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Corporate responsibility, philanthropy, altruism and benevolence
Corporate responsibility, philanthropy, altruism and benevolence are some of the words that are often used to describe cause-related marketing when businesses join together with charities as a means of promoting their product, image, brand or services for the mutual benefit of the society (Van Yoder 2003). From this excerpt, one can tell that cause-related marketing deals with the society at greater lengths than it would have dealt with them had it not collaborated with charities. According to business in the community (2004), cause-related marketing is not altruism or benevolence as people may like to call it. It is based, according to them, on the recognition by businesses that link up with charitable organizations could lead to mutual beneficiary. They term is as a way of addressing current issues affecting the society while at the same addressing their business marketing objectives. CRM, as is commonly known, goes beyond sales promotion and takes into consideration the entire marketing spectrum activities. This may include advertising, sponsorship and direct marketing. This is simply linking up marketing of products and services to wider social benefits. Adkins (1999 p.1) states terms cause related marketing as another aspect within which self-interest is enlightened to promote products in conjunction with a good cause. Money is raised and the values of the goods are also raised while at the same time enlisting customer loyalty and purchase of their own products.
Ways in which corporate companies can enlist public support is through supporting charities, underwriting a public service television campaign, sponsoring a fundraiser to support a worthy cause or host an invent that will benefit the local community. These events could be geared towards environmental management in arid areas, business initiatives in poverty stricken areas, food donations for those in dire need, distribution of learning materials and facilities in schools within marginalized areas, supporting war against social ills like violence, crimes, drug abuse and child labor and civic education in areas where events like voting will take place (Baker, 2003 p.510). The community can easily judge between a sincere company with societal motives and a company out to sell more products at their expense. The community will always be glad to support a company that shows genuine, long term commitment to the consumers and to the larger community by way of its business practices and public service.
Several companies have benefited from these initiatives. Major corporate companies like Barclays Plc, Centrica Plc, Tesco Plc, and Cadbury Schweppes Plc have understood the benefits involved in CRM programs that have reaped benefits for themselves whilst making positive and significant impact on the wider community. They have demonstrated this through their benefit from the essential win: win: win of CRM. They have also heightened their stakeholder value addition which is vested in good corporate reputation. Good reputation leads to influences in prices and purchase of stocks (Baker, 2003 p.515). The corporate also benefit from increased visibility putting them an edge ahead of their competitors due to their constant appearance in worthy causes and many public adverts. They benefit from enhanced corporate image which is a good way to create a company that mirrors the society and fulfills its needs satisfactorily. The media is the most influential way of creating a stepping stone to the company’s ideals. The media will most definitely view a company that cares about the community from a positive angle (Van Yoder, 2003; Carr 2005 p.100). This serves as a good ingredient for good image and increased trust among the consumers. The mixing of a resonating cause with an equally ecstatic target market generates tremendous goodwill and media attention can be the good side effect emanating from this.
As the CEOs of these companies will confess, building corporate image is similar to building a brand. The company is tasked with consistent delivery of quality service over time. Quality here equally entails propelling core values and ideologies in the marketing strategies endorsed. It offers the company with a chance to bring to life their corporate values and enhance corporate reputation over who cares and why (Adkins, 1999 p.3). Another benefit acquired from CRM is the increased knowledge on using marketing ix to evaluate and implement CRM programs effectively. There has to be a criterion through which the company creates an impact worth remembering and one that will be there for certainly along time (Carr 2005 p.100).
The community also wins in this whole entrepreneurship business. The non-government organizations involved in these partnerships create a basis through which the community can be uplifted and how the community can benefit from their own purchases. They are further assisted in marketing their causes through even greater financial resources that are donated by these corporate. They are able to reach more people through the company’s consumer base. Through this, they can accomplish a whole lot of objectives by partnering with these companies since the financial constraints that might have hindered their earlier ambitions are taken care of (Rubenstein 2004, p.128). The community also benefits from better living standards as some initiatives that help in the health care subsector assist those in the low-income earning bracket offering them another chance on being healthy again. The locals benefit from employment opportunities in these non-governmental organizations which entail the use of skills for the benefit of all. This opportunity assists the people to raise their own living standards and improve their livelihoods.
We can deduce is that CRM is a good strategy within which marketing values can be based on. It offers strategies within which a company can benefit form loyalty accrued from the consumers. It provides an avenue through which the company can show its willingness to create a society worth being emulated. The community is the main beneficiary in this aspect as all the money they use for their purchases is brought back in a whole new dimension to benefit them for a long period of time. The core components of these links include a win for the business, a win for the cause and a win for the consumer. As Earle (2002) states, the number of cause related adverts are on the rise (p.27). This is due to the spreading information that this type of marketing is beneficial to all the stakeholders in the business. More corporate are turning out to support several initiatives that will portray them as the ideal company with which to identify with. However, goodwill has to be earned and nurtured. This strategic move has to be clearly and solely approached with due care because it involves winning the society’s trust, credibility and support for the initiatives that are to be carried out (Gitman 2008 p. 276). The brand created must be oriented in some kind of passion for the community as well as a means through which the company can help ease the burden from the community and slash it up with different incentives.
As Adkins (1999) suggests, CRM is an under utilized strategy that can achieve business objectives as well as the cause objectives (p.4). If well utilized, it enhances corporate image and differentiates the product from other competitors’ thus increasing customer loyalty and sales. The only challenge is for the corporate to find the most appropriate partnerships, plan, implement and communicate them through the different avenues in the society. Nothing can help build strong brand loyalty like a company’s proven track of committed support of worthy causes (Gitman 2008 p. 277). This creates a basis through which a consumer will gladly appreciate and value products produced by a company willing to do something for them beyond the normal. They see this as a way of raising their living standards by investing in the community what they have gained from it. If a company is willing to stand for something profits, the consumers will be willing to stick with it for better or for worse.
Thus, one can suggest that CRM is based on creating good rapport with the community. The better consumers understand the corporate partnership with the society, the more positive they are and this goes a long way into creating beneficial brand equities. CRM has also been seen to encourage companies to switch between products, when the prices, quality and product are equal (business in the community, 2004; Rubenstein 2004 p.130). This helps create business affinity. This is expressed as a measure of consumer identification with common brand sin the market. Thus, one can look at the positive perceptions that help motivate people’s buying decisions and strategies for improved performance based on statistics gathered. As can be observed from sale reports from different companies, the success of CRM is reflected mainly in consumer awareness. Growth in awareness comes hand in hand with increased participation. An increase in affinity is also reported due to benchmark statements that deal with brand’s capacity to innovate, the level of trust it inspires, the level of endorsement it is receiving and the extent to which consumer’s values are being matched by the products in the market.
Evidently, the social, political and economic changes that have transpired all over the world have seen the universe drawing back to the state for funding. The demands have increased responsibility flexibility seed and innovation from business quarters. The consumer expectations have grown generally directed towards the business community. They expect more personalized messages that show an evidence of understanding their needs. This has led to an increase in consumer compassion form the corporate world. This has spiked more partnerships between the corporate and the society to bridge this gap. This is appropriate for investors from different sectors to involve themselves in such worthy causes first as a passion so as to attract attention and benefit from these interactions with the local people.
References:
Adkins S. (1999) who cares wins: Cause related marketing, London: Butterworth-Heinemann, p.1-7
Baker, M.J (2003)Marketing Book, London: Butterworth Heinemann, p.500-579
Business in the community (2004), how cause related marketing impacts on brand equity, consumer behavior and the bottom line: brand benefits, international research. Retrieved 12th November, 2010. < HYPERLINK “http://www.bitc.org.uk/document.rm?id=9000” http://www.bitc.org.uk/document.rm?id=9000>
Carr P. J. (2005) a study of consumer nonprofit brand identification: Cause related marketing, Oregon: University of Oregon, p.100-110
Earle R. (2002), How to Use Advertising to Change Personal Behavior and Public Policy: The Art of Cause Marketing, New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, p.27-49
Gitman L. J. (2008). The Essentials: The Future of Business, Michigan: Cengage Learning, p276-300
Rubenstein D. (2004) a practical guide: The good corporate citizen, New York: John Wiley and Sons, p.127-150
Van Yoder, S. (2003), cause related marketing, frugalmarketing .com. Retrieved 12th November, 2010. < http://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/cause-related.shtml>
Toulmin Argument Gun Control
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Toulmin Argument: Gun Control
Introduction
Gun control has been an issues that has always raised various kinds of feelings and thoughts among different people in the United States. It has actually been an issue that has played a key impact in political campaigns. The issue on gun control has always been quite a complex one because every single group that is for or against the control tend to have valid reasons on why they have certain stands. The first incident in the United States that may have actually sparked the discussion of gun control was the assassination of John F Kennedy. Prior to 1968, adults in America had so much access to guns from stores as well as the mail catalogues and this raised concern that gun regulation were needed. The 1968 Gun Control Act was the first major act which regulated interstate transfer of firearms except for licensed dealers. Since then, there have been laws and acts that have been introduced and while some gunner support others have been shunned.
In 1994, a major law was passed and this was seen as a win on gun control. The Public Safety and Recreational Firearm Use Act passed a ban on use of military style weapons as well as magazines that accommodated more than 10 rounds. The Democrats pushed for this reforms and although they got the backing from the Republicans it was on the basis that the act would expire after 10 years. After 2004, the ban expired and civilians were back to accessing military style weapon. America has recorded the highest number of gun related violence in the world and it is sad that young adults including school going children have been victims of these violence. There are various states that have taken the matter upon their hands and created gun control laws including banning of the assault weapons while certain states are reluctant to do this. This paper explores various statistic related with gun-related violence and the various measures that have been taken in trying to deal with the issue. With the increase in the number of gun related violence and mass shooting then legislation and discussion on gun control need to happen
Background /Warrants
According to a survey conducted in 2018 by Pew Research Center, approximately 45% of Americans own guns. This is almost half of the population a clear indication gun possession in America is something valuable. Most Americans who own guns have always used the constitution to back gun ownership as the Second Amendment of the constitution states that everyone has a right to bear arms. However, with the number of deaths that have occurred in the United States the discussion on gun control needs to happen. In 2017, gun related deaths from homicide cases was at 73%. Since 1982, there has been more than 110 mass shootings. Although mass shooting accounts for just a tiny proposition of gun related deaths, it is these shootings that have caused a lot of discussion on gun ownership and need first strict laws (Jehan, pg. 11). This may be because children in school have been affected by mass shootings as random strangers have had access to school and then opened fire to school going children like the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.
Statistics on states that have strict gun laws have proved he importance of gun legislation in helping in gun control thus reducing mass shooting and any gun related deaths or maiming. The top eight most states that have restrictive laws include Hawaii, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts and California. These states have greatly reduced the number of gun related incidents that have taken place. States with more permissive rates have been highly ranked on the number of shootings that have occurred and they include Vermont, Louisiana, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio and Arizona. Texas recently experienced a terror attack and no changes in the laws were made. What came as a shock to many actually was the fact that Texas allowed people to carry guns to church after the Senate Bill 535 was approved (Samantha, pg. 109). Although they indicate it’s only for licensed gun owners, this seems to be so much permissibility when it comes to gun laws and restriction to a country that has been wrecked by constant shootings and attacks. The states that have permissible gun laws are making it hard for states that have regulated gun control to have an easy time. An example is the killing of the three people that occurred in Gilroy, California. The gun man travelled from Gilroy all the way to Nevada to buy military-style rifle as he could not do so in his home state. This shows that if Nevada had strict gun laws then this man may not have acquired the said weapon and thus not in a position to carry out the attack.
Explore Warrants
There have been factors that may have contributed to the high number of gun ownership. Guns have often been readily available in the U.S. Although people claim that background checks can be done to determine mental illnesses or people with prior convictions do not get guns, these group of individuals have been able to access guns. These loops have largely contributed to the increased number of gun related deaths in the United States. There have been children who have also been able to fake their ID’s changing their age and thus being able to acquire guns while the set age of acquiring certain weapons has been set to be at 18 and 21. Another example of a loophole is failure by the law enforcement agency to include all individuals with prior conviction. Often military personnel are not usually included in the database for example the case of Devin Kelley who worked in the U.S force had acres to a gun and shot people in a church in Texas. The Air Force had failed to report Kelley and other members who had been charged with serious offences (Morall, pg. 56-123).
Legislation such as running mental health checks background and banning of semi-automatic and automatic rifles are recommendations that have been stated and most presidential candidates are using these as their campaign strategy on gun control. Adam Lanza who was the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting was a disturbed child who had been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and Obsessive-compulsive disorder, yet he walked into a gun shop and was sold for a gun. If a proper background had been done, he would not be in possession of a gun. Most gun shootings have always been carried out using these assault weapons which in a couple of minutes may take down so many people. Banning of these weapons will be a great way of curbing violence and ensuring that the general public do not have access to military grade weapons. States that have strict gun control laws have seen a decrease in gun related violence (Connors, pg. 49). There also needs to be better policies that will ensure that people who have histories of mental illnesses or people who have been convicted including those who have served in the military do not get access to the guns. The law enforcement agencies need to be answerable incase a person who should have been reported to the data base is not reported and hence gets access to a gun. The only way these loopholes can be sealed is through legislation that is why it is important for the government to be in support of gun control measures that are being proposed.
Factual Backing
Although gun control measures are likely to help reduce number of gun related deaths, there is a high likelihood that purchase of guns from the black market will increase. When the Obama administration came up with the discussion that they would consider gun control measures, there was an influx on the number of gun sales and gun dealers experienced stock outs (Jones, pg. 167-174). The citizens were trying to send a clear message that they would not support any un control measures. This goes to show that most gun consumers love gun ownership and if measures or restrictions are introduced then they are likely to turn to the black market. This however can be dealt with by making sure the law enforcement officers become vigilant and apprehend all those who will be found selling or dealing with weapons illegally. Citizens who will also be found with weapons acquired illegally such as the black market will also be charged with illegal possession of firearm. Although an influx of gun sales market may be experienced with gun control measures, the right legislation will curb this.
It is also of great concern that the country lacks law on assault or rather military-style weapon. In 1994, there was a Federal Assault Weapon Ban that was passed by the congress restricting the sale of military style and high capacity magazine. Military style weapons ae weapons that can kill a high number of victims in just a span of seconds. Such weapons should have no place or rather should not be carried by civilians but belong to the war zones and in military camps. The ban was passed but had an expiration after 10 years unless renewed by congress thus the ban ended in 2004 and was never renewed. Most were hopeful that the conversation would come up again after the Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting. This conversation did come up but no extreme measures were taken only suggestion of how strict gun laws should be there (Luca, pg. 96). It is however important to point out that there are states that have restriction on military-style weapons but no such laws exist at the federal level.
Counter-argument
Guns may serve as an important weapon in countering the attacker thus subduing them before they cause more deaths. Often many have argued that guns are useful when it comes to protection. President Trump himself has stated several times after gun shooting that if someone else had a gun then they would help in subduing a shooter. This is true, states that allow people to walk with guns and less gun control measures have less crime rate. This is because a perpetrator will often be afraid of attacking someone with the fear that they may be in possession of a gun for self-defense (Lott, pg. 123). Although this is true, I believe that the shooting does not have to happen in the first place. No one should leave in fear of being shot thus feeling the need to carry the gun for self-defense. It is important to ensure that the guns are not available in the first place. When there are no guns and people who have no business having guns are denied the access then there will be no need to have guns for self-protection thus this argument will be invalid.
Gun control is likely to increase sale of guns in the black market. Gun consumers have repeatedly portrayed their love for guns over and over again and made it clear they would not let anyone take that away from them. This was evident when guns were bought that gun shops experienced stock outs. If guns are banned or control, then there is the likelihood that people may decide to use the black market as the source of their guns. Guns found in the black market are often quite cheap as one may even acquire a handgun for less than $100. Most people who are pro-gun ownership have pointed out that gun control laws and banning of weapons may result in people seeking other ways that they could acquire guns and this includes using the black market (Manier). I however think this argument is fictional. Dangerous people over the years have been able to access guns and mostly it is because of the weak laws that are in place. Before we make the judgement on acquisition of guns from the lack market, how about first we pass the laws then get the statistics if this is true. Acquiring of guns from the black market can be regulated through legislation and vigilance from law enforcers who would apprehend individuals found buying or possessing a gun acquired from the black market.
Conclusion
Gun control is an important step in trying to ensure gun related violence in the United States decrease. There has been an increase in number of shootings in the U.S and often most of the perpetrators are people who should not have been allowed to have guns in the first place. The large availability of guns including assault weapons has made it easier for deranged individuals to carry out attacks. It is important that we have the conversation on ways that we can regulate and reduce the number of guns that are available in the market. This may be a step by step transition, for example, legislators may first begin by trying to ban the assault rifles as well as the high capacity magazines. Such laws will ensure that weapons that are more likely to cause havoc in just a couple of minutes are not easily available to the market for purchase by the attackers. States too need to be vigilant on the laws they create on gun control. States that have strong gun control laws have experienced a decline in number of gun related violence and thus other states should also follow suit. Loss of life due to laws that can be altered is unacceptable.
Works Cited
Jehan, Faisal, et al. “The burden of firearm violence in the United States: stricter laws result in safer states.” Journal of injury and violence research 10.1 (2018): 11.
Jones, Michael A., and George W. Stone. “The US gun-control paradox: Gun buyer response to congressional gun-control initiatives.” Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER) 13.4 (2015): 167-174.
Lott, John R. More guns, less crime: Understanding crime and gun control laws. University of Chicago Press, 2013.
Luca, Michael, Deepak Malhotra, and Christopher Palanquin. The impact of mass shootings on gun policy. No. w26187. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2019.
Manier, Lauren. “Does Gun Control Really Work?” National Center for Health Research, 12 Apr. 2018, http://www.center4research.org/does-gun-control-really-work/.
Morrall, Andrew. “The science of gun policy: a critical synthesis of research evidence on the effects of gun policies in the United States.” Rand health quarterly 8.1 (2018).
Santhanam, Laura. “Most Americans Support These 4 Types of Gun Legislation, Poll Says.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 10 Sept. 2019, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/most-americans-support-stricter-gun-laws-new-poll-says.
Spitzer, Robert J. Politics of gun control. Routledge, 2015.
Tobacco Policies
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Tobacco Policies
The thought of tobacco leads to images of cigarettes and lung cancer. Tobacco has been proven to cause lung cancer, yet millions of people still smoke multiple cigarettes daily around the world. The National Institutes of Health reports that roughly 440,000 deaths every year in the United States are the result of tobacco use. From these, 157000 deaths are from lung cancer (Paoletti et al. 213). Since it was proved that tobacco use, mainly cigarette smoking leads to cancers such as mouth and lung cancers, there have been concerted efforts to inform consumers of the health risks that come with tobacco. Some of the most prominent tobacco policies include images on packaging, taxes, and advertising regulations.
Since 2012, the Food and Drug Administration requires deterrent images to appear on cigarette packages. Congress gave the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products in the year 2009. The pictorial deterrents came after written warnings were found to be ineffective in warning consumers about the dangers that tobacco poses to their health. The first written warnings on cigarette packages appeared in the year 1966. Still, the Federal Trade Commission reported in 1976 that these warnings were ineffective in the face of advertising by tobacco companies (Paoletti et al. 213). The images on cigarette packs are often graphic, showing diseased organs as a result of tobacco consumption.
Another policy put in place to deter tobacco use is increasing taxes on tobacco products, mainly cigarettes. As long as a product is cheap and affordable, consumers will be encouraged to purchase it, and the same goes for cigarettes. In the mid-20th century, when cigarettes were the most popular, taxes on the products were quite low, and they were rarely raised. Taxes on a pack of cigarettes stood at 8 cents a packet for more than 30 years since 1951. However, since then, the federal government raised the tax to $1.01 a pack since 2008, and states have also levied their own taxes, further increasing the prices of cigarettes (Washington et al. 27). Aside from taxes, there are also other price policies to discourage tobacco use. For example, healthcare insurers charge higher for smokers which cost the smokers far more discouraging them from smoking.
Advertising regulations and campaigns against tobacco used have also been implemented across the media. This campaign began with the Fairness Doctrine introduced by the Federal Communications Commission in 1967 and 1970. Under the doctrine, any airtime given to tobacco adverts had to have equal free airtime to antismoking campaigns. In 1971, there was a federal ban on tobacco ads on both television and radio, bringing to an end the Fairness Doctrine. Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1969 banned broadcast media from advertising any tobacco products, and this remains in place today (Levy et al. 448). The American Legacy Foundation, founded in 1999, engage in nationwide anti-tobacco campaigns targeting teenagers and young adults each year. The foundation’s efforts have seen a decline in the rates of smoking among teenagers.
In summary, tobacco consumption poses a serious health risk to consumers, and this calls for regulation and policy to protect people from such health risks. Federal and state governments have stepped in with various policies such as requiring tobacco companies to display deterrent images on cigarette packs, raising taxes on cigarettes, as well as regulating advertising for tobacco products. All these measures have been effective because the National Institutes of Health reports that smoking has declined by half since its peak in the mid-1950s. Tobacco consumption is costly in financial terms, as well as in terms of healthcare costs as well as the destruction of life. Tobacco regulations have been effective in reducing tobacco consumption, but more people need to realize how harmful tobacco is and stop using it altogether.
Works Cited
Levy, David T., et al. “Research full report: the impact of implementing tobacco control policies: the 2017 tobacco control policy scorecard.” Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 24.5 (2018): 448.
Paoletti, Luca, et al. “Current status of tobacco policy and control.” Journal of thoracic imaging 27.4 (2012): 213. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3409436/#R6Washington, Michelle, Richard L. Barnes, and Stanton Glantz. “Chipping away at tobacco traditions in tobacco country: tobacco industry political influence and tobacco policy making in North Carolina 1969-2011.” (2011).