A Review Of Acheson Report Health Essay

A Review Of Acheson Report Health Essay The report also calls for more funding support to schools in deprived areas, better nutrition and the concept of health-promoting schools. Benefit levels for providing nutritional meals to children should be increased and food should be more affordable for fulfilling nutritional needs of children. The report also focuses on smoking and drinking problems urging for restrictions on smoking in public places, a ban on tobacco advertising and promotion, mass educational initiatives, increases in the price of tobacco and the prescriptions for nicotine replacement therapy. The Acheson report also suggests close links between health and mortality rates. The Acheson report has been instrumental in shaping, directing and implementing several changes in the NHS Health policy. Several studies and research reports have been published on the impact and influence of the Acheson report on changes within health care policy. The Acheson report identified three crucial areas on social gradient and health inequalities and suggested that: a high priority should be given to the health of families with children; all policies likely to have an impact on health should be evaluated in terms of their impact on health inequalities; steps should be taken to reduce income inequalities and improve the living standards of poor households. The Acheson Report and UK Health Policies The Acheson Report 1998, an Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health was similar to the Black Report 1980 and can be considered as a Department of Health review of the evidence on inequalities in health in England. The Department of Health has responded to the Acheson report by taking an official course of action. The Department of Health mentions that tackling health inequalities is a top priority for the Government, and is focused on narrowing the health gap between disadvantaged groups, communities and the rest of the country, and on improving health overall. The strategy for addressing this problems is published in, Tackling Health Inequalities: A Programme for Action that lays the foundations for meeting the Governments target to reduce the health gap on infant mortality and life expectancy by 2010.A programme for action include a three-year plan for tackling health inequalities and to help local organisations improve the way services are delivered to disadvantaged groups. The programme for action in response to the Acheson report is based on: Supporting families, mothers and children Engaging Communities and Individuals Preventing Illness and providing Effective treatment and Care Addressing the underlying determinants of health The Acheson report suggests that socioeconomic inequalities in health and expectation of life have been found in England for many years and there have been data identifying differences in longevity by ones socioeconomic position. Inequalities of health are measured in terms of mortality, life expectancy or health status and could be categorised by socioeconomic status, ethnic group or gender. The Acheson report suggested that there are differences in the health status of mothers, babies, people of lower socioeconomic status and people who smoke or drink heavily. The report definitely shows that death rates are falling in England and the rates have fallen since 1896. Thus life expectancy seems to have risen in the last few years although healthy life expectancy has not been rising. In fact the proportion of people with long standing illness has risen from 15 percent to 22 percent (Acheson Report, 1998). The Acheson report thus gave new insights on health policies and identified issues that contribute to an increased rate of mortality and possible ill health. It identified several socioeconomic determinants including income distribution and household below average income, education, employment, housing, homelessness, public sector, transport and health related behaviour. Following the report, the Choosing Health White Paper given by the Department of Health sets out the key principles for supporting the public to make healthier and more informed choices in regards to their health. Through the paper, the Government has provided information and practical support to get people motivated and improve emotional well-being and also provide access to services to encourage people to make healthy choices. The government has also drawn up a food and health action plan that focuses on the ways that better health can be achieved through better nutrition at all stages of life and for different groups in society, recognising and addressing different needs, particularly those of disadvantaged groups (Choosing Health, DH, 2004). The government has also set up the Health Improvement Plan and a new NHS plan for tackling health inequalities 81% of people in higher socio-economic groups consider themselves to be in good health now, compared with 61% of people in the lowest groups 76% of people in the higher groups expect to be in good health in 10 years time, compared to 53% of people in the lowest groups (DH, 2004). Putting forward the NHS improvement plan, the Government reiterated the NHS commitment that the NHS is motivated to prevent disease and improve health in general. The Government policies are focused on the fact that inequalities in health cannot be accepted and the fundamental objective is to create healthier choices for disadvantaged groups. The NHS Improvement plan was laid down in 2004 to not only counter health inequalities but also provide better quality of care to patients and provide safer and more effective treatment. The NHS Improvement Plan set out modernisation and health plans putting patients and service users first through more personalised care; a focus on the whole of health and well-being, not only illness; and further devolution of decision-making to local organisations. (DH, 2004) According to the Government report and Action Plan laid out in then Choosing Health White paper the nutritional priorities were given as follows: increase in the average consumption of a variety of fruit and vegetables increase in the average intake of dietary fibre to 18 grams per day reducing average intake of salt to 6 grams per day reduce average intake of saturated fat maintaining the current trends in reducing average intake of total fat reducing the average intake of added sugar (Choosing Health White paper, 2004) The Government took several steps to ensure that the recommendations of the Acheson report is considered for any further changes within the NHS. Accordingly major steps have been taken to ensure consumer awareness on the consumption of healthy foods and development of good food habits. Reducing the proportion of fat, salt in the diet has been recommended and retailers and caterers have been asked introduce healthier range of foods and offer such foods in convenient stores, centre locations and in remote areas of the city. In a plan to tackle health inequalities, the Government has focused on many plans including Offer people personal health plans with support from the NHS. Recruit NHS health trainers to provide advice and support for people to develop their personal health plans. Provide services in the areas of highest need. Offer disabled people the option of taking up a health check. (DH, 2004) Considering the Acheson report on the exaggerated problems of health care among pregnant women and children, the government has also provided eligible pregnant women with vouchers that can be exchanged for fresh fruit and vegetables, milk and infant formula through a new scheme called Healthy Start. A Sure Start scheme is also in place for providing training, guidance and support for early years to children. Practitioners encourage changes in parental behaviour and improve the social and emotional development and physical health of children in the early years. Community Parental Support Projects are also in place that involves training of lead workers in 500 communities. Healthy Schools programmes are encouraged to target deprived schools including Pupil Referral Units. The Government has promoted the concept of healthy schools by 2006, working towards a healthy school status by 2009. The concept of Healthy schools, Sure Start and the Concept for providing Parental Support as well as providing people with personal health plans are some of the steps that the government has taken to ensure the promotion of health. Some of the objectives of the Action Plan have been given as follows. Following the Acheson report, the government focus has shifted from the one aimed to meet national targets to a different approach that could be given as follows: standards are the main driver for continuous improvements in quality; there are fewer national targets; there is greater scope for addressing local priorities; incentives are in place to support the system; and all organisations locally play their part in service modernisation. (Care Standards Planning Framework, 2004). Research Studies We discuss several studies which deal with the Acheson report. Oliver and Nutbeam (2003) point out that health inequalities has been considered seriously for an approach to improve health care and government policies have been developed to explicitly address existing health inequalities that has become an important issue since Labour has returned to power in 1997. The development of health inequalities policies, have been critically examined to assess how such policies could or should be developed. The authors point out that progress in the development of health inequality policies has been made although the progress is less than expected or ideal. Kisely and Jones (1997) have written on the issues of public health ten years after the Acheson report. They point out that the issue of communicable disease control and the role of public health medicine is of considerable concern in the light of outbreaks and NHS reorganisations. The Acheson report seems to have highlighted several issues in this regard. Yet as Kisely and Jones the Reports findings have yet to be fully implemented. The paper calls for a further review of public health function and should include the removal of the specialty from management costs, and the clarification standardisation of the roles of the Director of Public Health (DPH), CPHM and other members of the multi-disciplinary public health team (Kisely and Jones, 1997). Possible organisational implications for a public health approach have also been suggested. Tarlov (1999) has delineated four conceptual frameworks providing the bases for constructing public policy strategies for improving population health and this include: (1) Determinants of population health. (2) Complex systems: (3) An intervention framework for population health improvement. (4) Public policy development process with two phases of public consensus and policy action. The Acheson report can be judged in this context and has provided both a consensus and a policy framework. Back to: Essay Examples Conclusion: The research studies and analysis of the Acheson report suggests that the 1998 Acheson report has been extremely influential in shaping Health care policies in the UK and reducing inequalities in health. Bibliography Primary health care in Londonchanges since the Acheson report. BMJ. 1992 Nov 7;305(6862):1130-3. Tarlov AR. Public policy frameworks for improving population health. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1999;896:281-93. Blane D. Health inequality and public policy: one year on from the Acheson report. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999 Dec;53(12):748. Williams A. Commentary on the Acheson report. Health Econ. 1999 Jun;8(4):297-9. Barnes R, Scott-Samuel A. The Acheson report: beyond parenthood and apple pie? J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999 Jun;53(6):322-3. Spencer NJ. The Acheson report: challenges for the College. Arch Dis Child. 1999 Jun;80(6):576-8. Better benefits for health: plan to implement the central recommendation of the Acheson report. BMJ. 1999 Mar 13;318(7185):724-7. Acheson D. Inequalities in health. Report on inequalities in health did give priority for steps to be tackled. BMJ. 1998 Dec 12;317(7173):1659. Oliver A, Nutbeam D. Addressing health inequalities in the United Kingdom: a case study. J Public Health Med. 2003 Dec;25(4):281-7. Kisely S, Jones J. Acheson revisited: public health medicine ten years after the Acheson Report. Public Health. 1997 Nov;111(6):361-4. Choosing Health White Paper, DH, 2004 NHS Plan, DH publication 2004 Acheson Report, DH publication, 1998 Inequalities in health, DH publication 1998 NHS Improvement Plan, 2004

Market strategy and business overview of boots

Market strategy and business overview of boots Boots has also introduced new services. Boots Opticians, formed in 1987 has become one of the UKs leading chains of opticians. Insurance services and initiatives in dentistry, chiropody, Boots for Men stores and Internet services were introduced in 1999. The first Health and Beauty Experience stores, offering services such as homeopathy, osteopathy and a range of beauty treatments, were opened in autumn 2000. Boots Healthcare International exports healthcare products in more than 130 countries round the world. Boots Health and Beauty stores are now established in Ireland, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan. There are eight different businesses in The Boots Company, different in size, different in type and different in their business cultures. Such diversity means that they have unrivalled career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines for people who deliver excellent performance. Boots is a learning organization, they encourage their people to strive to improve their skills and develop throughout their careers. STRATEGY MARKETING MANAGEMENT Marketing management is a business discipline which is focused on the practical application of marketing techniques and the management of a firms marketing resources and activities. Marketing managers are often responsible for influencing the level, timing, and composition of customer demand accepted definition of the term. In part, this is because the role of a marketing manager can vary significantly based on a business size, corporate culture, and industry context. For example, in a large consumer products company, the marketing manager may act as the overall general manager of his or her assigned product. From this perspective, the scope of marketing management is quite broad. The implication of such a definition is that any activity or resource the firm uses to acquire customers and manage the companys relationships with them is within the purview of marketing management. MARKETING STRATEGY Marketing strategy is a method of focusing an organizations energies and resources on a course of action which can lead to increased sales and dominance of a targeted market niche. A marketing strategy combines product development, promotion, distribution, pricing, relationship management and other elements; identifies the firms marketing goals, and explains how they will be achieved, ideally within a stated timeframe. Marketing strategy determines the choice of target market segments, positioning,  marketing mix, and allocation of resources. It is most effective when it is an integral component of overall firm strategy, defining how the organization will successfully engage customers, prospects, and competitors in the market arena.  Corporate strategies, corporate missions, and corporate goals. As the customer constitutes the source of a companys revenue, marketing strategy is closely linked with  sales. A key component of marketing strategy is often to keep marketing in line with a companys overarching  mission statement. Once the company has obtained an adequate understanding of the customer base and its own competitive position in the industry, marketing managers are able to make key strategic decisions and develop a marketing strategy designed to maximize the revenues and profits of the firm. The selected strategy may aim for any of a variety of specific objectives, including optimizing short-term unit margins, revenue growth, market share, long-term profitability, or other goals. MARKETING STRATEGY OPTION: One of the key elements of a successful marketing strategy is the acknowledgment that your existing and potential customers will fall into particular  groups  or  segments, characterized by their needs. Identifying these groups and their needs through market research, and then addressing those needs  more successfully than your competitors, should be the focus of your strategy. You can then create a marketing strategy that makes the most of your strengths and matches them to the needs of the customers you want to target. For example, if a particular group of customers is looking for quality first and foremost, then any marketing activity aimed at them should draw attention to the high quality of your products or service. The benefits of a planned marketing strategy are numerous. Business owners often rely solely on their intuition to make business decisions. While this informal knowledge is important in the decision making process, it may not provide you with all the facts you need to achieve marketing results. A marketing strategy will help you in defining business goals and develop activities to achieve them. WILSON, GILLIGAN AND PEARSON in strategic management, readily admit that there is no standard definition on strategy but high lights three level of strategy. Corporate Level Strategy: Dealing with the allocation level resources thought out the entire organization, covering all of the various businesses or division. Business Level Strategy: This exits at the individual business or division level and is concerned with the question of competitive positioning. Function Level Strategy: Which is limited to the actions of specific functions within specific businesses. Boots is a member of Alliance Boots, an international pharmacy-led health and beauty group. Our purpose is to help our customers look and feel better than they ever thought possible. Our customers are at the heart of our business. Were committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare, offer innovative products only at Boots, with great value our customers love. Our people are our strength and they tell us that Boots is a great place to work. We aim to always be the employer of choice, attracting and retaining the most talented and passionate people. Market matrix: The market matrix is a tool that helps businesses to decide their product and market growth strategy. http://www.franteractive.net/resources/Ansoff-Matrix.GIF The above diagram shows market matrix also known as Ansoff product which is a series of suggested growth strategies that set the direction for the business strategy. 1. MARKET PENTRATION: (Existing market, existing products) Market penetration  is one of the four growth strategies of the  Product-Market Growth Matrix  defined by Ansoff Market penetration occurs when a company enters/penetrates a market with current products. The best way to achieve this is by gaining competitors customers (part of their market share). Other ways include attracting non-users of your product or convincing current clients to use more of your product/service (by advertising etc). Ansoff developed the  Product-Market Growth Matrix  to help firms recognise if there was any advantage of entering a market. Market penetration seeks to achieve four main objectives: Maintain and increase the market share of current products- this can be achieved by a combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising , sales, promotion and more resources dedicated to personal selling. Secure dominance of growth market. 2.MARKET DEVELOPMENT: (New Market, Existing Products) You can grow by leveraging your product knowledge to reach new customers.   More than likely, you have spent time and money developing your product and service offering. Assuming youre happy with your current offering, extending it into new markets is a logical next step. This is aptly called a  market development strategy. If you have identified potential new markets as opportunities, use these strategies to reach them.   Here are some quick considerations to make before executing a market development strategy: Is the market attractive? (To really answer this question, I recommend some form of market research to validate your gut feeling.) Are you willing to commit the required time and resources to reach this new market? Can your business be adapted to the new market? Will you maintain your current competitive advantage in this new market? 3. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: (Existing Market, New product) New Product Development is the term used to describe the complete process of bringing a new  product service to market. There are two parallel paths involved in the NPD process: one involves the idea generation,  product design  and detail engineering; the other involves market research and  marketing analysis. Ideas for new products can be obtained from basic research using a  SWOT analysis  (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities Threats), Market and consumer trends, companys RD department, competitors, focus groups, employees, salespeople, corporate spies, trade shows, or Ethnographic discovery methods (searching for user patterns and habits) may also be used to get an insight into new product lines or product features. 4.DIVERSIFICATIONS 🙠 New Market, New Products) Diversification  is a form of corporate strategy for a company. It seeks to increase profitability through greater sales volume obtained from new products and new markets. Diversification can occur either at the business unit level or at the corporate level. At the business unit level, it is most likely to expand into a new segment of an industry which the business is already in.It is a process where a business markets new products in new markets.This is the most risky strategy because the business is moving into markets in which it has little or no experience. For a business to adopt a diversification strategy, it must have a clear idea about what it expects to gain from the strategy. SWOT analysis Strengths Price cuts are attracting customers especially in beauty and toiletries. Boots is still above high street average, despite all the short-comings being reported. Great locations, with a prime pitch on every high street. Meaning that Boots is accessible to potential customers, this is highly important when taking into account the 4 Ps. Strong labour workforce which is highly essential to every business, this could be a major tool when trying to refocus and achieve the overall objectives. The current share price is 667.0p on 8 Nov and has risen since October 28 when it was valued at 657.5p. This initiates growth in sales due to external factors such as climate change and more susceptibility to illness that this causes. Weaknesses Over diversification which has led to a loss of focus from the core operations of the business. It seems from the article in the Independent newspaper that Boots are reliant on sun cream as a star product, however the British weather is know for its instability meaning good summers are not guaranteed, this has ultimately led to a reduction in profits.  £390 million was spent on revamping the company; could this money have been spent in other areas of the business that may have been more profitable? Some customers feel that Boots is too expensive, thus suggesting price elasticity however the recent price cuts in different parts of the business might have affected the price quality reputation amongst customers, who feel this is important. 900 job cuts from head office and possibly more if finances deteriorate. This might have an adverse effect on the reputation amongst stakeholders. Opportunities Compete through head on pricing although this could be risky according to reports. Does Boots need all their chain branches? An audit and cost-benefit analysis should be conducted along with market research to identify which branches are doing the best and which areas would benefit from the store or which areas are overly concentrated with Boots stores. Therefore taking action by reducing the number of stores and focusing on improving the remainder of stores would reduce costs and provide essential capital that could be reinvested in other parts of the business. Threats Abolition of the resale price maintenance has increased competition. If internet sales of drugs continue to grow, Boots could lose a significant proportion of its market share. Changes in supply chain and systems within the company could hinder growth rate in the next 12 months. Porters 5 forces analysis Competitive rivalry The retail market is filled up with high competitors as more and more companies are trying to step into the Health Beauty industry All the other retailers have different competitive advantages. Boots reach in different stores allows it to reach large number of customers. The other factors which compete with the Boots bank is different banks and building societies Barriers for entry Barriers to entry is high due to a number of factors: Firstly, company looking to set up its business in UK requires lots of investment, brand development, which takes years to establish. Secondly, company in retail sectors are increasing, which itself means there is very less chance for any new entrances. Local knowledge is required for a new business in order to establish, which is highly difficult for new firms to replicate. Threats of Substitutes The threats for newcomers or substitutes is less, as the consumers views that as a necessity, especially in the developed world. The retail market is always trying to look around for new innovations with respect to Health Beauty products, alternative businesses. As a result of which it is difficult for substitution. The only major threat of substitute is an internal industry threat, wherein one supermarket can lap up the business of other supermarkets. Buyers power Because of the presence of too many competitors in the retail Health Beauty sector selling the same product, buyer power is high in the industry. During the time of recession consumers wants are taken into more demand, thereby increasing their power. Supplier power Suppliers in itself is huge company providing products to the supermarkets. If the products are not sold, consumer will shift loyalties, making suppliers more powerful. And also when the products do not reach the supermarket, sales do get affected hugely. C:Documents and SettingsSonyDesktopporters_five_forces_lg.gif Competitive strategy by Michael Porter PORTERS GENERIC STRATEGY: Michael Porter had argued that a companys strength depends on two headings: cost advantage and differentiation. By applying these strengths three generic strategies result: Cost leadership Differentiation Focus Cost leadership strategy: Cost leadership is a strategy built on offering a customer a lower pirce than competitors and maintaining an advantage by ensuring the cost are lower than those of competitors. Factories are built; labor is recruited and trained in all sorts of knowledge for the lowest cost of production. In the process cost advantage is the focus. However low cost not always allows low price. Producers could price at competitive parity, other than the competitors. For example, such as Toyota, are good in producing autos at a low price, but have the brand and marketing skills. Differentiation strategy: It is a strategy that involves offering a product which is different to, is differential from, those of competitors. The advantage of the product will appeal to the whole market and not in a narrow segment. The company that succeeds in differentiation strategy often follows the internal strengths Access to scientific researchHighly skilled and creative development team.Strongly sales team with the ability to successfully communicate the perceived strengths of the products. Corporate reputation for quality and innovation. Focus: The focus strategy strives on a narrow segment and within that segment tries to achieve either a cost advantage or differentiation. A company following the focus strategy often enjoys a high degree of customer loyalty, and this in turn leads to more customer lifetime value. The focus strategy has two variants.In cost focus a firm seeks a cost advantage in its target segment, while inDifferentiation focus a firm seeks differentiation in its target segment. Cost focus exploits differences in cost behavior in some segments, while differentiation focus exploits the special needs of buyers in certain segmentsA company following narrow market focus and pursuing a focus strategy, have lower volumes of bargaining power with their suppliers.A company following differentiation focused strategy may be able to pass higher costs on to customers since close substitute products would not exist.Firms that succeed in a focus strategy are able to lead a broad range of product development strengths to a relatively narrow market segmentFinally, other focusers may be able to carve out sub-segments that they can serve even better. TASK-2 PESTLE analysis is in effect an audit of an organizations environmental influences with the purpose of using this information to guide strategic decision-making. The assumption is that if the organization is able to audit its current environment and assess potential changes, it will be better placed than its competitors to respond to changes. PESTEL ANALYSIS FOR BOOtS: PEST 1. POLITICAL FACTORS: Political factor is always affected any kind of business. The government always make changes in tax policy, labour law policy and trade restrictions. Increasing globalization, gives challenges and opportunities to Boots. Using this company can enter into new markets through partnerships. 2. ECOMOMIC FACTORS: Inflation chances are really high that if inflation occurs then the prices of each pack will rise. When a country enters an inflation stage then their money would be less worth, and companies will higher the prices, consumers have less money to spend on goods, and that will be a major blow the economy. The country might put prices higher on exports, but other countries wont buy them anymore and go find a cheaper one. Exchange rates play a very big role in the marketBecause of the food crisis all over the world, can result in the purchasing cost of the company, which in turn can increase the Health Beauty Product prices which affects the purchasing power of the consumers. Because of credit crunch, the consumers purchase power would decrease, but they would still consider that as its basic necessity.Lot of incentives is given to the consumers. This affects Boots as prices have to be reduced most of the times 3. SOCIAL FACTOR: There seems to be more attention on fresh and easy style cooking. This gives Boots an opportunity to encourage new Health Beauty Product.Recently government has given more emphasis to promote healthy eating because of the increasing obesity. As a result the consumer would move on to healthy eating which in turn will be an opportunity to Boots to stock in more of healthy Health Beauty Product and as a result of which there would be an increase in consumers number. 4. TECHNOLOGY FACTOR: The internet phenomenon seems to be growing more rapidly. Boots can use internet for its advantage. Standing in the queue system for few items in the shopping market is time consuming. By installing the self checkout machines it can reduce the queue system for which the customer would not have to wait for few items which in turn will increase the sales for Boots. 5. ENVIRONMENTAL: It should be mandatory to reduce carbon footprint and increasing energy efficiency. One of the important and ethical issues is, like sales of organic food and ethical treatment of animals, this can clearly affect Boots on various levels. This is a sensitive issue. This can be done by maintaining on the public stand and environment. 6. LEGAL: As per legal the company makes sure that the product is right for the customers. They do all sorts of checks before it is brought forward to the customers.The current UK grocery market is highly regulated in many aspects, which is commonly in the developed countries. The recent inquiry by OFT could act as one example, which would potentially reduce the profitability of the supermarkets. Moreover, Trade Union would also protect employees to receive lack benefits, and this would make the grocers difficult to lay off employees. MARKET PALNNING FOR BOOTS: A  marketing plan  is a written document that details the necessary actions to achieve one or more marketing objectives. It can be for a product or  service, a  brand, or a  product line. Marketing plans cover between one and five years. A marketing plan may be part of an overall  business plan. Solid  marketing strategy  is the foundation of a well-written marketing plan. While a marketing plan contains a list of actions, a marketing plan without a sound strategic foundation is of little use. MARKETING MIX: The structure of the facts book will be designed to match the specific needs of the organization, but one simple format suggested by Malcolm McDonald may be applicable in many cases. This splits the material into three groups: Review of the marketing environment:  A study of the organizations markets, customers, competitors and the overall economic, political, cultural and technical environment; covering developing trends, as well as the current situation. Review of the detailed marketing activity:   A study of the companys  marketing mix in terms of the 7 Ps (see below) Review of the marketing system: A study of the marketing organization,  marketing research  systems and the current marketing objectives and strategies. The last of these is too frequently ignored. The marketing system itself needs to be regularly questioned, because the validity of the whole marketing plan is reliant upon the accuracy of the input from this system, and `garbage in, garbage out applies with a vengeance. 7Ps of MARKETING MIX: Once youve developed your marketing strategy, there is a Seven P Formula you should use to continually evaluate and reevaluate your business  activities. These seven are: product, price, promotion, place, packaging, positioning and people. As products, markets, customers and needs change rapidly, you must continually revisit these seven Ps to make sure youre on track and achieving the maximum results possible for you in todays marketplace. 1. PRODUCT: To begin with, develop the habit of looking at your product as though you were an outside marketing consultant brought in to help your company decide whether or not its in the right  business  at this time. Ask critical questions such as, Is your current product or service, or mix of products and services, appropriate and suitable for the market and the customers of today? 2. PRICES: The second P in the formula is price. Develop the habit of continually examining and reexamining the prices of the products and services you sell to make sure theyre still appropriate to the realities of the current market 3. PROMOTION:   The third habit in marketing and sales is to think in terms of promotion all the time. Promotion includes all the ways you tell your customers about your products or services and how you then market and sell to them. 4. PLACE: The fourth P in the marketing mix is the place where your product or service is actually sold. Develop the habit of reviewing and reflecting upon the exact location where the customer meets the salesperson. Sometimes a change in place can lead to a rapid increase in sales. 5. PACKING: The fifth element in the marketing mix is the packaging. Develop the habit of standing back and looking at every visual element in the packaging of your product or service through the eyes of a critical prospect. Remember, people form their first impression about you within the first 30 seconds of seeing you or some element of your company. Small improvements in the packaging or external appearance of your product or service can often lead to completely different reactions from your customers. 6. POSITIONING: The next P is positioning. You should develop the habit of thinking continually about how you are positioned in the hearts and minds of your customers. How do people think and talk about you when youre not present? How do people think and talk about your company? What positioning do you have in your market, in terms of the specific words people use when they describe you and your offerings to others? 7. PEOPLE: The final P of the marketing mix is people. Develop the habit of thinking in terms of the people inside and outside of your business who are responsible for every element of your sales and  marketing strategy and activities. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION: I think the current Boots Distribution Channel is very limited. The only place youll find their product is in a local Boots store . I think they should expand their channel like I have summed up earlier. I would have placed vending machines throughout whole UK, outside each super market. To survive in such a competitive market place, Boots must continue to build a strong brand in order to create a strong differentiation in the market, attract customers with a credible value proposition and to constantly engage customers in ways that would endear them to the brand and to the company My evaluation for this is that Boots is in a very good position, but if it needs to gain more customer they need to make more product, not as in output, but new products.

The Importance of Effective Listening Skills in the Workplace Essay

The Importance of Effective Listening Skills in the Workplace Every business consists of a variety of communication activities such as listening, speaking, questioning, gathering and participating in small work groups. The listening skill is one of the most important aspects of communication process. It helps to understand and read the other person’s message. Effective listening skills create positive workplace relationships which influence our opinions and responsiveness to one another. There is a big difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is a physical ability that the ears receive feelings and transmit them to the brain while listening is a skill. Listening skills allow one to make sense of what another person is saying. In other words, listening skills let you to understand what someone is "talking about†. It requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words and sentences. Listening and understanding what others communicate to us is the communication process needed for interpersonal effectiveness. If you listen well, you will understand the meaning of the message. If you are unfocused, you will not know most of what the other person is saying. However, there is a range of listening skills that can be learned to develop the communication effectiveness. Firstly, encouraging listening points to the listener that is willing to do more than listen. Usually it provides feedback that supports speakers to say more. Fur...

What Does American Education Need? :: Teaching Teachers Learning School Essays

What Does American Education Need? For over four decades, the public education establishment has delivered one educational disaster after another. "Solution" after "solution" they have offered have fallen far short of promises. The education establishment's perennial answer to our education problems is increased education expenditures. Educational expenditures have skyrocketed (more than doubling every 20 years since 1960) and yet Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores plummet. National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) test results partially demonstrate our dismal education picture. Of 17-year olds taking the test: 47 percent could not express 9/100 as a percent; only 5 percent could calculate the cost per kilowatt on an electric bill that charged $9.09 for 606 kilowatts; 26 percent did not know the U.S. Congress was part of the legislative branch of government; 43 percent of high school juniors could not place World War I within the period 1900 to 1950; 75 percent could not place Abraham Lincoln's presidency in the era 1840-1880. (1) The education establishment's latest "solution", supported by President Clinton, is massive federal expenditures to hire 100,000 additional teachers. This they claim will reduce class sizes and thus improve academic performance. United States already has smaller classes than countries where student academic performance is much greater than ours. For example, Japan averages 41 students per class compared to 26 in the United States. In mathematics, where their students run circles around ours, their average math class size is 43 compared to our 20. (2) Breaking the education monopoly will solve most of the nation's education problems. A way to achieve this is through education vouchers or tuition tax credits. The basic feature of proposals for education vouchers is for state and local governments to make direct payments to parents, in the form of vouchers, that are used to pay tuition charged by public or non-public schools. The basic feature of tuition tax credits is to give parents a credit against their income taxes for tuition expenses. For example if a parent spent $3,000 in tuition to send their kid to a non-public school, all or a percentage of the tuition would be subtracted from the parent's tax liability. Tuition tax credits are far preferable to vouchers because we would not run the risk of government intervention in the form of state Departments of Vouchers. Opponents interested in maintaining the monopoly of education have advanced arguments against greater competition in the education of America's children. These arguments seem to be plausible; however, upon just a little bit of reflection they are simply baseless.

Police and Gratuities: The Slippery Slope Essay examples -- Ethics, L

Gratuity Something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service. (Dictionary, 2010) When does a cup of coffee become a gratuity for a police officer? What is acceptable and what is not acceptable? If a police officer takes a free cup of coffee or a half priced meal does that make him vulnerable to take more. Does that act make the officer a bad officer or a corrupt officer? Does the person giving the gratuity expect something in return or is it just a gesture for the work the officer is doing? Almost every police department has a policy on the acceptance of gifts and gratuities for the officers and the department. Some police departments allow no gifts or gratuities and some may have a policy that states as long as one person is not the recipient and it is available to the whole department then it is acceptable. How does a police department come up with a policy the does not create animosity toward the department from the public that wants to give to them for the services that they provide with no strings attached. You have some business that want to give money to a police department that needs to buy equipment for the officer on the street. Do you tell the business person that you can’t accept the money and that the officer will have to do the best that they can. No, I think when it comes to a safety issue and the gift is not for just one person the department will come out in the good end. Agencies can develop a gratuity policy by seeking the help of many officers and local business owners and by reviewing established policies in other jurisdictions. Such a policy should tie directly with modern law enforcement's strict code of ethics regarding financial gains or rewards. (Sewell, 2007) The slippery... ...cal issue? The caliber of officers that are coming out of the police academies these days are top notch and most police departments have the safe guards in place to keep officers from sliding down the slippery slope that would damage the confidence that the public has in the department. In the end gratuities, gifts and corruption will be a part of the police world as it has been from the beginning of the police community. It is incumbent upon the officers and the administration to keep the checks and balances in place so as not to damage the imagine of the police department and the city. Works Cited Dictionary, M.-W. O. (2010, June 16). Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Kleinig, J. (1996). The Ethics of Policing . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, ). Sewell, C. (2007, Apri). Gratuities. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 76(4) , pp. 8-12.

How to Take Care Your Hair

TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLAGE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE & HUMANITIES CERTIFICATE IN MASS COMMUNICATION (PUBLIC RELATIONS) YEAR 2012/2013 AHCC1033 PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES FOR MASS COMMUNICATION COURSE WORK INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION NAME : LILY CHAN CHOY LI ID NO : 12AHC07160 CLASS : CPR TOPIC : HOW TO TAKE CARE YOUR HAIR MARKS ALLOCATION TABLE :Topic selected| /20%(marks are based on the topic’s difficulties and abilities to generate interests and curiosities among the audience)| DeliveryVoice ( /10%)Body language ( /10%)Eye contact & facial expression ( /10%)| /30%| Content of the speechIntroduction ( /5%)Body ( /5%)Conclusion ( /5%)Organization ( /5%)| /20%| Visual/ audio aids| /15%|Language| /15%| Total| /100%| Title: How to take care to your hair. Name: Lily Chan Choy Li General Purpose: To share Specific Purpose: To share 6 steps to take care your hair Time: 5 minutes 1. INTRODUCTION A. Have you always wanted that long, thick, shiny volumized bouncy hair? B. Although there are no magic tricks to quickly make your hair grows faster, you can try the following steps to get thicker and fuller hair fast.C. Hair is a part of our image, having a healthy and tidy hair really will give others a good impression. D. I will take about 5 to7 minutes to share with you 6 steps to take care your hair. 2. BODY/ CONTENT * I would like to begin with, Step 1-Visit the hairdressers. If you have any split ends, dead ends on your hair that look brittle and dry, visit the hairdressers as soon as possible! You have to cut your hair at least every six months. Your hair will not only look thicker but will look much healthier.Step 2- Use the suitable shampoo and conditioner. Go to your nearest beauty store and ask for a volumizing shampoo and conditioner. You should use conditioner because it will keep your hair healthy and shiny also de-tangled. *I already covered the step 1 and step 2, let’s move on to Step 3-Hair treatments. While you're buying your new shampoo, also ask for a few hair treatments to keep your hair shiny. A better choice is using natural ingredients like use egg yolk. Leave it in for 20-30 minutes and repeat twice a week.It will make your hair thicker and shinier. Step 4- If you blow dry your hair, do it upside down. It will make your hair thicker than usually. Put leave on conditioner before you blow dry your hair. It can protect your hair damage by the heat. *Ladies and gentlemen now I would like to continue with, Step 5-Relax and sleep about 7-8 hours in a day to make your hair grow faster. Factors like sleep deprivation and stress trend are often associated with the problem of hair loss. Step 6-Exercise regularly to improve circulation and metabolism, which aids n faster and thicker hair growth. While swimming, wear a cap to avoid damage due to chlorinated water of the pool. 3. CONCLUSION Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve come to the end of my talk. Let me sum up by saying that cut your hair at least every six months, choose a su itable shampoo and conditioner brands, , sleep and rest enough and get exercise, there are all the step to let you having a beautiful black hair. In conclusion, I hope you enjoy my presentation. Thanks for attention and spending precious time.

Cheap Air Travels Gives Ordinary People the Freedom to Travel but Others Feel That Air Travel Adds to the World’s Environmental Problems

Block method outline I. Introduction Hook- Air travel has become a common transportation among most of the people in this world. Background information- Approximately 1,423,500,000 people travels by airplane per year and 3,900,000 passengers travel by flight every day. What the writer intends to do- Discuss why huge number of people using air travel to travel. Body A. Paragraph 1 1. Topic sentences 1 * Many of people prefer to choose travel by cheap air travel because of it amount. * Make this world more peace and harmony Government have funds to invest into basic fields in the country * Make someone more relaxed and release heavy pressure. 2. Supporting detail * Gives a person the chance to travel to places where he would like to visit with only a minimum amount. * Promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding and it will make this world a peaceful place to living in. * Visitors from other countries will increase tax revenues especially in those tourism-focused counties and gov ernment for that particular country will have more funds to invest. They may get relaxed and release heavy pressure from life or work when they can travel to the place that they love. B. Paragraph 2 1. Topic sentence 2 * Low-cost air travels have been subject to criticism by governments and regulators. * Global environmental problems. 2. Supporting detail * It is because aircraft are one of the major sources of greenhouse gases that can cause air pollution. * Air travel has been estimated to contribute between 3-30% of global warming. Study conducted by Mayer Hillman, Town & Country Planning magazine, they estimated that a ingle transatlantic return flight emits almost half the CO2 emissions. C. Paragraph 3 1. Topic sentence 3 * Everyone should have the opportunity to travel by air. 2. Supporting detail * Airplane is not the biggest contributor to climate change so far. * Many countries already have carbon taxes or levies included in the price of the airline ticket or aviation fuel. II. Conclusion Restatement- Advantages of cheap airfare outweigh its disadvantages, in terms of boosting cultural understanding and improving living standard.Prediction- Solved with the technology development such as discovery of new environmental friendly fuels. Reference Carleton , Ryan. Environmental impact of aviation. 2002. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_aviation (accessed March 4, 2013). Karcher and Fahey, . â€Å"What's wrong with air transport. † 24. (1997): 389-392. http://pages. uoregon. edu/recycle/caR2. htm (accessed March 4, 2013). CHEAP AIR TRAVELS GIVES ORDINARY PEOPLE THE FREEDOM TO TRAVEL BUT OTHERS FEEL THAT AIR TRAVEL ADDS TO THE WORLD’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMSYou may have many reasons for travels from one destination to another. Some of the reason could be a honeymoon trip with your love one, vacation with your family or even a business trip. And most of the people will choose the cheapest way to travel. Nowadays, air travel has become a common transportation among most of the people in this world. According to US travel association, there are approximately 1,423,500,000 people travels by airplane per year and about 3,900,000 passengers travel by flight every day.Because of the huge number of people using air travel to travel, many airlines all over the world offer cheap flight rates that people can afford. Many of people today prefer to choose travel by cheap air travel because it gives a person the chance to travel to places where he would like to visit with only a minimum amount. With little money spent for the flights ticket, travellers have more money saved to make his holiday more memorable and interesting. As we all know, that cheap air travel will make long-distance travel affordable for common people, which is an advantages for us.First of all, as there are more tourists take air travels to other countries, and they will learn and understand the culture the country they visit. In other words, i t will promote mutual understanding and cultural exchange between countries. As a result, the world will become more peaceful and we all can live in harmony. In addition to this, more visitors from other countries will stimulate local tourism, which would increase tax revenues especially in those tourism-focused counties. Therefore governments would have more funds to invest into basic fields, such as infrastructure, health insurance and education.Moreover, because people could afford travel, they may get relaxed and release heavy pressure from life or work when they travelling to the place that they love. However, low-cost air travels have been subject to criticism by governments and regulators all over the world. It is because aircraft are one of the major sources of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that can cause air pollution. It is one of the cause that contributors to global environmental problems such as ozone depletion, c limate change and etc. Air travel has been estimated to contribute between 3-30% of global warming.A study conducted by Mayer Hillman, Town & Country Planning magazine in September 1996, they estimated that a single transatlantic return flight emits almost half the CO2 emissions. One recent study has estimated that, if the Airport grows as planned, CO2 emissions by 2020 could be greater than from all other transport in the regional catchment. And some agencies devoted to monitoring and protecting the environment said that the fares should be made more expensive and by doing that it will discourage people from using the air plane. In my opinion, everyone should have the chance to travel by air.Aircraft or airplane is not the biggest contributor to climate change so far. Many countries already have levies included in the price of the airline ticket or carbon taxes. This can offset the carbon produced during the flight. In conclusion, I personally believe that the advantages of cheap a irfare outweigh its disadvantages in terms of boosting cultural understanding and improving living standard. Although there are also some drawbacks but I believe they could be solved with the technology development such as discovery of new environmental friendly fuels, which can improvement of plane safety.