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Your dissemination plan: things to consider

Objectives

What do you want to achieve, for example, raise awareness and understanding, or change practice? How will you know if you are successful and made an impact? Be realistic and pragmatic.

Audience

Identify your audience(s) so that you know who you will need to influence to maximise the uptake of your research e.g. commissioners, patients, clinicians and charities. Think who might benefit from using your findings. Understand how and where your audience looks for/receives information. Gain an insight into what motivates your audience and the barriers they may face.

Remember to feedback study findings to participants, such as patients and clinicians; they may wish to also participate in the dissemination of the research and can provide a powerful voice.

Timeline

When will dissemination activity occur? Identify and plan critical time points, consider external influences, and utilise existing opportunities, such as upcoming conferences. Build momentum throughout the entire project life-cycle; for example, consider timings for sharing findings.

Resources

Think about the expertise you have in your team and whether you need additional help with dissemination. Consider whether your dissemination plan would benefit from liaising with others, for example, NIHR Communications team, your institution’s press office, PPI members. What funds will you need to deliver your planned dissemination activity? Include this in your application (or talk to your funding programme).

Strategy

Partners / Influencers: think about who you will engage with to amplify your message. Involve stakeholders in research planning from an early stage to ensure that the evidence produced is grounded, relevant, accessible and useful.

Messaging: consider the main message of your research findings. How can you frame this so it will resonate with your target audience? Use the right language and focus on the possible impact of your research on their practice or daily life.

Channels: use the most effective ways to communicate your message to your target audience(s) e.g. social media, websites, conferences, traditional media, journals. Identify and connect with influencers in your audience who can champion your findings.

Coverage and frequency: how many people are you trying to reach? How often do you want to communicate with them to achieve the required impact?

Potential risks and sensitivities: be aware of the relevant current cultural and political climate. Consider how your dissemination might be perceived by different groups.

Think about what the risks are to your dissemination plan e.g. intellectual property issues. Contact your funding programme for advice.

Based on the article above answer the following questions adhering to the discussion parameters below.

  1. Identify and existing research conference or create one and share your dissemination plan with your colleagues.
  2. In your plan you should identify
    1. Who are you targeting based on your research.
    2. Identify your mission or goals for this plan.
    3. Clearly outline the method to be used (virtual-zoom, face to face) to facilitate the dissemination of your research.
    4. What strategy would you use to boost registration of participants? Give three strategies.
    5. Share at least three barriers to research dissemination identify three measures that can be used to overcome these.
    6. Share with your colleagues. If you have never attended a research conference, share your plans to attend one. If you have attended share your experience.

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t was October 1998 and Jeff Malott, a young, aspiring entrepreneur, had just toured the rustic factory and retail store of Smitty’s Li’l Haulers, a Shedden, Ontario–based manufacturer of children’s toy wagons. Jeff was very impressed with what he had seen. Smitty’s was for sale and Jeff wondered if this was the right opportunity for him.

Jeff Malott was a native of London, Ontario. Following high school, he apprenticed as an automotive mechanic specializing in European automobiles. Before he completed his apprenticeship Jeff realized he had a strong desire to pursue his own business. Jeff began his entrepreneurial pursuit by enrolling in business classes at local colleges. One of the ideas he was interested in exploring was a nightclub and bar concept. The lifestyle attracted him and he thought he had some ideas that would make the business a success. Jeff took a part-time job working for UPS while he pursued his education. His exploration led him to London’s Small Business Centre in 1998 for some assistance in writing the business plan for the proposed bar. They in turn referred him to George Lightfoot, a retired commercial banker who had started a private entrepreneurship training school.

Jeff and George discussed Jeff’s ideas at length. This led to Jeff enrolling in courses at the school to acquire additional business skills needed to run a small business and to finalize the business plan for the bar. In September 1998 George approached Jeff to take a look at Smitty’s Li’l Haulers as a possible alternative to starting the bar and nightclub. George was acquainted with the owner of Smitty’s and had been approached to assist in finding a buyer for the company. Initially, Jeff was surprised by the idea of buying a business. He had simply never considered it.

JEFF’S SUPPORT NETWORK

Jeff was fortunate in having a strong support network. His parents were very pleased with his entrepreneurial aspirations, although Jeff’s father was not in favour of the bar idea. Jeff had been exposed to entrepreneurship from a very early age. His mother had run a successful restaurant in London while Jeff was growing up. She sold the business in 1986 and immediately started a second business in executive transportation, which she sold and retired from in 1993. Jeff’s girlfriend Sharlene was very encouraging of his aspirations, and Jeff also had a network of family members and friends to discuss his ideas with and on whom he could call on to help start up a business.

SMITTY’S LI’L HAULERS

Smitty’s had been founded in 1986 in the small town of Shedden, Ontario, about 35 kilometres southwest of London, by John Smith and his family. The business made a line of rugged, high-quality toy wagons that could also be used for chores around the home and garden. (See Exhibit C3-1 for details on the product line.) The parts for the wagons were purchased from various suppliers and assembled in a made-over barn on the farm of one of John’s friends. (See Exhibit C3-2 for photo.) They were sold through a retail store in Shedden and through a network of farm implement distributors and other select retailers in the southwestern Ontario region. About 65 percent of sales were through the Shedden store. Sales through these channels had grown to 400-500 units per year by 1978.

Smitty’s had also ventured into the retail furniture business. John had created a division called “Once a Tree” to retail hand-crafted fine furniture made by regional craftsmen. They supplied the store in Shedden with china cabinets, tables, chairs, and shelving units, which sold at a premium price compared to the volume-manufactured items sold in urban furniture stores. This division accounted for about 30 percent of Smitty’s sales volume by 1998.

In the mid-1990s Smitty’s was able to secure two large orders for wagons: a 3000-unit order from a major tool distributor and a 600-unit order from a chain of independent retail hardware stores. The tool company used the wagons as part of a promotion to its dealers, and the wagons were branded with the company name and logo rather than the traditional Smitty’s brand. The hardware stores sold the wagons through their network in southwestern Ontario. Smitty’s had also entered into negotiations with Canadian Tire to distribute their wagons but were unable to come to a deal. These orders had been completed by the time Jeff first met John.

The size of the two large orders strained Smitty’s assembly and financial capacity and the stress

took its toll on John Smith. According to Jeff, the strain nearly killed John. Faced with serious health problems, John approached his friend George Lightfoot to help him find a buyer for Smitty’s. John was not interested in just any buyer, however. He wanted someone who would “take care of the business,” according to Jeff. John wanted a buyer who would leave the business in Shedden and who had the same small-town values of quality and good value for the customer.

JEFF’S IMPRESSIONS OF SMITTY’S AND THE PROPOSED DEAL

Jeff’s was very excited by his visit to the Smitty’s assembly plant. His mechanical background told him this was a quality product, if a bit rough. He saw lots of opportunities to improve the design, the quality, and the operation of the business. For example, Smitty’s had a paper-based, somewhat loose accounting system in place. The books were put in order only at the end of every year by the accountant. Smitty’s also had no presence on the Internet. In fact, the business did not even own a computer. Jeff also thought there were opportunities to grow the business, either by pursuing additional large orders or by expanding the distribution network. He also thought the business would eventually have to leave Shedden in order to achieve this growth, and this would likely be a deal-killer for John.

Jeff and John talked at length about the business during Jeff’s visit. “John liked me,” according to Jeff and, “he liked my youthful enthusiasm.” John shared some financial statements with Jeff and was very proud to point out the huge impact the two large orders had on the company’s results. John wanted $100,000 for Smitty’s, which included the inventory of parts and finished goods, all tools and equipment, goodwill, and the “Once a Tree” furniture division. Jeff was not really interested in “Once a Tree,” but John insisted it had to be part of any eventual deal.

JEFF’S ALTERNATIVES

Following his visit to Shedden, Jeff pondered his alternatives. There was the possibility of going full time with UPS and trying to climb the ladder there, but that really didn’t appeal to him. He was sure his future was in owning his own business. Now the Smitty’s option presented itself and, while he had been impressed by his visit to Shedden, the notion of buying a business left him wondering what to do next.

THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY?

If buying Smitty’s was the right opportunity for him, Jeff had first to answer several questions. How should he assess the Smitty’s opportunity? Were there better opportunities out there? If he did decide to pursue Smitty’s, how should he finance it? He had some money saved up, but nowhere near the $100,000 John wanted. What was a fair price for Smitty’s? Jeff realized he had some soul-searching to do—not to mention a lot of work over the next several weeksQUESTIONS:

  1. List the personal traits of successful entrepreneurs. From what you can derive from the case, does Jeff have any of these traits?
  2. Does the above business idea align with Jeff’s goals and preferences?
  3. How will you define Smitty’s competitive advantage in the market?
  4. List the steps that Jeff should take to evaluate the value of this company.
  5. What additional primary or secondary data should Jeff gather to complete the feasibility study and the Business Plan for the company?

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An inside look at Bank of America’s customer experience

The evolution of the financial marketplace has led to a need for companies to revise their strategies. Bank of America (BofA) is one of the best-known banks that recognizes the importance of using digital technology to improve the banking experience. For BofA, the consumer should be at the center of all decisions. Consumers should be driving the business by their wishes, and the company should find solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the company relies heavily on a marketing strategy that includes both the human and technology. Bank of America is then adapting to the digital and experiential era. This does not mean that the technology will replace humans (there is a need for both) but will transform the possibilities. Therefore, it is essential to understand the story and the rise of Bank of America as well as the way it is elevating the customer experience to differentiate itself from its competitors.

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Air-Traffic Delays. Increased air-traffic control delays caused by higher travel demand and related airport congestion were expected to negatively influ- ence customer satisfaction. 5. Environmental Regulation. Following actions in Europe, various U.S. groups were advocating new standards and taxes on airline emissions. 6. Open Skies Agreement. Legislation allowing greater access to U.S. markets by non-U.S. carriers was expected to increase competitive pressure. Establishing a major hub in a city like Chicago or Atlanta required a huge investment for gate acquisition and terminal construction. JetBlue’s new facility at JFK in New York opened in 2009 and cost about $800 million. Although hubs created inconveniences for travelers, hub systems were an efficient means of distributing services across a wide network. The major airlines were very protective of their so-called “fortress” hubs and used the hubs to control various local markets. For example, Northwest (now Delta) handled about 80% of Detroit’s passengers and occupied nearly the entire new Detroit terminal that opened in 2002. And, Northwest’s deal with the local government assured that it would be the only airline that could have a hub in Detroit. When Southwest entered the Detroit market, the only available gates were already leased by Northwest. Northwest sub- leased gates to Southwest at rates 18 times higher than Northwest’s costs. Southwest eventually withdrew from Detroit, and then re-entered, one of only three markets Southwest had abandoned in its history (Denver and Beaumont, Texas, were the other two; Southwest re- entered Denver in 2006). Recent U.S. Airline Industry Performance Despite steadily growing customer demand, the airline industry always seemed to be one recession away from crisis. In 2013, the major airlines were on track to be profitable, a marked contrast to the heavy losses of just a few years earlier (with the exception of Southwest). The continuing consolidation in the industry was expected to lead to lower operating costs and higher ticket prices. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, domestic airlines lost about $30 billion. The continuing specter of terrorism cast a long shadow on the global airline industry. In the United States, passengers were frustrated by increasingly more-invasive security pro- cedures. Volatile fuel costs were a constant uncertainty, and new entrants continued to put pressure on the incumbents. Other pressures on the industry included: 1. Customer Dissatisfaction with Airline Service. Service problems were leading to calls for new regu- lation of airline competitive practices. 2. Aircraft Safety Maintenance. The ageing of the gen- eral aircraft population meant higher maintenance costs and eventual aircraft replacement. The introduc- tion of stricter government regulations for older planes placed new burdens on operators of older aircraft. 3. Debt Servicing. The airline industry’s debt load exceeded U.S. industry averages. Southwest Airlines Background In 1966, Herb Kelleher was practicing law in San Antonio when a client named Rollin King proposed starting a short-haul airline similar to California-based Pacific Southwest Airlines. The airline would fly the Golden Triangle of Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio and, by staying within Texas, avoid federal regulations. Kelleher and King incorporated a company, raised initial cap- ital, and filed for regulatory approval from the Texas Aeronautics Commission. Unfortunately, the other xas-based airlines, namely Braniff, Contin and Trans Texas (later called Texas International), opposed the idea and waged a battle to prohibit Southwest from flying. Kelleher argued the company’s case before the Texas Supreme Court, which ruled in Southwest’s favor. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal filed by the other airlines. In late 1970, it looked as if the com- pany could begin flying. Southwest began building a management team, and the purchase of three surplus Boeing 737s was negoti- ated. Meanwhile, Braniff and Texas International con- tinued their efforts to prevent Southwest from flying. The underwriters of Southwest’s initial public stock offering withdrew and a restraining order against the company was obtained two days before its scheduled inaugural flight. Kelleher again argued his company’s case before the Texas Supreme Court, which ruled in Southwest’s favor a second time, lifting the restraining order. Southwest Airlines began flying the next day, June 18, 1971.” When Southwest began flying to three Texas cities, the firm had three aircraft and 25 employees. Initial flights were out of Dallas’ older Love Field airport and Houston’s Hobby Airport, both of which were closer to downtown than the major international airports. Flamboyant from the beginning, original flights were staffed by flight attendants in hot pants. By 1996, the flight attendant uniform had evolved to khakis and polo shirts. The Luv theme was a staple of the airline from Table 1 Southwest Across the Years 1971 1999 2007 2012 Size of Fleet (End of Year) 4 306 515 Number of Employees 195 29,005 34,378 Number of Passengers Carried 108,554 52,600,000 101,947,800 Number of Cities Served 3 55 64 Number of Trips Flown 6,051 602,578 1,160,699 Total Operating Revenues (Millions $) 2.33 4,736 7,369 Net Income (Millions $) -3.8 433 645 Sources: Company press releases and Southwest Airlines Fact Sheet at http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/factsheet.html. 694 46,000 109,000,00 97 >1,284,800 17,100 421 designed to increase revenue by (a) bringing in new customers, including new Rapid Rewards members, as well as new holders of Southwest’s co-branded Chase Visa credit card; (b) increasing business from existing customers; and (c) strengthening Rapid Rewards hotel, rental car, credit card, and retail partnerships. Recent Service Changes In 2007, Southwest made various changes to its service offerings, including Three new fare categories, including higher-tier fares for business travelers. New boarding processes; for example, travelers could pay extra to board first. Allowing customers with high status in the frequent flier program to board first. Increased emphasis on corporate sales. Promoted the “two-bags-fly-free campaign” aggres- sively. The rationale for the 2007 changes was explained by CEO Gary Kelly: We’ve always been a business traveler’s airline. At the same time, over 37 years we hadn’t done much to try to cus- tomize the travel experience for the varieties of customer needs that we had. It was one-size-fits-all, and in today’s competitive environment we felt that was not the best way to remain on top. We had the desire to improve our overall customer experience for the business traveler. In 2011, Southwest launched its new Rapid Rewards fre- quent flyer program. Under the new program, members earned points for every dollar spent, whereas under the prior program customers earned credits for flight segments flown. The new frequent flyer program was Table 2 Operating Data Southwest’s Performance Southwest bucked the airline industry trend by earn- ing a profit for 40 consecutive years. Among the major airlines, Southwest consistently ranked first in fewest over- all customer complaints as published in the Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report. For example, in December 2012, there were 18 complaints reported against Southwest and 140 against United. In Zagat’s 2010 airline survey, Southwest won awards for top website; best consumer on-time estimates-domestic; best check-in experience; best value-domestic; and best luggage policy-domestic. The average Southwest flight had a duration of about one hour and 55 minutes and a length of 694 miles. This was up from 462 miles in 1999 and 394 in 1996. Each plane flew about seven flights daily, almost twice the industry average. Planes were used an average of 13 hours a day, about 40% more than major carriers like Delta and United. Table 2 shows that Southwest’s cost per available seat mile was lower than the legacy Alaska Southwest American Delta JetBlue United US Airways 86.6% 80.4% 84.1% 85.796 84.3% 85.1% 14.52 14.18 16.79 11.34 17.07 Load Factor Operating cost per ASM (cents) Revenue per ASM (cents) On-time departure rank On-time arrival rank 16.71 18.22 85.7% 17.79 18.89 16.49 14.82 16.30 12.45 17.26 #2 #11 #14 #5 #13 15 #3 #2 #8 #15 #4 #12 14 #5 Calculated by dividing operating revenue by available seat miles. Source: U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT).

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