Friday, December 27, 2019

How to Advertise an Event in College

College campuses are legendary for the high number of programs that take place on campus every day. Whether its an internationally acclaimed speaker or a local film screening, theres nearly always something happening on campus. If youre the one planning an event, however, you know that getting people to come can be as much of a challenge as coordinating the program itself. So just how can you advertise your event in a way that inspires people to attend? Answer the Basics: Who, What, When, Where, and Why You could spend hours painting a poster advertising your event ... but if you forget to write down what date the program is, youll feel like a chump. Consequently, make sure the basic information is available on each and every piece of advertising you put out. Who is going to be at the event, and who is sponsoring it (or otherwise putting it on)? What will happen at the event, and what can attendees expect? When is the event? (Side note: Its helpful to write both the day and the date. Writing Tuesday, October 6th can make sure everyone is clear about when the event is happening.) How long will it last? Where is the event? Do people need to RSVP or buy tickets in advance? If so, how and where? And most important, why will people want to attend? What will they learn/experience/take away/gain from going? What will they miss out on if they dont go? Know the Best Places to Advertise Is social media big on your campus? Do people read emails announcing events -- or just delete them? Is the newspaper a good place to put an ad? Will a poster in the quad catch peoples attention, or will it just get lost amidst a sea of butcher paper? Know what will stand out on your campus and get creative. Know Your Audience If youre advertising something thats, for example, political in nature, make sure you reach out to people on campus who are more likely to be politically involved or interested. When youre planning a political event, posting a flyer in the politics department might be a particularly smart idea -- even if youre not posting flyers in any other academic department. Go to meetings of student clubs and talk to other student leaders to promote your program, too, so that you can personally get the word out and answer any questions people might have. Advertise Food if Youre Going to Have it Available Its no secret that providing food at a college event can drastically increase attendance. Having food, of course, can be a definite draw -- but it isnt an absolute necessity. If you are providing food, make sure its done in a way that encourages people to stay for the whole event and not just sneak in and grab a slice of pizza from the back of the room. You want event attendees, after all, not just moochers. Find Other Student Groups to Cosponsor Your Event Theres a pretty direct correlation between the number of people who know about your program and the number of people who show up. Consequently, if you can work with other student groups in the planning, you can outreach directly to each groups members. On many campuses, too, cosponsorship can lead to increased funding opportunities -- meaning youll have more resources to promote and advertise your event. Let Your Professors Know While it can be scary to figure out how to talk to your professors, its usually just fine once you try it. Remember: Faculty members were college students at one point, too! Theyll likely find your program interesting and may even advertise it in their other classes. They can also mention it to other professors and help get the word around. Let Administrators Know The hall director in your residence hall may know you by name, but she may not know that youre super involved in a certain club -- and planning a major event next week. Drop by and let her know whats going on so she can let other residents know when she interacts with them, too. You likely interact with lots of administrators throughout the day; feel free to promote your program to them (and anyone else who will listen) as much as possible!

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Banc One HBS case Essay - 2285 Words

Banc One Case Analysis Case Summary Banc One has a problem with the alignment of two of its important strategies: (1) rapidly acquiring profitable banks and (2) sustaining high returns while mitigating interest rate risk. Banc One has been very successful in acquiring banks, and much of this is done through the sale/transfer of Banc One’s stock. This strategy relies heavily on Banc One’s ability to maintain a high stock price. The second strategy – high returns with mitigated interest rate risk - relies heavily on the use of interest rate swaps. This use of interest rate swaps has become concerning to investors - due to its complicated nature,†¦show more content†¦Purchasing options, forward, or future contracts. In this way the bank can reduce the uncertainty in the future by entering into an agreement with set terms for a specific date. Thus, if the interest rate moves in an unfavorable direction, the bank has the option to use these tools in order to mitigate the impac t of the change on its balance sheet. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using swaps rather than these other means? Advantages: There are no capital reserve requirements specific to swaps. Swaps do not appear as assets on the balance sheet and thus they are not accounted for in the capital requirement calculations for the bank. This frees capital for the bank and at the same time brings insurance against its interest rate exposure. Swaps give flexibility and allow the bank to design the contracts in a way that fits its needs. Banks can tailor the durations, rates and other terms of the swap contracts and make it specific to the current situation of the bank. Furthermore, they can easily communicate with other banks in order to construct contracts, which benefit both sides. Swaps can also improve the bank’s liquidity - It can invest in short-term instruments and thus avoid locking in its funds in long-term securities. At the same time it can add swaps to its portfolio in order to mitigate some of the interest rate risk involved in the investment of short-termShow MoreRelatedCase Digests7208 Words   |  29 Pagesas required by Section 24, Article 6 of the Constitution. Even though RA 7716 originated as HB 11197 and that it passed the 3 readings in the HoR, the same did not complete the 3 readings in Senate for after the 1st reading it was referred to the Senate Ways Means Committee thereafter Senate passed its own version known as Senate Bill 1630. Tolentino averred that what Senate could have done is amend HB 11197 by striking out its text and substituting it w/ the text of SB 1630 in that way â€Å"the billRead MoreDfa Case Study7650 Words   |  31 Pagesprinciple that the stock market was â€Å"efficient†Ã¢â‚¬â€that is, while over any given period some investors by luck would outperform the market and others would underperform, no one had the ability to consistently pick stocks that would beat the market. Such beliefs were associated with proponents of index funds, and, indeed, Sinquefield had run one of the very first SP 500 index funds while at another firm. But DFA was not simply an index fund manager. In addition to efficient markets, DFA’s founders believedRead MoreSeminar Paper on Strategies to Achieve Market Leadership: the Example of Amazon13422 Words   |  54 Pages In consequence, branch boundaries faded and new business models emerged.2 Opportunities to expand into reshaped business segments and to develop innovative products and services in order to attract valuable customers appeared.3 By considering the case of Amazon.com Inc., we will show how dedicated strategies helped to acquire market leadership in these new business environments.4 The rest of this paper is organized as follows: I n section 2, we will explore value chains and actors in EC. PrinciplesRead MoreGlobalizing the Cost of Capital and Capital Budgeting at Aes?8707 Words   |  35 Pagesin the right direction. Much of AES’s expansion had taken place in developing markets where the unmet demand for energy far exceeded that of more developed countries. By 2000, the majority of AES revenues came from overseas operations; approximately one-third came from South America alone. Once a critical element in its recipe for success, the company’s international exposure hurt AES during the global economic downturn that began in late 2000. A confluence of factors including the devaluation of keyRead MoreTombstone Case5392 Words   |  22 Pagesunsecured notes, one floating rate note, one common stock offering, and one convertible note. The issuers are Microsoft, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Norfolk Southern, IBM, Ford Motor, and Cephalon. Selected supplementary data on the issuers are summarized in Exhibit 1. A short glossary of terms appears at the end of the Note. All three senior unsecured note issues were sold in $1,000 denominations and paid interest semiannually. For each bond or note, the semi-annual interest payment equals one half the stated

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Arizona Concrete Essay Example For Students

Arizona Concrete Essay ARIZONA CONCRETEJohn McCollamGeology 101, Section 12262Randy Porch20 November 1996ARIZONA CONCRETEAccording to the Mine Faculty at the University of Arizona, cement is manufactured primarily from suitable limestone and shale rocks. Arizona had two dry-process cement plants in 1969, namely the Arizona Portland Cement Company plant in Pima County, near Tucson, and the American Cement Corporation plant at Clarkdale, in Yavapai County (52-53). The use of cementing materials goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Romans, but the invention of modern portland cement is usually attributed to Joseph Aspdin, a builder in Leeds, England, who obtained a patent for it in 1824. Currently, the annual world production of portland cement is around 700 million metric tons (Danbury). Many people use the words concrete and cement interchangeably, but they=re not. Concrete is to cement as a cake is to flour. Concrete is a mixture of ingredients that includes cement but contains other ingredients also (Day 6-7). Portland cement is produced by pulverizing clinker consisting essentially of hydraulic calcium silicates along with some calcium aluminates and calcium aluminoferrites and usually containing one or more forms of calcium sulfate (gypsum) as an interground addition. Materials used in the manufacture of portland cement must contain appropriate proportions of calcium oxide, silica, alumina, and iron oxide components. During manufacture, analyses of all materials are made frequently to ensure a uniformly high quality cement. Selected raw materials are crushed, milled, and proportioned in such a way that the resulting mixture has the desired chemical composition. The raw materials are generally a mixture of calcareous (calcium oxide) material, such as limestone, chalk or shells, and an argillaceous (silica and alumina) material such as clay, shale, or blast-furnace slag. Either a dry or a wet process is used. In the dry process, grinding and blending operations are done with dry materials. In the wet process, the grinding and blending are done with the materials in slurry form. In other respects, the dry and wet processes are very much alike. After blending, the ground raw material is fed into the upper end of a kiln. The raw mix passes through the kiln at a rate controlled by the slope and rotational speed of the kiln. Burning fuel (powdered coal, oil, or gas) is forced into the lower end of the kiln where temperatures of 2600F to 3000F change the raw material chemically into cement clinker, grayish-black pellets about the size of 1/2-in.-diameter marbles. The clinker is cooled and then pulverized. During this operation a small amount of gypsum is added to regulate the setting time of the cement. The clinker is ground so fine that nearly all of it passes through a No. 200 mesh (75 micron) sieve with 40,000 openings per square inch. This extremely fin gray powder is portland cement (Kosmatka and Panarese 12-15). Dany Seymore of Show Low Ready Mix said that the cement used by Show Low Ready Mix is trucked in by Apex Freight Company and comes from the cement plant in Clarkdale, Arizona, now know as Phoenix Cement. Their aggregate comes from Brimhall Sand and Rock in Snowflake, Arizona. Show Low Ready Mix uses Fly Ash from the A.P.S. power plant just out side of Joseph City, Arizona, in their cement. The mixtures they use are as follows:Silicia DioxideCement 21% Ash 62%Aluminum TrioxideCement 4%Ash 23%Ferric OxideCement 3%Ash 6%Calcium OxideCement 64%Ash 3.5%Mag. OxideCement 2.5%Ash 1.2%Sulfur TrioxideCement 3%Ash .2%These combine to make:1. Tricalcium silicate C3S2. Dicalcium silicate C2S3. Tricalcium aluminate C3A4. Tetracalcium aluminoferrite C4AF1 and 2 make up 75% of cement. 1 and 2 plus H2O equal CSH (Calcium Silicate Hydrate) which is the glue. Fly Ash is C3S plus C2S which equals Calcium hydrazide which is a white stuff and water soluble. Calcium Hydrazide and Fly Ash equal CSH. .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b , .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b .postImageUrl , .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b , .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b:hover , .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b:visited , .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b:active { border:0!important; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b:active , .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubf708910504e97e39d29594bd3f3a62b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Philippine Typhoons EssayThe winter and summer mixtures are different due to the weather conditions. For winter, Fly Ash is not used because it inhibits the set time of the concrete. Also used is accelerators to help the concrete set faster. A material called Fibermesh is used in the concrete for reinforcement and to control cracking as the concrete sets. Mr. Seymore also states that heat and moisture are the main components to make concrete set up. The concrete

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Marketing Research BP Oil Company

Introduction BP is an organization involved in oil and gas industry globally, its headquarters are in London, Britain. BP is one of the largest global companies and is involved in activities such as exploration, refining of crude oil, distributing, generating power and production of renewable energy among other roles.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Marketing Research: BP Oil Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company operates in over 80 nations across the globe and manages more than 22,400 gas outlets globally (Cheremisinoff and Davletshin 443). The United States division is the largest outlet for BP and thus plays a huge role to the organization as far as revenue generation is concerned. Current Business Problem With the division in the US being the most important for the company, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has had many negative effects to the company. The oil spill led to deaths of 11 people, loss of trust in the company, destruction of the surrounding ecosystem and a bad reputation for the organization (Farrell 43). Tourism, marine life and the ecology were enormously affected in the coast by the oils spillage. BP has already spent over $3.12 billion on the spillage on actions such as containing the spillage, responding to the disaster, drilling the well, payment of grants to the states affected by the spillage, payment of claims and costs to the federal government (Cheremisinoff and Davletshin 443). The spill was the largest oil disaster in the history of the industry in regards to off shore drilling in the United States. The problem is identifying the challenges the company is facing in the United States after the oil spillage and the impact of this event by applying ethical perspectives. BP Competition BP is a global company that faces huge competition from other organizations that deal with oil, gas, and petrochemicals. There exist huge competition within the indust ry as well as in other industries in regards to the supply of gas, fuel and meeting other needs of the energy sector, commerce, industrial, and for home use (Hitt et al. 50-54). There is need by organizations to cut costs and management of BP to focus on efficiency and gaining support of the market. Some of the main competitors of BP include Total, ExxonMobil Corporation, Chevron Corporation, Schlumberger Limited, and ConocoPhillips among others (Hitt et al. 65). These companies are involved in the energy sector in the United States.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Population Sample The sample population shall be 150 individuals from the areas affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill as well as staff of BP. The geographical area shall be mainly in the Louisiana Coast and shall include organizations and individuals in the region. To be eligible as a respondent, one must be a resident of the area. Steps in the Research Process The research shall involve the development of the survey, which includes the various stages that shall be applied in conducting the research. This will include use of questionnaires. The descriptive data analysis shall include the presenting of the results after the profile of each respondent has been analyzed and the information recorded. The measurement scale analysis will evaluate the measurement scale analysis that shall be employed in the analysis of the information. The assessment section assesses the results after the analysis and is essential in determining the recommendations and developing a conclusion for the study. The recommendations and conclusion shall be necessary to the management in the future determination of BP’s path. BP is one of the most outstanding oil and gas world companies. Despite the power and success of this company it is impossible to appeal to every representative of the world market tha t is why most popular companies focus on the target market or subsets of the overall markets. Identifying the target market is one of the most important methods to have a success at the world market. It is necessary to know the customer in order to satisfy their demands. Different factors about target market such as population, interests, the level of life and the level of business activity should be taken into account. There are a lot of questions that should be put during identifying the target market: How large is your target market now? How large has it been? How large can it become in the near future? What are the geographical boundaries of your target market? How many people use your products? What do you know about these people? How sensitive is your target market to price changes? What are the trends in your market? How mature is your market (shrinking, growing, and stable)? (Griffin 33). The target market of BP has been broadened from its foundation. The products of BP ar e sold in Europe, Africa, Asia, the North and South America and Australasia (Maharg-Bravo, Swann and Cox 39). The market is growing now and it will be broader in the near future. First of all, the company should focus on the potential customer itself.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Marketing Research: BP Oil Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is necessary to know why these people are your customers and how they use your products. BP takes into account different groups of consumers and they seek to satisfy all their demands. For example, in October 2005 BP produced a new fuel including three separate products: BP Ultimate 102 Unleaded, BP Ultimate Unleaded and BP Ultimate Diesel satisfying the demands of different groups of consumers (BP in Business 78). Each consumer may choose the necessary fuel. BP resorts to the use of primary and secondary researches firstly to find out what segments the marke t is divided into and secondly to assess the particular product requirements for each of them. The main aim of primary research is to find new information that has not been already researched. For example, BP asked their customers about their points of view about the new BP Ultimate range. Questionnaires, personal interviews, postal surveys, telephone interviews, focus groups are used in primary researches to obtain the necessary information. Secondary research is based on the results that have been achieved in previous studies. For example, BP uses information about the predictions of customers’ future demands. A proper sampling technique should be used in a good market research. It is impossible to ask every customer about his/her point of view and demands. That is why it is necessary to choose the representatives from different groups from the target market to take into account the changes of their demands. ‘Sampling’ is the process of deciding who takes part in the primary research namely whose point of view should be taken into account. There are a lot of ways to do it namely quota, random, cluster or stratifying sampling. Factually, primary research is used to define the target market namely its personality traits, interests and lifestyles. BP target market is known as mainly medium-sized businessmen (Amanjeev 47). They are people who use their automobiles nearly every day and the quality of petroleum is very important for them. It should be noted that there are successful businessmen who can afford themselves a high-priced gasoline and the beginners who do not spend a lot of money and have to save their money buying cheap gasoline. That is why there are different categories of fuel produced by BP catering for all these groups.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main interest of the consumers is to have a qualitative fuel paying for it not a lot of money. There are a lot of cases when consumers complain to the fuel that spoils their transport. The quality is one of the basic aims for BP that is why this company has become popular among consumers appreciating it. From the above said, we may conclude that identifying the target market which is made with the help of primary research with the use of different ways of questionnaires is very important at developing and broadening the popularity of the company. BP has a success as far as it has always focused on the demands of its consumers and done all their best to satisfy these demands from its foundation. The interests of consumers are at the top of BP’s basic aims. The quality is very important to a consumer that is why ‘what’ BP does is as important as ‘how’ they do it (Research and Markets 34). It should be noted that BP Company is developing now and mor e and more consumers use their products that makes this company take into account the demands of different groups of their consumers. Target market is a potential client influencing the success of the company. Marketing Research In the designing of this study, 19 to 40 year olds will be the sample upon which an approximate 300 will be interviewed or supplied with questionnaires. The purpose of choosing this age bracket is to obtain as many BP users as possible and to make sure that they are informed about the company’s operations as well as problems that have been surrounding the company. For one to qualify as a participant, the audience will be asked to produce their licenses or recite their license numbers. This will not be indicated in any phase of the study to observe ethics of the study. The purpose of the study is to establish the marketing characteristics of BP through the observation of users’ experience. The objective of the study will be to investigate the bu siness strategies of BP under their operational model and to compare the current model with the previous. The study is dedicated to any subject interested in venturing into business (shareholders mostly) with BP. Choosing the Audience The audience of the study is focused only to grownups with licenses and with experience in the using of BP products. The reasons that youths and unlicensed persons are not included in this study or are not considered the right audience is due to their status, both financially and take on responsibilities. Users of products are the best target groups when reviewing or investigating on the producers of a product (Benoit 37). In this case, it will give them an insight of the company they secure products and services. Considering the use of BP’s products, licensed people who drive regularly and with active schedules are intended to be the audience of this study. This is because they connect with the services of the company as well as its products. à ¢â‚¬Å"On the other hand, investors make a better audience because they take interest in finding out the operational models of the company they invest in as well as its strategic solution to some present problems or plans – reason to cover both groups† (Silverstein Neil 124) Audience Analysis The audience intended for this study is divided into segments that exist in three categories. The first category that represents the first segment is heavy-duty industry investors. Secondly, large scale farmers or farming organizations. Lastly are the normal home-to-work drivers who drive on a daily basis. If the categories can be classified according to their characteristics, heavy-duty industries would geographically be classified to exist between rural and urban (more of setting than topography). Large-scale farmers are found within up country settings and are likely to represent the customer group that provides market for BP’s products and services. The heavy industry in vestors are likely to be business partners as well as potential customers. Lastly, the driving audience makes up the regular customer base therefore legible for information on strategic changes within the company (Liuzzo 76). Audience Perception on Company Brands British Petroleum is a company that trades brands like Castrol, Aral, ARCO, and the Wild Bean Cafà ©. Some of these brands are much popular than others concerning the nature and segment of the audience using them. For example, Castrol is popular for both large-scale farmers and daily office-to-home drivers. These audience segments claim that the Castrol engine and brake oil is much reliable than many other rival brands. To top it all, this brand trades fairly as compared to alternatives brought to the market by competitors. The Wild Bean Cafà © is a brand that audiences from all sectors tend to celebrate except for the heavy-duty sector that has limited access to the premises (Myers 578). The perception of this audience o n the Wild Bean Cafà © is that it delivers quality services (authenticity of the claim cannot be verified) but is limited to gas stations. This audience feels that the marketing strategy of this BP’s brand can lure a bigger market share if diversification strategy was included in BP’s strategy. The importance of diversification, in terms of rolling more joints is to increase the market share and limit operational costs through joint venture (Kotler 98). Dislikes and Likes By accessing the audience segments through their perceptions on BP brands, it is clear that they do not have issues with the marketing strategies of promotions, pricing, place of marketing, and the product. However, on the aspect of diminishing reputation brought about by the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill, a considerable percentage of the audience dislikes the way the company handled the issue and the implications the spill had on the environment. Ethical concerns The difference between an audience and a study participant is that the former is intended for listening and giving feedback on a researched topic while the latter provides the necessary information needed to complete the research. In this case, ethical concerns are legible for either group. The research should observe the participants’ anonymity and privacy. Classified information should be kept from audience because exposure of vital details can comprise the company’s reputation, competitive advantage, and maximization of profits (Liuzzo 187). Results Being one of the biggest petroleum and oil companies and corporations, BP has been thinking of international activities in more than 75 countries with over $250 billion incomes, and hundreds of employees and workforce. BP focuses on oil in addition to gasoline discovery and processing, petrochemical products distribution, and the production and promotion of various oil products. Currently, BP owns six popular brands in the international scenes that comprise amo ng others Castrol and ARCO (Benoit 233). Due to the quick changes in the external marketplace, British Petroleum has considered itself as an international, contemporary, hi-technology, autonomous and learning organization which has to learn to be sensitive and flexible (Kotler 33). The top management is aware that to be capable of maintaining the competitiveness, the management needs to depend on its technical competences, economic in addition to organizational skills because petroleum may be discovered in more demanding global zones and even will be substituted through other energy sources such as hydrogen and solar. From the management perspective, the company has been capable of using strategic management as a way of adapting to change. In determining the opportunity that its competitors may not think, British Petroleum must develop operational skills all through the companies and business, therefore, learn better and take advantage faster compared to their competitors (Liuzzo 45 ). Part of the enterprise framework of British Petroleum is its well-organized access of the international marketplace that makes the company to have full business abroad. Apart from this, the oil sector is capable of seeking progress in its marketing approach and attempts to present creative and greatly beneficial petrochemical products for the desired market segment. The audience intended for this study was divided into segments that exist in three categories. The first category that represents the first segment was heavy-duty industry investors. Secondly, large scale farmers or farming organizations. Lastly were the normal home-to-work drivers who drive on a daily basis. If the categories can be classified according to their characteristics, heavy-duty industries would geographically be classified to exist between rural and urban. Large-scale farmers are found within up country settings and represented the customer group that provides market for BP’s products and services. The heavy industry investors included business partners as well as potential customers. Lastly, the driving audience makes up the regular customer base therefore legible for information on strategic changes within the company. The sample population included 150 individuals from the areas affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill as well as staff of BP. The geographical area was mainly in the Louisiana Coast and included organizations and individuals in the region. To be eligible as a respondent, one had to be a resident of the area. Data Collection and Analysis Following the explosion and subsequent fires on an oil field located at the Gulf of Mexico, the field approximately 40 km of the coastline of Louisiana, started leaking petroleum. This market study focuses on assessing the effect of the petroleum tragedy on observations of and concern regarding BP oil products. Data was collected utilizing an electronic survey. The research involved the development of the survey, which includ es the various stages that needed to be applied in conducting the research. This includes use of questionnaires. The descriptive data analysis included the presenting of the results after the profile of each respondent has been analyzed and the information recorded. The measurement scale analysis evaluated the measurement scale analysis that was employed in the analysis of the information. The assessment section assesses the results after the analysis and is essential in determining the recommendations and developing a conclusion for the study. The recommendations and conclusion will be necessary to the management in determining BP’s future direction. Survey Results Impact of oil leakage on BP oil company products Before the oil leakage, roughly 6% of the participants had no plans of buying BP products. Approximately 23% of those participants said they had delayed, rescheduled, or stopped buying BP oil products. Another 12% said that due to the oil leakage they no longer have plans of buying BP products. Fortunately, majority of those who responded agreed that they still have plans of buying oil products from BP Company (see figure 1). Figure 1 Source: Excel output Likelihood of buying BP oil products compared to competitor products Out of the 150 participants, 40% are likely to buy BP oil products and another 17% are likely to purchase Total Oil products. There is likelihood that 14% of the 150 participants would buy ExxonMobil Oil products. Also 18% of the respondents were willing to buy from Chevron Company. Only 6% of these respondents were likely to purchase their oil products from Schlumberger while another 5% were likely to purchase from ConocoPhillips. Figure 2: Likelihood of buying BP oil products compared to competitor products Source: Excel output Effect of messaging on intention of buying BP oil products Regarding effect of messaging on intention of buying BP oil products, 28% of the respondents said that they would be more likely to purch ase BP products if Louisiana swamp was not closed due to the oil leakage, another 27% if Louisiana animals were uncontaminated with oil, 25% if Louisiana wildlife could be viewed as they were prior to the oil leakage, and the remaining 20% would buy BP products if the Louisiana coastline was uncontaminated with petrochemical products. Figure 3 Source: Excel output Perception regarding oil leakage and BP products Regarding perceptions on BP products based on the oil leakage as illustrated in figure 4, most of the respondents believed that the oil leakage had a negative influence on the perception of BP oil products. Approximately 20% of the respondents were unsure whether the oil leakage had affected BP products negatively. The remaining 15.5% did not believe whether the oil leakage could have negatively impacted BP oil products. Figure 4 Source: Excel output Familiarity with oil leakage problem Of the respondents, approximately 1.3% was unfamiliar with the oil leakage tragedy whil e roughly 11.5 were familiar but had not followed the tragedy. Another 50% were familiar and had tried following the tragedy to some extent and the remaining approximately 37.3% were familiar and had tried following the tragedy closely. Figure 5 Source: Excel output Findings Before the oil leakage, roughly 26% of the participants argue that they still had intentions of buying BP products. More than one quarter (27.1%) of the participants has either delayed or temporary stopped purchasing BP products. The reduction of purchasing willingness (approximately 27%) means that rather than 22.2% of the participants having intentions of purchasing BP products, just 16.5% have intentions. Also among participants who claimed that they had no intentions of buying BP products, roughly 26% admitted that they would be willing to purchase BP products if the oil leakage did not contaminate the waters. Limitations Generally the research will be limited by time. The study would be conducted within a short period of time and this would adversely influence the results and findings of the research. Also the fact that the survey was administered electronically may affect the respondent’s responses which in turn influence outcomes of the study. Works Cited Amanjeev 2010. BP – Target audience Description. Web. http://amanjeev-marketing614.blogspot.com/2010/04/target-audience-description.html. Benoit, William. Image Repair Discourse and Crisis Communication. New York: Public Relations Review, 1997. Print BP in Business. Case Study 4: Marketing 2011. Web. Cheremisinoff, Nicholas and Anton Davletshin. Emergency response management of offshore oil spills: guidelines for emergency responders. Salem, MA Hoboken, NJ: Scrivener Wiley, 2011. Print. Farrell, Courtney. The Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Edina, Minn: ABDO Pub, 2011. Print. Griffin, Michael 2006. A Guide to Preparing a winning Business Plan. PDF file. 4 June 2012. https://ru.scribd.com/doc/89301174/BP-TIPS. Hitt, Michael et al. Strategic Management: competitiveness globalization. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Kotler, Philip. Principles of Marketing 2nd ed. London: Prentice Hall, 1999. Print. Liuzzo, Anthony. Essentials of Business Law, 7th ed. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2010. Print. Maharg-Bravo, Fiona, Christopher Swann and Rob Cox 2011.BP Fast Becoming a Takeover Target. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/business/economy/11views.html. Myers, Stewart. The Capital Structure Puzzle. Journal of Finance, 39 (1984). Print. Research and Markets: British Petroleum Plc – An In-Depth Business, Strategic and Financial Analysis of British Petroleum Plc 2009. Web. Silverstein, Michael, Neil Fiske. Luxury for the Masses. New York: Harvard Business Review, 2003. Print. This assessment on Marketing Research: BP Oil Company was written and submitted by user Kyler Wise to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Marketing Research BP Oil Company In this research, there are several areas of interest and which forms the basis of the research. The research proposal will follow a standard form proposal. As such, the following areas will be covered; foremost, the problem will be sufficiently defined in the title ‘Problem definition’. This section will be followed by definition of the objectives of the research.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Marketing Research: BP Oil Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this section, the goals that the researcher will be aiming to achieve will be precisely established and as such, they will form the basis of the research (Kline Littlefield 217). This section will be succeeded by research design. This section is the blueprint of the entire research. This is because, there will be several notions covered including the study questions, specification of the relevant data, the type of data that will be collected and also the manner and steps to be followed in analyzing the data collected. In order to come up with a superior research design, good research questions will be generated and the researcher’s orientation will be sufficient (Scholastic, Inc 32). The methodology section will follow this section. This section will be essential as it will act as the guideline system for an effective solving of the underlying problem that the researcher is intending to research on. It will be constituted if specific components among them being tasks, phases, techniques, tools as well as methods (Saikku 95). This will be followed by the limitations of the study section. In this section, every possible aspect that has the ability to diminish the effectiveness of the entire research process will be noted and possible ways of avoiding these limitations will be established (Colten 75). The interpretation section will then follow. In this section, the results of the research will be refined. The main aim of this refining is to ensure that there is clarification of the results. After the refining of the results, the researcher will come up with suggestions as well as recommendations (Freudenburg et al. 66). This area is also significant as it will concentrate on advising the Company on how it can resurface itself to once again become a competitive force in the market.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This will depend on the results of the research has found by the researcher. Finally, the researcher will conduct a general overview of the entire research process. In this section, the important areas of the research will be identified and thereby concluded (The National Commission 55). Significance of the study This research is important as it will establish the negative notion existing among the direct and the indirect stakeholders and therefore enable the Co mpany come up will the most effective strategies that will help reform the Company’s perception by the stakeholders. In addition to this, the study will assist greatly as it will establish the areas of its operations that need improvement with regard to the Louisiana swamp and therefore assist it to put up measures that will see the area become bearable once again (Butlerb 72). There are several ways in which this research will help the BP Company improve its position in the industry with its competitors as well as customers. Foremost, the research will establish the opportunities that that the competitors have not yet identified and therefore take advantage of the situation and in this way, it will be a notch higher as compared to its competitors. In addition to this, the research will enable the Company come up with long term strategies concerning the conservation of the Louisiana swamp and as such, it will be seen as an effective corporate social responsibility strategy an d therefore, the brand image will be greatly rebuilt and regain its competitive advantage (Kline Littlefield 227). This research will also be useful in rediscovering its position among the customers. This research will help the Company establish that not only conserving the Louisiana swamp but also the neighboring area will greatly facilitate the change from negative perceptions to positive perceptions with regard to the company by the customers (Vijayakumar 25). Interpretation of the research From the description of the results, it is clearly evident that the Company was desirable with a large number of people having positive perceptions on the Company.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Marketing Research: BP Oil Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With reference to the impact of oil leakage on BP oil products from BP Company, it is clear that a significant number of individuals were happy to be associ ated with BP Company and were regular customers to its products (Butlerb 45). However, right after the oil spill disaster, a significant number of customers seized to be BPs stakeholders. However, a big number of individuals had plans to buy from the Company in the future. This is supposed to mean that there is still hope for the Company to recover its lost customers if it indeed initiates ways in which it will recover from the soiled name owing to the oil spillage (Scholastic, Inc 20). Considering the likelihood of buying the Company’s products as compared to the products from the competitors, the oil disaster would lead to a significant shift from the Company and turn to the major competitors. It is also clearly evident that even minor competitors would be advantaged at the expense of BP (Butlerb 44). However, a small number of individuals stuck to the company’s products. This means that the company must establish effective measures to make up for its mistakes in ord er to avoid the massive loss of customers to the competitors (Freudenburg et al. 50). With regard to the effect of messaging on the intention of buying the oil products from the Company, it is clear that the Louisiana swamp played a significant role in the deciding whether a customer would buy the products from the Company or not. This means that the Company, in order to maintain its success and competitive nature, it must take care of the ecosystem. Failure to this will impact hard feelings among the customers and as such, the performance of the company would fall or decline drastically (Butlerb 47). With regard to the perceptions concerning the oil spillage as well as products from BP Company, a large number of people believe that perceptions of the image of the Company turned from positive to negative owing to the oil spillage (The National Commission 69).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another segment is not aware of the effect of the oil spillage disaster on the perceptions of the Company (Scholastic, Inc 28). However, a small number of individuals were adamant in believing that the oil spillage had negative effects. Generally, all these beliefs are supposed to mean that most people are aware of the extent of negativity on the perceptions about the Company. In addition to this an equal number of individuals are ignorant of the fact that the oil spillage indeed has negative effects on the perceptions of the Company (Kline Littlefield 200). However, this number consists of individuals who, if they are ignorant of this fact, they are loyal to the Company and they don’t believe that the Company is declining (Vijayakumar 22). On familiarity of the oil leakage problem, just a small number of individuals did not know about the existence of such a disaster. A small number were aware of the tragedy but were not concerned about it. However, a considerable number wa s aware of the tragedy and were keen on the unfolding of events (Saikku 80). This means that the disaster was a great but negative event. In addition to this, it means that the people are concerned with the ecosystem and as such, they are ready to follow up on the issue to see the culprit, that is the BP oil Company, faces the consequences. The smaller number not aware of the disaster means that there is a category of people who are not concerned with the ecosystem (Freudenburg et al. 56). Generally, if the Company would like to see all these negativities go into oblivion and as well regain its lost customers, it is essential that it conducts sufficient research and establish the best ways possible to clean its image (Colten 70). Recommendations From the data analysis, it is worth noting that there are a number of specific strategies that the company can implement in the Louisiana region. However, the recent negative perceptions of the Company with regard to the oil spill disaster h ave proved to be a challenge to the Company (Kline Littlefield 212). The Company can effectively use this information to understand its customers’ perceptions of the organization and its product portfolio in the marketplace through initiating desirable recovery projects. For instance, it can use this information to publicly assume the responsibilities of water purification in the Louisiana swamp to make the ecosystem regain its original nature (Saikku 85). In addition to this, the Company can resolve to conduct some more research on what the people prefer the Company do in order to clean its name. Moreover, the company should use the information to assess whether there is a necessity to change the brand name to avoid further tarnish and regain its competitive nature (Butlerb 55). Further recommendation is that the Company should make use of the findings of this research to preach a message that, when considering undertaking the oil business operations, it is necessary that t he industry regulatory authority sufficiently assesses the conditions of the mining area. In addition to this, the regulation authority should assess the effectiveness of the mining capability of the Company in order to avoid another oil spillage disaster in the future (Scholastic, Inc 30). Final Observations, Suggestions and Recommendations It is advisable that the Company makes use of the findings of this research in an effort towards regaining its competitive power. In addition to this, the Company should largely concentrate on rebranding itself through ensuring that Louisiana swamp is re-established to its original nature (Butler 47). Moreover, the Company should seek to conduct some more research on what the individuals, both the direct as well as the indirect stakeholders, prefer the Company to do in order to clean its name so that the negative perceptions are eliminated. In addition to this, the company should use the information as well as the results of this research to ass ess whether there is indeed a necessity to change the brand name to avoid further tarnish and regain its competitive nature (Scholastic, Inc 32). The Company can also liaise with other environmental bodies to further improve the region hit by the effects of oil spillage disaster. For instance, with reference to the concerns raised owing to the oil spill, the Company can liaise with the education board to pass a message to potential investors in the oil industry that it is essential that a company pays keen attention to the environment, especially the area surrounding the oil mines (The National Commission 69). Further recommendation is that the Company should make use of the findings of this research to preach a message that, when considering undertaking the oil business operations, it is necessary that the industry regulatory authority sufficiently assesses the conditions of the mining area. In addition to this, the regulation authority should assess the effectiveness of the mining capability of the Company in order to avoid another oil spillage disaster in the future (Vijayakumar 32). The Company should see its established long term Louisiana swamp conservation strategies as opportunities and as a corporate social responsibility rather than looking at is as an own imposed burden. With this said and done, the Company will indeed reestablish itself as a competitive force and regain a high market share just as it had enjoyed just before the disaster. Works Cited Butlerb, Anne. Louisiana Swamp Tours: The Definitive Guide, Gretna: Pelican Publishing, 2009. Print. Colten, Charles. An unnatural metropolis: wresting New Orleans from nature. Louisiana State, Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2005. Print Freudenburg, William, Robert Gramling, Davis Matt Dennis Cohen. Blowout in the Gulf: The BP Oil Spill Disaster and the Future of Energy in America. London: Prentice Hall, 2006. Print Kline, Benjamin Rowman, Littlefield. First Along the River: A Brief History of the U.S. En vironmental Movement, Mittenzwei: GRIN Verlag, 2009. Print. Saikku, Mulla. Down by the riverside: the disappearing bottomland hardwood forest of southeastern North America, Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2006. Print Scholastic, Inc. Oil Spill: Disaster, New York City: Scholastic Inc, 2010. Print The National Commission. Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling, Oklahoma: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print Vijayakumar, Honnungar. British Petroleum Oil Spill Crisis and Aftermath: Corporate Governance, Lanham: Rowman Littlefield, 2011. Print. This assessment on Marketing Research: BP Oil Company was written and submitted by user Taryn Singleton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.