Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Essay on Abortion is Murder - 667 Words

Many Christians and scientist wonder whether abortion is scientifically or biblically wrong. For a Christian you have to prove that God values life before birth and that he has a pro-life stance. You have to also prove that God considers the time in the womb just another stage. From a scientific perspective you have to prove that the zygote, embryo, or fetus is indeed alive. You also have to consider at what point during development it becomes alive. You would also have to prove that it is human. This would show us that killing or aborting it would be ending life therefore murdering. In the Bible there are many verses that would bring me to just that conclusion. In Exodus 20:13 the Bible states â€Å"You shall not murder†. It is one of the†¦show more content†¦They way this verse is said would make you believe the bible is pointing to conception as the starting point of life Jeremiah 1:4-5 states â€Å"The word of the LORD came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations This passage tells us that God has a predestined purpose and a relation with us before we are born. Telling us that God has already set value on our lives even before conception The Bible also says that in David’s confession of murder and adultery, he traces his innate proclivity to sin back to his conception (Psalms 51:5) Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me† this verse also refers to point of conception not the point of birth as the beginning of life, as do all the others. This is clear evidence that the Bible portrays a anti-abortion stance. In all countries it is illegal to murder, if you murder there are consequences but yet people do not consider a fetus something to be murdered. This statement can be proved false by proving a fetus is indeed alive and is human. There are three requirements for something to be alive. First it must have DNA, second they must take energy from the environment or there surroundings. Third they must have a form of reproduction. If you prove that the fetus fulfills all three of these requirements then you know it is alive. To fulfill the firstShow MoreRelatedAbortion Is Murder1062 Words   |  4 Pages ABORTION IS MURDER â€Å"There are nearly 1.2 million abortions performed in the United States each year† (Operation Rescue, 2014). That was 1.2 million innocent lives that were ended before they even had a chance to begin. Abortion has been legal for decades now, and it is time to put a stop to all the murdering of unborn children. This senseless killing of an unborn child needs to be recognized for what it truly is, and that is legalized murder. Abortions should be made illegal in the United StatesRead MoreAbortion: Is It Murder?1524 Words   |  7 PagesAbortion is an extremely controversial issue and one that many people can have very strong feelings for on both sides of the debate. Those who support abortion rights argue that it is a woman’s choice what to do with her body. Although, the unborn baby inside a woman is still a person living, and terminating that pregnancy is the same thing as murder. No one should have the choice to commit murder. Abortion is honestly wrong because t he laws prohibiting abortion help to keep people from playing GodRead MoreIs Abortion A Murder?3072 Words   |  13 Pages Abortion is Murder Numerous times throughout the past, a woman has wept herself to sleep or woke up in the middle of the night with horrible panic attacks that she cannot seem to overcome. She lives with such guilt and wonders what life would be like today if only she had made a different choice. Life is full of choices, and unfortunately people sometimes make choices that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. The saddest part is that many times we allow other people to influence the choicesRead More Abortion is Not Murder Essay1202 Words   |  5 PagesAbortion is Not Murder Is abortion murder?   Murder is defined as illegal killing with malice aforethought. Abortion fails this definition for two reasons. First, abortion is not illegal, and second, there is no evidence to suggest that expecting mothers feel malice towards their own flesh and blood. Not all killing is murder, of course. Murder is actually a small subset of all killing, which includes accidental homicide, killing in self-defense, suicide, euthanasia, etc. When pro-lifeRead MoreAbortion is a Murder Essay721 Words   |  3 Pageson-going subject that has been greatly debated in our society is abortion. Many people argue that because the baby in the mother’s womb is not alive, aborting him or her is not considered a murder. However, others say that as the baby’s heart and brain are the first things to develop, the baby is technically alive and killing it would be a murder. As soon as the baby has a heartbeat, it has life. Abortion has many characteristics of a murder, including the killing of one human being by another, it’s unethicalRead MoreAbortion Is Murder Essay1300 Words   |  6 Pages The topic of abortion is an extremely controversial issue in todays society, there are many separate views on the morality of it . Abortion is defined as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy (â€Å"Abortion†). In other words, it is the murder of an unborn child. Throughout the past there has been several court cases related to abortion, in attempt to resolve the debate. For example, Roe v. Wade declared that unborn children are neither ‘persons’ nor are they entitledRead MoreAbortion: Murder or Necessity766 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion: Murder or Necessity Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo before it is viable. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced. Abortion, when induced in accordance with the local law, is among the safest procedures in medicine. However, unsafe abortions (those performed by persons without proper training or outside of a medical environment)Read MoreAbortion Is Not The Murder Of An Infant1507 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent perspective on abortion. The first written works of Christianity states â€Å"You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.† In the early Christianity, abortion was prohibited. The early church leader who had agreed on abortion stated: â€Å"that if an abortion was performed to hide the consequences of fornication and adultery, then it was a sin that required penance.† This lit the sp arks between Christians on whether abortion was considered a murder or not. â€Å"St.AugustineRead MoreShould Abortion Be Murder?868 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion is Murder Have you ever lost a loved one or someone that meant a lot to you? If so, how did that make you feel? I’m sure you felt heartbroken or lost and you didn’t know what you were going to do. Imagine how you would feel if you were trying to bring a loved one into this world but you couldn’t. It wasn’t because you didn’t want to, it’s was because you were physically not able to. There are many women who want to have kids and make their family grow but because of their health issues theyRead More Abortion is Murder Essay506 Words   |  3 Pagesside of this argument says that abortion should be kept legal for cases in which the baby’s birth endangers the life of the mother. This is an argument that is basically trying to create sympathy among uneducated voters to try to woo them to the pro-choice side of the argument and to elect pro-choice politicians. This is a dirty trick because they are fighting a battle that has already been won, becau se even in pre-legalized times in states that prohibited abortion such as Texas there were exceptions

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Marketing Analysis The American Marketing Association

When we all think of marketing most may think of marketing as a company soliciting a product or trying to sell something with different types of sales pitches. The American Marketing Association denotes the definition of marketing as: Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.(Gundlach, G. T., Wilkie, W. L. (2009) p.260) . This definition that the AMA published in 2007, was renewed from the previous definition of marketing that was last published in 2004 (Gundlach, G. T., Wilkie, W. L. (2009) p.259) . The reason why I pointed the difference in the years is because that in a matter of three years the definition of marketing has changed. The world we live in changes daily, so does everything else. In the text, the author states that the definition of sports marketing is defined as the marketing of products, services and experiences, entities such as leagues and teams, and the recruitment and retention of volunteers as a relationship marketing exercise (Masteralexis, L. P., Barr, C. A., Hums, M. A. (2015) p.50-51). Traditional and Sports marketing both have the common theme of marketing, but both are different in the audience that is being marketed to, the demand the sports platform has, and the amount of revenue that respectively sets them apart from the two. The targets groups that are associated with sportsShow MoreRelatedStrategic Marketing1052 Words   |  5 Pageshead: STRATEGIC MARKETING PROCESS Strategic Marketing Process Strategic Marketing Process In order for an organization to reach its target markets, it must use the strategic marketing process to allocate its marketing mix resources. The marketing mix is elements, such as price, product, place, and promotion (also known as the 4 â€Å"P†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s) used in the make up the marketing process (Bayne Hardin, 2002). It is important for an organization to have a good understanding of the marketing mix. Each elementRead MoreMarketing Management, Kotler Keller Chapter Summaries1107 Words   |  5 PagesMarketing Management Chapter 8 key points * To develop the best marketing plans, managers need to understand what makes each segment unique and different. * Effective target marketing requires: market segmentation; market targeting, and market positioning. * A market segment consists of a group of customers who share a similar set of needs and wants. Market segments are generally defined by looking at descriptive characteristics or behavioral considerations. * GeographicRead MoreThe Meaning of Marketing Strategy1470 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿The meaning of marketing strategy The contemporaneous business society is extremely dynamic and forces the economic agent to develop and implement a wide array of tactics in order to overcome the challenges raised by various categories of stakeholders. For instance, the organizational staff members are becoming more demanding and also more valuable, generating an internal need to better manage and retain talent, as well as an external competition among employers. Then, the forces of globalizationRead MoreConsumer Psychology and Marketing Communications Article Analysis807 Words   |  4 PagesConsumer Psychology and Marketing Communications Article Analysis PSY/322 November 13, 2012 Dr. Sharlyn Moore Consumer Psychology and Marketing Communications Article Analysis Consumer Psychology is the art of determining consumer requirements through study and analysis of consumer spending and purchasing habits relating to products or services advertised for sale. The analysis portion focuses on consumer motivation concerning products and mood relative to purchasing products. The CherryRead MoreThe Driving Force Behind A Company s Financial Success Essay1251 Words   |  6 Pagescompany’s ability to market itself. Marketing goes beyond selling of a product. It involves â€Å"building strong brands and a loyal customer base intangible asset that contributes to the value of a firm† (Kotler Keller, 2012). The American Marketing Association, defined marketing as â€Å"Marketing is an activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers† (Kotler Keller, 2012). Since marketing plays such a vital role inRead Morenestle in ghana1018 Words   |  5 PagesGSM5200 MARKETING MANAGEMENT - GROUP STUDY Nestlà © (Ghana) Ltd. â€Å"An Analysis on Situation and Marketing Strategy Proposal to Maintain Brand Equity and Expand Brand Penetration of Nestle Products in Ghana, West Africa† â€Å"How to effectively expand market in least developing countries† is the major issue found in the case. This consists of derived issues faced by the company which can be correlated with marketing studies. By The American Marketing Association, marketing is defined as the activityRead MoreBenefits Of Entering The Global Market Is At The Annual Pet Products Trade Show926 Words   |  4 Pagesin global industries, however, have no choice but to internationalize their operations (Kotler Keller, 2012). Eventually, Caninantics will provide this product on the global market. Marketing this product abroad will not come easily. Making the decision to go abroad requires the managers to define marketing objectives and policies. Additionally, Caninantics needs to determine which and how many global markets to enter. Caninantics will do this gradually with a waterfall approach. Since CaninanticsRead MoreDefining Marketing Paper1010 Words   |  5 PagesDEFINING MARKETING PAPER Defining Marketing Paper Bonnie Garcia University of Phoenix Marketing is an important part of the business organization; it is more than just promoting and selling a product. Marketing is gratifying the changing needs of the customer. This can be best summed up by the very successful businessman Bill Gates when he quoted, Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning . The purpose of this paper is to define marketing fromRead MoreEffects Of Globalization On Obesity And Caloric Intake880 Words   |  4 PagesADA (American Diabetes Association). Other than price, there are other factors included in this article that include: race/ethnicity, age, education level, and census region. Seiders, Kathleen, and Ross D. Petty. Obesity and the Role of Food Marketing: A Policy Analysis of Issues and Remedies. JSTOR. American Marketing Association, Fall 2004. Web. 24 Feb. 2017. This article is from the American Marketing Association and focuses on a crucial reason why obesity has skyrocketed, food marketing. TheRead MoreCase Study : Pet Food Store Essay1069 Words   |  5 Pagesincreasing competition. The pet food will focus its marketing strategies for the small and medium size dogs, along with a line for felines. â€Å"Only Natural Pet Food† targets people with active lifestyle make it great choose for the new line of pet food, this new line will appeal to individuals that have a healthier lifestyle and want to extend it to their pets. Launching the marketing campaign for Only Natural Pet Food the company will use SWOT analysis for the best strategies. Thus, allow SNHU pet

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Ben and Jerry for Business Media- MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theBen and Jerry for Business Media. Answer: Introduction: Founded in the year of 1978, by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, Ben and Jerry indeed had a humble beginning that however witnessed unprecedented success over the coming years (Pol Wolle, 2016). The ice-cream company offers a variety of ice cream flavors to its consumers, including the rarest and most unique ones, such as graham cracker swirls and fudge peace signs. One of the major factors that contribute to the brand recognition of the company is that the company is not solely driven by the motive of profit maximization. The organization also manages to stay in limelight owing to its dedication to important social causes, such as marriage equality and cow-friendly farming methods. Although the organization works towards the accomplishment of a pre-determined set of strategies, it is important to evaluate the strategies and offer effective recommendations for the same. Corporate Goals and Strategies of Ben and Jerry: Although Ben and Jerry has managed to gain much recognition in the market of premium ice creams, it does encounter tough competition from companies such as Haagen Dazes. Hence, in order to sustain itself in future, and gain competitive edge over rival firms, the company intends to provide ice creams that are not only tasty, but are also nutritional in content. One of the integral goals of Ben and Jerry is to offer rich content of nutrients, minerals and vitamins to the consumers, so as to ensure that the consumed products also produce health benefit to the consumers. The quality of the ice cream products helps in distinguishing the Ben and Jerry ice cream products from its competitors, and hence the as per the strategy of the company, it charges a premium price from its consumers. The strategy of the company has always been to emphasize its healthy, preservative free, nutritional ingredients, and hence the taglines of its marketing campaigns like Food is not a Science Experiment has also stressed on this specific aspect only (Bourgeois et al., 2013) . Since the goals of the organization has always been to create a sustainable world, its strategy has also been to support social causes, such as creating awareness regarding the issue of climate change through its products, as well as marketing campaigns like Save our Swirled Campaign, that not only promote the brand but also help showing its utmost dedication to social causes (Endmondson, 2014). It should be noted here that while the organizational goal of the company has been to sell and distribute the finest quality of natural ice creams to its consumers, its strategy has been to align its goals with marketing strategies that uphold social causes for a sustainable global community. Analysis of the Corporate Goals and Strategies and the Recommendations for the Same: As a super premium ice cream organization, Ben and Jerry needs to retain its position, and thus its purchasing management team has to play an indispensible role. First of all, in order to delight the consumers, the purchasing management team must introduce product development, whereby the ice cream products can offer healthy ingredients along with unique tasty flavors. As it is a well-known fact that Ben and Jerry has been known for producing some of the most random ice cream flavors, which have failed to delight the cravings of the consumers. Hence, less known, unusual and well-tested ice cream flavors such as the flavors of natural fruit mix, coconut or raw mango can easily draw the attention of the consumers (Arbucke, 2013). While this will endorse the companys dedication to offer real, healthy and close to nature ingredients, it will offer a wide variety of unique flavors to the consumers as well. Besides, the organic ice cream industry is also witnessing a huge sale growth, owin g to the increasing health consciousness of the consumers. The organic ice creams are not only healthy, and rich in nutrients, but are also fat-free products. Considering the fact that the organizational goal of Ben and Jerry has been to promote a healthy life style, the purchasing management team can produce sweetened frozen food, rich in organic ingredients like organic milk, organic cream and organic egg yolks. The important goal of Ben and Jerry is also to generate revenue growth over the coming years, and the same can be accomplished if the purchasing department of the organization can diversify its products and start producing a variety of new products, including ice cream desserts and ice cream burgers (Johnson, 2014). This will help in product differentiation and will enable the company gain competitive edge over the rival firms. Conclusion: To conclude, it should be remembered that Ben and Jerry as an ice cream company is highly distinguished by the rival firms, by its dedication to produce the finest quality all-natural ice cream products. Since the company intends to offer value to the community, it must focus on offering a variety of natural flavors to the consumers. However, it should not compromise with the taste of its products, and at the same time, its marketing campaigns must foster a company image of social activism that in turn will help in enhancing the brand loyalty of the consumers. Reference List: Arbuckle, W. S. (2013).Ice cream. Springer Science Business Media. Bourgeois III, L. J., Bourgeois III, L. J., Mariani, E., Mariani, E., Yu, V. J., Yu, V. J., ... Yu, V. J. (2017). Ben Jerry's and Unilever: The Bohemian and the Behemoth.Darden Business Publishing Cases, 1-11. Edmondson, B. (2014).Ice Cream Social: The Struggle for the Soul of Ben Jerry's. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Johnson, P. F. (2014).Purchasing and supply management. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. van de Pol, M., Wolle, A. L. (2016). Brand extension in the FMCG sector: A study of consumers attitudes towards a brand extension in the context of Ben Jerrys proposed launch of a dairy-free ice cream in the Nordic market. Weele, A. J., Raaij, E. M. (2014). The future of purchasing and supply management research: About relevance and rigor.Journal of Supply Chain Management,50(1), 56-72.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Marketing and Virtual Value Chain free essay sample

It considers how the different recourses and capabilities of a firm are used in conjunction with one another. Rather than looking at the individual activities of a firm, this approach evaluates the processes of a firm and how they can be used to create strategies that provide superior value to customers. The activity-based approach, on the other hand, measures the value and competitive advantage of a firm by analyzing individual activities in the firm’s value chain. Activities identified in the firm’s value chain include those activities that can provide a competitive advantage for a firm; such activities should have economics of scale or scope Competency-based thinking allows companies to align its strengths with the business opportunities and eliminate weaknesses in order to avoid threats creates a ‘strategic fit’ between its internal competencies and the external environment. The competence-based thinking allows businesses to investigate and understand the entire picture of the organizational structures and actual practices in order to understand the current situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing and Virtual Value Chain or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It can improve and enhance the current practice and further plan for the future. Competency development can take place over a period of time if the company has measures in place to ensure that employees learn and develop the competencies as their careers progress. Competency-based thinking in e-business strategy can be an effective model for businesses to use also. Small business owners must be able to develop technical competencies to thrive in the field of e-business. One of the primary barriers that many small business owners face in e-business is the lack of know-how in the development of effective websites and marketing strategies used to develop a web presence. Managers and business owners need to constantly update their knowledge of the Internet and the effective measures used by other companies to develop their business. The competence-based approach looks at how the resources and capabilities of a firm interact across different functions and activities. The core competencies of a firm are comprised of individual activities; therefore, the activities of a firm are also addressed in this approach. The activities-based approach, on the other hand, considers only the individual activities of a firm. It neglects to fully consider the processes and resources of a firm (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 86). 2) Think critically of possible applications of the virtual value chain concept within specific industries and business sectors. Are there some specify business sectors where this concept fits better than in other sectors? The virtual value chain is useful in many different industries and business sectors. For instance, e-businesses operating in the online retail industry can benefit immensely by developing a virtual value chain. Customer information can be used to help make a more personalized experience for the customer. An e-business retailer could provide product recommendations based on previously purchased or view items; enable the customer to view order status and order history; and develop personalized sales based on spending habits. For example, Old Navy emails advertisements and sale information to customers based on past purchases. Also, if a customer has an Old Navy credit card, they can view history of items they purchased in the store through Old Navy’s website. Another industry in which the virtual value chain is applicable is the credit card industry. Credit card companies allow customers to view transaction history and statements through secure websites. They also allow customers to make payments and update their personal information all in one place. Customers can monitor their spending limits intermittently before they receive their statement through the mail. Transaction information is available through a credit card’s website as soon as a sale is made. Both customers and the credit card companies, themselves, have benefit greatly by utilizing such information. Customers can now access information via the Internet, rather than call a customer service representative on the phone. The medical industry is another field in which the virtual value chain can enhance a customer’s experience. Healthcare providers are now creating personalized records for their customers online. Information gathered via claims sent to the insurance company is being used to update an individual’s personal health record on the Internet. This enables the customer to easily maintain medical records, receive updates when they are due for routine visits and tests, and keep track of prescription refills. The virtual value change is particularly useful for the sales and marketing business sector. Sales and marketing activities can go a long way by utilizing the virtual value chain. Customer information gathered in a number of industries can be used for virtual marketing efforts. Advertising can be accomplished on the web and through email. Companies can filter through customer databases to segregate their customers into different groups, such as existing customers, prospect customers, or inactive customers. Such information can be utilized to tailor specialized marketing efforts based on a customer’s status, preferences, etc. Although the virtual value chain provides a vast amount of benefits to most industries, it fits better in some business sectors than others. For example, the sales and marketing sector can better utilize the virtual value chain than the construction and engineering sectors. While information gather about customers in the construction and engineering sectors are valuable; there are not many applications to provide benefits to individual customers via the virtual marketspace. As well, the virtual value chain is more appropriate for industries and business sectors with repeat customers. Business sectors that tend to have one-time customers, based on the nature of the business, cannot receive much benefit from the virtual value chain. The virtual value chain is a powerful tool; however, it can be put to greater use in some industries over others. 3) Explain critically assess the ICDT framework and pinpoint its shortcomings. The ICDT framework was conceptualized by Albert Angehm. This model provides companies with a tool to assess the virtual market space and the range of activities they can utilize to interact with their customers (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 7). Such interactions help an e-business to enhance their customers’ overall experience, which in turn, can increase their market share. A breakdown of the ICDT framework follows. The ICDT framework provides companies with a systematic approach to developing effective e-business strategies. The model was developed for traditional bricks-and-mortar companies looking to expand into the virtual market space. T he model enables a company to evaluate the opportunities within the virtual market space and develop ways in which they can benefit from such opportunities. According to the ICDT framework, there are four dimensions and types of activities which an e-business can offer to its customers, as follows: Information activities: Information activities lay within the virtual information space. Information activities consist of marketing and knowledge sharing via the Internet. Companies can use the virtual information space to implement marketing and advertising campaigns, post information about their products and services, and enable customers to view the availability of products (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 87). Many companies now integrate their online information activities with their offline activities. For example, when on Target’s website, a customer can find out if a certain product is in stock at their local Target store. Communication activities: Communications activities take place in the virtual communication space. Communication activities consist of two-way communication between customers and businesses, businesses and businesses, and customers and customers. Such activities include email communication, message boards, and live chats (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 9). For example, when a customer has been on Sandal’s website, a vacation provider, for a couple of minutes, an instant message will appear on the screen asking if the customer has any questions or needs assistance. Transaction activities: Transaction activities occur in the virtual transaction space via e-commerce. Transaction activities involve the online placement of orders and online payment processing (Je lassi Enders, 2008, p. 89). Examples of transaction activities include the purchase and payment of cable television services on Comcast’s website. As well, most utility bills can be paid via the provider’s website. Distribution activities: Distribution activities take place in the virtual distribution space. They include the electronic distribution of digital goods, such as music, television shows, movies, e-books, and software (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 90). An example would be the online streaming of movies through Netflix’s website and television shows via Hulu. com. The virtual market spaces, as presented by the ICDT framework, provide a vast amount of opportunities for businesses to expand their opportunities to the Internet. Despite the apparent advantage of these virtual market spaces, each virtual market space also has its shortcoming. Information activities are most valuable to customers when they provide real-time, up-to-date information. When e-business first became popular, most e-businesses only provided static information. In order to successfully interact with customers via the virtual information space, companies must fully integrate and link their information activities to warehouse, production, and offline activities (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 87). Communication activities are fairly straightforward; however, the drawback of communication activities is that companies must provide timely responses to their customers. Online communication activities can quickly escalate; therefore, many e-businesses have developed automatic response systems to answer routine questions. Transaction activities, on the other hand, can be difficult to carry out. Customers tend to be leery about the websites they perform transactions over. The e-business must have a secure website and also be a reputable company. As e-commerce continues to progress, customers are getting more comfortable with online transactions (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 90). For instance, many e-commerce allow customers to perform payment transactions via PayPal, a trusted online payment facilitator. Additionally, most transactions have typically been limited to credit transactions. The shortcoming to credit transactions is that it is not economically feasible to accept credit transactions for low-priced goods. To overcome this pitfall, online micro-payment systems have been developed to facilitate the transaction of low-priced goods (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 0). Distribution activities are limited to the online capacity and capabilities of both providers and customers. It is not feasible to distribute goods to a customer with a 56-k modem. DSL and cable internet technologies have presented a mechanism to distribute digital goods online (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 90). As more customers and businesses become equip with broa dband technology, more goods will be offered in digital form. 3) Explain how an Internet can help a company to achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace through (a) cost leadership and (b) differentiation. Illustrate each case through an actual example, other than those mentioned in this module. A cost leadership strategy is one in which a company attempts to lower their operating costs in order to provide their products and services at low prices to customers. In order to effectively gain a competitive advantage through a low cost strategy, the company must provide the minimum required benefits to customers, which are known as threshold features. Such features are required for a customer to consider a product (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 98). There are several ways in which an e-business can utilize the Internet to achieve a cost leadership strategy, as follows: Economics of scale: By increasing their level of production, a firm will decrease their unit production cost. The Internet enables an e-business to reach a large market of customers, typically larger than they could reach as a traditional bricks-and-mortar company. Therefore, the company can increase their output and lower their costs. Economics of scope: Economics of scope are achieved by expanding the variety of products and services offered by a firm, while utilizing the same assets for each offering. In other words, the company leverages their assets to spread their fixed cost over a wider range of goods and services (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 102). An e-business can achieve economics of scope by extending into new markets and reaching out to new customer groups via the Internet. Factor costs: Factor costs are the sum of all costs incurred when producing a product or service. In order to achieve a cost leadership position, an e-business can use the Internet to lower their factor costs. By reaching a larger group of customers over the Internet, an e-business can purchase raw materials or other inputs in bulk (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 02). Learning effects: After a company has been established for some time, they can lower their costs by improving their efficiency. They can use accumulated knowledge to increase productivity. The Internet can be used as an effective tool to achieve a cost leadership position. An example of an e-commerce company that has proved to be a successful co st leader is Overstock. com. Overstock. com is an online retailer which offers a wide range of products. The company’s low cost strategy includes economics of scope and a reduction in factor costs. Economics of scope are recognized by the variety of products offered by the company. Overstock. com can reach a large number of customers by offering a diverse range of products. All of the products offered on the site utilize the same assets. As well, the company purchases their products in bulk from their suppliers, which also significantly decreases their costs. Overstock. com sells their products well below the suggested retail price, which entices customers to buy from their site. A differentiation strategy, on the other hand, is one in which a company attempts to differentiate itself from competitors by offering unique and/or higher quality products. Unlike the low cost strategy, the differentiation strategy requires a company to incur higher costs and charge a higher than average price to customers. Customers are willing to pay a higher price due to the superior quality of the offering. When using a differentiation approach, it is important that the company clearly defines its market segment in order to recognize the elements which are of true value to their target audience (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 103). The Internet can also be used to achieve a differentiation strategy. To do so, an e-business must provide tangible sources of benefits which include: high product/service quality, product or service customization, convenience, fast speed of delivery, and a wide product range (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 104). Because e-business firms exist in the virtual world, each of these tangible sources of benefit can be recognized. Products can be built to order, as they do not need to be stock in a physical stock; the customer can go on one site to accomplish a variety of tasks or purchase a range of products; and orders can be quickly turned around and delivered to the customer. In addition to tangible sources of benefit, a differentiation strategy must also offer intangible benefits to the customer. These include brand and reputation. The Internet can be used to effectively leverage the brand name of an existing bricks-and-mortar company. Internet start-ups, on the other hand, must build through brand from the ground, which they can accomplish by marketing via the Internet. Reputation is also plays a major role in a differentiation strategy because customers incur less risk when purchasing from a trustworthy company (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 105). The Internet has been used to provide an effective differentiation strategy for Zappos, an online shoe retailer. The e-commerce site is known for its reputation, high level of customer service, convenience, speed of delivery, and product selection. Zappos has a wide product selection. They have vast amount of shoes available in all different fashions. They provide quick order processing and typically upgrade customers to overnight shipping for free. When returning or exchanging a product, they provide the shipping label and pick up the costs. Zappos has continued to differentiate itself from competitors by branching ut into television advertising. In 2010, they released a series of quirky, eye catching television commercials which have generated a lot of attention on the Internet. Their ads can be found on YouTube, as well as spoofs of their ads. This has drawn attention to Zappos, increased awareness of their site, and heightened their reputation. The Internet is a powerful tool whi ch can be used to build effective cost leadership and differentiation strategies. Many e-business companies have achieved competitive advantages by exploiting the capabilities of the Internet. As technology and the Internet continue to evolve, it will be interesting to see how e-businesses will use the Internet in the future. 5) Describe how a company can look for new market spaces outside its own industry. Numerous e-business firms have successfully implemented competitive advantage strategies via the Internet. Such strategies typically include a cost leadership and/or differentiation strategy. Many e-business firms have attempted to exploit the capabilities of the Internet to achieve both types of advantages. In other words, they achieve neither a cost leadership or differentiation position and project a confusing image to their customers. Many companies fall victim to the challenges of implementing both a low-cost and differentiation strategy. A low-cost strategy typically requires a company to forgo superior quality and enhanced features in order to provide a lower cost than competitors; whereas, a differentiation strategy requires a company to charge higher costs due to the increased costs of producing high quality goods or services. The low-cost and differentiation strategies have a tendency to conflict with one another; therefore, when many companies try to achieve a competitive advantage by implementing both strategies, they can easily get stuck somewhere in the middle (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 105). Such companies end up being perceived as average, run-of-the-mill companies that do not provide any increased benefits to their customer. When developing a strategy, a company is required to make tradeoffs. They may have to trade high quality for a low cost, or vice versa. However, current research has shown that when a company has the right factors in place, they can effectively accomplish both a low-cost and differentiation strategy simultaneously. This is known as an outpacing strategy. An outpacing strategy can be accomplished by developing new technologies, reducing wastefulness and increasing efficiencies, achieving economies of scale, and exploiting learning effects (Jelassi Enders, 2008, p. 108). Over the past decade, many e-business firms have utilized the Internet to achieve effect outpacing strategies and decreased their risk of getting stuck in the middle. The Internet provides ways for companies to increase their production levels by streamlining many of their processes. They can utilize new technologies which allow them to provide higher quality goods at low costs. Dell Computers is a great example of a company that has utilized both a cost leadership and differentiation strategy. Dell links their supply directly to demand. They build computers after the customer has placed their order. Their order process and logistics have been streamlined due to information technologies. Dell has a strong brand, a solid reputation, superior customer service, and offers innovative products all at a low cost to customers. Both differentiation and cost leadership have been the focus of Dell’s strategy. They have proven that a company can successfully implement an outpacing strategy without getting stuck in the middle, as long as the right technology and factors are in place. References Jelassi, T. , Enders, A. (2008). Strategies for e-business: Creating value through electronic and mobile commerce. (2nd ed. ). London, UK: Prentice Hall.