Flies” Essay

What gave Golding the inspiration to write the great novel, Lord of the Flies? He wrote the ‘Lord of the flies’ novel soon after the war, which was later published in 1954. So it was soon after the war when he wrote it. So was this where his inspiration came from for the novel. Did seeing children suffering give him ideas? Did the Hitler give him inspiration for jack and Churchill for Ralph? Did the war lead him to write the book at all? We don’t know now, and probably never will do! But we can guess. We can try and work out what made him write this incredible tale of the children gone savages who fight for survival on the island. The children where being evacuated from the war when they crashed. Ralph was the first character to be introduced. He came out the story to be the strong one. The leader who only wanted the best to come of things and to end it all and get home, just like Winston Churchill wanted to win the war. Jack on the other side, turned out to be more evil, more sadistic and much more savage then Ralph. He was being compared to Hitler or Mussolini. The main evil powers in the Second World War. The conch represents the democracy in the play. It could well be related to the democracy between countries, the vote, the councils and the League of Nations. Golding could well of thought of a symbol that was needed to represent this on the island. The only thing stopping them from tearing each other imp from limp. Just like the rest of the world in the war. The conch was there for peace on the island, and the councils were there to stop the world from destroying one another completely. The fire could well represent a piece of the war of mass destruction. The blitz, for example. It destroyed half of London, like the fire destroyed half the island. Londoner’s were getting scared the war would never end, after something so bad happened. Golding incorporated this by using it like the boys on the island, seeing this destruction made them realise, this may never end, and they may all die soon. Once they had been there a little while. They began to turn into savages. Ralph knew this wasn’t going to end soon. They knew things were going to happen, friends and enemies would be made and it would be along time till it ends. This was the case of the war. Hitler and Churchill knew it was a long-term war and they could be there for years. Golding probably noticed during the war, that people tried to be brave. But beneath the skin, they are truly scared. The people who went off to war, had to be brave, to show those they are confident, that they want to win, to set an example for the people at home and the children. Golding sees this, and puts this into his characters. Everyone on the island was scared, Especially the littluns. Ralph and Jack have to be strong. They are scared, but need to put on a brave face for the sake of everyone. People will breakdown without stronger people to support them like Ralph and jack and the bigguns. Golding has again, related his characters to the human beings that took part in the war. He has compared them, and they basically have the same feelings, just shown in different ways and surroundings. Golding also relates the ending to the war. How d-day is the same as the last bit of the Book. However, Ralph was now related to Hitler and Jack, Churchill. This is because, Jack is winning, and he almost has Ralph, almost has him stuck and almost has the end of Ralph. He has him cornered, when it ends. Just before Ralph is about to be killed it all over. The ordeal they have gone through has ended in 5 minutes. Just like, the last day of the war, When Germany is close to loosing, they surrender, and it’s all over. I think the early 20th century was a good source for Golding’s book, ‘Lord of the Flies’. The war was the main thing to happen in the years of Golding writing the book. He saw things first hand and wrote down this in a story, which he changed to make a story, but used the same roots as the war stories. Golding book was a fabulous story of boys, who are stranded, but he hides the fact hat it’s related to the war well. You don’t really notice it, but looking beneath the skin of the book, you actually realise the strong resemblance it has with the war.