Optimal advertising campaign generation for multiple brands using MOGA

The paper proposes a new modified multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA) for the problem of optimal television (TV) advertising campaign generation for multiple brands. This NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem with numerous constraints is one of the key issues for an advertising agency when producing the optimal TV mediaplan. The classical approach to the solution of this problem is the greedy heuristic, which relies on the strength of the preceding commercial breaks when selecting the next break to add to the campaign. While the greedy heuristic is capable of generating only a group of solutions that are closely related in the objective space, the proposed modified MOGA produces a Pareto-optimal set of chromosomes that: 1) outperform the greedy heuristic and 2) let the mediaplanner choose from a variety of uniformly distributed tradeoff solutions. To achieve these results, the special problem-specific solution encoding, genetic operators, and original local optimization routine were developed for the algorithm. These techniques allow the algorithm to manipulate with only feasible individuals, thus, significantly improving its performance that is complicated by the problem constraints. The efficiency of the developed optimization method is verified using the real data sets from the Canadian advertising industry

Scheduling commercial advertisements for television

The problem of scheduling the commercial advertisements in the television industry is investigated. Each advertiser client demands that the multiple airings of the same brand advertisement should be as spaced as possible over a given time period. Moreover, audience rating requests have to be taken into account in the scheduling. This is the first time this hard decision problem is dealt with in the literature. We design two mixed integer linear programming (MILP) models. Two constructive heuristics, local search procedures and simulated annealing (SA) approaches are also proposed. Extensive computational experiments, using several instances of various sizes, are performed. The results show that the proposed MILP model which represents the problem as a network flow obtains a larger number of optimal solutions and the best non-exact procedure is the one that uses SA

Win in India: An Analysis of Market Entry Strategy Into India’s Food and Beverage Industry

The purpose of this thesis is to examine four different modes of entry when selecting a market entry strategy in an emerging market and learn how to succeed in the world’s largest growing market, India. The introduction chapter discusses the development of international business and why companies choose to expand internationally, honing in on market entry selection in emerging markets. Market entry strategy is broken down into two primary components: county or market selection and mode of entry. Chapter two introduces India as the emerging superpower of the 21st century and conducts both a PESTEL and Porters Five Forces analysis on India’s Food and Beverage Market. The body chapters identify four separate modes of entry: exports, wholly owned subsidiary, joint venture, and franchise. Each approach is analyzed in the body chapters while examining four different companies and their market entry strategy. Nestle, Coca-Cola, Pepsi Co, and Pizza Hut each share the commonality of having established a significant business presence in India and in the food and beverage market. However, they differ in their strategy of how they entered the country and their continued marketing/distribution strategy. Finally, each company faces challenges regardless of the approach used to implement and this is examined by unique case studies for each from both research and personal accounts from company executives. The last section focuses on WINNING in India and recommendations for success from a variety of sources

Creating Shared Value (CSV)in East Java, Indonesia: A critical analysis of CSV impacts on dairy farming communities

Porter and Kramer introduced the concept of Creating Shared Value (CSV) in 2006, as a win-win solution in the relationship between business and society. They argued that CSV addresses social needs and provides opportunities for companies to create economic value. According to Porter and Kramer CSV transforms business thinking, reshapes capitalism and its relationship with society. They also argued that CSV advances previous Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approaches, which they criticised as trapping business in a vicious circle and having little positive impact on society. This thesis analyses CSV based on a case study of Nestlé Indonesia’s CSV initiatives in dairy farming communities in East Java, Indonesia. Nestlé is a transnational company known for being a pioneer of CSV theory and for adopting CSV as part of the company’s business strategy. Nestlé established CSV initiatives, including financial and technical support, to help farmers increase milk quality. Nestlé argued that the increase in milk quality would automatically increase farmers’ income because Nestlé offered a higher price for better quality milk, which in turn improves the quality of life in the communities. This thesis found that CSV initiatives created economic value for the company. The thesis also found that these CSV initiatives do not automatically improve social conditions in dairy farming communities in East Java, Indonesia. The case study demonstrated that the micro-economic lens of CS in addressing social issues limited the effectiveness of CSV as the win-win solution. Social value will only be created through CSV initiatives, if it creates economic value for business. This thesis provides empirical evidence that CSV is consistent with the neoclassical economic understanding of business-society relationships. Therefore, this thesis argue that CSV does not advance CSR theory. Rather, it repackages neoliberal logic as a new rational discourse of CSR. Keywords: Creating Shared Value (CSV), Nestlé, Dairy farming, Indonesi

Regulation and best practices in public and nonprofit marketing

The volume contains the papers presented during the 9th International Congress of the International Association on Public and Nonprofit Marketing (IAPNM) entitled "Regulation and Best Practices in Public and Nonprofit Marketing". Structured in accordance with the sessions of the mentioned Congress, the volume includes papers and relevant contributions on marketing research development in the public administration, healthcare and social assistance, higher education, local development and, more generally, nonprofit organizations. The social marketing specific issues take an important part of the volume giving the diversity of the approached topics as well as the large number of researchers concerned with this matter. Though of small dimensions, the contents of the sessions dedicated the revival and reinvention of public marketing must be underlined, as well as of the transfer of public marketing best practices to the South-Eastern European states. Publishing this volume represents a term of the interest expressed by over 40 academic and research groups in Europe and other continents with interests in the public and nonprofit marketing field, as well as in other European states’ bodies that develop specific empirical studies

MICROCREDIT AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA: THE CASE OF MFI FINANCE ENTERPRISES

This paper investigates the impact of microcredit loan on business performance of Microfinance Institutions (MFI) finance microenterprises in Nigeria. A microenterprise refers to an individual business that consists of less than five employees and is generally organized as a sole proprietorship or family business. The objective of the study was to examine the effects of micro credit on several business performance criteria of MFI clients. Data for the study was derived from both primary and secondary sources. First, a survey of MFI and entrepreneur – clients were undertaken using simple random sampling technique to select our respondent, this was linked to data extracted from the records of MFI to form a panel data. The data obtained was analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The finding reveals a positive relation between microcredit and profit of the microenterprise. The study recommends a wider coverage of microfinance through effective implementation of micro-fund scheme and mandatory business related training for all micro entrepreneurs

Visual Propaganda and Extremism in the Online Environment

Visual images have been a central component of propaganda for as long as propaganda has been produced. But recent developments in communication and information technologies have given terrorist and extremist groups options and abilities they never would have been able to come close to even 5 or 10 years ago. There are terrorist groups who, with very little initial investment, are making videos that are coming so close to the quality of BBC or CNN broadcasts that the difference is meaningless, and with access to the web they have instantaneous access to a global audience. Given the broad social science consensus on the power of visual images relative to that of words, the strategic implications of these groups’ sophistication in the use of images in the online environment is carefully considered in a variety of contexts by the authors in this collection.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1942/thumbnail.jp

Proceedings“Regulation and Best Practices in Public and Nonprofit Marketing”

The volume contains the papers presented during the 9th International Congress of the International Association on Public and Nonprofit Marketing (IAPNM) entitled "Regulation and Best Practices in Public and Nonprofit Marketing", organised by the Faculty of Public Administratiom of National School of Political Studies and Public Administration (NSPSPA), Bucharest, Romania, June 10-11, 2010. Structured in accordance with the sessions of the mentioned Congress, the volume includes papers and relevant contributions on marketing research development in the public administration, healthcare and social assistance, higher education, local development and, more generally, nonprofit organizations. The social marketing specific issues take an important part of the volume giving the diversity of the approached topics as well as the large number of researchers concerned with this matter. Though of small dimensions, the contents of the sessions dedicated the revival and reinvention of public marketing must be underlined, as well as of the transfer of public marketing best practices to the South-Eastern European states. Publishing this volume represents a term of the interest expressed by over 40 academic and research groups in Europe and other continents with interests in the public and nonprofit marketing field, as well as in other European states’ bodies that develop specific empirical studies