Hubspot Case Question Essay Example for Free

Hubspot Case Question Essay 1. Analyze HubSpots Marketing Mix in the context of an overallMarketing Strategy 2. Do you agree with HubSpot that the rules of marketing have changed? If so, how? Is inbound marketingthe answer? Why or why not? 3. Is HubSpot finding and serving the right set of customers? Given its position as a start-up company,should it widen its focus to serve any customer that comes its way? Or narrow their target, by focusingexclusively on either Owner Ollies or Marketer Marys? Or by focusing exclusively on either B2B or B2Ccustomers? 4. HubSpot has begun to differentiate its products as it has learned more about its customers. Should it domore? Should its pricing strategy change too? Does the software-as-a-service (SaaS) pricing model workfor both Marketer Marys and Owner Ollies? Should HubSpot try to immediately capture more value for either of these customers? 5. Are Halligan and Shah being too stubborn by not doing any outbound marketing? Or should they continueto practice what they preach by focusing on inbound marketing alone? 6. Halligan and Shah want HubSpot to be to marketing, what salesforce.com is to sales. What would your plan of action be to make this happen? Why would you take these actions? What keeps you up at nightabout your plan? This case follows the growth of HubSpot, an entrepreneurial venture which faces significant challenges including:developing a market segmentation, deciding which customer to serve and which customers to turn away,configuring a pricing strategy which is aligned with the value being delivered to customers, and determiningwhether inbound marketing programs can generate enough scale to grow the business or whethertraditionaloutbound marketing methods need to be employed to accelerate growth. The HubSpot case focuses on issuesaround marketing channels, specifically inbound marketing and the use of Web 2.0 tools and applications suchas blogging, search engine optimization, and social media

Business And Information Technology Strategy Information Technology Essay

Business And Information Technology Strategy Information Technology Essay Business and information technology (IT) strategy has long been recognized as a key issue for managers and has grown in importance as IT has become strategically significant. For any kind of business to be succeeded in the market should follow some strategies. With the growing technological development competition has increase therefore managers or CEO should focus their attention on the information technology. Similarly, Frito Lay business strategy involved information technology. The IT function in every business is about capturing, processing, storing and distributing information or data. Introduction Information Technology (IT) is crucial to any business. IT Strategy focuses on strategic IT issues; on how to make IT work for businesses and improve company performance alongside examining ways of exploiting the full potential of information systems from existing and new IT products. High-performance businesses view IT as a strategic asset-a source of both operational excellence and competitive advantage. Frito Lays business strategy which also used the IT strategy for the improvement of their sales and to make the information available to its customers. Overlapping or Similarities between IT Strategy and Frito Lay business strategy Strategy is a comprehensive plan for accomplishing organizations goals. IT strategy is similar to Frito Lay business strategy business although the focus is specifically on technology. It is important to plan ahead for the development of your IT systems, which will need to be able to grow and adapt to any changes in business. However, business strategies and IT strategies overlap in some cases are as follows: Both strategies focus on management using same strategies. Both strategies act as a tool used for planning the future seems that they are unique. Both of the strategies are similar in a way that they are regulating a product and its structure simultaneously. Both of the strategies have a certain goal to reach its ultimate success in a same manner. Both strategies evaluate their internal and external environment in order to determine a position and market approach meaning that equally they are responsible for gaining success. Both strategies reflecting the relationship between business strategy and IT strategy making the inference that IT strategy is indeed primarily a business tool (Simons Davila, 1998; Kantrow, 1980; Haeckel Nolan, 1993; Amit Shoemaker, 1993). In the management perspective of Frito Lay business strategies it mainly at first focuses on management. Management process deals with the activities using resources and how this strategy can be used for achieving businesss goals. Frito Lay business strategy in which incorporated IT used as a critical contributor to the business, focused on improving business value and performance. Both of the strategies combine to make the business successful. Both of the strategies are designed to establish a business-driven approach to infrastructure toward the management of it business services. Basically IT helps to identify opportunities for reduced costs, reduced risk, improved quality and greater business value. IT Strategy is a highly prestigious like Frito Lay business strategy focusing on both strategic IT business issues and recent developments in information technology. Some Related Elements between IT Strategy and Corporate Strategies at Frito Lay Identifying business elements refers to proclaiming a vision and planning a means of getting there. Though the Frito Lay business related with some elements with the IT especially nature of the organizations leadership, complexity of the organizations environment, size of the organization, expertise of planners (Drew et al., 2006) etc. In Frito Lay business strategies earlier it didnt use the elements. Of the most strategic way how these elements worked as a sound management in every aspects of Frito Lay business should deal with different information technology. With the complexity of the technological change know how IT is now being used widely to take advantage of the competitive market (The daily Star, 2010). The organization environment both of the Frito Lay business and IT sector has faced challenges forward to improving its respective business. Both the size and nature of this two business strategy has greatly impact on the overall value delivery system resulting in the increa se or decrease of sales volume. Frito-Lay used management information system tools include Executive Support System (ESS), Decision Support System (DSS), and Packaging Application Expert (PAX).  ESS helps to locate potential problems in maintaining sales levels and market share those are also elements of IT strategy. Some of the Key Components of Frito Lays Plans There are some of the key components of Frito Lays plans that must be reviewed such as The length of the promotion or Time frame Promotional and distributional activities Cost, sales Decision making process and Operating polices Productivity and working process Management process Organization Structure or infrastructure of the business Corporate initiatives and their contribution Technological development, flexibility and their uses Control processes Selection of the best business tools Competition and Production efficiency Justification of the Key Components of Frito Lays plan Time is important components for the business to succeed in the market. Strategy and Planning services produce a roadmap of clearly defined projects designed to extract more value from existing assets. This roadmap can also be used to support the deployment of critical business-driven projects. If proper information is not readily available to the customers as well as to the manger the firms will suffer a lot. Promotional activities that communicate the merits of the products and persuade the target customers (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). Distribution of the sales people among different areas help to achieve maximum productivity and effectiveness. Focusing on sales Frito Lays business can assess its position and its strength. A review of the sales, cost and profit projections for a new product may satisfy the Frito Lay businesss objectives. Productivity, management process, decision making process can greatly enhance the business in a wide distribution area. Together with the technological innovation businesses go forward with the competitions market. Business goals could be achieved easily with the understanding of business productivity and improving quality. Business information would be dynamic and integrated that should enable line employees and managers throughout the company to access timely and relevant information to support marketing strategy. Frito Lay business later identified these components and tried to implement that result in profit of their business. Some Strategies There are a variety of perspectives, models and approaches used in strategic planning. The way that a strategic plan is developed depends on various strategies that would be an effective way to communicate plans to executives, senior management, and team members if used at Frito Lay. Division of areas: one strategy that may be an effective way to communicate plans to executives, senior management, and team members if each area is subdivided to different small areas. One manager is assign to evaluate performance to the lower team members who will report to the manager. Organize a management team. Usually the signals that building familiarity among the companys advisors, employees, area managers, executives to make the communication easier. Short mission statement. Once the team has been organized, a brief mission statement which outlines the goals for the communications effort. This statement is critical in building consensus among the team members over the future course of action. Keep communication simple. Keep your internal and external communications simple, direct, and frequent so that everyone is kept informed of your progress. Tell your target publics what you are going to do, do it, and then tell them how youve done it. Forthright disclosure is essential Decentralization: It is actually one end of a continuum anchored. In this type of organization decision making power and authority are delegated as far down the authority. By delegating power and authority systematically from middle and lower level employees a relationship is established accelerating communication throughout a group team. Organization should not only focus their attention on decentralization they also focus their attention on centralization. Centralization: Sometimes the firm should only focus on the management activities among the higher level authorities. Identify actions or redress and communicate progress on a regular basis. Prior to communication on a regular basis. By meeting weekly rather than once a month shortened both thought cycle and action cycle to be more in paces changes in the business. Keep the lines of communication open. Non-management employees or staff may offer valuable insights into alternative courses of action. Encouraging suggestions from the bottom up also helps keep interest and involvement high among audiences that have a stake in the outcome of the crisis, but little into the decision-making process. Keeping the lines of communications open may result in a fresh perspective toward the solution of a problem. Build on a short-term plan with a long-term proactive communications strategy. Nothing builds interest and involvement like awareness and knowledge. The more your target publics know about you, the more likely they are to want to do business with you. Keeping your audiences informed builds interest and involvement. This translates into knowledge and awareness about a company, its products and services, and a businesss growth and development. A well-planned and skillfully implemented strategic communications program can be a powerful tool for turnaround success. Engaging in communications can help minimize disruption to a business and its bottom line and help the turnaround manager guide his clients back to business as usual. Controlling the operating process. Control is one of the main function of the management in h organization. Control helps the firms with a ways to adapt the environmental change, to limit the accumulation of errors, to cope with the environmental complexity and minimize the cost. A properly designed control systems can help anticipate, monitor and respond changing circumstances. Build up Effective team leadership. Develop leadership and management capability at all levels in the organization from the first-line supervisor to members of the executive team. Both with the Executive Team leader and members of the executive team on an individual basis to help them improve their effectiveness within the team. Evaluation of the Strategies After the strategies have been developed then comes the evaluation of the strategies. Evaluation is also very important. Although Flexibility is essential in any situation. Evaluation of the strategies is measured in terms of its feasibility, its satisfactoriness and its consequences. Is your message getting through? Is the media playing your story accurately? Are your target audiences responding appropriately? If your plan isnt working, dont be afraid to change or adjust it. Generally if the strategy meets the target it just kept. Maintaining the ultimate target is essentially preferable but it is more likely that some action will be needed to correct a deviation from the target setting. Finally changing is established if it sets too high or too low beyond the reaching goal. Among the strategies these strategies are evaluated to be the effective way to communicate from top line managers to worker level employees are Effective team leadership Keep the lines of communication open i.e.; integrated infrastructure information structure Short mission statement. Centralization Decentralization Controlling the operating process may be effective Depending on the situation both decentralization and centralization are effective way of communication. An effective way to use information technology opportunities is through a systematic analysis of a companys value chain the series of interdependent activities that bring a product or service to the customer. IT helping to make sure that technology is not just being pursued for the sake of more technology, but that its also moving the company forward. In Frito Lay corporate strategy both departments and work groups are interdependent. They depend each other for information and resources to perform their respective activities. The greater the degree of interdependence between the departments, the more the coordination among themselves (Griffin, 2003). Besides having these things there is some distinct criteria in which information about plan cannot be relayed quickly to the staffs as relayed to the executive staffs. As executives are the most important person in the company and they have to take decision instantly thy receive the information. With the information technology executives now take any market; and know more about what is going on in the snack category there than the regional competitor who only operates in that market.  That is indicating that their information accessibility is not same. The real benefit of information systems is the energy it brings across the entire company. Information system developments allow for the centralizing of data, in turn allowing managers of regional operations access to this vast database on the other case staffs can not.. Further, it provides the software to use these technologies in a way that is effective in a distributed processing marketing environment. Result is different However, management policy now focuses on directed decentralization.   Hundreds of middle managers have freedom and database knowledge to make tactical decisions on local market initiatives.   Framework That use IT Strategy to Support Frito Lays Business Technological changes have accelerated globalization and have intensified competition and the organizations need to be nimble and agile. Business organizations are aware that information strategy is highly crucial to the success of every business. It is difficult to sustain a business in todays very competitive and innovative world minus a framework for information strategy, which is the organizations integrated plan for processing, delivery, and presentation of information.   Hence regardless of the size and nature of businesses, companies invest on IT infrastructure for real-time communication, automation of systems, and other applications. However some organizations fail to optimize the availability and functionality of information technology in managing and delivering information relative to achieving business goals. Business framework for information strategy must always aim to provide consistency, transparency, and quality in business processes that will support success strat egy employed by an organization. With a defined framework and integration of business processes and information strategy helps company sustains competitive advantage. A frame work that will help support IT ultimately Frito Lay business should include Management Information System (MIS) under which improve customer service and communicate with customers and suppliers more effectively cut your costs and streamline business operations increase staff  productivity respond to change more quickly improve the way to manage, share and use knowledge in business and business analysis Now, this frame work will support IT and can be applied to Frito Lay business achieve business objectives. However, it is necessary to continue to develop new information technologies in order to maintain these advantages and develop new ones.   Not only are new ideas on technologies rising, new ideas on how to use these technologies are also apparent. It is important to understand how these changes are likely to impact upon the business and, in turn, how IT will support such changes. This will ensure that any IT investment you make now is capable of supporting your business and its operations in the longer term. Some Recommendations Organizations need to evaluate both their internal and external environment in order to determine a position and market approach. Ideally, an information technology system should be simple for the customer to adopt at the outset, and it will become tightly intertwined with the customers daily routine To accomplish both centralization and decentralization along with introducing new technology Frito-Lay has to change its business culture, organization, and infrastructure etc. Also, firms have to increase advertising and promotional expenditures, through using the information technology. It is now important to focus on attention on management information systems to grow business and to take monopoly in the market. Frito Lay business should continue to develop new information technologies in order to maintain these advantages and develop new ones.   Not only are new ideas on technologies rising, new ideas on how to use these technologies are also apparent. One area in particular where we feel an upgrade may be necessary is with the DEX system. As Frito-Lay used didnt any training programs or corporate modifications to help implement all their new information technology systems.   And also I found a lot of information (data) was created, but not analyzed well.   The organization and process controls were not structured adequately to handle all the new information.   Management processes and employee mind-sets were not altered either.  In this case, recommendation that Frito-Lay develop and implement-training programs, including shared purpose, shared incentive, and top-to-bottom implementation programs. Formulating strategies and plans to address IT should focus on the macro marketing in which Frito Lay business can use more update technology to attract customers. Using information technology for new products and services that help clients respond to rapid changes in the marketplace to gain a competitive advantage through ought the market and can be used as a medium of quick communication. It will help organizations improve the management and delivery of their business while reducing costs. Managers can play a central role in making sure that IT and Business is aligned. It Helps clients unlock the business value of information and use it for competitive advantage to address emerging, industry-specific business opportunities.

Violence and the Fight Against It Essay -- Biography

During a freedom march on May 29, 1964 in Canton, Mississippi a boy by the name of McKinley Hamilton was brutally beaten by police to the point of unconsciousness. One of the witnesses of this event, and the author of the autobiography which this paper is written in response to, was Anne (Essie Mae) Moody. This event was just one of a long line of violent experiences of Moody’s life; experiences that ranged from her own physical domestic abuse to emotional and psychological damage encountered daily in a racist, divided South. In her autobiography Moody not only discusses in detail the abuses in her life, but also her responses and actions to resist them. The reader can track her progression in these strategies throughout the various stages of her life; from innocent childhood, to adolescence at which time her views from a sheltered childhood began to unravel and finally in adulthood when she took it upon herself to fight back against racial prejudice. As a child, Moody was sheltered by her parents from the racial violence that was so prominent in the southern United States. However, she was subjected to domestic abuse and physiological violence growing up. Her parents both worked as farmers, so as a result Moody and her sibling, later siblings, were often left alone during the days. During these times they were often looked after by their young uncle George Lee who, still being a child himself caused a lot of torment for Anne and her sister, leading to one of the few times where her dad physically beat her. When she started school at the age of five the threat of physical violence against her followed. Her teacher, Reverend Cason, threatened the students with violence if they misbehaved although â€Å"[h]e never did whip [Anne]. [... ...aced with tremendous abuse and violence in various forms. However as she matured, her awareness of the specific racial violence, rampant throughout the region, grew as did her method of combating and resisting it. In the end, no matter which method she used to resist this violence, whether it be through ignoring it or actively fighting against it, it always found a way to impact her. Although, similar to the sources used for our second paper, Anne’s account of events in her life has never been fully verified and the fact that she can clearly remember events and dialog from such a young age can breed a lot of skepticism. This could also be seen as a sign of just how effected she was by the various forms of violence throughout her life, long after any physical scars had healed. Works Cited Moody, A. (1968) Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York, NY: Bantam Dell

Antigone: The Theme of Family Loyalty Essay -- Sophocles’ Antigone

The notion of honor and justice is prevalent throughout all types of literature. In Greek culture, honor is essential for creating a solid foundation within a society and family. Honor will follow you until the day you perish, and beyond. The honor for men in Greece is spiritual in that loved ones show respect to the deceased by giving them a proper burial. Nevertheless, when a man acts upon betrayal of the city, that man looses the privilege to die in such honor. This is evident in the life of Antigone when her two brothers, Polyneices and Eteocles, both die at each other’s hands at war when deciding the ruler of Thebes. Polyneices cannot have a proper burial, because the new king, Antigone’s uncle, Creon created a law that decrees that anyone who tries to give Polyneices a proper burial will have a dire consequence: death. In Sophocles’ Antigone, the quest that Antigone endures to stay true to her pure intentions of honoring Polyneices by giving him a proper b urial is in juxtaposition with the fact that her defiance towards Creon is not only to do with Polyneices, but also to show appeasement to the gods. Antigone’s firm belief that her brother Polyneices should have a proper burial is established by her conviction in that the law of the gods is above all else. This law proclaims that all men be mourned and honored by family and friends through means of a suitable burial. Antigone’s need to put honor upon Polyneices’ soul is so grand that she ignores the advice of everyone around her, including her sister Ismene, who tries to pull her away from performing this criminal act because it will disobey the law set by King Creon, and lead to her demise. However, Antigone does not care about the repercussions because even though â€Å"[s... ... For Antigone, â€Å"if [she] dared to leave the dead man, [her] mother’s son, dead and unburied, that would have been [the] real pain,† not death (510-512). Her desire to free the spirit of her brother so that it can be at peace explains the true reason of her rebellious nature. Although Antigone has a bad reputation with Creon, and possibly Ismene, for being insubordinate, she stays true to her values throughout the entire play by following the law of gods, not so that she could appease them, but because she admired its value of honor and respect to loved ones that have passed away. This devotion and determination to give her brother a proper burial shows the true essence of her being: that loyalty to family is in fact hold above all else. Work Cited Sophocles. "Antigone." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Knox and Mack. New York: Norton, 1995.

Computers in Kindergarten :: Argumentative Persuasive Education Essays

Computers in Kindergarten Perhaps you are skeptical as to the benefits of using technology with young children and you’re not unsure about using computer technology for your own purpose. Some questions frequently asked are, Does using computers in the primary grades stifle young children’s natural inclination to experiment and explore and hamper the development of independent thought? Will hardware turn primary classrooms from environments that nurture young minds to labs that merely mesmerize them? I will answer these questions in my paper. My opinion on the topic, at hand, is that I think there should be computers in Kindergarten rooms but students wouldn’t benefit very much from them. Students in Kindergarten rooms don’t have enough time to really get into a program and benefit from it. Many researchers do not recommend that children under 3 years old use computers.[1] Computers simply do not match their learning style. Children younger than 3 years of age learn through their bodies: their eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and legs. Although they may return over and over again to an activity they are full of movement, and they change their focus frequently. Computers are not a good choice for the developmental skill that these children are learning to master such as: Crawling, walking, talking, and making friends. Children need plenty of time to experiment and explore, computers would occupy much of their time. Before a child even starts playing on a computer they need to understand how a computer works, how to use disks, how to start and use a particular program, and how handle CD ROMs. Borgh (1993) states that once these skills have been established, children should then be give opportunities to interact with the computer. Papert (1998) stresses that computers have an impact on children when the computer provides concrete experiences, children have free access and control the learning experience, children and teachers learn together, teachers encourage peer tutoring, and teachers use computers to teach powerful ideas. In addition, computers enhance children’s self-concept, and children demonstrate increasing levels of verbal communication and cooperation with others. Children share leadership roles more frequently and develop positive attitudes toward learning.[2] The potential gains for kindergarten

Project Approach: A Key for Better Learning Essay

The Project approach type of learning presented by Sylvia Chard is an effective tool to use in the learning place. This approach allows students, especially the younger ones, to develop a wide range of learning and have a thorough understanding on different things which they encounter in their everyday lives. The said approach promotes the use of a specific topic which is most likely relevant to young children. Although there is a vast of topics in which the teacher can choose from, it is important to consider that the topic to be chosen should be of significant to the learners. Topics to be used must be link to other areas of study. In adapting the said approach, a teacher must first understand that this approach is a means to supplement and provide the children with contexts for applying the skills they learn in the more formal parts of the curriculum. A more concrete, local and specific topic is best to be used on younger learners. The teacher must however note the differences between a topic and a theme. Distinction between these two concepts should be clear. A topic defines a more exact area of study than the so called theme. Having a vague idea between the two concepts may lead to poor teaching and may cause confusion to children in the classroom. An educator must also note the distinction between a project and a unit because these two concepts are sometimes used interchangeably. As to any approach in the teaching process, it is imperative for a teacher to first understand the depth and the concerns of the process. Before implementing a project to young children, the teacher should assess and have a clear idea on what he would like to portray to his students. Initial planning and used of tools such as the topic web would be beneficial. Considering planning before starting the project would lead to a more organized manner of teaching. Furthermore, consulting other teachers on the prepared project would help one to improve his project. Application of the project approach in the learning place would bring a lot of benefits if properly executed. This approach develops a learner’s capability to think critically in analyzing the topic presented. They will be more likely to raise their opinions and questions regarding the topic presented and tend to find solutions and justification by collaborative working with other children and their teacher. And as opposed to the systematic approach of teaching, the project approach encourages active participation of the children because this addresses their proficiencies instead of their deficiencies. Knowing the nature of young children, they are more encourage and motivated if the teacher would acknowledge their accomplished works. In addition, this approach would also promote active participation of children in the learning place and would therefore make the discussion to be more lively and interactive. Reference Chard, Sylvia C. (1992). The Project Approach: A Practical Guide for Teachers. Edmonton, Alberta: University of Alberta Printing Services.

Message to Garcia Essay

A Message to Garcia is serves as an inspiration for many reasons. Not only is it a prime example of the â€Å"no questions asked† attitude, it also makes you question yourself as a leader. Many will say that this essay is about the subordinate, but to me it envelopes the relationship of the team as a whole to accomplish the mission. Though there are many different leadership styles and principles but in my opinion the most prominent in this essay are communication, trust, and obedience. The main task in the essay is to get a message delivered to Garcia from President Mckinley. This takes place during the war where quick communication is imperative. However, traditional means, such as mail or telegraph, have gone out the window due to Garcia’s whereabouts being somewhere in the jungles of Cuba. Upon hearing the mission at hand, Rowan was the man for the job. President Mckinley sent for him, gave him the letter, and gave him clear instructions of what needed to be done. With that, Rowan was gone. This is a great example of clear and concise communication. Rowan understood the importance of the mission and set out to do it. Another key element in the essay is trust. As a leader you have to have trust and confidence in your training, resources, and most importantly your subordinates. How did the president know Rowan was even competent enough to complete the task? The fact is, he didn’t, he trusted the unnamed individual who gave up Rowan for the mission. This person’s trust in Rowan’s abilities was enough for the president. It’s obvious that Rowan has proven himself to be trustworthy and efficient. It also goes to show Rowan’s trust in his leader’s authority. Lastly, it comes down to obedience. Rowan’s instant willing obedience is what sets him apart from all others. Not once did he question the contents of the letter or even simply inquire as to where Garcia was even located. That in itself, is a remarkable trait to have in one’s character. Not many would act without hesitation and would lose focus on such a task. That is one of the reasons obedience plays a vital role mission accomplishment. In the end the message is never revealed, nor exactly how Rowan delivered the message. Simply put, those facts are irrelevant. My takeaway from the essay is the leadership and action put through a unit to complete the task at hand. As a leader, you need to be able to communicate with your subordinates and trust them to carry out the order. Just as Rowan was trusted to carry the message to Garcia.