Introduction
Marketing refers to the process of conducting market research, selling goods or services to clients and promoting them through advertisement to increase the sales volume. It is a complex process by which organizations and industries develop strong relationships with the customers.
In order to conduct effective marketing of products, it is important for the marketing managers to have a sound understanding of the origin of the products they are dealing with in order to device proper marketing strategies. This paper seeks to shade light on the origins of coffee and gold, challenges in their production, why they are popular and also their advertisement.
Coffee
Origin of Coffee
The use of coffee can be traced back to the thirteenth century (Schreckmann, 2004). However, its origin has not yet been established. It is commonly understood that the ancient Ethiopians who were the ancestors of the current Oromo community were among the first people who discovered that coffee has a stimulating effect on the mind (Schreckmann, 2004). However, there is no specific evidence that can explain where coffee was grown and used in Africa before seventeenth century (Pendergrast, 2010).
By sixteenth century the knowledge of coffee had spread in the Middle East, some sections of Persia and Turkey. “The use of coffee as a beverage later reached Italy from Asia” (Schreckmann, 2004). From Italy its use was extended to Europe and since that time coffee production reached America (Pendergrast, 2010). Although the origin of coffee had its roots in Ethiopia, the country only produced a little amount for exportation until the second half of the 20th century.
Reasons for the Popularity of Coffee
The popularity of coffee can be attributed to several factors. First, it has stimulating effect in the mind of the user and continuous use of it can lead to addiction hence such consumers are likely to continue using it (Schreckmann, 2004). Secondly, the manufacturers of coffee products have also managed to design several mechanisms to elevate its popularity.
For example coffee products come in various flavors that appeal to the customers taste and preferences. Apart from this the players in the coffee market have always been keen to maintain its reputation in the market (Paul, 1947). They have achieved this through regular thrilling advertisements (Schreckmann, 2004).
Problems Encountered in Coffee Production
The level of coffee production has been affected by fluctuations in its market prices (Paul, 1947). For example the international market price for coffee has not been stable and they keep on changing. This has always lowered the enthusiasm of farmers to continue producing coffee.
Organizations that Deal with Problems of Coffee Production
Coffee Marketing Boards in various countries have been instrumental in addressing problems related to coffee production. For example they always bargain for better international coffee prices. They also offer advisory services to the farmers (Schreckmann, 2004). The advice relates to better production methods.
Gold
Origin of Gold
Gold was the first metal known by mankind. The beautiful nature of gold and its brilliance attracted the ancient people and it became part of their culture (Paul, 1947). Since gold is found in different parts of the world, it was discovered by different races in many places. Almost any body who encountered gold got amused with it (Paul, 1947).
The easiest metal to work on is gold. “It appears in a pure workable state as compared to other metals that exist inform of ore-bodies which cause some difficulties in smelting” (Paul, 1947). Gold has been a noble commodity and the early civilizations associated it with prominent rulers like kings and queens (Paul, 1947). Gold was of great value to human beings even before they started using it as a currency.
This has been demonstrated by a tireless effort to get it. Prospecting activities for gold has its origins in 700 B.C (Paul, 1947). During the search for gold by Egyptians and Phoenicians, prisoners were often sent to work in the gold mines. Gold was used as currency in the ancient Greece (Paul, 1947). “The Greeks conducted gold mining activities in the Mediterranean region around 500 B.C. and scholars like Plato wrote about the theories of its origins” (Paul, 1947).
Problems Encountered in Gold Production
The mining of gold has been affected by several challenges that can be briefly explained as follows. In South Africa where we have one of the world’s largest gold mines, electricity hitches have always crippled mining activities (Paul, 1947). For examples some mines have had to be closed for a long time due to perennial power black-outs (Paul, 1947).
Workers have always had serious accidents in the mines with some ending in deaths (Paul, 1947). Secondly, the cost of mining has risen considerably over the past few years. Thirdly, the initial cost of setting up and running a gold mine is relatively high (Paul, 1947). There is also the challenge of increasing labor shortages in the mines. Besides, workers in the mines always demand for high wages (Paul, 1947).
Reasons for Popularity of Gold
Today the price of gold is still rising and this can be explained as follows. One of the reasons for the popularity of gold is its high quality as a metal (Paul, 1947). Another factor for the increased popularity of this metal is its ability to provide protection against potential financial risks (Paul, 1947). For example when the value of currency goes down, it gives the investors the chance to protect their investments. In addition to this, gold also offers a wide range of investment opportunities to investors (Paul, 1947).
Description of a Print Advertisement
There are many ways of advertising and print advertisement is one of them. This type of advertisement is printed in a piece of paper for example in a newspaper. The effectiveness of this advertisement depends on the ability of people to see it. In this study a print advertisement for gold was used.
Design of the Advertisement
The advertisement featured gold writing printed on leather. The leather is having a soft texture and it is black in color. The words are written in yellow to bring a sharp contrast and this makes the advertisement look very attractive. The words in the gold advertisement are: “Money makes the world go round. Gold stops the world from getting dizzy when the ride’s is over’’.
Language of the Advertisement
The language used in the advertisement was carefully selected because it is simple and can be easily understood. The use of simple language in advertisements helps the marketer to pass clear messages to the targeted population.
Purpose of the Advertisement
This advertisement was aimed at encouraging people to invest in gold trade. The advert aimed at highlighting the main features and functions of gold in order to increase its demand.
Conclusion
From the above discussion we can conclude that marketing is very important in business. Marketing can be enhanced through proper research on the products or services to be sold. Before a person settles on a given mode of advertisement it is important to analyze the effectiveness of the various methods of advertisement.
References
Paul, R. (1947). California gold: the beginning of mining in the far west. Cambridge: Havard University Press.
Pendergrast, M. (2010). Uncommon grounds: the history of coffee and how it transformed our world. New York: Basic Books.
Schreckmann, D. (2004). The coffee house grounds for change. Java Ranch Journal, vol.3 (i) , 34-36.