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ETHIC ESSAY -content– Establishing a culture of sound business ethics within an organization is challenging, to say the least. Companies that market products which are not considered to be “healthy” for consumers have additional challenges.Research a company that markets “unhealthy” products. Examples might include tobacco or alcohol companies, but these examples are not exclusive. Respond to the following questions: 1. 1. Briefly describe the company and its product and the ethical dilemma associated with the production and distribution of its products. 2. 2. Examine how the perception of the product differs within cultures—both within the United States and globally. 3. 3. How has this company handled the ethical implications of its product with a focus on social responsibility, integrity, and business ethics? 4. 4. Explain how leadership within the organization can instill a culture of ethics within the marketing department as they strive to advertise a product that is not healthy for the customer. PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A GOOD DISCOUNT
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Case Study-CISCO -content– Evaluate the case, and respond to each question that follows the case using both theory and practical managerial thinking: Cisco Systems is the worldwide leading supplier of networking equipment for the Internet. The company sells hardware (routers and switches), software, and services that make most of the Internet work. Cisco was founded in 1984 by a husband and wife team who worked in the computer operations department at Stanford University. They named the company cisco—with a lowercase c, short for San Francisco, and developed a logo that resembled the Golden Gate Bridge, which they frequently traveled. Cisco went public in 1990 and the two founders left the company shortly thereafter, due to conflicting interests with the new president and CEO. Over the next decade, the company grew exponentially, led by new-product launches such as patented routers, switches, platforms, and modems—which significantly contributed to the backbone of the Internet. Cisco opened its first international offices in London and France in 1991 and has opened a number of new international offices since then. During the 1990s, Cisco acquired and successfully integrated 49 companies into its core business. As a result, the company’s market capitalization grew faster than for any company in history—from $1 billion to $300 billion between 1991 and 1999. In March 2000, Cisco became the most valuable company in the world, with market capitalization peaking at $582 billion or $82 per share. By the end of the 20th century, although the company was extremely successful, brand awareness was low—Cisco was known to many for its stock price rather than for what it actually did. Cisco developed partnerships with Sony, Matsushita, and US West to co-brand its modems with the Cisco logo in hopes of building its name recognition and brand value. In addition, the company launched its first television spots as part of a campaign entitled “Are You Ready?” In the ads, children and adults from around the world delivered facts about the power of the Internet and challenged viewers to ponder, “Are You Ready?” Surviving the Internet bust, the company reorganized in 2001 into 11 new technology groups and a marketing organization, which planned to communicate the company’s product line and competitive advantages better than it had in the past. In 2003, Cisco introduced a new marketing message, “This Is the Power of the Network. Now.” The international campaign targeted corporate executives and highlighted Cisco’s critical role in a complicated, technological system by using a soft-sell approach. Television commercials explained how Cisco’s systems change people’s lives around the world and an eight-page print ad spread didn’t mention Cisco’s name until the third page. Marilyn Mersereau, Cisco’s vice president of corporate marketing, explained, “Clever advertising involves the reader in something that’s thought-provoking and provocative and doesn’t slam the brand name into you from the first page.” The year 2003 brought new opportunities as Cisco entered the consumer segment with the acquisition of Linksys, a home and small-office network gear maker. By 2004, Cisco offered several home entertainment solutions, including wireless capabilities for music, printing, video, and more. Since previous marketing strategies had targeted corporate and IT decision makers, the company launched a rebranding campaign in 2006, to increase awareness among consumers and help increase the overall value of Cisco’s brand. “The Human Network” campaign tried to “humanize” the technology giant by repositioning it as more than just a supplier of switches and routers and communicating its critical role in connecting people through technology. The initial results were positive. Cisco’s revenues increased 41 percent from 2006 to 2008, led by sales increases in both home and business use. By the end of 2008, Cisco’s revenue topped $39.5 billion and BusinessWeek ranked it the 18th biggest global brand. With its entrance into the consumer market, Cisco has had to develop unique ways to connect with consumers. One recent development is Cisco Connected Sports, a platform that turns sports stadiums into digitally connected interactive venues. The company already has transformed the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Miami Dolphins stadiums into “the ultimate fan experience” and plans to add more teams to its portfolio. Fans can virtually meet the players through Telepresence, a videoconferencing system. Digital displays throughout the stadium allow fans to pull up scores from other games, order food, and view local traffic. In addition, HD flat-screen televisions throughout the stadium ensure that fans never miss a play—even in the restroom. Today, Cisco continues to acquire companies—including 40 between 2004 and 2009—that help it expand into newer markets such as consumer electronics, business collaboration software, and computer servers. These acquisitions align with Cisco’s goal of increasing overall Internet traffic, which ultimately drives demand for its networking hardware products. However, by entering into these new markets, Cisco has gained new competitors such as Microsoft, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard. To compete against them, it reaches out to both consumers and businesses in its advertising efforts, including tapping into social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Questions 1. How is building a brand in a business-to-business context different from doing so in the consumer market? 2. Is Cisco’s plan to reach out to consumers a viable one? Why or why not? 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Case Study-Gillette -content– Evaluate the case, and respond to each question that follows the case using theory and practical managerial thinking. Gillette knows men. Not only does the company understand what products men desire for their grooming needs, it also knows how to market to men all around the world. Since the invention of the safety razor by King C. Gillette in 1901, Gillette has had a number of breakthrough product innovations. These include the first twin-blade shaving system in 1971 named the Trac II, a razor with a pivoting head in 1977 called the Atra, and the first razor with spring-mounted twin blades in 1989 dubbed the Sensor. In 1998, Gillette introduced the first triple-blade system, Mach3, which became a billion-dollar brand surpassed only by the 2006 launch of the “best shave on the planet”—the six-bladed Fusion, with five blades in the front for regular shaving and one in the back for trimming. Today, Gillette holds a commanding lead in the shaving and razor business with a 70 percent global market share and $7.5 billion in annual sales. Six hundred million men use a Gillette product every day, and the Fusion razor accounts for 45 percent of the men’s razors sold in the United States. Gillette’s mass appeal is a result of several factors, including extensive consumer research, quality product innovations, and successful mass communications. While Gillette’s product launches have improved male grooming, it’s the company’s impressive marketing knowledge and campaigns that have helped it reach this international level of success. Traditionally, Gillette uses one global marketing message rather than individual targeted messages for each country or region. This message is backed by a wide spectrum of advertising support, including athletic sponsorships, television campaigns, in-store promotions, print ads, online advertising, and direct marketing. Gillette’s most recent global marketing effort, “The Moment,” launched in 2009, is an extension of its well-recognized campaign, “The Best a Man Can Get.” The campaign features everyday men as well as the Gillette Champions—baseball star Derek Jeter, tennis champion Roger Federer, and soccer great Thierry Henry—experiencing moments of doubt and Gillette’s grooming products helping them gain confidence. The campaign was designed to help Gillette expand beyond razors and shaving and increase sales of its entire line of grooming products. The massive marketing effort launched around the globe and included television, print, online, and point-of-sale advertising. Another crucial element in Gillette’s marketing strategy is sports marketing. Gillette’s natural fit with baseball and tradition has helped the company connect emotionally with its core audience, and its sponsorship with Major League Baseball dates to 1939. Tim Brosnan, EVP for Major League Baseball, explained, “Gillette is a sports marketing pioneer that paved the way for modern day sports sponsorship and endorsements.” Gillette ads have featured baseball heroes such as Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, and Honus Wagner from as early as 1910. Gillette also has ties to football. The company sponsors Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, and is a corporate sponsor of the NFL, making four of its products, Gillette, Old Spice, Head & Shoulders, and Febreze, “Official Locker Room Products of the NFL.” Gillette’s partnership includes sweepstakes to win NFL game tickets, Web site promotions, and ties to the NFL, such as the presence of some NFL players in its commercials. Gillette also sponsors several NASCAR races and drivers and the UK Tri-Nations rugby tournament. It even created a Zamboni at the Boston Bruins game that looked like a huge Fusion razor shaving the ice. While sports marketing is a critical element of Gillette’s marketing strategy, the brand aims to reach all men and therefore aligns itself with musicians, video games, and movies—in one James Bond film, Goldfinger, a Gillette razor contained a homing device. When Procter & Gamble acquired Gillette in 2005 for $57 billion (a record five times sales), it aimed for more than sales and profit. P&G, an expert on marketing to women, wanted to learn about marketing to men on a global scale, and no one tops Gillette. Questions 1. Gillette has successfully convinced the world that “more is better” in terms of number of blades and other razor features. Why has that worked in the past? What’s next? 2. Some of Gillette’s spokespeople such as Tiger Woods have run into controversy after becoming endorsers for the brand. Does this hurt Gillette’s brand equity or marketing message? Explain. 3. Can Gillette ever become as successful at marketing to women? Why or why not? PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A GOOD DISCOUNT
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Case Study-Ritz Carlton -content– Evaluate the case, and respond to each question that follows the case using both theory and practical managerial thinking. Few brands attain such a high standard of customer service as the luxury hotel, The Ritz-Carlton. The Ritz-Carlton dates back to the early 20th century and the original Ritz-Carlton Boston, which revolutionized the way U.S. travelers viewed and experienced customer service and luxury in a hotel. The Ritz-Carlton Boston was the first of its kind to provide guests with a private bath in each guest room, fresh flowers throughout the hotel, and an entire staff dressed in formal white tie, black tie, or morning coat attire. In 1983, hotelier Horst Schulze and a four-person development team acquired the rights to the Ritz-Carlton name and created the Ritz-Carlton concept as it is known today: a company-wide concentration on both the personal and the functional side of service. The five-star hotel provides impeccable facilities but also takes customer service extremely seriously. Its credo is, “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.” According to the company’s Web site, The Ritz-Carlton “pledge(s) to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience.” The Ritz-Carlton fulfills this promise by providing impeccable training for its employees and executing its Three Steps of Service and 12 Service Values. The Three Steps of Service state that employees must use a warm and sincere greeting always using the guest’s name, anticipate and fulfill each guest’s needs, and give a warm good-bye again using the guest’s name. Every manager carries a laminated card with the 12 Service Values, which include bullets such as number 3: “I am empowered to create unique, memorable and personal experiences for our guests,” and number 10: “I am proud of my professional appearance, language and behavior.” Simon Cooper, the company president and chief operating officer, explained, “It’s all about people. Nobody has an emotional experience with a thing. We’re appealing to emotions.” The Ritz-Carlton’s 38,000 employees at 70 hotels in 24 countries go out of their way to create unique and memorable experiences for their guests. While The Ritz-Carlton is known for training its employees on exceptional customer service, the hotel also reinforces its mission and values to its employees on a daily basis. Each day, managers gather their employees for a 15-minute “line up.” During this time, managers touch base with their employees, resolve any impending problems, and spend the remaining time reading and discussing what The Ritz-Carlton calls “wow stories.” The same “wow story” of the day is read to every single employee around the world. These true stories recognize an individual employee for his or her outstanding customer service and also highlight one of the 12 Service Values. For example, one family staying at the Ritz-Carlton, Bali, needed a particular type of egg and milk for their son who suffered from food allergies. Employees could not find the appropriate items in town, but the executive chef at the hotel remembered a store in Singapore that sold them. He contacted his mother-in-law, who purchased the items and personally flew them over 1,000 miles to Bali for the family. This example showcased Service Value 6: “I own and immediately resolve guests’ problems.” In another instance, a waiter overheard a man telling his wife, who used a wheelchair, that it was too bad he couldn’t get her down to the beach. The waiter told the maintenance crew, and by the next day they had constructed a wooden walkway down to the beach and pitched a tent at the far end where the couple had dinner. According to Cooper, the daily wow story is “the best way to communicate what we expect from our ladies and gentlemen around the world. Every story reinforces the actions we are looking for and demonstrates how each and every person in our organization contributes to our service values.” As part of company policy, each employee is entitled to spend up to $2,000 on a guest to help deliver an anticipated need or desire. The hotel measures the success of its customer service efforts through Gallup phone interviews, which ask both functional and emotional questions. Functional questions ask “How was the meal? Was your bedroom clean?” while emotional questions uncover a sense of the customer’s well-being. The Ritz-Carlton uses these findings as well as day-to-day experiences to continually enhance and improve the experience for its guests. In less than three decades, The Ritz-Carlton has grown from 4 locations to over 70 and earned two Malcolm Baldrige Quality Awards—the only company ever to win the prestigious award twice. Questions 1. How does The Ritz-Carlton match up to competitive hotels? What are the key differences? 2. Discuss the importance of the “wow stories” in customer service for a luxury hotel like The Ritz-Carlton. PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A GOOD DISCOUNT
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