Heidelberg, Universität, Thesis (doctoral), 2000.

No description available.

The thesis deals with the change of marketing mix components at polygraphic company. Its aim is to increase the competitiveness of the enterprise in printing industry market. The thesis is divided into three parts. The theoretical part focuses on explaining terms customer, marketing, enlarged marketing mix and basic market analysis. The analytical part compares theoretical knowledge with reality at polygraphic company. The proposal part contains factual suggestions how to improve the actual situation of polygraphic company in terms of market competitiveness. These were compiled on the basis of the analytical part.

<p>This research study focuses on how a company can achieve competitive advantage through total quality management from a marketing mix standpoint. To gain a deeper grasp of the research topic, a research question was formulated and the thesis is based on the marketing mix and competitive advantage model which is the theoretical framework of this study.</p><p>The research is a qualitative study and the empirical data was collected from two international companies operating in Halmstad i.e. HMS Industrial Networks AB and Ernst & Young LLP.</p><p>The findings show that quality is not an extra cost for the company, rather it is a way to increase your productivity, the better quality you have, the fewer products you discard and the better planning you have. Hence it was deduced from the research that competitive advantage is achievable by ensuring proper quality management in the pricing, product, promotion and distribution strategies implemented by a company.</p>

This research study focuses on how a company can achieve competitive advantage through total quality management from a marketing mix standpoint. To gain a deeper grasp of the research topic, a research question was formulated and the thesis is based on the marketing mix and competitive advantage model which is the theoretical framework of this study. The research is a qualitative study and the empirical data was collected from two international companies operating in Halmstad i.e. HMS Industrial Networks AB and Ernst & Young LLP. The findings show that quality is not an extra cost for the company, rather it is a way to increase your productivity, the better quality you have, the fewer products you discard and the better planning you have. Hence it was deduced from the research that competitive advantage is achievable by ensuring proper quality management in the pricing, product, promotion and distribution strategies implemented by a company.

No description available.

The logistics industry is known to be one of the main players for integrating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) into their supply chain. By reflecting radio waves, RFID allows any item to become an intelligent part of an organization’s information infrastructure. RFID can create greater efficiency and effectiveness as it provides real-time information, and thus has the possibility to heavily increase logistics companies’ performance. RFID is also suggested to create marketing opportunities for companies as it facilitates customer value creation. However, little is known of RFID’s true influence on marketing. To fully understand what influence RFID has on marketing, companies must seek insight into what influence RFID has on the four P’s; Product, Price, Place and Promotion. By understanding this, companies can gain an increased knowledge of how to utilize RFID to increase their customer value and hence increase their competitive advantage in the targeted market. This study investigates what perceived influence RFID has on the four P’s within the logistics industry in Scandinavia. This was achieved by performing an exploratory research, and both primary and secondary data was collected in order ensure the validity and reliability of the study. The primary data was gathered by conducting in-depth interviews together with eight logistics companies located in Scandinavia. The findings from the interviews conducted suggested that the perception of RFID’s influence on the logistics industry’s offered product is positive. According to the findings, the use of RFID technology improved the logistic solution offered which also resulted in an increased perceived customer value. The findings also show that RFID has a positive perceived influence on price as well as promotion and place. In conclusion, the authors suggest that for RFID to have positive influence on the four P’s it must not only be successfully implemented into the logistics process, but it also requires the implementing company to reach a certain economy of scale, as well as hold a certain level of expertise about the technology to see the full potential of RFID. If these criteria are met there are several benefits to gain from use of RFID in marketing purposes in the logistics industry.

Zugl.: Bayreuth, University, Diplomarbeit.

The debate of whether to standardise or to custom-tailor marketing strategies and tactics in international markets has continued to trouble academics and practitioners alike and has produced many and varied opinions. Supporters of global standardisation argue that a single marketing strategy and a standardised marketing mix (tactics) should be used in international markets to minimise total costs and promote a global corporate image. In contrast, advocates of international adaptation debate that marketing in overseas markets should be adapted to fit the unique dimensions of each local market. Opposing the two polarised positions, literature quoting practical evidence suggests that companies make contingency choices which relate to key determinants in each circumstance. This doctoral research focuses on the tactical level. It hypothesises that multinational companies' tactical behaviour is integrated as a result of several reasons `pulling' it towards the one or the other side of the continuum. Equally, it proposes that such behaviour and the importance of reasons `pulling' it, could be significantly different based on nine factors. Consequently, this research seeks to discover the unique way in which the reasons and factors interact with international marketing tactics in any given `country and company situation'. A review of the literature (chapters two and three) allowed the development of a framework (chapter three) that presents the main perspectives of the different schools of thought towards the processeso f adaptation,s tandardisationa nd integration of marketing tactics. Its formulation made possible two main stages in this research: it firstly allowed the researcher to formulate the secondary hypotheses, and secondly it permitted the design of a questionnaire to test these hypotheses and carry out the necessary empirical research and collection of primary data. Based on the Positivist philosophy, the research design (chapter four) involved a questionnaire survey on the 500 biggest UK multinational companies across five industrial sectors. The analysis (chapters five and six) was mainly quantitative and was undertaken with S. P. S. S. and Excel statistical packages. It utilised chi-square (x2) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical tests. Research results identified that UK multinational companies do not solely utilise adaptation or standardisation across their marketing mix elements. When facing the dilemma of implementing marketing tactics, the researched UK multinational companies were found to integrate the processes of adaptation and standardisation. Both processes co-exist and multinational companies are striking to find a balance. This research identified that the level of integration is dependent upon a consideration of the relationship between the reasons and elements identified, and an understanding of how these are affected by a number of factors. Followed the results of the analysis, this thesis proposes a new modelling approach, the AdaptStand Process (chapter seven), which outlines different steps to be undertaken by multinational companies towards identifying the degree of integration across the marketing mix elements. Consequently, this thesis aims to enlarge the existing body of knowledge in the subject area and guide marketing directors acid managers in deciding on marketing tactics when competing in the international marketing arena.

Marknadsföring är ett viktigt verktyg att använda sig av för att locka konsumenter till att köpa hotellens produkter. Det finns ett antal olika sätt att åstadkomma detta. Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka olika marknadsföringssätt som kan vara gynnsamma inom dagens hotellverksamheter. Senare diskuterades det kring bakgrunden och resultatet. Här belystes det att segmentering av marknad är viktigt för att kunna möta olika kundgrupper på bästa sätt. Här framkom även att marknadsföringsmixens olika delar går att koppla till varandra. Ytterligare diskuterades det kring word-of-mouth och att det beror på flera faktorer om gästen ska bli nöjd med hotellet. Gynnsamma marknadsföringssätt som ett hotell kan nyttja är marknadssegmentering, marknadsföring baserad på den förlängda marknadsföringsmixen samt spridning av positiv word-of-mouth, där kundnöjdhet är ett centralt tema. / B-uppsatser