Environmental Factors Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental Factors Paper - Essay Example Toyota is one of the world’s leading car manufacturing companies which produce and market more than 8 million cars every year. It has a global presence with manufacturing units in more than 27 countries and vehicles sold in more than 170 countries and regions (Toyota, 2010). This paper discusses how various environmental factors affect the marketing decisions of Toyota. Influence of global economic interdependence and the impact of trade practices and agreements It is quite important that Toyota understand the importance of economic interdependence and the impact of trade practices since the current economic situation calls all the countries in the world to be highly interdependent. Toyota can efficiently procure the vehicle parts from specific countries and strategically increase the market share in the countries where they do business. On May 2009, Toyota reported a record loss of $4.2 billion due to the global financial crisis. This shows that the performance of the firm is highly related to global economic conditions. Differences in tariffs, taxes and trade agreements between different countries need to be considered while pricing the products. A high import duty will make a country less attractive to do business with. On the other hand a subsidy on international trade will make a country more attractive to trade. Importance of demographics and physical infrastructure Demographics and physical infrastructure are both macro environmental factors that affect the marketing decision of any firm. The marketing decisions of Toyota are shaped by the demographic factors of human population such as size, location, gender, occupation, race, etc. For example, Toyota cannot supply vehicles to a location where it does not get a cost advantage. So it has to decide on the feasibility of opening a manufacturing unit in that location if the consumer demand is high. The demographic environment can also be classified on the basis of generations. They are Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. The needs and aspirations of these different generations are different in the form of vehicle design, performance, mileage, pricing etc. Promotional measures should also be made in order to give the right appeal for each of these segments. Physical infrastructure also plays a major role in designing the marketing decisions of Toyota. The vehicles marketed in one country may not be apt for some other countries due to the infrastructure those countries have. In such cases, there needs to be a structural redesign on the vehicle before it can be marketed to such countries. Also the availability of good physical infrastructure will help determine whether it is beneficial to open up manufacturing units for reasons of easy availability of energy, water supply, telecommunication facility, etc. Influence of Cultural Differences Toyota has over the years developed an image of trust and value among the minds of the customers. The marketing strategies will be aime d at making people associate themselves with these qualities in order to affect their purchase decision. People perceive Toyota as a lifestyle brand in some countries whereas in some other countries they consider it as a quality brand. It is the ability of the marketing department that enables Toyota to position the vehicles in the minds of the

Poetry and Politics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Poetry and Politics Paper - Essay Example Bryant opens his poem with the recognition that slavery represents not only a â€Å"great wrong† but also a slow and painful journey in race relations (The Death of Slavery, Line 1). Bryant opens Death of Slavery with: O THOU great Wrong, that, through the slow-paced years, Didst hold they millions fettered, and didst wield The scourge that drove the labourer to the field, And turn a stony gaze on human tears, They cruel reign is o’er.... (The Death of Slavery, 1900, First Stanza). Thus for Bryant’s The Death of Slavery, represents not only a reminder of the pain and suffering associated with the oppression of one race over another, but its place in history also serves as a reminder that mankind can and has overcome the worst of evils punctuating race relations in history. Bryant’s last stanza of The Death of Slavery pulls this realization together as follows: I see the better years that hasten by Carry thee back into that shadowy past, Where, in the dusty spaces, void and vast, The graves of those whom thou hast murdered lie. The slave-pen, through whose door Thy victims pass no more...(The Death of Slavery, 1900, Last Stanza). ... Bryant (1900) likewise recalls that this â€Å"grim† past: At which the slave was sold; while at thy feet Scourges and engines of restraint and pain Moulder and rust by thine eternal seat. There, mid the symbols that proclaim they crimes, Dwell thou, a warning to the coming times (The Death of Slavery, 1900, Last Stanza). In other words, recalling the evils of the past, serves as a caution to resist evil of any kind relative to race relations among mankind. Obama likewise, sees the utility in remembering the cruel past. Obama stated that he felt it was a significant visit for his daughters as they would be encouraged to fight cruel oppression of any kind to prevent this kind of history repeating itself. Thomas Merton’s And the Children of Birmingham was written in the 1960s amidst the race movement in the US during that time. The poem reflects on the bombing in Birmingham, Alabama that killed Black children staging a protest in the 1960s against the oppression of Black in the US is also instructive. And the Children of Birmingham likewise calls attention to the cruel pass in terms of race relations and also speaks to man’s ability to overcome this kind of cruel legacy. Herron (2005) informs that from Merton’s perspective however, the death of the children in Birmingham is less about marking the history of race relations among Americans. Instead, And the Children of Birmingham is more about hope and this hope is expressed by calling upon Americans everywhere to look upon all Americans as equals, as brothers and sisters (2005). And The Children of Birmingham draws attention to the innocent victims and inheritors of the evils of cruel race relations