This study is an exploratory research since it attempts to identify the effects of globalization on international marketing activities by different firms with reference to Homecare Companies as examples. Since this study is an tentative research it will be based on; desired activities and time-based plans, research questions, selection of sources and types of information required, outline of procedures for every research activity to be carried out and also it will be based on the framework that specifies the relationships among the samples identified for this research rationale.
Sampling Procedure Probabilistic kind of sampling method will be an ideal technique since the sample identified should give each and every respondent a known likelihood of being included in the sample chosen. Hence, the research project will be best carried out using simple random method of collecting data since it is hard to reach all the participants in the target population. Such scenario will give the selected individuals in the sample equal opportunity to fully participate in the research study.
Target population The main populations targeted will the employees of employees in some homecare centre particularly those with the responsibilities of carrying out market research on international marketing strategies of the firm e. g. marketing managers. Also the common people living near the location of the homecare branches will be incorporated in order to give their views on benefits and disadvantages of existence of global firms in their communities.
Therefore the researcher will administer questionnaires to fifty employees Homecare Company from particular branches and a hundred people living next to those branches of the company; thus giving a total figure of a hundred and fifty respondents which is reasonable for this study. Methods of Data Collection Because a sample of the population will be identified the researcher will utilize both open and closed questionnaires to gather the necessary information from the respondents selected from such sample identified.
This technique is found effective and competent by the researcher since he will need to drop the questionnaires to the respondents and collect them at an identified future date. The main motive for selecting both open and closed questionnaires to be administered to the respondents it that it will present to the respondents a chance to answer liberally to the set of questionnaires administered to them during the study. Methods for Data Analysis Data acquired from the respondents will be analyzed using various techniques.
The researcher will be expected to tabulate the results and particularly use percentages to analyze the data before making explanations or deductions. However, at some other instances the researcher will be required to categorically use graphs and more specifically pie charts in order to clearly show the results attained. Recommendation The homecare marketing department is advised to use marketing mix strategy in getting their products to the existing market. Marketing mix consists of the following: Promotion
Promotion is an important marketing tool which is commonly used to market new products in a foreign country. The process requires huge investments especially when it comes to advertisements. There are various forms of promotion; personal selling, publicity, sales promotion or advertising. Promotion of products and services can be carried out in different forms and the most common one is through product life cycle. The company will implement a strong promotion strategy and thus will not rely mostly on advertisements.
Promotional campaigns, public relations and sales marketing will be used to make the customers aware of our new products and the existence of pharmaceutical Companies. Place This will involve taking products to cities that have huge potential for our products going by our market potential statistics. It has a huge population that can meet the needs of homecare companies. This idea of taking products to the place that it is required is therefore strategic in nature and it will provide us with an opportunity to meet as many customers as possible.
In future however, a company shall be able to open more reselling points in order to make our brands very popular. Price In modern Companies in the world today, it is important that we shall maintain a flexible price strategy that will be based on competitive parity guidelines hence we shall not overprice our products compared to what our competitors will be offering. The products of the Homecare will be offered to according to the needs to be supplied. In essence we shall not also be afraid of any form of premium pricing for any of our products.
Product Since a homecare company may have very little control over the way our customers view our products, we will rely mainly on the way we display the products to our customers in order to convince them. The products that are produced by a Homecare Company once it is unique then it will be able to attract more customers because of its uniqueness. In fact, we shall have the opportunity to display the products at other resellers in the cities surrounding it and therefore meet a large group of people at once. Positioning
While minimizing the environmental impacts, Homecare companies should develop around other companies despite competition within the city in order to concentrate most of its sales there. It will be able to maximize its services by providing the workers with resources that can help them to face the challenges in their company in order to achieve its goals to succeed Contingency plans Contingency plans are important aspects of market planning due to the huge number of challenges, threats and opportunities. Since the biggest problem is competition and financial ability to meet our intended programs.
The financial growth will mostly depend on well researched and reliable sales figures. This will however be affected by political, cultural, social and environmental challenges such as weather. What our first will incorporate will be to look for sponsorships for the home care Companies to survive in the competition in order to catch the attention of the locals’ indifferent area. We shall rely mostly on direct sales and website sales in order to meet costs for running the company’s operations in the city.
With proper inventory as collateral and excellent credit facilities, we hope to succeed against all odds. In case a company loses some of our employees who will not be willing to work in this city, we shall be able to replace them with plenty of other employees who are looking for jobs in this city. The problem that may affect the performance of a company will be losing importance employees such as the brand manager whose capacity and skills are irreplaceable. It can also hire employees of their competitors who have plenty of experience.
The supply chain will be able to survive especially the fact they are powerful in that it can be spread to all the parts of the city including supermarkets and retail outlets. Conclusion In United States of America, health is an interesting topic in the society that not only influences the well being of millions of Americans, but also influences the strength of Americas’ economy. This nation spends more on health care per person than any other nations. America is said to be having the highest infant mortality rates and a relatively low average lifespan.
Pharmaceuticals have taken the advantage of the federal government failure to provide adequate healthcare to the citizens and they have opened pharmacies where they sell their products without a doctor prescribing such drugs to the patients. For many families, lack of Health care is the source of vulnerability for the household’s economic status as sickness or injury without health care can be a financial burden pushing families to poverty. Americans having Private health coverage has fallen by one percent in the recent years.
Health care industry has continued to grow with an increase in employment, this is putting health care in America to become the biggest industry and yet a rather unimpressive result to be proud of when compared to what has been achieved in other countries. However, creative advertising techniques or strategies employed by pharmaceuticals have marketed these products well and the Americans ignorance about drugs is on the decrease. But also many Americans fall on the trap of such adverts and often purchase drugs without getting prescription from the doctors thus increasing their likelihood of further complications.
(Strunk and Gabel, 2002) Sixty nine percent of the American public feels that it is the Federal government’s responsibility to ensure that all Americans have health care coverage, but many argue that a single – payer system can solve most of the problems that are currently plaguing the health care system in the country. It is said that a universal health care coverage would have the benefits of reducing the gap in health care coverage and be beneficial to healthcare service providers located in areas with high rates of people who are uninsured, according to the institute of Medicine in America.
With many political issues in which the public has a strong stance, there is a lack of politicians with the needed commitment and understanding of the issue to provide adequate leadership, and these politicians are often uneducated on the issue leading to failure to take a clear stand on the issue of health care. The doctors too have to carry their duties according to their professional code of ethics.
While pharmaceutical advertise and sell there drugs with a view of increasing the profit levels they do not consider the plight of the patients, doctors on the other hand should only prescribe the patients medicines which are relevant to diseases that they suffer from. Therefore patients need to seek advice from their doctors before purchasing any medical drugs because there have been reports that the pharmaceuticals have engaged in false advertising. (U. S. Census Bureau, 2005) We can therefore deduce that there has been an increase in pharmaceutical marketing activities in the U.
S because the federal government has failed to enact laws that will guide such adverts. Patients and the entire public have been misled by such adverts and they have ended up purchasing drugs that are not appropriate in healing their particular complications. Some pharmaceutical companies have engaged in false adverts which are appealing to the customers but in the real sense such adverts has led to overmedication and thus future serious complications among the patients. Reference Blevins, S. (1995): The medical monopoly: Protecting consumers or limiting Competition. Cato
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