M8D1: WHERE IS MY STUFF MADE?

M8D1: Where is My Stuff Made?

Complete the following:

Select a product you routinely purchase and research where all the raw materials

used to make AND package that item come from. List each material and its country of

origin.

How can you verify the country of origin of raw material? You should conduct some

research on techniques used by various international businesses.

How does a companys choice of sources (country) for raw materials impact their

marketing strategy for their products? Do you think that the source of raw materials

affects how a company markets their product in different countries (i.e. would they

market the product differently in the UK as opposed to Peru?)? Why or why not?

Product, Raw Materials, and Country of Origin

The product that I frequently purchase entails McDonalds Double Cheeseburger. One of

my favorite products when it comes to fast foods and makes it easy to consume something sweet

and of quality. I love McDonalds Double Cheeseburger, thus, forms the basis of my research to

analyze its ingredients and country of origin where the company sources its raw materials to

develop such a quality product. McDonalds Double Cheeseburger is made of 100% pure beef

patties with absolutely no filters, chopped onions, seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper,

mustard, tangy pickles, two slices of melty American cheese, and ketchup (McDonalds, 2017).

The question of the sourcing of the ingredients used to make the Double Cheeseburger

are sourced from various parts of the world. The beef patty comprises of 100% British and Irish
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beef whose contents are supplied by the companys beef supply in Scunthorpe. The onions are

sourced from the United States, and the Mustard is made by one of the sauce suppliers to

McDonalds in Lancashire (McDonalds UK, 2017). Additionally, the tangy pickles are acquired

from Turkey while the cheese slices are sourced from America and Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

The ketchup is made and sourced from Belgium while the bakery bakes the bun in Heywood

near Manchester. Also, got an alternative source from Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Verifying the Country of Origin of Raw Materials

In the contemporary world, companies have embraced technology the ascertain the

country of origin of their raw materials and maintenance of the required standards. The most

profound technology use entails the emerging traceability capabilities that access the consumers,

providers of the raw materials, supply chain involved, and frequency identification (FDI) of the

raw materials origin (Tzoulis, 2013). Different regions around the world have different pH soil

levels, hence, allow the companies to trace the source of their products and the required

standards healthy for consumption.

How a Companys Choice of Sources for Raw Materials Impact their Marketing Strategy for

their Products

The choice of sources for raw materials has enormous implications on the marketing

strategy of the products made by a company. The choice of the source of raw materials

influences the pricing of the products, supply/product availability, quality and standard

assurance, the dictation of industry dynamics, the mitigation of supplier power, among others

(Grundy, 2006). These factors influence the marketing strategy of the company as they

determine, for example, the price of the products in order for the company to create value-
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addition to their work. Also, the availability of the supply and product determine the vigor a

company induces to market their products in various parts of the world depending on the

quantity and quality of the yields.

Yes, the source of raw materials affects the marketing strategy as it controls the price

fluctuations and quality of the products. As the contemporary marketing strategy emphasizes on

elevating the co-creation of value where products are made to service customer desires and

satisfaction, the source of raw materials has a significant impact (Ehmke, Fulton & Lusk, 2005).

The price and quality are key to marketing strategies. Hence, the standard of raw materials in the

UK or Peru must be assessed to allow different products marketing in various parts of the world.
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References

Ehmke, C., Fulton, J., & Lusk, J. (2005). Marketing's Four P's: First Steps for New

Entrepreneurs. Purdue University, Purdue Extension.

Grundy, T. (2006). Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porter's five forces model. Strategic

Change, 15(5), 213-229.

McDonalds. (2017). Material and Cheesier: Double Cheeseburger. [Online]. Retrieved from

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/product/double-cheeseburger.html [Accessed on

2nd August 2017].

McDonaldsUK. (2017). What Makes McDonalds? Find the facts, tell us your views and ask us

a question. [Online]. Retrieved from

http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/whatmakesmcdonalds/questions/food/burgers/wher

e-does-mcdonalds-source-the-ingredients-for-its-hamburgers.html [Accessed on 2nd

August 2017].

Tzoulis, I., & Andreopoulou, Z. (2013). Emerging traceability technologies as a tool for quality

wood trade. Procedia Technology, 8, 606-611.