Product/Brand co-creation methodology crossing marketing, design thinking, creativity and management: ideas(r)evolution

This thesis introduce a new innovation methodology called IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION that was developed according to an on-going experimental research project started in 2007. This new approach to innovation has initial based on Design thinking for innovation theory and practice. The concept of design thinking for innovation has received much attention in recent years. This innovation approach has climbed from the design and designers knowledge field towards other knowledge areas, mainly business management and marketing. Human centered approach, radical collaboration, creativity and breakthrough thinking are the main founding principles of Design thinking that were adapted by those knowledge areas due to their assertively and fitness to the business context and market complexity evolution. Also Open innovation, User-centered innovation and later on Living Labs models emerge as answers to the market and consumers pressure and desire for new products, new services or new business models. Innovation became the principal business management focus and strategic orientation. All this changes had an impact also in the marketing theory. It is possible now to have better strategies, communications plans and continuous dialogue systems with the target audience, incorporating their insights and promoting them to the main dissemination ambassadors of our innovations in the market. Drawing upon data from five case studies, the empirical findings in this dissertation suggest that companies need to shift from Design thinking for innovation approach to an holistic, multidimensional and integrated innovation system. The innovation context it is complex, companies need deeper systems then the success formulas that “commercial “Design thinking for innovation “preaches”. They need to learn how to change their organization culture, how to empower their workforce and collaborators, how to incorporate external stakeholders in their innovation processes, hoe to measure and create key performance indicators throughout the innovation process to give them better decision making data, how to integrate meaning and purpose in their innovation philosophy. Finally they need to understand that the strategic innovation effort it is not a “one shot” story it is about creating a continuous flow of interaction and dialogue with their clients within a “value creation chain“ mindset; RESUMO: Metodologia de co-criação de um produto/marca cruzando Marketing, Design Thinking, Criativity and Management - IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION. Esta dissertação apresenta uma nova metodologia de inovação chamada IDEAS(R)EVOLUTION, que foi desenvolvida segundo um projecto de investigação experimental contínuo que teve o seu início em 2007. Esta nova abordagem baseou-se, inicialmente, na teoria e na práctica do Design thinking para a inovação. Actualmente o conceito do Design Thinking para a inovação “saiu” do dominio da area de conhecimento do Design e dos Designers, tendo despertado muito interesse noutras áreas como a Gestão e o Marketing. Uma abordagem centrada na Pessoa, a colaboração radical, a criatividade e o pensamento disruptivo são principios fundadores do movimento do Design thinking que têm sido adaptados por essas novas áreas de conhecimento devido assertividade e adaptabilidade ao contexto dos negócios e à evolução e complexidade do Mercado. Também os modelos de Inovação Aberta, a inovação centrada no utilizador e mais tarde os Living Labs, emergem como possiveis soluções para o Mercado e para a pressão e desejo dos consumidores para novos productos, serviços ou modelos de negócio. A inovação passou a ser o principal foco e orientação estratégica na Gestão. Todas estas mudanças também tiveram impacto na teoria do Marketing. Hoje é possivel criar melhores estratégias, planos de comunicação e sistemas continuos de diálogo com o público alvo, incorporando os seus insights e promovendo os consumidores como embaixadores na disseminação da inovação das empresas no Mercado Os resultados empiricos desta tese, construídos com a informação obtida nos cinco casos realizados, sugerem que as empresas precisam de se re-orientar do paradigma do Design thinking para a inovação, para um sistema de inovação mais holistico, multidimensional e integrado. O contexto da Inovação é complexo, por isso as empresas precisam de sistemas mais profundos e não apenas de “fórmulas comerciais” como o Design thinking para a inovação advoga. As Empresas precisam de aprender como mudar a sua cultura organizacional, como capacitar sua força de trabalho e colaboradores, como incorporar os públicos externos no processo de inovação, como medir o processo de inovação criando indicadores chave de performance e obter dados para um tomada de decisão mais informada, como integrar significado e propósito na sua filosofia de inovação. Por fim, precisam de perceber que uma estratégia de inovação não passa por ter “sucesso uma vez”, mas sim por criar um fluxo contínuo de interação e diálogo com os seus clientes com uma mentalidade de “cadeia de criação de valor”

Influence of Soil and Irrigation Management on the Quality of Seedless Crimson Table Grapes

The market for table grapes is moving into mass production of specialty seed-less grapes in covered areas, aiming at obtaining premium prices with early or late production of high quality products. Production of quality seedless grapes is not straightforward since it is requires the correct combination of various independent characteristics, such as color, sugars, size and quantity at the right moment for successful harvesting and marketing. The present study was carried out at the two largest Portuguese producers located in Alentejo, and has the objective of studying the effect of irrigation management strategies and two different soils on the various relevant parameters for successful production and marketing. The management strategies were the application of ten day stress at the end of the cycle, in order to promote early maturing of the grapes. Three different timings of the stress were applied. Soil moisture, sap flow, bark thickness, as well as leaf water potential, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content were measured regularly during the production season. The results indicate that the roots explore a rather large soil volume and the plants can successfully withstand reasonable periods of drought without significant changes to the plant physiology. Additionally late rains can mask the effect of any farmer applied drought and invalidate any farmer induced stress to the plants. Water-logged soils tend to cause early onset of maturity, but cause the ripening stage to extend over a longer period of time, and thus, in effect result in a delay in the harvest date. Topography also has some effect on the ripening, since hot air tends to accumulate under the plastic at the higher areas of the field. This work is funded by PRODER, 4.1, within the scope of project MORECRIMSON

Plano de marketing: uma proposta para o hospital do açúcar

O estudo realizado aborda a temática "Plano de marketing: uma proposta para o Hospital do Açúcar", com direção norteadora para efetuar uma avaliação diagnóstica das atividades da Fundação Hospital da Agroindústria do Açúcar e do Álcool de Alagoas, visando proporcionar uma radiografia de sua situação e, posteriormente, plano estratégico para o desenvolvimento de um processo de gestão eficiente e eficaz. Justifica-se o presente estudo tendo em vista a importância da unidade hospitalar para o Estado de Alagoas, considerando-se sua infra¬estrutura, seus serviços prestados à comunidade alagoana, bem como possibilitar uma reorientação estratégica que possibilite otimizar suas atividades para um atendimento qualitativo e manutenção de suas atividades de forma eficiente e eficaz. Objetiva efetuar uma análise do complexo organizacional da instituição, radiografando seus pontos fortes e fracos, suas oportunidades e riscos, enfim levantando a realidade de suas atividades possibilitando a estruturação de um plano estratégico de marketing que propicie um melhor posicionamento de mercado ao hospital e que defina objetivos e metas e ser alcançados a partir da identificação de oportunidades ambientais e empresariais compatíveis com seus recursos humanos e materiais, também, levando, em consideração os seus fins a sua finalidade filantrópica, respaldada por lei. Metodologicamente, a pesquisa foi desenvolvida de natureza exploratória, objetivando proporcionar maiores informações sobre o assunto; e bibliográfica, tendo como objetivo conhecer, recolher, selecionar, analisar e interpretar as contribuições teóricas já existentes sobre o assunto. No primeiro capítulo abordará o marketing e o plano de marketing, seus conceitos e aplicações, a visualização e aplicação do marketing de serviços, a modalidade do marketing para instituições sem fins lucrativos, até chegar na estrutura e elaboração do plano de marketing. No segundo capítulo aborda o contexto do Hospital do Açúcar e Álcool de Alagoas, conceitos e definições acerca da organização hospitalar, uma abordagem histórica acerca da instituição estudada, a sua estrutura organizacional, a infraestrutura, os recursos e a realidade organizacional. No terceiro capítulo é efetuada demonstração da metodologia aplicada, considerando as duas etapas de estudo realizadas. No quarto capítulo foi efetuado uma abordagem analítica acerca do planeamento de marketing da Fundação Hospital do Açúcar, a partir da realidade encontrada, da análise de SWOT, da estratégia de marketing mix, do segmento alvo, posicionamento e tipo de concorrentes, e do plano de ação. As razões pessoas que levaram a realização do presente estudo se deve ao fato da importância da Fundação Hospital do Açúcar para o Estado de Alagoas, bem como para a população carente e consumidora dos serviços hospitalares, tendo em vista representar uma instituição tradicional e historicamente fincada na localidade, merecendo, portanto, maior atenção das autoridades e sociedade em geral. ABSTRACT; The carried through study it approaches the thematic "Marketing plan: a proposal for the Hospital of the Sugar", with norteadora direction to effect a diagnostic evaluation of the activities of the Foundation Sugar and Alcohol Hospital of Alagoas, being aimed to provide an x-ray of its situation and, later, a strategical plan for the development of a process of efficient and efficient management. The present study in view of the importance of the hospital unit for the State of Alagoas is justified, considering itself its infrastructure, its services given to the Algona community, as well as making possible a strategical reorientation that it makes possible to optimize its activities for a qualitative attendance and maintenance of its activities of efficient and efficient form. Aiming to carry out an analysis of this institution complex of the institution, being radiographed its strong and weak points, its chances and risks, at last raising the reality of its activities making possible the structure of a strategical plan in the market that propitiates one better positioning of market for the hospital and that it defines reached objectives and goals and being from the identification of compatible ambient and enterprise chances with its human resources and material, also, taking, in consideration its ends its philanthropic purpose, endorsed by law. Methodologically, the research was developed of exploratory nature, aiming to provide greaters information on the subject; bibliographical collect, to select, to analyze and theoretical contributions. ln the first chapter it will approach the marketing and the plan of marketing, its concepts and applications, the visualization and application of the marketing services, the modality of the marketing for institutions without lucrative ends, until arriving in the structure and elaboration of the marketing plan. ln as the chapter it approaches the context of the Sugar and Alcohol Hospital of Alagoas, concepts and definitions concerning the hospital organization, a historical boarding concerning the studied institution, its organizational structure, the infrastructure, the resources and the organizational reality. ln the third chapter demonstration of the applied methodology is effected, considering the two carried through stages of study. ln the room chapter an analytical boarding concerning the planning of marketing of the Foundation wich effected the Hospital of the Sugar, from the found reality, of the analysis of SWOT, the strategy of marketing mix, the white segment, positioning and type of competitors, and the plan of action. The reasons people who had taken the accomplishment of the present study to the fact of the importance of the Foundation Sugar and Alcohol Hospital of Alagoas, as well as for the devoid population and consumer of the hospital services, in view of representing a traditional institution and historicamente fincada in the locality, deserving, therefore, greater attention of the authorities and society in general.

Shopper Centric Category Management in Convenience Stores: a Qualitative Study

The literature shows that category management is an important concept and tool for retailers and suppliers, but that there is a trend to move to a more shopper-centric category management approach, linked to the shoppermarketing approach. However, the knowledge on this issue is scarce on some retailing sectors, like convenience stores. The present study is focused on convenience stores, with the main purpose of finding out to what extent non-major food retailers successfully adopt a shopper-centric category management. The study is relevant in order to evaluate if a more shopper-centric approach is adequate to smaller companies/stores. To accomplish that goal, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted among convenience store retailers and suppliers. Six semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with Commercial Directors and Trade Marketing Managers. This data was complemented with thirteen interviews with shopper marketing experts. The data was analyzed using thematic content analysis technique, identifying themes, categories, subcategories, units of meaning and relations. The results revealed that convenience store retailers use some of the principles and techniques of the shopper-marketing and shopper-centric category management approaches, which they do in a non-standardized and non-formal approach or process. Their suppliers (the manufacturers) do it in a more formal and structured manner, probably as a result of previous interaction with major supermarkets chains. Both direct and indirect evidences of a shopper-centric approach were found, which, however, were slight, discrete and not formal.