Vitabiotics Marketing Analysis And Future Strategy Marketing Essay

Vitabiotics Marketing Analysis And Future Strategy Marketing Essay Vitabiotics LTD is a UK-founded but globally prominent nutraceutical corporation and describes its business as nutrient-technology based healthcare. The first product to market was a mouth ulcer treatment called Oralcer in 1971 followed later that year by Omega-H, a multivitamin which has since seen huge success in various countries worldwide, often becoming the number 1 selling nutritional supplement. Since then, Vitabiotics invested heavily in research and development and began to increase their product range, creating international manufacturing facilities and landing increased distribution into large UK retailers such as Boots, Superdrug and several of the largest supermarkets. During this expansion Vitabiotics gained UK brand leader status with various products (Pregnacare, Menopace, Perfectil, Osteocare) and now export to over 100 countries. At the current day, Vitabiotics is the second largest branded multivitamin manufacturer (behind Seven Seas) and has a very wide product ra nge: Aquamarine Cardioace Diabetone Dietrim Feroglobin Goldcare Immunace Jointace Liverel Menopace Nerozan Omega-H3 Osteocare Perfectil Premence Pregnacare Tricologic Ultra-D3 Visionace Wellkid WellTeen Wellman Wellwoman (For the full list of products within each of these categories see appendix 1) The fundamental factor behind Vitabiotics success to date has been effective research and development of new products to remain at the forefront of new scientific developments in vitamins and nutrients with respect to health. In the past 30 years, the supplements market increased massively in accordance with the increase in the health food market and the populations increase in disposable income to spend on daily health products. The multivitamin market quickly become very competitive which induced the development of a myriad of more specific supplements by Vitabiotics, most of which were more expensive than the generic multivitamin. These specific supplements were developed on the basis of scientific research and the speed at which the science was developed into useable, marketable products was reflected in terms of growth, profits, brand awareness and brand loyalty. It is often the case that businesses are built upon an idea or a new product/service without the thought and investme nt into creating a brand. In these cases, the product/service can often be replicated or a similar service can be created, thus taking custom away from the original idea. The creation of a brand along with the product/service can protect their future by creating loyal customers. In addition to the brand creation, especially in the health/supplements markets, innovation and new product development is needed in order to keep or increase any market share. Vitabiotics have succeeded in this, both in the development of new products by being at the forefront of scientific research and in brand creation, which are the primary factors behind its exports expansion and its brand UK brand leader status in many of its products. Current SWOT analysis Creating a SWOT analysis is an effective way to assess a companies current market position along with its future prospects, the table below gives a summary SWOT and a much more detailed discussion and analysis follows; Strengths Weaknesses Continued growth during economic difficulties Strong brand image several recent awards Lack of knowledge towards supplements Opportunities Threats Emerging markets in developing countries Diversification into a broader product base health foods and beauty products Recent Product recall could damage brand image A change in consumer behaviour towards eating healthy foods as opposed to taking supplements could erode Vitabiotics growth Strengths Despite a 16% drop in single and multivitamin sales in the UK between 2004-2009 (Mintel), Vitabiotics continue to show growth and therefore future promise; this is in-part due to the expansion and diversification of its product base. Also, its expansion into over 100 countries has shown that globalisation of the brand is not only possible, but is currently being achieved. Another strength is Vitabiotics positive brand image with consumers, this is shown not only in increased sales but also in the recent awards that It has won; Boots Vitamin supplier of the year (for the fourth year running) Boots are the largest European pharmacy chain and this award is often advertised within Boots stores. When customers see an award from a very trusted and successful business such as Boots, this strongly encourages brand trust and greatly reinforces the brand image. BT Vision 100 award Given to the most visionary companies. This further establishes the image of Vitabiotics as a strong British company, a factor which consumers will most likely find appealing. The Queens award for enterprise. Prestigious export award Weaknesses The general consumer still has a lack of knowledge about supplements and it is very difficult to communicate benefits underpinned by science. Also, despite Vitabiotics relative success during the current worldwide economic crises, it isnt going to be ending soon and consumers are getting more conservative with their spending. Opportunities Vitabiotics have recently opened headquarters in Egypt, USA, Iran and Russia (ref) to complement the globalisation strategy. This will allow for greater expansion and possibly increased market share within the respective regions as it will enable more specific and coherent marketing strategies depending upon the region. Even though exports are currently to over 100 countries, there is still much opportunity in emerging markets as consumers have more money to spend on health related products. Threats A very recent FSA (food standards agency) recall of 9 different batches of products in the UK will damage both UK profits and may damage the brand image Vitabiotics have worked so hard to achieve, however this was only due to a labelling issue but any negative media needs to be handled appropriately. Another threat is regarding consumer opinion and behaviour towards taking supplements and multi-vitamins wherein there is an increasing preference towards eating healthy foods as opposed to taking pills. Perceptual Map Below is a simple perceptual map describing Vitabiotics current product diversity and market positioning, the first diagram shows a selection of its products, and places them on the map relative to the particular market segment that they occupy. The promotion strategies of the specific products are also segregated and tailored to where these fall on the map; Omega-H3 promotion spending has reduced drastically and the specific Wellman/teen/kid/woman multivitamins have all received lots of investments, with promotion in gender specific magazines. Perfectil, a skincare multivitamin is advertised separately in more beauty-orientated media. The second diagram represents Vitabiotics product diversification strategy which is reacting to current consumer trends, products are moving away from traditional multivitamins and towards the beauty, specific and medicinal markets. Despite the diversification, segregation and separate promotion strategies, product branding remains similar and noticeable to reinforce the Vitabiotics image: A consumer can easily associate any of the Vitabiotics products with each other. In addition the ecommerce store that Vitabiotics have launched brings these products together excellently, to give the consumer a broad choice when selecting what product is right for them. Future strategy and recommendations For Vitabiotics to continue to grow and attempt to gain more market share from seven seas and chainstore-branded products

Foods That Make You Hungrier Essay

Feeling hungry? You should eat. But what if the foods you’re eating actually make you hungrier than you were before you dug in? It’s a more common conundrum than you might think.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Hunger is a result of many complex interactions that occur in the stomach, intestines, brain, pancreas, and bloodstream,† says weight-loss specialist and board-certified internist Sue Decotiis, MD. Problem is, it’s a circuit that’s easily hijacked. Here are 11 foods that can make you feel like you’re running on empty—even when your stomach is stuffed. Juices Juicing is all the rage, but these â€Å"healthy† drinks contain all the sugar of your favorite fruit, but none of the fiber-containing pulp or skin. That means drinking a glass of juice can shoot your blood sugar levels up—and then back down again—bringing on hunger, according to Mitzi Dulan, RD, author of The Pinterest Diet: How to Pin Your Way Thin. Your better bet: blend a smoothie using whole fruit instead, and mix in a scoop of protein powder or nut butter to help balance your blood sugar and boost satiety. (Just be sure to steer clear of sugary fro-yo or sherbet.) Salty snacks There’s a reason why you crave something sweet after polishing off a bag of potato chips. Chips, pretzels, and salty snack mixes are little more than quick-digesting simple carbs, which can spur insulin highs and subsequent lows, Dulan says. And since your taste buds and brain link fast-acting energy with sweet foods, it’s common to have a craving for something sweet once you finish your salty nosh. What’s more, thanks to a phenomenon known as sensory specific satiety, you can fill up on chips and feel like only your salty stomach is full. Your sweet one can still feel empty, Dulan says. So get ready to eat two stomachs’ worth of food. Alcohol Alcohol doesn’t just lower your healthy-eating resolve, it downright makes you hungrier: According to research published in Alcohol & Alcoholism, just three servings can slash your body’s levels of leptin—a hormone designed to squash hunger and keep you feeling full—by 30 percent. â€Å"Alcohol can also deplete your body’s carbohydrate stores (called glycogen), causing you to  crave carbs in order to replace what was lost,† Dr. Decotiis says. And if you find yourself craving salty snacks, dehydration and a loss of electrolytes may be at work. Fast food Pretty much every ingredient behind a fast food counter is designed to make you supersize your meal. For instance, trans fat inflames the gut, potentially impairing the body’s ability to produce appetite-controlling neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, Dr. Decotiis says. Meanwhile, the GI tract absorbs high fructose corn syrup (commonly found in buns, condiments, and desserts) quickly, causing insulin spikes and even bigger hunger pangs. Lastly, fast food’s huge helpings of salt can spur dehydration. And with symptoms that closely mimic those of hunger, it’s easy for dehydration to trick you into thinking you need to go back for seconds. White pasta White pasta packs all of the same problems as white bread, but it does deserve its own mention as a hunger-offender because it’s so easy to eat far too much of it. A standard serving size of cooked pasta is just half a cup cooked, but restaurants regularly serve up four cups in a single entrà ©e. When you overload your body with simple carbs, your pancreas goes into overdrive churning out insulin, and soon you’ve produced so much of the sugar-managing hormone that your blood sugar levels are low and you’re ravenously hungry. And consider this: What are you pouring over your pasta? If it’s a store-bought sauce, then it probably contains even more hunger-spiking sugar.

Cultural Experience Essay

1. The museum I visited was the Smithsonian mem  orial holocaust museum in DC. http://www.ushmm.org/ 2. The museum had very informational facts of the challenges faced for victims of the holocaust. There are many educational pieces all throughout the museum. 3. Upon entering the holocaust museum, you will notice the dim lights and eerie sounds coming from the speaker. Also, the walkway is actually a timeline beginning with WWI. There are many artifacts of victims on display. 4. Walking through the museum, I felt a lot of remorse and emotions for the victims of the Holocaust. The most influential moment of the tour is a pile of shoes worn by the victims. The shoe pile is stacked very high and ranges in many sizes. I was emotional of the encounter because it showed me a real example of men, women, and children innocently killed for a radical idea. 5. During week two of our class, we had read about the differences of religion and the culture it brings. We also discussed about the challenges people would face based on their religion. I think this tie in with my topic for this report. The challenge Jews had faced during the holocaust had left an imprint in history. They were out casted in most of central Europe during the Nazi rule. I also believe that the Holocaust ties in with the discussion of humanities because it is a life lesson that had a major impact in history. It has taught us the significance of what a radical idea can do and how it affects people. 6. Here is a link to the â€Å"ID cards† used in the museum but can also be found online. http://www.ushmm.org/remember/id-cards Collection of shoes found in the Smithsonian Holocaust Museum. 7. This experience had really affected my feelings toward genocide victims. I felt lots of remorse and sadness for the people who had to endure the pains of the holocaust. With this experience, I view the human culture of the past to be different of todays. I believe as time progresses, and the learning of past mistakes, we try to and become more positive of ethics. 8. Although this experience does not directly affect me, I understand more of what is going on around the world. My experience here as opened my eyes to genocide and the horrid effects of what it can do to a population. During WWI and WWII, there were many deaths because of a radical ideological man, Adolf Hitler. He was the supreme leader of the Nazi forces and had envisioned to rule the world. Aside from the deaths of combat, there was a mass genocide of innocent Jews which accounted for more than five million deaths. Many of the victims ranged from the youngest to the eldest with executions of the most horrid way imaginable. Many Holocaust memorials were built around the world to remind people of the cruel event to which the Jews had to endure. My experience in the Smithsonian Holocaust Museum was very interesting. I have only heard of the Holocaust in grade school and textbooks. However coming here, I was hit with a big impact of emotions from the display of antiques from the victim. In the museum there are authentic photograph and artifacts used and worn by Jews during the genocide. With tons of information and videos, I felt like I understood more and more the anguish the victims had to endure. I also learned of the torture devices used by soldiers to kill the victims. Cold blooded methods such as gas chambers, fire pits, and death squads are only a few of the many tactics used during the mass genocide. Walking through the museum, I found the most influential section to be a room filled with old shoes piled high. I was particularly focused on it because the shoes were worn and used by actual victims in concentration camps. The shoes were collected after the executions and were reissued to other prisoners who would cycle through. It was a hard sight to see because some of the shoes had dried blood which signified the torture they had gone through. I was literally speechless with  the sight. Genocides are still happening today all over the world. Although the ban of genocide is an international law created by the Geneva Convention, mass killings have since continued after the holocaust. The most notable places are in rural Africa. Many victims are living in constant fear because of their belief in their religion.

The Big Bang Significance Of Globalization Essay - 1577 Words

Historians ascribe the big bang significance of globalisation to the 15th century, where explorers funded by European monarchs began journeys in search of new trade routes with its principle foundations traced back to 100 CE where the Romans made new trade routes in Africa and into Asia (Osland, 2003). Our present, highly internationalised economy is not unprecedented—â€Å"it is not an act of god, like a virus or a volcano, but the result of economic actions taken by human beings and thus responsive to human control† (Global Squeeze Ref); it is the state of the international economy that has accelerated since modern industrial technology (Hirst Thompson, 2003). It is the great story of our era (Curtis, 2008): It is both a fact and a process – the ongoing shrinking of time and space, or slightly, more elaborately, the acceleration and intensification of interaction and integration among people, business, other organizations and governments. (Curtis, 2008) It is commonly measured through trade liberalisation—the removal of trade restrictions to direct an increase in the volume of transactions in goods and services and of international capital flows (Osland, 2003). Globalisation has become an increasingly controversial topic, and as with all economic change, it is a trade-off with winners and losers (Osland, 2003). 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