A Brief Look at the Distribution of Soda Essay Example for Free

A Brief Look at the Distribution of Soda Essay The third element of the marketing mix is place or also called distribution. Distribution is described as the movement of goods and services from the source through the distribution channel, right up to the final consumer and the movement of payment in the opposite direction, right up to the original producer. Distribution is a very significant aspect of the marketing mix; it can decide whether a small business can compete with the big businesses. Distribution takes a major role in the growth stage of the product life cycle due to its ability to not only help sell the product, but to also allow their product to advertise itself. If a company focuses mainly on promotion and never really sets up a good distribution channel, their efforts will be lost due to the lack of ease for a consumer to purchase their product. Even the perfect product, attractively priced and ingeniously promoted, cannot be sold without a means of distributing it to consumers (Russ Kirkpatrick, pg.297). Distribution Channel A distribution channel is the sequence of firms that sell, buy, or hold products as those products move from manufacturers and producers to end buyers (Russ Kirkpatrick, pg.297). Every channel must have at least two members or levels. These levels are the producer or seller, and the user or buyer. There are also two different kinds of members that are known as middlemen, these middlemen are known as retailers and wholesalers. The distribution channel is and will remain a problematic marketing subfunction for most firms because of the built-in conflicts between manufacturer and reseller (Bonoma, pg.49). Manufacturers must work through these different channels to attain diverse markets to reach their ultimate goal; provide their customers with what they want, where they want it, and when they want it. Orange Crush Soda An example would be the soft drink business and how they manage to distribute their product through the different channels so that they are able to distribute in large areas. An enormous consumer goods company, known as Procter and Gamble, decided in 1980 to buy Crush, a soft drink business, with intent to try and compete with Coke, Pepsi, and other large soft drink businesses. Procter and Gamble were famous for being a leader in a great  many product categories because of their marketing powerhouse. P G remained at a serious disadvantage with its big competitors and the difference was distribution. The large soft drink companies had well-established networks of bottlers around the country who mix the products in quantity and distribute them to sellers in their area (Russ Kirkpatrick, pg.296). P G had the capacity to manufacture their soft drinks in large quantities and were able to promote their product well, but lacked the resources to help them distribute their resources arou nd the country. Logistics and Supply-Chain Management Logistics and supply-chain management are part of the distribution strategy. Logistics is the process of coordinating the flow of information, goods, and services among members of the distribution channel (Kurtz, pg.416). Supply-chain management is the control of purchasing, processing, and delivery through which raw materials are transformed into products and made available to final consumers (Kurtz, pg. 416). Manufacturers use these kinds of companies to distribute their product to other parts of the country instead of trying to establish new manufacturing buildings their self. Kane is Able is a logistics company who concentrates on beverage warehousing and logistics. They have 6 warehouses across the United States, which makes it easier for them to distribute across a wide area. KANE works with Coca-Cola to help distribute their product. They use physical distribution to focus on customer satisfaction, inventory control, materials handling, protective packaging, order processing, and warehousing. Well-planned marketing channels and effective logistics and supply-chain management provide ultimate users with convenient ways for obtaining the goods and services they desire (Kurtz, pg. 416). High Costs of Distribution Middlemen are business firms that help the company find customers or make sales to them (Kotler Armstrong, pg.118). Middlemen or resellers make it easier for a company because a soda bottling company can work with a logistics company; such as Kane is Able, who will keep their product in stock, package their product, distribute it around the country, and even promote their product. These services have never been cheap and have actually increased because manufacturers no longer have small, independent  middlemen. Instead they now face large and growing middlemen who have great power to dictate terms or shut the manufacturer out of large markets. Critics charge that there are too many middlemen or that middlemen are inefficient, provide unnecessary or duplicate services, and practice poor management and planning (Kotler Armstrong, pg.520). Consequently, distribution costs are high and consumers end up paying higher prices. Jones Soda Jones Soda is a company who started out in the beverage world as a distributor in western Canada and eventually established itself as a full line beverage manufacturer. Jones was able to utilize its experience and knowledge gained in the distribution industry to create some of its own brands. Jones Soda Co. placed its own coolers in some truly unique venues, such as skate, surf and snowboarding shops, tattoo and piercing parlors, as well as in individual fashion stores and national retail clothing and music stores. Once they were able to execute these means of distribution they began to place their product in convenience and food stores, and eventually in larger chain stores such as Starbucks, Panera Bread, Barnes Noble, Safeway, Target, Cost Plus, Meijers, Winn-Dixies stores, Albertson’s, and 7-Eleven stores. Vertical Marketing Systems Unlike conventional channels, vertical marketing systems are preplanned and centrally managed distribution networks (Russ Kirkpatrick, pg.300). The three different categories of vertical marketing systems are corporate, contractual, and administered systems. Coke and Pepsi are examples of administered vertical marketing systems. Administered systems involve comprehensive merchandising programs that are developed and agreed to by both the manufacturer, or sometimes wholesaler, and the retailer (Russ Kirkpatrick, pg.305). It would be foolish if Coke or Pepsi were to open a store that only sells its product, because it sells best when offered with other products. In an administered system Coke would achieve coordination in the channel through support of other channel members rather than through ownership or contractual agreement. In order for Coke to succeed with an administered system it must be based on mutual respect and understanding. Suppliers recognize the problems, goals, and policies of retailers, while  the retailers respect the manufacturer’s capabilities (Russ Kirkpatrick, pg.305). Conclusion The soda companies that make the most profit are the companies that have a well-established plan for distributing their product. Soda manufacturers must realize that in order to be the best they are going to need help distributing their product. It is a team effort to move a product from a manufacturer, to a retailer, and then to a consumer. There are many different channels available to take in order to reach a consumer, but in the end soda companies will need the help from middlemen in order to compete with big businesses and to become one of the best. References Bonoma, T. V. (1985). The marketing edge. New York, NY: The Free Press. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. (1987). Marketing: An introduction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc. Kurtz, D. L. (2008). Contemporary marketing. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Russ, A. R., Kirkpatrick, C. A. (1982). Marketing. Canada: Little Brown Company.

The Growing Problem of Music Piracy Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive

The Growing Problem of Music Piracy    At the turn of the millenium, the music industry has been faced with an unforeseen phenomenon that has affected its very foundation - mass scale music piracy. The decline of CD sales in the past three years have been blamed on the availability of songs that can be downloaded from Internet sites and service providers like Napster, KaZaA and Morpheus free of charge. Today the issue of intellectual copyright infringement in music has been taken more seriously than ever before, as large record labels and companies like Sony and EMI struggle to maintain healthy album sales in the face of online music piracy. In addition, music piracy affects more than just the corporate world - it affects the very artists who create music and receive no compensation for their efforts. In fact ?many high-profile and buzz artists, including Eminem, Oasis and most recently 50 Cent, have seen their upcoming albums undercut by file-sharing online before their scheduled releases, prompting record labels to move up street dates to avoid losing album sales.? (Grossberg) In light of this, are a few positive aspects in the face of such widespread negativity but music file sharing continues to be a controversial topic in the world of music and the arts in general. Nevertheless, before analyzing the impact of music piracy on a mass scale, one must start from the beginning of the 1990?s when the music industry experienced a growth in CD sales. In fact, ?according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), album sales grew from US $24.1 billion to US $38.6 billion during the decade.?(Zentner) But this era was short-lived and as the nineties drew to a close, the amount of illegal file swapping exp... ...story of File Sharing.? , Consulted on November 19, 2004. Puretracks.com (2004). ?Radiohead.? , Consulted on November 20, 2004. RIAA (2004). ?RIAA Files News Lawsuits Against 750 Illegal File Sharers.? , Consulted on November 19, 2004. VALDES, Robert. [2004]. Stuffo. ?How ?Making It? Works: Antigone Rising.? , Consulted on November 20, 2004. ZENTNER, Alejandro. Measuring the Effect of Online Music Piracy on Music Sales. Online at: , consulted on November 18, 2004.

Identify the different reasons people communicate Essay

Effective communication is central to working with children, young people and their families. It involves listening, Questioning, understanding and responding to children, young people and those caring for them. – (Children’s workforce development council, common core of skills and knowledge) Communication is a skill we are born with and one which grows and develops with us, we communicate differently depending on the situation we are in, as an early years provider and teaching assistant I need to communicate with a variety of people from young children, parents, teachers, and external agencies and here are some of the reasons why. * To Build and maintain relationships see more:different reasons why we communicate From the initial telephone call or meeting with a parent you are building a relationship. A positive relationship with parents will always be beneficial to the child; this can be a simple hello or a smile in a morning or may be a more in depth communication about how the child is learning and developing and the next steps you are planning. Being able to communicate with a child or young person allows you to treat them as an individual and gain a better understanding of them and how they learn enabling you to plan for their needs and requirements. * To gain and share information Sharing information with parents or teachers is vital and should be done on a regular basis. This can help a child initially to settle more effectively as information is shared about likes and dislikes medical or dietary needs and about what the child is capable of doing. Sharing ‘wow’ moments with parents can give them a clearer picture of what their child is doing or is interested in and sharing information about behaviour strategies can help both parties to be consistent. As a provider I must enable a regular two way flow of information with parents and/or carers, and between providers, if a child is attending more than one setting. To express needs and feelings A child needs to be able to communicate if something is wrong or making them unhappy, they may not be able to do this verbally, this could make the child frustrated, isolated and have a negative effect on their development. * To gain reassurance and acknowledgment Parents need to feel reassured that you are going to be capable of caring for their child and a good relationship with good communication will build trust, With children and young people simply by taking an interest and getting involved in what they are doing reassures them and opens up communication channels. * To share ideas and thoughts  Sharing thoughts and ideas with children and parents gives them the opportunity to get involved in what you are planning; this can enhance the whole experience.

Manufacturing Execution Systems Join The Cyber Physical...

Manufacturing becomes more and more complicated when production series are short, products are diversified and production technology is variable. In the case of short-series production, Manufacturing Execution Systems join the cyber physical part of production with virtual manufacturing services and business level operations. Unfortunately, most of the existing architectures follow the paradigm of hierarchical MES placed between the control systems and business application level. They have fixed interfaces to production facilities and a predefined set of services. The main argument in favour of such a solution is the global optimisation of manufacturing operations but in the case of highly dynamic, short-series production, it is†¦show more content†¦The traditional design of manufacturing control systems does not allow for rapidly expanding options in materials, processes, interfaces to product models that have a number of variants. Holons allow the implementation of product ion variants and the rapid reconfiguration of the machines and robots. Proposed MES architecture supports the capability of production systems. Demand chain management will allow for a significant reduction in waste and will increase the profitability of production systems. Flexible production planning will effect in reducing the setup and changeover time and costs. The strategic target of proposed MES solution is one piece flow production that means the feasibility of short series production (up to one element) by using the production lines designed formerly for mass manufacturing. Like all industrial solutions, the proposed MES also has to fit the existing standards accepted by industry. The authors define an MES functional model that complies with the third part of the widely accepted ANSI/ISA-95 (IEC/ISO 62264) standard. Since ISA95 represents a hierarchical vision of MES, this model has been adapted to the heterarchical agent-based architecture. ISA 95 defines the workflow and information exchange for Manufacturing Operations Management. This includes the structure of manufacturing management functions and their interactions with business systems. ISA95 defines these