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Report comparing the costs of purchasing a holiday online with the costs of purchase from a brochure. Table of contents Table of contents 1 Introduction. 1 Findings 1 Online quotes 1 Brochure Quotes 2 Prices for staying in Dubai 2 Analysis of table and graph. 2 Possible trips to attractions 3 Conclusion and Recommendation. 5 Introduction I have been asked to produce a report to investigate whether it is cheaper to purchase a college trip online or from a brochure. To carry out this investigation I have decided to look at holidays in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The investigation will look at a trip commencing 1st December staying three nights in the following categories of hotel: Budget holiday staying in a three star hotel Value holiday staying in a five star hotel Premium holiday staying in a seven star hotel The brochure holidays will be inclusive of both hotel and flight costs. For the online holiday I will look at separate flight and hotels in order to save the most money. Findings To find the information for my report I used a search engine (Google) to get flight and hotel quotes. I then used a travel agents brochure to find costs of a package holiday. I also researched possible attractions using both the brochure and the Internet to find information. Online quotes My online flight quote was provided by Book cheap flights, hotels, car rental, city breaks and package holidays with Opodo and the following table shows the travel details: Departure / Time Arrival / Time Date Airline London Heathrow, 08:30 Dubai, 10:10 01/11/2007 British Airways Dubai, 08:50 London Heathrow, 3:15 04/11/2007 British Airways My hotel quotes were all taken from www.expedia.co.uk. The hotels I chose were: Highland hotel (three star) Kempinski mall of the emirates (five star) Burj al Arab (seven star) Brochure Quotes The quotes for three night holidays are all from the Cresta holiday’s brochure. I chose the following hotels for comparison: Regent Beach Resort (three star) Le meridien mina seyahi beach resort and marina (four star) Palm tree court and spa (five star) Prices for staying in Dubai The following table illustrates the costs per person for staying in these hotels: Type of Travel Cost per person (£) Three star Five Star Seven Star Average Online Flight £323.30 £323.30 £323.30 £323.30 Online Hotel £95.45 £235.83 £502.45 £277.91 Total Online £418.75 £559.13 £825.75 £601.21 Brochure (hotel & flight) £556.00 £778.00 £975.00 £769.67 The following graph illustrates the difference in price between the holiday booked online and the brochure package: Analysis of table and graph The average cost of the trip booked online was £531.61 while the average for the brochure holiday is £703. The results suggest that a holiday in Dubai is cheaper if booked online. The graph shows that a brochure holiday is more expensive than booking online for every category of hotel. Possible trips to attractions Dubai is a city with many historical places of interest. It also has a reputation as a business venue being home to some of the world’s most prosperous businesses and firms. The following are two attractions I would recommend seeing: The Dubai Museum Al-Fahidi Fort, built in 1800, is home to the Dubai Museum, and is thought to be Dubai's oldest building. In the past the fort was used to defend the town from warlike neighbouring tribes. It has also served, at various times throughout history as the seat of government, the ruler's residence, a store for ammunition, and a jail. The walls of the fort are built from coral and shell rubble from the sea, and are cemented together with lime. Wooden poles called Handel support the upper floor, and the ceiling is made of palm fronds, mud and plaster. A massive, iron-studded door stands at the entrance, and its battle-scarred walls and towers bear witness to the conflicts of the past. When the Museum was opened by the ruler of Dubai in 1971, its main aim was to furnish a record of the Emirate's traditional life, much of which is fast disappearing. Local antiquities have been collected and stored, along with artefacts from many African and Asian countries, trading partners with the Emirate, throughout its long commercial history. At the Museum's entrance, the visitor can browse through a collection of old maps of the Gulf and the Emirates, together with aerial photographs showing Dubai's considerable urban expansion between 1960 and 1980. Inside, a treasure trove awaits. A large section is devoted to musical instruments, with displays of drums, flutes, lyres, bagpipes made of goatskin and other locally-made instruments used in performances on festive occasions. On a less peaceful note, displays of deadly weaponry are enough to curdle the blood. The curved daggers known as hanjars are much in evidence, and the display also includes swords, spears, bows and arrows, shields made of sharkskin, pistols and axes. A model of a wind-tower room is an interesting feature of the architecture section, with diagrams and photographs showing different types of wind-towers from the older areas of Dubai city. Narish Khyma, situated close to the Museum, is a typical Arab summerhouse, with an interesting collection of local boats. These include a replica of the famous abra -- the ferryboats used for transporting passengers across Dubai's river creek. The Grand Mosque Located at the Bur Side of Dubai Creek, Grand Mosque, offers the blissfulness of traditional Islamic architectural style with which the Mosque is built. Grand Mosque was built in 1900 A.D. as a Quranic School (kutab in Arabic), which was similar to present day madrasas, where children are taught Quran and Muslim religious principles. The Mosque was rebuilt to enhance its capacity to accommodate worshippers, which at present stands at 1200 devotees in total. With a minaret as high as 70 meters, the tallest in Dubai, Grand Mosque is considered as one of the most spacious mosques in UAE. Permission to enter the Mosque is exclusively provided to Muslims. But if you are a non-Muslim and are attracted by the artistic and cultural magnificence of the Mosque, you'll be granted permission to take pictures of the tall minaret, splendidly designed walls, luminous domes and marvellous glass panels and antique window shutters from the premises of the Mosque. The mosque carries 54 domes, in which 45 are small and 9 large. Grand Mosque along Al Mussalla Road, near Ruler's Court, Dubai, is also known as Al-Jumeriah Mosque and is also the most photographed building in Dubai. The most striking feature of all Islamic architecture has been identified as the one which focuses more on the interior space than on the outside or facade. Traditional Islamic art and architecture has its roots in 7th-century Syrian culture from where it widened its scope to include the art and architecture from regions as far as Atlantic and South Asia. According to experts, when Traditional Islamic Architecture is considered from the point of view of the then architects, there is nothing Islamic in their work, nor is there a dominant style which can be delineated from Islamic Art. Regional variations are innumerous and diversified, the unifying principles being the existence of geometric design and arabesque styles. Conclusion and Recommendation The results suggest that the college would save money if it booked trips online. For every category of hotel the online trip was cheaper. The reason for this difference could be the convenience of booking a package holiday from a brochure. Despite the convenience of booking a brochure holiday there is a large cost saving from planning the trip yourself and I would recommend that the college books its own trips online. |
Dubai is the dreamiest place I’ve ever been to. With an over populated population, not less than 1.3 million, you still don’t get annoyed by the crowds. My first ‘actual’ visit was during the Christmas holidays. Wanting to escape from the cold miserable winter, back in the U.K., to the warm welcoming weather in Dubai. I have been told that the best month for Dubai is between November and February, which in actual fact is true. However during the summer the temperature could reach up to 48°C, which isn’t that bad as every where you go you would find an air conditioner, which would tend to have very cold air .To my surprise, Dubai being an Islamic country it isn’t very strict. Seeing how magnificent Dubai’s airport is, I wanted to see what the country would be like. From my experience of travelling, one of the best airports I’ve ever been to is Dubai Airport. With its large comforting lounges and delicious cafes and the best shops you could find. These facilities were only some of the things I saw during my 1-2 hour stay for transmits. As soon as I exited the airport I was amazed from how the city was very clean. I was in a yellow taxi, sitting all quiet and excited going to my hotel “Mina Al Salaam”. Quarter way I asked the driver to go on a sightseeing tour as I was already seeing half of the city. Going around Dubai seeing different sizes of buildings and different shapes, I was amazed by seeing so many malls around. The one that caught my eye was Mall Of The Emirates. “The biggest mall in Dubai and Asia.” said the taxi driver. Coming back from the other end of Dubai heading towards my hotel I saw the beach. There were a lot of people just relaxing and tanning, but it was just wonderful gazing at the sandy golden sand and the crystal like sea water with the sun setting. I asked if I could go down for one minute just to take a picture of the view. The driver was so friendly and didn’t mind at all. I got my picture taken with Burj Al Arab behind me. This building is the best hotel in the world as well as the biggest hotel in water. I read it in the Guinness World Records. When I arrived at the ho tel I was just exhausted! The hotel I stayed in was just WOW! It had beautiful marble floors and very artistic paintings and a wonderful lobby with excellent service. As soon as I got to my sea view bedroom I unpacked my bag and went straight away to the Spa, to relax. The next couple of days I just stayed on the beach relaxing and swimming in the pools of the hotel. After my couple of days relaxing I went on a 2 day safari in the desert with a tour called “Arabian tours”. We went dune bashing and sand boarding and for the first time in my life I rode on a camel. During Sunset they took me and my group to the place where we were going to camp and there was a wonderful dinner buffet with a belly dancer and an Oud player for entertainment. After the amazing two night stay in the dessert returning to the hotel it was time for me to say good bye to Dubai as it was time for me to go back to the U.K., I enjoyed my stay in Dubai and I wish I could come and visit again next holiday. As Arabic emirates would say “Maa Salamah”, which means good bye. |
My trip to Saudi Arabia It was 1 week before I got to know I was going saudia Arabia. My parents asked me if I wanted to go my heart was saying yes but my mind was saying no. I go to my parent’s ill think about it that night I was thinking I don’t want 2 go yet I am not ready. Had a dream that night I was in saudia Arabia, in front of the khaba (god’s house), I was praying in front of it I was so happy to be there. I was with my cousin asma go Aqeel its so good to be here isn’t it he was saying yeah mash Allah its wonderful then suddenly I hear a big “bang” noise going “wake up wake up” it was my mum screaming from down stairs. I got up, I was thinking oh my god my dream was so lovely I ran down stairs I told my mum straight away I wanted to go saudia arabia she was so happy she gave me a hug and goes I am so glad you are going she goes your going to love it when your there. I was really excited to go, because my cousin Aqeel and Harun where going to go aswell so it was good cause I would have had company. We phoned my uncle that I was going he booked the tickets. Four days later that night every one was at my house because we had a family reunion, we were so excited to go we was chatting about how it was going to be? What the people are going to be like? How the atmosphere is going to be like? we couldn’t get over it we was so excited, also we found out that we was going to stop at Dubai that got us even more excited cause we have never seen Dubai before. It was about 11.00 o’clock every one start going home all ma family gave me £20 pound each cause they was so happy to see me going to my gods house every one went home. I was really excited I went upstairs and went to sleep I first put my alarm for 4 0 clock in the morning, our flight was for 8 o clock I went to sleep I had a lovely dream I was just half way threw my dream and my alarm goes off it was 4 o clock I was so excited every one came to my house, then we went to my nans house to say goodbye to everyone then we was set off to our journey to the airport. We got to the airport it was about 5.30 we parked the car, and we went to put our bags threw the checking area all our bags went threw. Then we went to eat breakfast at mc Donald’s our parents phoned us telling us we have to go 2 check our tickets. We went to our parents we said goodbye to then, we checked our self and we went straight threw we waved our byes and our parents went we finally was in duty free oh my god it was so amazing the atmosphere was amazing every body was shopping it was me my uncle ma aunty her 2 kids and her mum it was 7 of us. I asked my uncle if we could shop around he goes shop as much as u want but you have only got 3 hours to do shopping but he goes there is no point he goes when You come back do the shopping then we said were going to look around he goes meet us at gate number 16 we go ok.Me my 2 cousins were so excited we went around the shops I go to my cousins look at theses lacoste trainers they were really nice, I really wanted to buy them my uncle goes buy them when you come back. Then we had to set to the flight we was about to step threw the airplane and me and my cousin got excited cause we haven’t sat in an airplane since 4 years, so we went threw the plane on my right there was three seats, in the middle there was four, and on my left there was three. Me and my cousins sat together and my uncle and the rest sat together, the flight was just about to lift off all my cousins were scared for the flight to lift of but it was amazing for me, because I really like when flights lift if it feels like I am lifting off the earth. The flight lifted off there was an announcement after 15 minutes. The air hostesses came round giving hot towels to wipe our faces the journey was about 12 hours we all fell asleep. I wake up and we had to get off the airplane, I looked out side the airplane and they announced that we was at Dubai me and my cousins looked at each other we was really excited, but the temperature was 45°.We got off the plane we freshened up and we went to ask the emirates desk manager if we could go out of the airport we went and spoke to them they go “yes sure you can go but they said that we could eat aswell in inside the airport because they said they provided it for us” We went to look for the place we had to eat we looked everywhere we couldn’t find it then we asked some one they told us where it was we went towards it the atmosphere was so busy every one was enjoying them self. We went and sat on the table they told us it was a buffet me and my cousins went crazy because the food smelt nice it was gorgeous we eat up and it was about 8 in the evening, our flight was for 12 o’clock. I asked my uncle if we could go to shop in the airport he goes ok.me and my cousins went it was so amazing we went in to shops and we tried sprays on it was such a laugh we enjoyed it so much. It was about 11.30 they announced “the passengers on emirates flight please come to your desk“we went to meet our uncle and we had to catch our flights, we went back and sat on the plane the plane was empty this time so we all had our own rows of seats it was so good cause we had three hours till we got to madina we all were praying from the plane to madina. We was about to land the plane was landing and the noise was like a cat scrapping his claws against the floor it gave me the shivers. We got off the plain we were at madina airport we had to get the coach to get to madina. We got the coach and the journey was about twenty minutes. We got to medina hotel and freshened up had a shower and was now ready to enter the holy mosque I couldn’t wait to see the mosque at 1st site it is said that if u make a prayer when you see the mosque at first site your prayer comes true it was beautiful there aren’t words to explain the feeling you have when u see the holy mosque from the inside and the house of Allah I sat in the mosque for approximately 4 hours that day before we went back to our hotels it was a long tiring day I had the best sleep ever. The next morning I woke up I was ready to go to the mosque again and pray. We also done a small pilgrimage witch was done by our prophet (pbuh) witch was a good experience. The weather there was hot very hot at times it would reach nearly 50c but inside the mosque the air conditioning was so good it felt like I was still in Britain, we also climbed up a mountain the same mountain our prophet Mohammed (pbuh) climbed when he was chased by the non believers there is a cave on top of the mountain were the prophet (pbuh) hid it was beautiful to see things like that and the view was also beautiful. We mostly prayed in the mosque and made short pilgrimages I enjoyed it a lot it was a good experience for me we had to days left to leave I was kind of missing home now but I didn’t want to leave either and I was in the holy mosque right next to Allah’s house there is a black stone in one of the corners of gods house and it is said that whoever kisses the black stone there sins will b forgiven I tried my best that day to kiss the black stone and eventually I did it isn’t easy trying to kiss the stone for there is many people there trying to kiss many people die during hajj because they try and kiss the black stone and get crushed because there is so many people there, but I was happy though I got to kiss it and was looking forward to going home now it was our last day at madina I took many photos of the place so I could look back one day and say I was there. As we left for the airport I stared out the coach window looking at the beautiful scenery and the big palm trees, we reached the airport and was through the hassle of getting into the plane quite quickly the plane took off and this time I wasn’t quite bothered about the flight I exited to see my family and friends again so I can tell them what an experience I had. I slept most the flight and were jus landing into Heathrow airport I ran off the plane in joy we entered the terminal and it felt good to be back home we collected our luggage and went for the exit there I saw my parents waiting for us to pick us up I hugged them in joy we all left the airport quickly so we could get home in time for dinner I told my mum and dad the whole experience on the way back from the airport I loved it. |
Internet Penetration Identify the different levels of household penetration by the World Wide Web in each of the following continents – Asia , Africa , North America , South America and Australia . Explore the reasons for this variation. The countries with the highest internet penetration are predominately those Western economies with strong economies and high levels of affluence. Out of the top 10 countries, European countries feature 6 times, with Sweden having the highest penetration at 73.6% of the population have the internet. Other high ranking countries include Hong Kong (70.7%), The United States of America (USA) (68.5%), Australia (67.2%), Canada (63.8%), Korea (63.3%), Japan (60.9%), Taiwan (60.5%), Singapore (60.2%) and New Zealand (56.8%). The United Kingdom compares well at 60%. (Appendix 2 Internet world stats, 2005) World wide, these 25 countries dominate over 64% of their total population; the internet penetration in the rest of the world is just 7.8% of the remaining population. However, percentages can be misleading; whilst they give a good indication of levels of literacy, affluence and behaviour, the percentage of penetration would not give an indication of size of possible market; the USA has the largest market at 202,888,307; the next largest being Japan at 78,050,000 and then the UK and German markets at 35,807,929 and 47,127,725 respectively. Whilst we have seen then that internet penetration is very strong in these affluent societies, there are some interesting developments in the emerging economies. Those countries in Asia that have traditionally had under developed economies, such as China and India , have very different levels of internet penetration; despite both countries attempting to develop their economic wealth. China , with a population of 1,306,313,812 has 94 million internet users (Appendix 1); this however translates to only 7.2% of the population. The Chinese middle class is only 4% of the population i.e. those who have household incomes of more than $20,000 but that translates into a market or 50 million people (Khanna, T) – a huge market for prospective investors in the country. This compares very favourably with internet penetration in India – where the population is very similar to China 's - 1,080,264,388.00 but there are only 18, 481,000 internet users, a penetration of 1.71% of the population. This may be due to Government intervention in China ; in a recent report ‘it has been found that China has nurtured and directed the economy ( Khanna, T 2005). In addition there is a difference in the GDP per capita – in China , the GDP per capita is $5,600, whereas in India it is only $3,100. However, in both countries there is a huge gap between the wealthiest and poorest people, both in India and China , over 30% of household consumption is carried out by the 10% wealthiest people. (World Fact Book, 2004) Internet penetration in Africa shows a similar picture – where the economies are good, there is high internet penetration, such as in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the percentage of internet users is very high – over 43%, The UAE has a very successful and open economy with a very high GDP per capita ($25,200). This contrasts dramatically with the sub Saharan countries such as Malawi . Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world; the internet penetration is 0.3% of the population; in South Africa where over 50% of the population below the poverty line internet penetration in South Africa is still only 0.7%, despite there being some very wealthy people. (Appendix 1 World fact book 2004) The other area of the world where there is little internet penetration is in South America , although there are country wide differences relating to the economic success of individual countries. Much of the South American countries have troubled economies and large numbers of the population below the poverty line. There are some variations, for example, the internet penetration in Chile is 22%; they have a GDP per capita at $10,700, in Ecuador the internet penetration is 4.26%; here the GDP per capita is only $3,700. Discuss the implications this has for international marketing for companies with global reach. You may choose to illustrate your answers by reference to a single company. ‘The Internet provides a more direct route to customers and provides a means of reaching huge new audiences and enabling the provision of vast amounts of information.' (Fill p. 438) He goes onto to explain the benefits of an internet presence – reduced transaction costs, opportunities for growth and innovation, improved competitive position, encouragement of cooperative behaviour, enhanced communication with customers, improved information about customers, enhanced reputation and image, enhanced measurement and evaluation of customer interaction and improved customer service. Thus it can be seen then that the implications of increased internet penetration for firms with a global reach are enormous in terms of increased competitive position, an opportunity for increased market share and increased service that can be offered to the customer. The internet is especially advantageous for small firms wanting to market internationally; the net is open for 24 hours per day and can be accessed from anywhere. Blythe has found that ‘small firms do not need to establish a presence in the country to which they hope to export, nor do they have to employ international sales staff nor worry about the exchange rates' (p.227). Hamil and Gregory, (1997) found that smaller organisations view the internet as a tool to enable them to develop network communications, sales promotion and market intelligence activities. Luk et al (2002) suggest that the internet can be used to create awareness of the firm and its products, build general publicity and contribute to corporate image building programmes . In addition, they have found that the internet can play a large part in helping to market products by showing on-line catalogues and by providing detailed product information. This view has been echoed by Berthon et al (1998), they suggest that the website is something of a mix between direct selling and advertising. They compare the web to a trade show – a large exhibition hall where potential buyers can enter at will and visit exhibitions. It is acknowledged then that the web has an important role for those companies wishing to extend their global reach, in terms of creating awareness of their offer. In addition to the benefits that having an internet presence may bring to a firm, having an understanding of the penetration of the internet gives firms an understanding of the size of the market for online transactions in foreign countries. For those ‘click ‘firms (those with no other sales/distribution channel such as www. Amazon.com) this will be a very important consideration. Amazon currently operates seven country-based websites in the USA , Canada , the UK , France , Germany , China and Japan . (taken from MIntel company profile, 2005) An understanding of the size of the market combined with other environmental factors such as the GDP and the GDP per capita will enable a firm to make a more informed decision about foreign investment. An analysis of consumer behaviour in the firm's home market may assist firms in making assumptions about consumer behaviour in foreign markets; e.g. those countries with similar penetration to the UK may have similar characteristics to consumers in the UK . Research carried out in the UK by Mintel, has found that use of the internet tends to be biased towards the young and affluent. These findings are echoed in the USA . (Taylor, H 2002) Firms wishing to move into those markets with high penetration may find it easier to communicate to consumers of known characteristics. In addition to being a promotional tool, the internet is also a huge distribution channel; Amazon.com was founded in 1995 when its founder, Jeff Bezos, discovered that the internet was growing at 2300% and realised that this was a tremendous medium through which to sell products to consumers. He compares e-tailing to traditional bricks and mortar retailing in this way: ‘real estate is the key cost for physical retailers, real estate gets more and more expensive every year and technology gets cheaper every year and it gets cheaper fast' (cited in Krishnamurthy 1998). Mintel have reported that ‘ Online purchasing of gifts increased significantly in 2004. Some 26% of the sample shopped online before Christmas 2004, compared to 12% in the previous year.' It can be seen then that the an understanding of the penetration of the internet is very important for international marketing purposes for those companies with global reach, especially in terms of creating awareness of the firm's offer. The degree of penetration of the internet also has implications in terms of market share, an indication of the affluence of the population and the firm's ability to reach the market. Critically evaluate the role and limitations of the internet as a distribution and promotional channel. What are the operational implications of selling through the internet. ‘The internet provides marketers and consumers with opportunities for much greater interaction and individualisation.' (Kotler, 2005, p. 612) ‘The internet provides a wide variety of activities that are helping to transform the way we think about marketing communications but is also impacting on business strategy, marketing channel structure, inter-organisational relationships and the configuration of the marketing communications mix. The internet impacts upon marketing in two ways, distribution and communications.'(Fill, p 437). The ability of the internet to dramatically change the way organisations can do business is quite apparent. Chaston and Mangles (2002) have found that a feature of the internet that is of critical interest to marketers is the interactivity of the medium. They have also found that the internet provides both a promotional medium and an alternative channel through which to sell and deliver the product. In terms as a promotional channel, Fill maintains that the ‘pace at which technology has advanced over the past decade has had a tremendous impact upon advertisers, media owners, marketing research, advertising and newly born agencies. The principal effect has been to fragment the audience in such a way that targets can be more easily defined and reached with pinpoint accuracy.' (p.225) As a result of this fragmentation there is much more emphasis being placed on sales promotion at the expense of mass advertising. Many firms are developing integrated marketing communications which are based on a more ‘personalised, customer orientated and technology driven approach' (Fill, p 458) As a distribution channel, many new companies have come into existence e.g. Amazon.com, Dab.com; Expedia.com; google.com to name a few; most traditional retailers now have a presence on the internet in addition to manufacturers and direct marketers. Moreover, traditional markets such as the CD retail market have almost disappeared; traditional retailers have had to make the retail experience much more exciting as more consumers purchase their everyday goods on line. However, Mintel has found that ‘ It is much harder for niche high street retailers to achieve critical mass online. So it is unsurprising that the non-food store retailers that have started to build genuine online scale are larger mixed goods retailers such as John Lewis, M&S, Debenhams, Argos, and Woolworths, as well as Dixons and Comet in the electrical sector.' (2005 ) Blythe has identified four characteristics of the internet as a marketing tool: Communication style – the style is interactive and synchronous ( happens immediately) or asynchronous ( there is significant time delays between message and response, such as when you are invited to email for more information and there are insufficient resources to reply immediately) Social presence – the feeling that communications are taking place at a personal level; this is particularly so if the communications are synchronous Consumer control of contact – because consumers control the time and place of contact, they are more willing to participate in the process of getting information from the machine. They may be more likely to give out information about themselves, a useful way of gathering market information Consumer control of content – if consumers can control the message, the communication becomes truly interactive. A consumer can skip links and move onto another page; or an email address allows consumers to ask specific questions and tailor the communications even more. (P. 229) Amazon have found that ‘in the online world, businesses have the opportunity to develop very deep relationships with customers, both through accepting preferences of customers and then observing their purchase behaviour over time….if you can do that, then the customers are going to feel a deep loyalty to us, because we know them so well.' It is this change in power of customers and higher expectations that pose limitations for some online retailers. Schulz and Schulz (1998) refer to this two way conversation and the change to the customer having the power in the relationship as opposed to the retailer, as the third phase in marketing; initially the manufacturers held the power; in the 20 th Century it has been the retailer; they maintain that in the 21 st Century, there will be consumer domination in the market place brought about by the increasing use of technology especially the internet. Internet based marketing is usually based around a website; the challenge for firms wanting to use the internet as a sales channel is to attract them to the website and then keep them coming back. The design of the website and its ease of use are very important considerations; badly designed websites will do more damage than no web site at all. Ecommerce for Dummies (2001) suggests that some following strategies will be successful when entering into the world of ecommerce – ‘Hook ‘em – make sure your website works when you very first go online; make your business a household name; be prepared for success (ie be able to distribute more than you expected), calculate internet time – things change much more rapidly on the internet and get to know your neighbours – i.e. your suppliers and all those in the supply chain. It is vital that they can they all meet your customers demands.' ( Home - For Dummies ) News travels much faster on the internet; internet users visit chat rooms, compare notes on products and services and have developed ‘blogs' – ( internet journals or logbooks, which can do great harm to a firm who does not meet the visitor's satisfaction criteria). Kotler has identified that the internet has given consumers increased buying power (the ability to easily compare prices and goods), a great variety and availability of goods and services, a greater amount of information and an expectation of ease with interacting, placing and receiving orders in addition to this ability to compare notes. (p.11). This puts tremendous pressure on distributors both on and off line. There are four stages of internet utilisation – low involvement which just has a web site presence and then encourages visitors to visit the shop; medium involvement where visitors can interrogation via email and register for more information. High interaction – buy on line and we will deliver; this is where a strong two way communication is established allowing interaction with the customer; the most involved utilisation is where all business processes are embedded in the web. This process is very important; it is situations where the processes are not embedded in the web where opportunities for customer disatisfaction can occur. Guido (2005) describes an incident where, although he had paid his subscription for insurance on line, the business processes did not identify that and he was sent a final demand. Guido advises firms to do four things – think customer service; think life style communications, email should always be relevant, personalised and timely; build strategic life cycle email communications with customers and build value. Finally he advises that firms should build integrated communications and messaging across the customer profile; ‘connect your CRM communications so you have a universal view of how your customer touches your brand. Mint e l's consumer research shows that 22% of consumers would shop more from home (including the Internet) if the offer came from a retailer they could trust. This suggests to us that there is real scope for store-based retailers to use their loyal customer base to build a distance selling business. (Mintel, Home Shopping 2005). It can be seen then that one of the operational tasks is how to reassure customers that their financial details are safe. Morrison and Firmstone (2000) found that those firms who had facilities that customers could trust and who deliberately managed to reduce risk will be differentiated as a superior offering. Many websites inform customers that they are about to go into a secure site; once a purchase is made, they ask customers to repeat their password; on the Amazon site, only the last 4 digits of the credit card are shown and only shown when they are convinced it is the correct customer visiting their personalised page. Ebay and Amazon rate their sellers for reliability and integrity and follow up any transactions for evaluation purposes. Another operational implication is in ensuring that the expectation that the order will be fulfilled. Fill has found that due to the ease with which customers can order and pay for goods, their expectations for quick delivery are higher than normal, ‘unless the whole fulfillment process is compatible, the whole of the investment at the front end will be wasted' (p. 450). Fill suggests that one way to reassure customers is to confirm their order by email and to email the delivery arrangements. Dell telephone or email customers to arrange a time when they will be at home to take delivery of their computers and will arrange for delivery to be in the evening if that is most convenient. Where distribution and warehousing has been outsourced, it is imperative that the firm can rely on the service. It has been identified that most users of the internet are well educated and in SEG groups AB and C1.(MIntel a) Those shoppers are very demanding, well informed and articulate; seekers on the internet are normally there for a reason, i.e. they ‘generally exhibit goal-directed behaviour ' (Fill, p448) If this is satisfied people are more likely to return, if nit they are likely to tell many people. The problem described earlier where the insurance form had not connected an online payment with a due date would be resolved if the company had ensured that ‘the management of all networked communities is effective to ensure optimum usage and the development of suitable relationships.' (Bickerton et al). Since its establishment, Amazon has focused its strategy on customer satisfaction rather than on maximising profits like most pure online retailers. The ‘dot com bust' which saw numerous newly created e-commerce retailers go out of business since the second half of 2000, led many online companies to try and break-even as soon as possible, in an attempt to prove that they had a viable business plan. Amazon has consistently run a customer-centric business model over the years, investing heavily in storage and distribution, as well as improving the customer experience by introducing innovative features such as the 1-click ordering system, customer product reviews and operating a ‘no-questions asked' 30-day return policy. The group's investment in customer satisfaction seems to have paid off and despite suffering heavy losses in its first seven years of operation it managed to break even in 2002, while it tripled its profit margins in 2003.' (Mintel,2005). The internet has brought about dramatic changes to the way business is carried out; moreover penetration is increasing rapidly, especially in the emerging economies. As a promotional tool, marketers have had to consider different tactics in attracting and maintaining visitors and thereby increasing their ability to meet their customers' needs. The internet offer a cheaper channel for the distribution of goods, particularly those that are easy to transport, have little purchase involvement or risk or services such as travel where there are price benefits to the consumer. However, the internet has shifted the power from the supplier to the buyer, which will have an increasingly far reaching impact for traditional suppliers. There have been several casualties since the inception of the internet; in order to succeed firms have had to consider several operational tasks namely fraud security, delivery reliability and speed and stringent processes that ensure connectivity of all communications and transactions with the customers |
Some Muslim world wedding customs India and Pakistan In the Indian subcontinent, a marriage is reserved to three days of customs and traditions. The Mehndi is the event where you put henna on the bride and groom's hands. Marked by traditional songs and dances, it sometimes extends to two days - one day over at the groom's place to put henna on his hand and the second day over at the bride's house to put henna on hers. The actual Nikah is called a Shadi, which is traditionally done by the bride's side. This is the signing of official paperwork in the presence of an Imam. After signing these papers and doing some religious ceremony, the couple is declared husband and wife. To celebrate, guests eat of the many lavish dishes that are served. To announce the marriage officially the Walima takes place as a feast given by the groom's family. Both husband and wife welcome the guests and mingle with them while people eat dinner. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) As a tradition in the UAE, the setting of the wedding date marks the beginning of the bride's preparation for her wedding. Although the groom is also put through a series of preparations, the bride's are more elaborate and time consuming. She is lavished with all sorts of traditional oils and perfumes from head to toe. Traditionally, she is not seen for forty days by anyone except for family members as she rests at home in preparation for her wedding day. During the week which precedes the wedding, traditional music, continuous singing and dancing take place, reflecting the joy shared by the bride and the groom's families. Laylat Al Henna (literally, the night of the henna), which takes place a few days before, is very special night for the bride, since it is a ladies' night only. On this night, the bride's hands and feet are decorated with henna. The back-to-back feasts and celebrations involve both men and women who usually celebrate separately. ( Sound Vision Foundation) Egypt Egypt has been exposed to many civilizations, such as the Greek, Roman and Islamic ones. The marriage customs of Egyptians make it easy for a couple to get to know one another, for the families meet often. It starts by the suitor's parents visiting his fiancee's house to get her family approval to complete the marriage and reaching an agreement, which contains two main items: an amount of money, called Mahr, paid by the suitor to his fiancee's family to help them prepare the furniture of their daughter and a valuable jewelry gift, called Shabka, given by the suitor to his fiancee. The value of this gift depends on the financial and social levels of the suitor's family. When the two parties complete the agreement, they fix an appointed date for the engagement party. When the house of the new family becomes ready, the two families fix a date for the wedding party. The night before wedding day, the relatives, friends and neighbors get together to celebrate "the Henna Night". The next day, the marriage contract is signed and registered. After sunset, the wedding party starts and the couple wears their best dresses and jewelry. Malaysia In the Malaysian tradition, the bride and groom are treated as "king and queen for a day". During the betrothal, the pre-wedding meeting between the bride and the groom's parents, the dowry that will be given to the bride is determined as well as the date of the solemnization. The berinai (henna application) ceremony is held prior to the wedding. The bride's palms and feet are 'decorated' with the dye from the henna leaves. Akad Nikah, which is the signing of the contract, is normally presided over by a Kadhi, a religious official of the Syariat (Shariat) Court. A small sum of money called the Mas Kahwin seals the contract. The recent trend is to hold the solemnization in the mosque as was performed during the Prophet Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) time. Singapore In the tradition of Singapore, the Mak Andam (beautician) as well as members of the bride's family will waylay the groom and ask for an 'entrance fee after the bride is ready. Only when they are satisfied with the amount would they allow the groom to see his bride. After successfully overcoming the 'obstacles', the marriage ceremonies take place. Relatives sprinkle petals and rice (fertility symbols) on the couple seated on the 'throne'. (by Amber Rehman Sound Vision Foundation) |
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