Pricing Strategy Essay Example for Free

Pricing Strategy Essay To set a pricing strategy, there are number of steps taken into consideration as follows: Step 1: Our pricing objectives are to maximize market share and increase sales volume. This strategy will be used when TrackR is being launched into the market. We charge a reasonable price in order for TrackR to be accessible in the market as quickly as possible and also to encourage the interest and excitement of a product. Because of the low price, we are able to raise the sales volume easily, maximize the market share and reach the economic of scale as soon as possible. In order to boost the sales even more, we will offer promotion followed by the product launch, which will later be discussed in the later section. Eventually, we can penetrate the market and create brand awareness. Step 2: Being a monopoly of TrackR, we have a sole power of controlling price and quantity, but before we set a final price, we must observe the demand. TrackRcan be classified as normal goods for specific groups of people. While the price remains unchanged, people tend to buy more normal goods when their income increases and they less likely to buy normal goods when their income falls. TrackR is price elastic meaning consumers are responsive/ sensitive to a change in price. If we decide to elevate the price of TrackR, the quantity demand will be declined. Step 3: We also need to estimate the costs associated with TrackR. All costs can be broken down into 2 categories; fixed costs and variable costs. Fixed costs include salary, rent, PR and promotion and sales promotion, which come down to 3 million baht per month while the variable costs comprise of unit cost, shipping fee and exchange rate which are 375 baht per unit. Step 4: Analyzing competitors’ costs, prices, and offerings. Our competitors can potentially be online retailers, for example, eBay or Find my iPhone. TrackR eBay Find my iPhone Price ? $25 ~ 800 baht Free Cost No additional cost Shipping fee + duty Offering Warranty, Service No after sales service Apple products only Step 5: We divide our consumers into 2 segments; B2B and B2C so we will use different strategies to different potential buyers. For B2B buyers, we will sign a contract and sell them over a large volume at a reasonable price range regarding the numbers of unit purchased. By having cost advantages over competitors as you can see on the previous slide, we are able to build up a barrier protecting us from new entrants entering the market. On the other hand, as we aim to achieve our objective of increasing the sales volume, we set an affordable price making it accessible to B2C consumers so we can increase the sales volume and eventually achieve economic of scale. We begin using value based pricing approach for both buyers, which sets prices primarily upon the value perceived/estimated by the consumers rather than the costs of the product. In other words, value based pricing is a valuation of good or service according to how much consumers are willing to pay. We have done a market survey to see at what price consumers would like to spend. It could be somewhat arbitrary but it greatly assistances in an effective marketing of product in understanding impact of good or service has on consumers. We then use break-even analysis, which represents a point at which total cost and total revenue are equal: there is no loss or gain at this point. It purposely uses to determine the minimum output that must be reached in order to make a profit. It is a rough indicator of a marketing activity and also provides a dynamic view of relationships between costs, sales and profits. We also use quantity discount for B2B purchaser, which is an incentive offered to our potential purchasers resulting in a reduced cost per unit of goods when acquired in a greater volume. A quantity discount will be proposed to tempt our buyers to purchase in larger quantities. Step 6: Now, we have come down to a conclusion of TrackR’s final price. Here are the base prices for both B2B and B2C buyers.

Oliver Twist Analysis

Oliver Twist Analysis Explain and discuss the main problem or obstacle that is introduced. Discuss how the protagonist or any other significant characters deal with this problem. Describe how this problem escalates, who is involved in this conflict, climax, and how this problem is dealt with. (Length: ÂÂ ¾ of a page) Character (Protagonist, Antagonist and/or other significant characters) Describe the exterior physical traits and personality of the protagonist. To do this effectively, you must consider the characters home environment, social group and personal attachments/relationships. Analyze the characters thoughts and perceptions, behavior, actions and reactions in the book. Do the same to the antagonist and/or any other significant characters. (Length: ÂÂ ¾ of a page) Oliver Twist: Oliver is a young orphan who is usually described as wearing tattered clothes. Although he is the protagonist, he has very little influence over the course of his life. Through Dickens writing, Oliver is revealed to be a saint-like figure. He is contradictory to others in his social class by almost every means possible. He speaks proper English whereas his companions speak rough slangy English. He is a very kind and loyal person who wants to always help the ones who provide for him and take good care of him like, Mrs. Maylie and Mr. Brownlow. He wants to live honestly even if that means to die trying. Even when he is tortured, he maintains his purity and does not become angry. Oliver is not a character torn between good and evil; he is simply a good person in all situations. Fagin: The ruthless and antagonist who hire young orphans to steal and pickpocket for him. In return, he feeds them and provides shelter. Dickens portrayal of Fagin seems to be influenced by anti-Semitism. Constant references to him as the Jew throughout the book imply that his negative characteristics are linked to his ethnic identity. He is described as a loathsome reptile (p. 145) and that he has teeth like the fangs of a dog. Fagin believes that betrayal is part of their lifestyle and enjoys watching people get executed. He is the ultimate opposite figure of Oliver in the story. Nancy: Although she is neither the protagonist nor the antagonist she is the most complex character used by Dickens to portray the problems present in Victorian London. Dickens portrays Nancy as a good person who has gone so deep into the evil side that coming back is impossible. As an orphan Nancy has been a thief and drinks a lot. Presently, she is a prostitute who works for Sikes and remains very loyal to him no matter how much he abuses her. In between characters that are only able to comprehend the good or evil, Nancy is capable of both. Perhaps, the noblest action in the book was when Nancy sacrifices her own life to save Olivers. She understands the terribleness of the path she has chosen and does not want a poor creature like Oliver to take the same path. Her ultimate decision to do good shows that no matter how terrible the environment might be, a strong soul cannot be poisoned. Her love for Sikes is strong even though she realizes that it will lead to her destruction. When Mr. Brownlow offers help, Nancy kindly rejects and says that she has gone too far and her death is inevitable. She maintains her loyalty to Sikes until the moment he kills her. Setting (Initial setting and/ or any other significant setting) The setting of a story or novel helps the reader to visualize the environment and its importance. Describe the initial setting and how it adds to the overall storyline. Describe any other setting you believe serves a purpose to the reader. How important is a setting with regards to the plot? (Length: ÂÂ ¾ of a page) Workhouse: Orphans and peasants are brought here to work. They are deprived of their civil rights and given very little food. The children are separated from their parents; couples are separated in hop of reducing breeding of the lower class. Ironically, the authorities who preach the necessity of a meager diet in the workhouses are very fat gentlemen who have far more luxurious lives. The woman in charge of taking care of the orphans takes most of the money allocated to their welfare for her own needs. This results in many children dying under her administration but she files the cases as accidents. This initial setting shows the environment that Oliver was brought up in. London: Although the story takes place during the Industrial Revolution in London (around the 1830s), Dickens depicts the extreme poverty present in London during the period and ineffectiveness of the Poor Laws. The Poor Laws were one of the main reasons Charles Dickens chose to write this story. There are many orphans who live on the streets and turn to pick pocketing for enough food to ensure another day of survival and pain. Many of the peasants on the street have no other option other than thievery or prostitution. This setting gives the reader some explanation on the actions of many characters like Fagin, the Artful Dodger, Sikes and Oliver. Fagin merely takes advantage of the situation and promises adequate nourishment, clothing, and proper shelter in return for the services of the young orphans in thievery. In the end he gets punished but the ultimate cause of poverty, which Dickens believes to be the society remains unchanged. This setting explains the hypocrisy of the societ y, with the help of Dickenss satirical writing, and challenges the conventional views of rich people regarding poverty being related to the hereditary of the peasants.

5 Major Perspectives in Psychology :: Psychology Perspective essays research papers

The five major theoretical perspectives in psychology are biological, learning, cognitive, psychodynamic, and sociocultural perspectives. Each one of these perspectives searches for answers about behavior through different techniques and through looking for answers to different kinds of questions. Due to the different approaches, each perspective form their own assumptions and explanations. Some perspectives are widely accepted while others struggle for acceptance. Biological perspective "The premise behind the biological perspective in psychology is that all actions, feelings, and thoughts are associated with bodily events." Biological psychologists examine how all of the electrical impulses, hormones, and chemicals flowing through the body can effect behavior and how changes to these bodily functions can change behavior. They are concerned with how the aspects of biology effect peoples' emotions, learning abilities, and their perception of events. One of the major theories of biological psychology is that "We cannot know ourselves if we do not know our bodies." Through application of this theory, biological psychologists strive to understand the relationship between the mind and body and they influence sickness or health. It is believed that poor health can lead to negative attitudes while poor attitudes can lead to poor health. Biological psychologists research and study the correlation of this theory in an attempt to help solve some mental and emotional problems. Learning Perspective The writings and findings of Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner have done much for the advancement of modern psychology. Many of the important findings in psychology from their theory of behaviorism, later evolving into the social-learning theory or cognitive social-learning theory. Proponents of the learning perspective think that mentalism should be abandoned for behaviorism. Psychologists should concentrate on observation and direct measurement rather focusing on introspection. Behaviorists believed that actions were responses to stimuli that were learned. The basic concept was that positive responses would be triggered by good stimuli while negative responses would could from bad stimuli. Actions that would produce positive results tended to repeated, while those that led to negative results tended to be avoided. This concept led to a broadening of psychology. Many groups that were often overlooked by psychologists were being discovered and observed. Behavior became the dominant school of psychology in the U.S. until the 1960's. Adversaries to this approach were repulsed by the concept that humans did not think or feel, but only thought that they did. Nonbehaviorists and behaviorists parted company. Behaviorists believed that feelings could not explain behavior.

Frankenstein :: essays research papers

The Lasting Impressions of Frankenstein Frankenstein has had a lasting impression on audiences since its publication in 1818. This continuing popularity is for many reasons. On the simplest level, Frankenstein is a novel that shows audiences there is a way to defy death, but on a deeper level it reveals many things about human nature and emotion. This is why I feel the novel has persevered through so many years and still enjoys wide popularity. Beginning on the simplest level, Frankenstein is a novel about how to defy death. Human kind has been fascinated with this notion since the beginning of time. One only has to look at the ancient Egyptians and their belief of the afterlife, along with many other cultures and their beliefs of a life after death to see that overcoming death has fascinated people for centuries. This fascination can be looked at on several levels. First of all, death is frightening. It is something that is not understood completely by humans. Humans are scared of what they do not understand. This is portrayed in Frankenstein when the creature is shunned by society simply because he looked different from them and they did not understand him. People are scared of what they do not understand, which is why they were frightened by Victor’s creature. The desire to understand death leads to the desire to control it. Even though death is something that is out of the control of humans, human nature has the urge to be in control of everything. The novel Frankenstein fascinates people because death has been overcome, at least that is how it appears in the beginning. Even Victor himself is fascinated with death. In Volume 1 of the novel, Victor talks of his fascination with the human form and its decay after death. "I saw how the fine form of man was degraded and wasted; I beheld the corruption of death succeed to the blooming cheek of life; I saw how the worm inherited the wonders of the eye and brain" (931). Being able to create life from something that is non-living is just like cheating death. You have control over it, which is what humans want in the first place. It is for all these reasons that Frankenstein has enjoyed continuing popularity throughout the years. Immortality has long been a goal of many humans and stories of it have intrigued people for ages.

Marketing Is Marketing :: essays research papers

Introduction: â€Å"Marketing is marketing, irrespective of the product or marketplace†. This is a theme common to many introductory marketing texts and degree courses. The two most common exceptions cited to this proposition are buying behavior models between consumers and business buyers and the extended ingredients of the services marketing mix. While the overall sentiments of marketing hold true across product and market boundaries, perhaps the differences are in fact more marked? Intends to spark some discussion pertaining to the extent to which marketers can safely generalize when discussing the nature and characteristics of marketing. Are we correct in offering students and in-company training program generalizations that cut across the marketing domain? Are we doing justice to the core nuances if we simply draw out the variations between consumer goods, services, industrial and business-to-business marketing? Is there a different perspective that should, in the new millennium, be th e focus of textbooks and marketing courses? Content Indicators: readability, Practice implications, originality, Research Implications* Marketing is marketing, irrespective of the product or marketplace. This is a theme common to many introductory marketing texts and courses. The two most common exceptions cited to this proposition are buying behavior models between consumers and business buyers and the extended ingredients of the services marketing mix (cf. Dibb et al., 1997; Kotler, 1998). While the overall sentiments of marketing hold true across product and market boundaries, perhaps the differences are in fact more marked? The marketers of services were the first to â€Å"speak out†, arguing that the nature of marketing is different owing to the basic characteristics of services:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  intangibility;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  direct organization-client relationship;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  consumer participation in the production process; and  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Complexity. The upshot for services marketers has been the extension of the marketing mix from the classical product, price, place (channel) and promotion â€Å"4Ps† to include at least people, physical evidence (ambience) and process. These marketers also point to the characteristics of services, notably intangibility of the service â€Å"product†, restricting opportunities for creating a differential advantage over competitors, with the inevitable dependence for differentiation and competitive edge on branding initiatives and personnel. While services marketers have outlined significant differences for â€Å"their marketing†, on the whole, texts and marketers have argued there are relatively only minor differences between the marketing of consumer goods and industrial or business-to-business goods. This paper is intended to spark some discussion pertaining to the extent to which marketers can safely generalize when discussing the nature and characteristics of industrial, business-to-business marketing.

Clown with Long Nose by Walt Kuhn

â€Å"When art is made new, we are made new with it. We have a sense of solidarity with our own time, and of psychic energies shared and redoubled, which is just about the most satisfying thing that life has to offer. â€Å"If that is possible,† we say to ourselves, â€Å"then everything is possible†; a new phase in the history of human awareness has been opened, just as it was opened up when people first read Dante, or first heard Bach’s 48 preludes and fugues, or first learned Hamlet and King Lear. † (Russell 13) This new art spoken of, the coined â€Å"secret revolution† that was a part of the new phase opened up, was modern art. This revolutionary form began shortly before 1914 (Russell 126) and is still present today. It was during this time period that artist Walt Kuhn gained great popularity and his work Clown With Long Nose was painted. It is important, before looking at the painting, to first understand the purpose and direction modern art usually has. â€Å"The entire gamut of modern art can be viewed from the vantage point of the artist’s attitude towards the object, an examination which should throw some light on the larger problem of how the modern artist chooses to interweave art and reality and, ultimately, of what constitutes reality for him (Johnson 11). A major part of interpreting modern art lies within determining that reality. Viewers search for their own meaning in the painting since the simplicity of most modern works leaves much room for imagination. When the modernism phase of artwork began it was not exactly obvious to the public, but over time there â€Å"came about a general awareness that there was such thing as a modern sensibility, and that that sensibility had the key to modern life (Russell 126)†. It was thought that if one was modern they had to easily be able to notice changes of life and be accommodating of â€Å"the unconscious and the irrational† side of humans (Russell 126). These aspects will later influence the works of Walt Kuhn in his various oil paintings of the time. Born in Brooklyn, New York, a cultural mecca for all things up and coming, in the year 1877, Walt Kuhn began making a living out his craft at a young age (â€Å"American Modernist†). He sold his first painting when he was only 15 to a small magazine, and quickly chose the career path of an artist. Though he â€Å"did not emerge as a mature painter until he was fifty years old (Wall plaque)†, Kuhn ‘s cartoonist and set designer background helped him turn his â€Å"multi-faceted interests† into a lifestyle. â€Å"After he began cartooning professionally inn1899, Kuhn decided to acquire art training and traveled to Paris to study at the Academie Colarossi (Wall plaque). † He was a big fan of modernism, and so, despite his traditional tendencies, the form randomly showed itself in his own work. He found is theme in the mid- twenties when he began to paint large canvases featuring single figures, usually circus performers or clowns. (Wall plaque). † The figures may have represented a counterculture of the flamboyant, flapper time period of the twenties, or possibly, they could depict some part of Kuhn that maybe felt like an outcast or somewhat of an oddity in society. It is not really known but generally his pictures were â€Å"depicted with solem n demeanor (Wall plaque)† and not all that pleasant to look at. Contradictory to Kuhn’s norm however, â€Å"Clown With Long Nose has an unusually animated expression, addressing the viewer with a look of clever self-satisfaction ad mischievous delight (Wall plaque)†. This work is a very good representation of the artist in that it stays true to his circus character subject, and like cartoons, the painting plays on the hope that people’s sense of humor will appreciate it as a new way to think about and look at art. The reason it can be considered a modern work of art is the ability it gives its viewers to interpret. Unlike the preceding realist period, this work leaves the viewer room to wonder. Questions like â€Å"What is the clown smirking at? † and â€Å"What is he staring out? † can all be pondered while looking at the painting. It aesthetically pleasing enough and has just enough quirks to it to make this painting one to remember and a good example of what some twentieth century art looks like. Through his education and appreciation for the art of which he lived in, Walt Kuhn was able to create not a masterpiece, but a story with his Clown With Long Nose painting. It may not be the most serious or useful peace of artwork from the time period, and it more than likely does not have some deep message or meaning hidden behind its brush strokes; however, the 1936 painting is fun to look at. A viewer is able to look at it for what it is and determine his or her own personal value for the work. It is a good addition to the modernism period and to the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.

Explain the Impacts the Vietnam War Had on Soldiers Essay

The Vietnam was a war like no other and the nature of the fighting in this war had great impacts on the soldiers. At this time, communism was seen as a great threat, especially by Western countries, and so extreme emphasis was placed on the domino theory that when one country falls to communism, others would follow and that forward defence would be the only solution to this issue. Also during this time, Vietnam was artificially split into the communist South, led by Ho Chi Min who defeated and drove out the French, and the government led South, which was in the power of Diem who was clearly corrupt and had little supporters so the spread of communism was quite likely. In response, American and Australian troops were sent to fight for the South and stop this spread of communism but there were many difficulties. Firstly, the soldiers faced very inhumane and difficult fighting conditions. War itself is gruesome but in Vietnam, the conditions were different and in some ways, it was worse. The terrain was difficult since it is made up of open rice paddies, dense jungles and steep ranges that were filled with small villages containing civilians who were had to avoid. Also, the guerilla warfare made it hard for soldiers to identify the enemy since attacks may come from anybody, including normal civilians such as young children or even the elderly. The issues involved weren’t straightforward and both sides were fighting to convince the people that they had their best interests at heart but the Americans and Australians were seen as invaders with a clumsy fighting style and were seen as supporting the corrupt regime of the South. All these conditions impacted the soldiers negatively because they were disadvantaged; they had to fight in conditions that seemed to be unjust and against what they have been taught, causing many of the soldiers to question their role and also feeling lost and confused with the nature of the fighting and also because their actions aren’t even supported by the people they we fighting for and the people at home due to a social revolution. This caused soldiers to feel cheated but also feel as if they let the people down. This impact on the soldiers is significant because it was through this that led to other long-term issues. Also from the fighting, soldiers were physically impacted. Like in any war, many soldiers would have their health impacted by a vast range of circumstances. Many had wounds of various degrees that were caused by numerous explosions from bombs, shelling and landmines as well as from gunshots or flying shrapnel that affected many parts of the body, handicapping soldiers. Also, the landmines used were very serious. If they did not cause death, the injuries caused by these were extremely severe and terrible, as soldiers would lose a leg or even both legs due to this. Soldiers were also exposed to a strong chemical known as Agent Orange, whose original use was to kill jungle growth so that the enemy could be revealed, but there were many serious long term effects as a result of this which included nervous conditions, many forms of cancer, and genetic deformations which led to malformations of children conceived after the war, and continued on into future generations. So as a result of the fighting in Vietnam, many soldiers were impacted physically. Furthermore, the soldiers experienced extreme psychological problems. Due to the brutal nature of the war, soldiers ended up and were forced to kill many seemingly innocent civilians. This is against what many of the soldiers valued and what they were taught; instead of killing the ferocious enemy armies like what their fathers experienced, young children, helpless mothers and the elderly became the victims, which seemed very wrong. This has led to various mixed emotions, comprising mainly of guilt; guilt for killing the innocent and guilt for letting the South Vietnamese down after promising them so much and leaving them deserted in the end. In addition, soldiers would have lost many of their friends in battle but also returned to a home that has been changed by a social revolution (hippie movement) that resented war so instead of returning as heroes for fighting for their country, the soldiers were only quietly brought back and were isolated. As a result of all this, the veterans faced many mental health problems such as depression, schizophrenia, nightmares that eventually led to high suicide rates and many other social problems. In conclusion, many of the soldiers who went and fought in the Vietnam war never really returned; they have been through and experienced so many horrors and physical, mental and social pain, that they never really blended in with their society at home anymore and never really regained what they had before the war again.