Slave Ship Essay Example for Free

Slave Ship Essay Rediker’s concern for the individual lived experiences of the participants in the trade is aided immensely by his command of the history of what life at sea is like. While scholars have been using the narrative of Olaudah Equiano to illuminate the experiences of enslavement for decades (Burnside and Robotham 1997), chapter 8 of The Slave Ship titled â€Å"The Sailor’s Vast Machine† contains a learned and astute description of work and suffering at sea. What sticks out is violence, and the shocking degree to which physical and emotional terror was used as a tool for control and psychosexual masochism. Rediker rightly points out that both captives and crew were being exploited by the captain, officers, and sponsors of slave ship voyages, without going so far as to suggest that the sailors somehow had it worse than the slaves. Far from it; Rediker makes clear the degree to which the nascent concept of â€Å"race† was lived out onboard, and relates truly debauched tales of rape, torture, concubinage, and murder of essentially helpless children. Anthropologically inclined readers will find much of interest in chapter 9 of Rediker’s book, titled â€Å"From Captives to Shipmates. The argument is of course not new; Mintz and Price raised it in the 1970’s as have others. In this chapter Rediker discusses favored anthropology themes such as resistance, revolt, music, dance, and other dimensions of the ethnogenesis of African-American culture. On page 305 he observes Slowly, in ways surviving documents do not allow us to see in detail, the idiom of kinship broadened, from immediate family to messes, to workmates, to friends, to countrymen and –women, to the whole of the lower deck. And in so observing, Rediker has given underwater archaeologists of the slave trade and the slave ship a research agenda. It’s an agenda with which I happen to agree and that I have discussed in greater detail elsewhere (McGhee 2007). Rediker ends his book with a discussion of the fight to end the slave trade and with the moving testimony of cast-off and dying sailors being cared for by enslaved people in Caribbean ports. He writes, â€Å"Theirs was the most generous and inclusive conception of humanity I discovered in the course of my research for this book. † I wonder what conceptions of humanity continue to motivate certain anti-treasure hunting nautical archaeologists. The Henrietta Marie and Fredensborg remain the two most representative archaeological examples of slave ships in existence. The former, first located in the water by Moe Molinar a Panamanian of African descent in the employ of treasure hunter Mel Fisher, is particularly important. Yet it took an African-American recreational SCUBA diving club, the National Association of Black SCUBA Divers, to denote and demonstrate that shipwreck’s importance and to bring its significance to wide attention. Properly trained nautical archaeologists still won’t publicly touch that wreck with a ten-foot pole.

Change and Conflict Management in Nursing

Change and Conflict Management in Nursing Jon Teegardin Change and Conflict Change and conflict occur in all aspects of our society. In nursing, it is important to identify and embrace change, address and resolve conflict, and do so in an effective and efficient manner. This paper will present descriptions of change theories, conflict theories, and how a nurse’s ability to handle both can enhance or hinder effective leadership. Additionally, the leader as a change agent will be discussed. Change Theories While there are numerous theories of change that exist, in the profession of nursing there are three main theories that are consistently seen throughout the healthcare industry. These theories are Lewins theory of change, Rogers change theory, and Spradley’s change theory. Lewins change theory Probably the most recognizable theory of change is that presented by Kurt Lewin. His theory involves three stages to change: unfreezing, moving, and refreezing (Stolley, 2005). Two forces are present in this theory, the driving force, or those pushing for a particular change, and the resistant force, those who are resistant to the change. For change to occur the driving force or agents for change, must be stronger than the resistant force. In the unfreezing stage, the driving force develops a method that allows people to let go of the current, unproductive way of doing something. By finding this method, individual resistance to the change is overcome. In the moving phase, individuals are encouraged to change their way of thinking, feeling, or behavior to the new method. Finally, in the refreezing stage, this change becomes the new habit and ultimately the standard operating procedure. Lewins theory is also referred to as the force field theory that states an organization attempts to maintain a state of equilibrium between change forces and restraining forces (Swanson, Creed, 2014). Change agents are the forces for change and must overcome the restraining forces to make the change successful. Rogers change theory Everette Rogers’s theory is a modification of Lewins change theory and involves five stages. The stages are awareness, interest, evaluation, implementation and adoption (Boston University School of Health, 2013). Roger’s theory is typically applied to long term projects. In the awareness stage, individuals are exposed to the new idea or process but lack all of the information about it. In the interest stage, the individual is interested in the new idea and seeks out additional information. The next stage is the evaluation stage where the individual determines how to apply the idea or process to their situation and decides whether or not they want to try it. The implementation stage occurs when the individual decides to make full use of the idea or process. Finally, in the adoption stage, the individual decides to continue to use the new idea or process. Roger’s theory is an example of social cognitive theory. Change does not occur immediately among all those presented with the change. There are actually five groups of people that implement the change over time. These groups are innovators who are leaders that embrace the change immediately, early adopters who are also leaders but will follow innovators, the early majority who are the bulk of the followers, the late majority who include skeptics of the change, and finally laggards who are resistant to change (Kaminski, 2011). Spradley’s change theory Spradley’s change theory is also a derivative of Lewins theory of change that involves an eight step process. The difference in Spradley’s theory is that it provides for constant evaluation of the change during implementation to ensure it is successful. The eight steps are recognition of a need for change, diagnosis of the problem, analysis of alternative solutions, selection of the change to be implemented, plan the change, implement the change, evaluate the implementation, and stabilize the change (Stolley, 2005). Spradley’s theory also allows for the investigation of multiple alternatives to the problem. The change agent initiates the process by recognizing a problem, defining the problem, and developing different solutions to the problem. Throughout the process, there is the constant evaluation that improves the chances for implementing a relevant, and effective solution. Spradley’s theory can be an instrument of social change (change from the bottom u p) or corporate change (from the top down). Conflict theories The constant change that nurses encounter in the healthcare industry causes conflict. There are four main conflict theories: organizational conflict theory, social conflict theory, social cognitive theory, and social exchange theory. Organizational conflict theory Organizational conflict theory identifies conflict on several levels. Interpersonal conflict is between workers in an organization. Conflict can also occur between departments within an organization. Finally, conflict can occur between organizations. Some conflict is considered healthy for the organization as it promotes creativity and ultimately, productivity (Deutsch, 2000). The key to management of this type of conflict is communication to manage the conflict and develop cooperative solutions. Social Conflict Theory This theory contends that conflict exists between people because individuals are motivated to act based on their own desires rather than the desires of others. This can be applied to classes of people. For example, social conflict theory says that the wealthy act to maintain their wealth, while the poor act to increase their wealth. Karl Marx is often cited as developing social conflict theory through his writings where he discussed the constant struggle between factory owners and factory workers during the industrial revolution in Europe (Segal, Smith, 2015). Social Cognitive Theory Social cognitive theory states that learning occurs in a social context and most learning is based on observations (Denler, Wolters, Benzon, 2014). It is also applied to classroom motivation and achievement. It states that people have an ability to influence their behavior and their environment in a manner that is in alignment with their goals. Social Exchange Theory Social exchange theory states that relationships have give and take, but the balance of these exchanges aren’t always equal (Changing Minds, 2014). This theory explains how we feel about a relationship based on our perception of what we put into the relationship versus what we get out of it, what kind of relationship we think we deserve, and whether we can have a better relationship with someone else. Handling Conflict It is important as a healthcare leader to quickly identify conflict and respond to it in a positive manner. The first step to resolving conflict is to recognize that conflict arises out of differences between individuals, departments, or organizations (Segal, Smith, 2015). Whether these differences are real or perceived, they are equally important to both parties. How a leader responds to conflict can either lead to a resolution, or create more conflict. Examples of unhealthy responses to conflict include: failure to recognize the importance of the details of the conflict, explosive, angry, or resentful reactions, inability to compromise, and fear or avoidance of conflict. These responses will erode the respect your subordinates have for you and hinder your ability to be a leader (Deutsch, 2000). Examples of healthy responses to conflict include calm and respectful reactions, a readiness to forgive and forget animosity related to the conflict and move forward without harboring feelings of resentment or anger, courage to face conflict head on, and seeking compromise while avoiding punishing. Leader as a change agent The nurse leader uses their power sources to act as a change agent. They must use their image of power to promote involvement of staff in the project to gain support and commitment (Daly, Speedy, Jackson, 2015). The nurse leader must demonstrate their knowledge and competency through their expert power. They must also use their connection power to communicate with others to relay the elements of change as well as receive feedback of opinions and doubts of others (Daly, Speedy, Jackson). Their use of referent power to gain the respect of others helps the nurse leader to persuade and motivate others to accept change as well. By approaching change in a positive manner, the nurse leader has the ability to gain support for the change among subordinates throughout the department and organization. Conclusion Conflict and change are ever present in the healthcare environment, due to the dynamic nature of the industry. The ability of the nurse leader to effectively promote change, while recognizing and resolving conflict among staff are critical skills that the successful leader must have. Recognizing that conflict and change are necessary to improve care and spark creativity is the important first step towards effectively managing both. References Boston University School of Health. (2013). Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/SB/SB721-Models/SB721-Models4.html Changing Minds. (2014). Social Exchange Theory. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/social_exchange.htm Daly, J., Speedy, S., Jackson, D. (2015). Leadership nursing: Contemporary perspectives (2nd ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences. Denler, H., Wolters, C., Benzon, M. (2014). Social Cognitive Theory. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/social-cognitive-theory/ Deutsch, M. (2000). The handbook of conflict resolution theory and practice. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass. Kaminski, RN MSN PhD(c), J. (2011). Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://cjni.net/journal/?p=1444 Segal, Ph.D., J., Smith, M.A., M. (2015). Conflict Resolution Skills. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/conflict-resolution-skills.htm Stolley, K. (2005). The basics of sociology. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. Swanson, D., Creed, A. (2014). Sharpening the Focus of Force Field Analysis. Journal of Change Management, 14(1), 28-47.

Wide Sargasso Sea and The Color Purple Essay examples -- essays resear

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Problems, along with misery, become apart of life whether you’re willing to accept it or not. For those who have accepted such troubles, have also learned to cope with it one way or another. Antoinette’s character in â€Å"Wide Sargasso Sea† and Celie’s character in â€Å"The Color Purple† have both experienced problems with depression, loneliness, violence, inferiority, racism, and self-identity. It is important for such characters as Antoinette and Celie to express their emotions and have a method of working out there issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel â€Å"Wide Sargasso Sea† by Jean Rhys, the character Antoinette is left mainly to her own free will as a child with no friends and relied on herself to find out that there is a world that can be both peaceful and horrifying. In the first part of the novel, we witness Antoinette’s childhood memories. She remembers the racial tensions and disapproval of white Jamaican women because they were not like â€Å"real white people†, wearing French Caribbean fashions. The white people also feared revenge of the ex- black slaves who follow Antoinette and called her â€Å"white cockroach†. Accepted by neither white nor black society, Antoinette feels great shame and left out. Having witnessed her home burnt down by the ex-slaves, the death of her brother Pierre, and her mother falling ill and mad, Antoinette had to go through it alone and begins to talk to herself for comfort. Being rejected by her mother and every...

Chicagos Negro :: Free Essays Online

Chicago's Negro When studying urban living spaces, one question that always comes to mind is how a particular urban space or neighborhood came into existence. I have grown up on the South Side of Chicago for the past 19 years in a community known as Pill Hill. My neighborhood, a middle-class Chicago neighborhood, came to gain its name because of all the doctors and health-care professionals who resided in the neighborhood in the 1960’s. In addition, I have also had the opportunity to live outside of the city in a northern suburb known as Highland Park: Along the lakefront of Chicago are some of the most affluent communities in the United States. In both median household income and per capita income, Northbrook, Highland Park, and Wilmette and among the nation’s ten wealthiest communities with a population of about 25,000 or more. There are other salient characteristics of these three communities: they are virtually all white and they have virtually no subsidized housing. (Squires 117) The rigors and din of the city are all but removed from life in Highland Park. Nevertheless, Highland Park, IL has faced its own share of trouble in the past decade for the discrimination that the corrupt local government has plagued minorities with. The living conditions in Highland Park are drastically different from those of the South Side of Chicago in that the average property value of a home in the year 2000 was $662,755 while the average home in Pill Hill sold for $180,323. (Citizens United for Justice) Nevertheless, Highland Park is just a single example of Chicago’s many affluent northern suburbs that developed in the 1850’s. Growing up in the city my entire life and having lived in different socio-economic conditions, I have grown immune to the extraordinary degree of racial segregation present in Chicago. As an African American, I have always felt comfortable living on the South Side of Chicago and not until I had the opportunity to live in both Highland Park and a neighboring suburb, Lake Forest, did I truly know what it felt like to be a minority. Nevertheless, this was not always the case for most blacks. From the early 1900’s, blacks resided on the South Side of Chicago, not by choice, but because of strict discriminatory housing laws that forbade the sale of homes in certain areas to blacks.

The Future of Airports and New Larger Aircraft (NLA) Essay -- Aviation

The first airplanes carried only one individual. Today an average commercial airplane will carry approximately four-hundred to five-hundred people. However, recently new larger aircraft (NLA) have been designed to carry anywhere from five-hundred to eight-hundred persons. The need for NLA’s has been recognized as demand for air travel continues to increase. Furthermore, by deploying larger aircraft the problem of capacity will be addressed: more people on a plane will translate to a lower number of planes on the runway and while still accommodating the same number of passengers. The effects of these NLA’s are far-reaching and potentially detrimental to airport management. By utilizing appropriate airport planning, managers can overcome the pitfalls related to new larger aircraft. The first consideration which must be addressed is the runway. Is the length of the runway capable of supporting the NLA’s? What about the weight of the NLA’s, how will they effect maintenance? Do airports need to be redesigned to accommodate NLA’s? Thankfully, many of these types of questions have been answered. Although the maximum takeoff weight of the A380 will be over 1.2 million pounds, new and better wing and higher performance engines will allow the aircraft to operate from the same runway lengths as existing B747-400s†¦ However, accommodating the aircraft’s wingspan of close to 262 feet may require significant modifications to airfields at airports intending to serve the new large aircraft. Burns & McDonnell 2001 Of course, heavier aircraft will adversely affect a runway’s integrity. Maintenance cycles will need to be amplified in order to remain operable. The key will be acting before the runway becomes unusable. The next iss... ...ess, trouble-free adaptation† (Young and Well, pg. 473, 2011). This holistic approach aided the transition, yet the future will present new problems as demand will likely increase and NLA’s will be used more widely. Learning from those who have successfully accommodated NLA’s can help airport managers who have yet to engage the giants of the air. Works Cited Burns & McDonnell, (2001). What’s you NLA? How will new large aircraft affect your airport facility? Retrieved on March 27, 2012. http://www.burnsmcd.com/Resource_/Issue/283/PdfFile/aviationreport2.pdf Gomes de Barros, A., Wirasinghe, S., (1997). New aircraft characteristics related to airport planning. Retrieved on March 27, 2012. my.fit.edu/~dkirk/3241/Lectures/Atrgpap.pdf Young, S., and Wells, A., (2011). Airport planning and management. 6th Edition. New York, New York. McGraw-Hill Professional.

Cultural Oppression Essay

Women has come a long way from being the gods of the feminist society, oppression from the paternal Roman Catholic, and the continuous struggle to uplift itself from the discrimination in out society. Therefore it is not correct to say that â€Å"The world has evolved in a huge way, but for the groups that remained oppressed it does not seem like evolution has even touched them. † It seems a very narrow way of putting the struggle of women from centuries of oppression when in fact before World War I there were no women in the military, no women in college, no women in office, and no women in the library. Same goes for the homosexuals. There are already four states that allow same sex marriage in the United States and the world is not so unforgiving 50 years ago when homosexuals where killed. Indeed, homosexuals and women have come a long way and it is rather fitting that we recognize them in their accomplishments in pursuing their common good. I agree with Miss Johnson. This society is so bent on discrimination based on color when in fact African Americans are just as able as Caucasians in getting every job done. As long as there are equal opportunities for both races then there won’t be some dumb Joe lying around. We claim to be the most advanced nation in the world but it seems we still have prehistoric traces of slavery in our society. We still think that just because African Americans came to America as slaves then they are a backward race. What the people of America should remember that the very same slaves built this nation with their bare hands and they wouldn’t be slaves had we not made them that way. It seems that we have a double standard when we talk about freedom and liberty for all Americans. That shouldn’t be so because history has proven that it’s never a war of colors, it’s only a war of interests and power. The author mentioned about the struggling African Americans who are in the upper class. Well, money can’t erase prejudice from people especially the prejudice that is rooted in our history. That’s why the weak should fight for its liberation because nobody will save them from it but themselves. Reference

Costa Coffee Essay

1. Executive summary In this business report we are analysing the business environment in which our company – BESO and its main competitor – Costa Coffee operate. The main objective is to research, analyse and understand the competitor’s business strategy, to find out if there is a gap in their action plan and how we can take advantage of this. The report consists of SWOT analysis of BESO and PEST analysis of both companies. The target markets of both – BESO and Costa Coffee are similar. That makes the competition between them even bigger. The report also discusses the marketing approach and the various advertising campaigns conducted by Costa Coffee and the advertising techniques we decide to adopt in the long run. The distribution system of Costa Coffee is also considered and plans to expand to different locations. The pricing strategy of BESO is based closely to the strategy of Costa Coffee as we have adopted competitive pricing. In terms of ethical issues we examined the various types of corporate social responsibilities of Costa Coffee. 2. Introduction The business report includes an analysis of Costa Coffee as a main competitor of BESO Coffee. The report examines the business environment where both companies operate in. It has been requested from the Marketing Director of BESO and also has to be focused only on the UK market. 3. BESO – Brief history BESO Coffee is a coffee chain settled in the UK in 2001. It has been established by an independent trader but later on when the business has grown, new stakeholders appeared. At first BESO’s target market was limited as well as the products it offered- only a few types of coffee and limited types of confectionary. However, only two years after launching BESO on the market it became popular through different groups of people, therefore the menu became much diversified and the target market as well. BESO has shown great performance during the years and has become one of the most recognized names on the current market. That is why Costa Coffee is determined as a main competitor of BESO. 4 5 The Marketing Profession 4. SWOT and PEST analysis 4. 1. SWOT analysis Strengths †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Efficient and trained staff Customer loyalty Brand recognition High quality coffee Friendly and relaxing atmosphere for our customers. Weaknesses †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Limited number of outlets Low levels of advertisement Interior design needs updating More range of the types of coffee available. Continual change in consumer taste Can be seen as an unhealthy product Opportunities †¢ Based in Central London which covers a large demographic of customers Olympics 2012 will bring in more sales Introduction of new products including healthy options. Retailing mugs and coffee equipment Threats †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Customers demanding fair-trade and organic coffee. Big chain coffee shops dominating the market. Economic issues and crisis Lack of ownership of primary resources e. g. Coffee farming. †¢ †¢ †¢ 4. 2. PEST analysis There are many different Political, Economic, Social and Technological issues that both our company and also Costa Coffee face within the coffee industry. Firstly, the first political issue to consider is that majority of coffee beans are brought and made in developing countries, so companies need to ensure that their coffee is made by fair-trade dealers and they need to consider the ethical conditions of the labor used. Another political issue includes all the taxes and tariffs incurred by any business operating within the UK, whether it be import tariffs or VAT on goods sold. The economic factors that our companies face are similar to the issues faced by many businesses within the whole goods and services market, this including the economic recession of 2008. Customers now have less disposable income to spend and as a result cut-down on the purchasing of non-vital goods. This is due to of unemployment rising and the levels of debt increasing. The social factors that need to be taken into consideration is that consumers are spending more money on coffee due to the demand for quality goods. This can be seen in the comparison of value of tea and coffee industry with coffee valuing at 738 million according to the Times (2008). As a result, companies need to ensure that buying coffee is not only a quick purchase, as they need to have value-added for customers including high quality coffee and a relaxing 5 6 The Marketing Profession atmosphere. Lastly, the technological issues that both our company and Costa face is the introduction of self-made home coffee by the use of coffee machines specifically tailored to make at home, for example, the Senseo coffee-machines. This can be seen as a threat to coffee shops as it is a cheaper alternative for customers in the long run. 5. Target market According to a Mintel report titled â€Å"Coffee Shops† published February 2012, â€Å"Two thirds of consumers buy coffee out of home, rising to three in four among 16-24-year-olds as core users†. Costa Coffee has the highest number of outlets within the UK totaled to 1,302 coffee shop chains as opposed to Starbucks who has 739 and Caffe Nero with 509 shops. It also claimed that â€Å"Costa has different store designs to suit different purposes such as ‘Metro’ which is aimed at the younger/urban consumers and ‘Evolution’ which is designed for more mature customers in provincial locations. It states its customer segments are ‘Recharge, Relax, Refuel’†. Therefore the target market for Costa Coffee ranges from a wide range of customers of different ages as it caters to many different needs. Students have been said to make up 30% of their target market, Professionals 45%, Families 10% and mature consumers 15% of the clientele. At BESO Coffee, our market we aim to target at is very wide as it ranges from teenagers to mature customers. We even target at families as we offer menus for younger children and parents. Our products are reasonably priced so it can be bought from people of many different income level groups, from working to upper class. 6. Marketing approaches Costa coffee have used many different marketing approaches and campaigns in order to succeed within the industry as it is important to continually update their marketing strategies. Costa has introduced campaigns such as ‘How Do You Like Yours’, which allowed customers to customize their coffee’s by for example adding espresso or syrup. This helps them differentiate themselves from competitors as it gives consumers more power and control over their purchase. Another campaign introduced by Costa was the arrival of Costa light in 2011, which offered low-calorie and healthier options to customers. This was an important step for Costa as there has been an increase in healthy eating trends, which can be seen in the figure below. Figure: Consumer demand for display of calorie content on restaurant menus, June 2010-December 2011 6 7 The Marketing Profession Other campaigns included the launch of Costa Coffee Gift Card in November 2011 which allowed customers to buy card with pre-paid amounts of up to ? 75 and a more recent campaign at the beginning of 2012 when Costa collaborated with the Spirit Pub Company which ensured that Costa coffee would be used in its restaurants chains including Chef & Brewer and Flaming grill. Costa has used many forms of media to advertise their campaigns to the public. One method used to inform customers was through the use of television advertising in 2008 whereby Costa launched its first ad. The advert helped to illustrate the â€Å"superiority of Costa’s products† and according Reynolds (2010) its message was that â€Å"the brand is on a mission to save the world from mediocre coffee and seven out of 10 coffee lovers prefer Costa†. Other forms of media used by Costa include Billboards as it can be seen by many commuters within the UK by their use of big bold writing and minimal distraction of the main message. Their billboards are distinctive as they have a continual theme colour, text and logo, which are recognised by customers. Our approach to our marketing campaign is to use alternative uses of media to portray our message, including the use of the Internet, as it is a popular form of media used in today’s society. We aim to use Facebook and Twitter to advertise our campaign and the company as a whole as it covers a large demographic. 7. Distribution strategy Costa operates in the UK through its own coffee shops, franchises and wholesale outlets. On the18th of October 2011, Whitbread stated that the number of Costa UK stores had risen from 1,217 in March 2011 to 1,302 in September 2011, including 95 openings and ten store closures. In comparison, Costa International increased its stores from 654 to 701 during the same period, including 72 openings and 25 closures. Meanwhile Costa Express/Coffee Nation units increased from 877 in March 2011 to 934 in September 2011, taking account of 79 openings and 22 closures. These units are partnered with service station operators such as Moto, Esso and Welcome Break, retailers like Tesco and The Co-Operative and foodservice group Compass (Mintel 2012). In a market with low loyalty levels, advertising and promotion is important in keeping brands in the forefront of consumers’ minds. Costa Coffee looked to sustain an emotional response among consumers with the marketing supporting its launch of Costa Light variant in autumn 2011 through an advertising campaign that used slogans such as ‘All the love, none of the handles’ and ‘Extra feel good in every cup’ (Mintel 2012) Customers were also encouraged to see the lighter side of life with its Costa Light Comedy Challenge competition. Costa’s aim was to showcase up-and-coming comedians by asking them to submit a one-minute film via its website. A public vote then saw the top ten entries from five regions go through to a further round to be judged during one-off events across the UK, with the campaign finally culminating in two regional winners performing at The Comedy Store, London (Mintel 2012). Costa Coffee’s distribution system is broad with a balanced portfolio across high streets, retail parks, concessions, airports, rail and other travel hubs as well as an increasing number of stores in new locations such as universities and hospitals. Innovative distribution channels, such as Costa Express and Drive Thru are developed. They will extend the brand’s reach and increase accessibility for the customer (Whitbread, 2010). 7 8 The Marketing Profession Andy Harrison, chief executive of Whitbread said that popping out for a coffee has become a â€Å"firm fixture† of peoples’ lives. â€Å"Coffee culture has grown massively over the last five to 10 years – people have a real demand for quality coffee and a choice of different coffees,† he said. â€Å"When I was kid everyone wanted a Nescafe – that has definitely changed. † (The Guardian 2011). 8. Pricing strategy Costa Coffee is a well-known, high valued and trusted cafeteria all over the world. They offer wide range of high qualitative coffee drinks and food, excellent services and relaxing atmosphere. Costa relies on their superiorities and offer comparatively higher prices because they have realized that the luxury comes with the price. Costa Coffee offers two sizes of drinks – medium and large and the price difference between them is not significant. In this way they encourage their customers to buy the bigger size, because the amount of the drink is bigger and is on almost the same price as the medium one. But even the medium size of cappuccino is served in a cup with the size of soup bowl, so Costa Coffee has a reason to charge a relatively higher price because of the value they give, even though in most cases customers do not need such a big amount of drink although they have to pay for it. In this way, Costa is able to sell cheaper coffee to regular customers, who are aware of the amount of the drink (with elastic demand) and sell more expensive coffee to infrequent visitors, therefore the cafeteria makes big profit from each cup of coffee. This is the corporate strategy and how Costa found a way to charge comparatively higher prices than most of their competitors. This strategy has some disadvantages and threats such as the present credit crunch, which might affect the sales and the budget of Costa Coffee as they target middle and upper middle class, therefore in the time of recession customers may prefer some of the cheaper competitors. 9. Pricing strategy that we will adopt – competition based pricing strategy One of the biggest advantages of the †Competition based pricing strategy† is that in the same time you are focused on your business and objectives and on the competition’s strategies. Once you understand what the competition is doing, you have the chance to do everything better and to gain a competitive advantage (Jobber 2008), therefore to increase the number of customers and to gain bigger market share. There are three types on competition based pricing methods: †¢ †¢ †¢ Price your product the same as the competitor Set your price to increase customer base Seek larger market share through price Compared to Costa Coffee we are fairly new to the market so it would be more appropriate for BESO to adopt the †Competition based pricing† as a strategy that will allow us to grow fast as competitive brand. In order to achieve biggest results we will match/mix the three competition-based pricing methods. BESO will offer similar products as/like the Costa’s products but on lower prices, therefore BESO’s market department must always be aware of what the competition is offering in order to provide better value for money. In this way BESO will has the opportunity to outline its advantages as comparing similar products as those of the competition but on lower prices (even pence). Once customers understand our priorities they will use to come to BESO as a place, which offers better value for money, 8 9 The Marketing Profession therefore we will increase our market share (Palmer and Hartley 2006). In terms of increasing customer base, the process is similar to market penetration, we have to select a price that will beat the competition and doing that we will motivate customer to notice our products and to make a purchase decision. Market penetration pricing works well in the introduction stage of the product life cycle and in a highly competitive market, as you increase the production some of your costs will decrease. During the next stages of the product life cycle the price can be increased (Jobber 2010). The easiest way to increase the market share of BESO is to select prices that will attract and hold as many customers as possible (depend on target). It is recommended to adopt the †Market – share pricing† after the business achieved market penetration, because they are linked as the market share happens when large volume of products are sold. So it is better if things happen step by step. And finally the market share is calculated by dividing the amount of each company sells out of the total market and in this way the market leader is determined. 9. 1. Disadvantages of †Competition based pricing† †¢ †¢ †¢ There is a danger to ignore your own production cost if you focus too closely on the competitors’ prices. It takes more time to research and update competitors’ information. Competitors also can copy whatever price you select. 10. Customer service Loyalty is particularly low in the coffee shop market, making customer retention a key area of improvement going forward (Mintel 2012). At the start of 2012 Costa Coffee launched the ‘Just How Do You Like Yours? ’ campaign. It aims to highlight the customizable elements of its products, a key differentiator to its lower-priced non-specialist competitors such as EAT and Pret A Manger. A clear pricing strategy was also included in order to appeal to consumer’s sense of value for money. For example, customers can now add an extra shot of espresso or sugar-free syrup shots to their drinks for 35p per unit. Also, in 2011 Costa Coffee launched gift cards (Mintel 2012). Although consumers state that convenient location is more important to them than the brand of coffee chain, operators can still capture consumers’ attention through qualities other than price. For example, two in three users think that quality is the most important decision-making factor when choosing where to buy hot drinks, whilst nearly half disagree that they usually choose the cheapest venue. However, with so many brands trading off of a quality positioning, operators have to ensure that they are differentiating themselves on additional levels, hence the trend towards lifestyle branding in the wider eating out market (Mintel 2012). Costa Coffee’s reputation for excellence applies not only for the exceptional coffee but also the insistence on perfect service. â€Å"Recruiting and retaining highly motivated and talented people is essential and great emphasis is placed on improving the skills, expertise and 9 10 The Marketing Profession performance of our people through award winning, industry-leading training and developing programs† (Mintel 2012). 11. Costa Coffee’s attitude towards environmental issues Consumers are extremely careful about environmental issues, trying to buy environmentally friendly food and drinks. Most of the customers feel that it is their duty to save the environment in order to live healthier. That is why most companies are under a lot of pressure to change their attitude towards the environment most often related to greener, packaging solutions, recycling and many others. Costa Coffee is the first UK coffee chain buying beans from Rainforest Alliance Certifiedâ„ ¢ farms. From October last year, almost 100% of the coffee beans for Mocha Italia blend are from certified sustainable farms. Costa Coffee is also a member of UK Paper Cup Recycling Committee, their cups are made from sustainable sources and that’s saves about 1,100 trees a year. The ingredients from which the cups are made of are all from iconic recyclable material and are made using only certified sustainable pulp. Vegetable Costa Coffee is also concerned about its coffee-growers and in 2006 it registered a Costa Foundation, dealing with the improvement of the welfare of coffee-growing places like Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Uganda and Vietnam. Costa Coffee is also a partner with Cafechurch network, supporting local community. The organization deals with environmental issues, fair trade, divorce and stress problems and others. People are feeling well, being part of a great atmosphere, live music, good communication, and a lot of interviews, having the opportunity to understand more about the Costa Coffee Foundations. 12. The competitor’s CSR activity Costa Coffee is not achieving basic standard of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The coffee company does not give a specific data for the carbon footprint. Its environmental data is part of the environmental data of its parent company-Whitbread. 13. What is your attitude to CSR/environmental issues going to be? The aims that Costa Coffee manages to do are quite a lot. Some of the first ones are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Developing Costa Coffee’s energy & environmental strategy. Managing carbon reporting and ensuring compliance for CRC. Maintaining the ISO50001 system. Working with manufacturer’s waste contractors and NGO to improve takeaway cup recycling. 10 11 †¢ †¢ The Marketing Profession Developing Costa Good Together CR programme . By 2012/13 Costa Coffee aims to help 15, 000, providing them access to education. That target will help to bring together the communities, helping adults to find jobs and trades. The coffee chain aim is to raise ? 750,000 alone during 2012/13. Costa Coffee will try to dedicate Energy & Environment Manager in Costa Coffee. That will be useful, trying to insure more control and to organize the best structured plan for the company. Costa’s cardboard cups are not recyclable, even though the cardboard can be recycled. The other ingredient in the cardboard cups, the ink and the glue, cannot be recycled. The target environmental plan of Costa Coffee is to use vegetable ink and degradable glue on its cups. Costa Coffee is raising money to build schools in regions where a lot of coffee farms take place. There are already 22 schools in developing countries. That makes a big difference for a lot of young people who have the opportunity to study. Costa Foundation is also taking care for the supplement of special healthy nutritious meals and laptops for the children. †¢ †¢ †¢ 14. Conclusion Based on the researches and analysis that have been done BESO has a great potential to use Costa’s disadvantages and to convert them into our opportunities for prosperity. Offering similar products as those of Costa Coffee but on lower prices and in the same time launching our own products (BESO’s cupcakes) is a good strategy to gain a competitive advantage. Slight changes in the interior design of our cafeteria would be refreshing and a good way to attract new customers. Furthermore increasing our advertising activities would be an opportunity to remind our customers and in the same time to inform our new potential customers about BESO’s fantastic services and great value for money. 15. References Baker S. (2003), New Consumer Marketing, West Sussex, John Wiley & Sons Ltd Cooper D., Schindler P.(2011), Business Research Methods, New York, McGraw – Hill Education Economics Help (2008), Costa Coffee UK and Sales Techniques. Available at: http://econ. economicshelp. org/2008/08/costa-coffee-uk-and-sales-techniques. html [Accessed: 20th March 2012]. Government of Alberta (2012), Methods to Price Your Products. Available at: http://www1. agric. gov. ab. ca/$department/deptdocs. nsf/all/agdex1133#competition [Accessed: 20th March 2012] Jobber D. (2010), Principles and Practice of Marketing, London, McGraw – Hill Education 11 12. The Marketing Profession Kotler P. , Armstrong G. (2006), Principles of Marketing, The United States of America, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data LinkedIn (2011), Costa Coffee Energy and Environment Manager at Whitbread. Available at: http://uk. linkedin. com/pub/ollie-rosevear/14/672/948 [Accessed: 20th March 2012] Mintel (2012), Brand Communication and Promotion. Available at: http://academic. mintel. com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show&/display/id=59 0036/display/id=611992#hit1 [Accessed: 20th March 2012] Mintel.