The Introduction of Cadbury in the United States - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal on Use of Nostalgia Name Institution Instructor Course Date of Submission Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Background 3 Aims and objectives 7 Aims of the proposal 7 Objectives (Liebig 2012) 7 Specific objectives (Liebig 2012) 7 Research Methods 8 Sampling plan 8 Primary data collection 9 Secondary data collection 11 Data analysis 12 Survey questionnaires 12 Documentary analysis 12 Research ethics 13 Limitations of the research 15 Time frame (Gray 2004 p. 24) 17 Conclusions 17 References 19 Introduction The use of Cadbury’ Wurly is a staple food and has dominate the British confectionary since it was first introduced for the first time in 1970. The introduction of Cadbury in the U.S was looked at as a strategy to compete with Mar, Marathon bar, but the case is a pedagogy that requires an indepth inquiry. From the first phase of its introduction, it was looked as a competition but the business experts revealed later it as a strategy and that the competition was necessary, and therefore, a strategic input from the company was necessary (Halbwachs 1992 p. 15). One of the tools to use was inclusion of Nostalgia to serve as a tool for marketing changes (Dika 2003 p. 12). Nostalgia is a sentimental yearning among the customers to experience the past to achieve their emotional fulfillment. The proposal will seek to identify the elements of the past that should be included in the current Nostalgia marketing concept to attract people of forty and thirty ages to consume Cadbury Curly Wurly (Liebig 2012). This is because the current world exists with few elements to help people remember the past best encounters and experiences (Sprengler 2009 p. 8). Background Economic studies have revealed that people are yearning to experience and have a feeling of the past, and they have been reflecting their past with rose tinted glasses (Halbwachs 1992 p. 18). The study has also indicated because of the yearning, people are ready to spend anything that makes them remember the past and feel the warmth and security they used to feel in their past lives. The theory also extends to outline that such occurrence and feelings were highly needed after the 2009 and 2011 terrorist attacks, nuclear power disaster that occurred in Japan, and the 2011 earth quake that affected greater populations and destroyed lot of property costing millions (Havlena & Holak 1991 p. 325). Nostalgia varies with ages, and the same effect among youths is evident because the younger generations are happier when they identify their originality by buying products consisting of images that resemble their past (Liebig 2012). While the young seek originality through Nostalgia, the old people are using Nostalgia techniques to remember their long time gone (Sprengler 2009 p. 12). Therefore, a gap exists between ages because it is not clear how the middle aged people of forty and thirty years would want to perceive their past. However, the hypotheses from different marketing strategists have indicate that they share characteristics of the young and old even though their hypothesis are subject to further analysis and research before they are confirmed (Euromonitor 2012). The use of Nostalgia ranges and cuts across different environments within the marketing frameworks. It starts with production of items which bears a vintage feeling and extends through the advertisements campaigns (Dika 2003 p. 14). Nostalgia becomes evident when advertisements are conducted by launching campaigns that bears past themes, or which tries to evoke the past memories among all generations (Euromonitor 2012). However the use of Nostalgia is considered an effective marketing tool if it is able to evoke emotions of consumers and therefore responding positively to start considering buying the products (Havlena & Holak 1991 p. 333). Retro has also been used by many companies and they have reaped good benefits by making greater sales and meeting their targets (Liebig 2012). The current most known form of Nostalgia is called flashback branding, whereby companies uses old designs to evoke emotions among consumers (Sprengler 2009 p. 11). The old designs involve use of logos, songs, jingles, symbols, images and old time font types. Many executives have identified that Nostalgia will always remain a good tool for marketing but different business firms should strategically find the best Nostalgia elements that fits the products otherwise, the sales and returns will fail. Happiness is the theme for many business people, and there have been expectations that the world is changing economically, environmentally, legally, and politically. This means that the world economy is improving while their chance to remember the past using the current existence is diminishing (Lerner, 1972 p. 4). This can only be realized through businesses and can effectively be done by changing the branding technologies and design procedures. The value of the past is good for people and the past is significant because it tries to give one an identity of form and originality. A sustainable and holistic link should be created between the customers and the company intending or selling company. Trust and happiness demands increases during the hardest times, and many people are frustrated when they fail to find anything that links them with their past. Nostalgia works because people perceive that the old times were better, and much more sustainable than the current times (Dika 2003 p. 12). Comfort achieved through foods is excellent and its demand is rocketing and therefore the required supplies are necessary (Gillespie & Crouse 2012 p. 442). While the Cadbury has managed to achieve this for young age generation, the same is not fully implemented among the adults, and therefore an entry strategy will depend on the analysis and notice of how trends for the needs are changing. The Cadbury curly Wurly is happily bought and eaten by children because the bar is designed if a form which resembles the stronger part of the children perceptions. Nostalgia presents a communists form of feelings and psychologists have outlined that it is effective because it changes the perceptions from within individual’s mental interpretations and if not distorted, it can last for greater time periods (Gillespie & Crouse 2012 p. 442). Most elders have been investigated upon and most of them would like the packaging to resemble the past historical events and natural occurrences such adventures and movement of animals or animals. Various case studies have also indicated that milestones should extend deeper in the past and fish out important elements that will happily attract more customers of the middle age to but Cadbury curly Wurly (Liebig 2012). The idea has fetched great results when implemented on drinks, foods, kitchen technology, gaming, and retail sales on refreshments (Lerner, 1972 p. 4). Cadbury Company selling of Curly Wurly has been making greater sales in the past, and has been making excellent records. The documentary analysis outlines that Cadbury doubled its volume in less than six months, and the trend is positively correlated (Havlena & Holak 1991 p. 324). The nostalgia element that is currently present is making good progress and there are hopes that the same benefits will be realized in its future sales and operations (Liebig 2012). The US and British economic analysts have outlined that the Cadbury curly Wurly has been rated the best test ever. All its products are branded differently but the test has been consistent with demands of the people. The design of this product that existed in 1976s has changed to feature the past events and designs. All these strategic changes have been adopted to match its designs and demand among all ages of people (Lerner, 1972 p. 8). Aims and objectives Aims of the proposal Studying the potential for Nostalgia marketing on customers between ages of thirty and forty to on Curly Wurly products (Lerner, 1972 p. 4). Objectives (Liebig 2012) General: To identify effect elements on Nostalgia for middle aged people. Specific objectives (Liebig 2012) i. To identify empirical Nostalgia elements for marketing of curly Wurly to for thirty and forty years aged people ii. To outline the best Nostalgia marketing approaches for the age group Research Methods Sampling plan Determining a sample size is better because it helps a researcher to reduce avoidable chances of making errors and having an extra confidence of conducting the research. A random sampling plan will be used to generate ideas and suggestions from a wide range of people. However, a sample size will be determining by considering that the expected confidence level, errors expected, and the environment in which the case study will be conducted. For this case a confidence will be defined so that it does not include extra errors that will affect the authenticity and validity of the research. A simple Qualitrics tool will be used to determine the sample size (Gray 2004 p. 16). This will be conducted by factoring confidence levels, expected errors and standard deviation within an equation. The equation is stated as sample Size = (Z-score) ² – Std Deviation *(1-Std Deviation) / (expected range or error) ². The Z-scores will be obtained from a Z score and confidence level relationships. The choice of a sampling method will enable the researcher to have an inductive conclusion on the results that will be obtained from field works. Increasing the errors results in an increase in number of participants and therefore welcoming of the challenges (Gray 2004 p. 18). Data collection methods Choice of good methods lessens the stress that is usually evidenced and encountered by scholars when conducting researches and case studies. The research will involve numerous applications of both primary data collection and the highly recognized secondary data collection methods. The primary methods will include use of survey questionnaires, interviews while secondary source will involve documentary analysis including journal articles, books, company reports, and published articles (Gray 2004 p. 20). Primary data collection Survey questionnaires Use of questionnaires has been generating great result fro several researches and there have been considerations that they still so only if the questions addresses the research problem, and objectives of the study. There are elaborative tools that are used to prepare the questionnaires and the choice depends with if the researcher has the necessary skills to operate run the softwares (Gray 2004 p. 19). In 2002, Cresswell, a researcher indicated that it serves as an excellent data collection tool which must be applied with lot of skill, and understanding of the research objectives and research questions being investigated upon. Survey questionnaires will be prepared by use of survey monkey tool and will be steered towards answering questions on what events occurred in 1970s, and what was their relevance in today people’s lives. The questions will also be directed at knowing which possible features can be included during designs, branding, and marketing of Cadbury products. Finally, the survey questions will look keenly at evaluating the relevance of the questions in the current world and whether Nostalgia is still effective for the age groups of between thirty and forty years. The main caution will to ensure that the targeted participants are representatives of the research and they will generate the actually or targeted information (Gray 2004 p. 13). The method is also challenging and difficult if reliable choice of participants is not done effectively. This means that extra efforts should be considered to ensure that the Qualitrics tool for determining sample size is applied effectively and sustainably (Gray 2004 p. 17). Failure to determine the age of the participants and their environments leads to generation of errors, and poses challenges to the audiences after documentation is done. The method is also effective because it can be applied in social environments where the participants are busy or shy to respond to interview questions. The method is also flexible because the questionnaires will be dropped into drop boxes of the targeted respondents and therefore, they can effectively be collected later for analysis and grouping of data. In some circumstances, the questionnaires will be sent to the targeted respondents through their emails and therefore the results can effectively be generated or derived (Sprengler 2009 p. 20). In comparison with other data collection methods, surveys are unique and more reliable than any other methods because the questions presented represent views of different people including the company managers. Significantly, there are considerations and perceptions that every method is good but the facts about data collection methods indicates that data presented by data collection methods varies across different environments and across different cultural frameworks. The major challenge for questionnaires is that culture can negatively impact the choice and validity of the data collected because from fundamentals and social environment view points, different people have been trained and lived or worked in different religious regions and environments and therefore their view points will tend to align with their previous experiences. However from the business school of thought, the diversity which will be presented on the questionnaires will help the company to make changes towards production of effective and quality products shapes, taste, and designs that will reflect the diversified answers (Gray 2004 p. 16). This is because the businesses are expanding to serve people in different regions and cultures, and yet there have been hidden challenges sabotaging such advances. If such cases are addressed through questionnaire answers, the reliability index of the company will stand a higher chance of streamlining their performances o penetrate such markets. So far the Cadbury has great business operations in Canada, Britain, and the U.S while its products have dominated world markets and their sales are increasing on a daily basis. Such tremendous growth in a competitive world will require conducting researches in different environments in order to compare the results. Secondary data collection Documentary analysis The data collected from secondary sources will involve analysis of existing books, journal articles and company reports fro companies that have been using the Nostalgia tools for their marketing. The whole exercise of secondary data collection will be based conducted through desk study. While conducting the desk study, important notes will be fished out and recorded inform of notes. However, only published and verified documents will be considered so that validity of the data is sustained throughout the research exercise. Various sources consist of information on Nostalgia and other marketing but they if not properly selected, they may lead to generation of unnecessary errors that may render the research exercise bias or ineffective. Every note taking will be directed towards answering the research objectives while any extra material will be left out for future considerations or correlations. Data analysis Survey questionnaires The results from the questionnaires will be coded and the coded headings will be placed on the vertical axis on a table and the correspondence and its relevance will be recorded on the horizontal axis of the table. The data collected from questionnaires will be classified under the codes and their relevance will also be compared against the objectives of the study. The most significant and reliable answers will be coded as A, good answers will be coded as B, fair answers as C, and irrelevant answers as D. however, it is expected that not all answers will be answered and therefore, blanks spaces are expected. For such cases, the blank spaces will be coded as X to mean nothing was written or chosen (Gray 2004 p. 32). After coding is complete, the number of different categories of answers will be noted and recorded in the table. However, this will be done according to the questions presented on the questionnaires and therefore, each question will have its own number of considerations and recordings. The number of different answers to the questions presented will then analyzed by applying the measures of dispersions such as median, standards deviations and measures of kurtosis (Gray 2004 p. 19). Documentary analysis The data collected from secondary sources is critical and it also varies from one scholar to the other. However the different viewpoints from these researchers should be harmonized to understand the potentiality that Nostalgia holds. The best way will be to conduct a desk study and record notes along side the research objectives and aims. This will ensure that the answers presented are not flawed with variabilities outside the scope of the study but rather, its relevance should be welcomed within the definitive frameworks (Gray 2004 p. 9). Thereafter, the comparison method will be applied by grouping the answers and perceptions of different stakeholders. The reliability of the data increases when a good number of documents are considered and analyzed for better understanding of all the independent and dependent variables that exist within the research frameworks. This will enable the researcher to make conclusions, build on the strengths and minimize effects of the weaknesses. As such happens caution will be taken so that the imaginations for the authors do not sabotage the efforts of the research methodologies. The data varies across the documents and therefore, a good environment must be created to enable the researcher to make logical and empirical research conclusions. Finally the data will be recorded in the table along the research objectives and possible headings of questions being inquired. Research ethics In most cases, primary research is conducted by considering the frameworks of the context in which the research is being conducted so that the operations and conduction of the research does not affect, violate, or harm subjects. Every research required to understand the ethical background of the field in which the research is conducted (Lave 1988 p. 20). Before conducting the research, a consultation should be made so that no possible mistakes are made during the research. The research is based on getting information from the participants who will be located in different regions, working in different environments and also staying in different societal set ups. Because of these reasons, the permission will be taken from the relevant authorities to ensure that human rights are not violated and that the research is valid. One of the permission will be sought from the department of ethics and culture and the permission will be carried and presented to relevant ethical heads in different locations (Dika 2003 p. 16). The research also relates people’s thoughts and perceptions and therefore an interactive permission should be sought to facilitate the same (Lave 1988 p. 6). The research will also look at sending letters of inquiry for permission to be granted because most documents on Nostalgia and marketing are kept in national libraries where by the entry requires permission and therefore, a permission to access such places will be necessary (Lave 1988 p. 18). This will ensure that rules of the libraries and provision of such rules are not bent for malicious purposes. Such steps and permission will be sought much earlier to ensure that the timeframe is not violated or extended. This is because the extension of datelines and time allocation will demand for more resources allocations. Since the research will be based on people’s opinion, no single referencing will be adopted and therefore the information obtained from the research will kept anonymous. This will ensure that the privacy of individuals are kept at bay and not violated. This is because several researchers have been identified and spotted quoting views and aligning the quotations with their names (Crawford, Leybourne & 2000). In addition some researchers have been got accessing free access areas like children homes to collect information against their wishes and even consent. Since this is an academic project proposal, an approval from the university board is necessary and therefore, it will be sought after within the limited and manageable timeframes before the first date scheduled for research becomes evident (Lave 1988 p. 14). Limitations of the research A researcher should be able to define the boundaries and environments in which to conduct the research. The definitions enable the research to make sustainable choices of ethical permits and access or entrance permits within good timeframes (Crawford, Leybourne & 2000). Working with wide or extended unfocused research boundaries makes it impossible for the researcher to quantify the results and relate them to the objectives. These approaches have been noted to have generated extra costs for researchers in order to cover what they failed to address in the proposals. Management of research data after field work depends on the previous definitions of the research boundaries, and the extend to which the investigator understands its related effects. The research presents features of a social research setting whereby people will be allowed to jot down their perceptions, ideologies, and views and thereafter outline their suggestions (Crawford, Leybourne & 2000). Research in such environments should be directed towards accomplishing and generating information that meets the demand of the objectives. For this case, the limitations will be that, many targeted respondents will generate different answers to the same questions and the main problem will therefore quantifying the answers and aligning them with the objectives. Failure to accomplish this poses challenges and the investigator can succumb in greater challenges which may end up making the researcher lack direction. The research will only seek to obtain data on potential elements that may be considered Nostalgia and which are effective in evoking emotions among customers to buy the Curly Wurly brand of Cadbury’s products (Lave 1988 p. 6). The age of the respondents targeted will range between thirty years and forty years. This will involve targeting individuals living in societies and working as professionals. This will help generate a comparable form of data. The research will extend to look at how the identified respondents perceive their old memories and how they have looking at it on products (Havlena & Holak 1991 p. 324). This will ensure that the answers targeted are valid and they can be implemented by Cadbury Company. Any thing extra will not be considered and will be set aside for future case studies or analysis. Correlation between factors will also be considered to see how the future analysis of marketing tools should be handled to generate better business operations and benefits in the current competitive markets (Crawford, Leybourne & 2000). Time frame (Gray 2004 p. 24) Conclusions Nostalgia has been extending and improving the current marketing strategic tools. It is a good tool that should be directed at evaluating how people perceive the past. Using Nostalgia in businesses marketing operations serves as an effective marketing tool that should be fully incorporated into marketing operations of the company. Cadbury has been making a good record on sales and expansions, and thus, further details on sustainable marketing tools should be realized and determined. The project proposal will be conducted to generate good ideologies and establish bench marks on which Cadbury marketing team will be base on to ensure that the emotions of newly targeted customers in the market. Outline of the proposal outlines that every detail and coordination of events will be directed at mining important information. Curly Wurly has hit several markets and there have been possibilities to address the issues that affect psychology of the people. Psychologists have identified that, people are always in demand for happiness and fresh thoughts of their good past. Their analysis also outlines that many people perceive the past is good and much more appealing than the present world. Therefore, an empirical analysis of the current situations reveals that people are looking for happiness by remembering the past and yet the available evidence does not significantly provide the necessary demands. This can only be achieved through application relating to the use of Nostalgia approaches. Whereas many companies are looking for modern and strategic ways of marketing, Cadbury is looking for full potentials of using Nostalgia in their marketing. After research, the results will be directed at enabling the company to match forward with its current strategies to target the new identified customers. If the target is met, Cadbury will record huge sales and will have made it in the competitive business world. References Crawford, K.H., Leybourne, M.L. & Arnott, A. (2000) How we ensured rigour in a multi-site, multi-discipline, multi-researcher study. Qualitative social research, vol. 14. No. 1. Viewed 23 October 2013, Dika, V. (2003). Recycled culture in contemporary art and film: the uses of nostalgia. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/description/cam031/2002035001.html. Euromonitor. (2012), Global Nostalgia marketing. Viewed 21 April 2014, < http://www.euromonitor.com/global-nostalgia-marketing/report > Gillespie, G. and Crouse, D. (2012). There and back again: Nostalgia, art, and ideology in old- school Dungeons and Dragons. Games and Culture, vol. 7. No. 6: 441-470. Gray, D. E. 2004. Doing Research in the Real World. London: SAGE Halbwachs, M. (1992). On collective memory. L. A. Coser (Ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Havlena, W.J. and Holak, S.L. (1991) "The Good Old Days”; Observations on nostalgia and its role in consumer behavior. Advances in Consumer Research. 18, pp. 323-329 Lave, J (1988). Cognition in Practice: Mind, Mathematics, and Culture in Everyday Life. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA. Lerner, L. (1972). The uses of nostalgia. Liebig, J. (2012), The brief run of America’s curly Wurly. Viewed 21 April 2014 Sprengler, C. (2009). Screening Nostalgia Populux Props and Technicolor Aesthetics in Contemporary American Film. New York, Berghahn Books, Inc. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=544423. Read More