Marketing Strategies For Hopsitality And Tourism Industry

Marketing Strategies For Hopsitality And Tourism Industry The hospitality and tourism industry is one of the worlds prevalent industries and also the most fragmented with large number of small business. The contribution of hospitality and tourism industry to GDP can be measured in the terms of the revenue generated by tourists (Bardgett 2000). The industry promotes international understanding and gives support to local handicrafts and cultural activities. It is a very important section of a nations economy, particularly in terms of its involvement in the direction of earnings through foreign exchange, production of extra wages and creation of job opportunities. The high flood of foreign tourist traffic has increased demand for certain economic production and distribution activities. The hospitality and tourism industry in todays date is one of the most diverse, exciting, challenging and important industries in any part of the world. It offers career opportunities that are dynamic in nature. A very essential quality in this industry is to possess a driving interest towards ones customer service and a strong sense of professionalism. And not just that what one also needs to know is that, what tourism is, keeping in mind the economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts on it. One needs to know its relationship with other industries, the roles and responsibilities that the organization carries as a whole and as well as of individual staffs. 1.1 Marketing of tourism and hospitality industry Marketing is a delicate combination of art and science (Mahoney, 2005). It is described by Kotle as a management procedure accountable for recognizing, expecting and pleasing client necessities gainfully. An enormous variety of misconceptions are rampant about marketing, the most widespread is its misunderstanding next to selling and advertising. If one looks closely these are nothing more, but types of endorsement or promotion and hence being only a part of marketing. Marketing includes of much more, such as product/service development, place, pricing etc. It requires information about those attracted in what you are offering, such as their likes, where they buy and their limits of expenditure. 1.2 SWOT/ TOWS Analysis Another important aspect that follows strategic formulation is the evaluation of the adopted measures and one of the best ways to do so is by using both SWOT followed by the TOWS analysis. TOWS Analysis is a modified form of SWOT which is used as a standard business analytical tool. The alphabets in both TOWS and SWOT are representation of the words Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The analysis of the external environment (threats and opportunities), and internal environment (weaknesses and strengths),can help one realise beneficial techniques that can be made use of by the entire organization, a department or a team. Apart from this, SWOT/TOWS analysis can also be used to come up with a course of action, a marketing campaign, or even evaluate ones skills and experiences. (Warnell, 1995) Identifying Strategic Options: As mentioned earlier SWOT or TOWS analysis helps to draw a better judgement of the strategic choices that are present and since strategy is the art of determining how one can win in business; it is a very important step in the evaluation of any organization or industry. This process of evaluation helps us find answers to questions that further help us explore our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strategic Discussion Through the use of marketing strategy an organization can concentrate its limited resources in the best manner possible so as to increase the profits and be at an advantage as compared to the other organizations. The main goal behind every marketing strategy should be customer satisfaction. The selected marketing strategies are dependent on a variety of components, such as quality, innovation, brand building, marketing expansion, focus, product development, social responsibility, etc. On similar grounds if we talk about Ryanair we can very well see that how the airline completely stands out as a special business from the point of view of the corporate culture it follows. Despite of being an airline it earns through the sale of complimentary products and services that it offers it customers on and off the plane. The company is well liked by its customers for its low cost and admired by its employees for the high salary it gives them. So hence alongside pleasing its customers which is very essential for any business it is also focusing on keeping its staff happy, content and loyal which is an equally important strategy very well thought of. Apart from that the airline makes use of secondary airports rather than primary ones which in turn helps in reducing the expenditure costs leading to higher benefit or profit margins. And hence it can be seen that the chosen organization is doing very well as far as selection and implementation of its marketing strategies is concerned. This comment can be substantiated by the results of PEST analysis and SWOT/TOWS analysis. PEST analysis of Ryanair SWOT /TOWS ANALYSIS FOR RYAN AIR Strengths Weaknesses Low airport charges High service performance A uniform fleet: low maintenance cost Poor customer service Long distance between airports and destinations. Poor relationship with staffs Opportunities Threats Credit crunch: People switch to low cost airlines More countries joining Schengen States Depreciation of US dollars: planes are now cheaper Customers are price sensitive Increase in oil prices Other airlines are reducing costs Increase in air traffic control charges Growth of other substitutes TOWS MATRIX (Weihrich 1982) Internal Elements Organisational strengths Organisational weaknesses Strategic options Strategic options External Elements Environmental opportunities (and risks) SO S2 + O2 Routes expansion S3 + O3 Order new planes WO W3 + O1 Jobs security for staffs Environmental threats ST S1 + T1 Continue to cut fares S2 + T3, T5 Increase frequency of popular routes WT W1, W3 + T3 Focus on staff training W2 + T5 Reduce cost of airport transfers From both of the above shown methods of evaluations it can be seen that credit crunch which generally considered as a big threat is grabbed as a seemingly big opportunity by Ryanair, for it attracts its customers by the focus it keeps on the reduced cost price. And this as can be seen is used by Ryanair as a mean to earn profit. The SWOT table above gives us a brief yet a very indepth summary of not just the internal but also the external analysis of the airlines with highlights of the firms strengths and weaknesses so as opportunities and threats. Based on SWOT, a number of strategic options can be suggested to Ryanair in the form of a TOWS matrix, such as route expansion, ordering new planes and hence increasing frequency of popular routes, focusing on the staff training, which in turn will act towards attracting more customers, offering its staff job security, it can go on further in reducing its prices(which has so far really worked wonder for the airlines). Hence through our evaluations we can see that no doubt Ryanair seems to be doing wondrous work as far as marketing strategies are concerned but there are still a lot many more ways in which it can increase the overall turnover even more, such is the wonder of using apt and multiple marketing strategies. 3.0 Implementation of a strategy using tactics The concept of the marketing is based on the premise that the firms should determine consumer wants and needs before designing products and services. Hospitality and tourism industry brings together the latest developments in the global operations using contemporary management principles (Borden, 2001). 3.1 Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy, ought to be viewed as a cover up of support planned to be a magnet as well as provide the customer or visitor (Naik, 2003). There are various types of strategies that come into play such as competitive strategy, market and resource based strategy, quality and innovation, growth strategies. It is now necessary that one of these have to be used at a time but generally combinations of these are used to achieve optimum results. 3.1.1 External Mix It consists of the 7Ps as well as the external environment. The marketing mix can be controlled by the firm whereas the external environment cannot be. Every industry tries to develop marketing strategies utilizing marketing mix that will establish sustainable competitive advantages leading to long term growth and profitability (Brian, 2003; Zeithaml, Bitner, Gremler, 2003). Product: The product of the marketing mix includes the tangible goods and all of the services that accompany that good to produce the final service or product. More than products it is the various services that make the industry stand ahead of others. Talking about Ryanair, it is doing seemingly well as far as the product aspect is concerned, for its air service and hospitality are no doubt loved by the customers due to the low cost price and well trained and well paid staff. Price: price is the value placed on the service or a product. The tourism and hospitality sector should establish their pricing based on the companies objectives and the target market. One cannot have high fee structures for low-fare airlines. Secondly it is very important to base the prices on the complete cost of production, delivering, promoting as well as managing the services provided. Price doesnt comprise of only the tangible benefits but also the intangible benefits like satisfaction. Ryanair seems to be doing really well as far as the price of its service is concerned for its customer no doubt love the airlines for it low air fare prices. Place: This aspect of the strategy includes the distribution and logistics of producing a product or service and making it available to the final customer. The location of the hotels, restaurants, etc is determined by considering the cost of the resources such as labor, raw material and real estate. In addition it is important to have access to proper transportation. So therefore the first and the most important element to be considered is the location of the hotel or the restaurant. Places away from the central city must be avoided as they would not attract tourists who would want to explore the main city/ town area. The place aspect here could not be incorporated as this is an airline that we are talking about, but still we can for sure bring to light the cost expenditure that the airline is saving by the use of secondary airports rather than the use of the main or primary ones. Promotion: It provides customers with precise and apt information to assist them decide whether to visit. It represents the various aspects of marketing communication, that is, the communication the information about the product with the goal to generate a positive customer response. The information provided by the company should be of significance and sensible use to the likely or existing guest and also precise because only satisfied customer would want to come again and use the same services. People: This is the fifth P of the marketing mix. It is essential that one should have a good, educated and friendly employees. For an organization to have a winning edge over others it is very essential that it recruits the right staff and trains them appropriately for the delivery of the services. Based on the interactions with employs the consumers make opinions and deliver perceptions of the service that was provided to them. Hence it is of utmost importance that the staff should have apt interpersonal skills, attitude, and service knowledge to provide the best service to the consumers who are paying for it. Thus it makes it imperative to have a highly qualified staff to add that extra special touch to the services so that customers who comes once, comes always. This, the airline has no doubt very skillfully taken care of by training it staff very well apart from paying it well too. Process: It constitutes of the schemes used to aid the organization in the process of service deliverance. Timely and excellent quality services are not the only ingredient but the process behind the making of these services is also of importance. Both hospitality and tourism industry have behind the scenes services like kitchens, water boilers, air handling units, maintenance departments, etc. This should be ensured that a customer never come to know about the smooth or ruff running of the process. Same and equivalent services should be provided at all times. These the airline could think of improving on as far as the benefits and services offered by the airlines to its consumers both on and off the flight. Physical Evidence: this again is a component which gives the consumers the opportunity to make judgments about the organization. This no doubt is an essential component of the service mix as based on the sight of the service that is being provided a perceptual impact is made on the consumers about the organization and the service being provided. The organizations that claim to be energy efficient should show it to their customer the process they followed to make their building and services environment friendly. When a customer knows the process behind the delivered service they feel more at ease. For example: if a hotel does vermin-composting to make all biodegradable waste into manure, they should take the guest and children on a eco-walk and show them the pit. This will not only make a good name for the organization but also teach people how to conserve environment (Borden, 2001). This as has been mentioned before too a number of times the airlines has focused on very well by its low cost air tickets and its well trained and well paid staff, skilled staff. 3.2 Interactive Marketing Technology has necessarily altered how companies and their customers communicate, not just online but across other medium (Novak Hoffman, 1997). Consequently interactive thinking needs to be at the heart of all marketing strategy and interactive channels at the heart of all marketing delivery. A company that has developed an easy to use web site with content and appropriate services to its audience is only part-way to achieving successful Internet marketing outcomes (Agrawal, Arjona Lemmens, 2001) This concept focuses on the ever changing trends in the field of marketing . The definition that had been given by John Deighton at Harvard, talks about interactive marketing being an ability which facilitates the organization in having one on one interaction with its customers on a continuous basis. The concept is in no way synonymous with the concept of online marketing, although there is debate that internet technology facilitates the process of interactive marketing to a great extent. The organization can with ease keep a record of all the data related to its customers, can have access to its numerous clients and consumers at the click of a mouse and can interact with them on a day to day continuous basis using the speed of the internet. 3.2.1 Objectives for Interactive Marketing Communications An interactive marketing communications plan usually has three main goals: (1) Use online and offline connections to steer or draw guests passage to a web site. This method is commonly referred to as traffic building. (2) To use on-site communications to bring an effectual point to the guest which helps form customer behaviour or achieve a required marketing outcome. The message delivered on site will be based on traditional marketing communications objectives for a companys products or services. (3) To mix all communications methods to assist attain marketing objectives by supporting mixed-mode buying. (Novak Hoffman, 1997). Ryanair has made use of this strategy by making available to its customers the facility of online booking system, which is not only of convenience to its customers but also greatly reduces the extra cost price as compared to telephone booking. Though it could still go beyond online booking and explore much more options such as customer feedback, special offers, blog site etc on its website by making use of this strategy. 4.0 Conclusion Customer satisfaction in hospitality and tourism industry is very much prejudiced by the way in which the service is delivered. It is a very important fraction of hospitality and tourism management and can be done successfully and well, with classiness and skill, if one keeps in mind the important essentials of marketing. ,This the airline seems to have taken care of in the most skilled manner possible by making use of the various above mentioned strategies. Apart from that what also is important is the evaluation of the marketing efforts. A framework for evaluation could help in shaping which essentials are most important to evaluate. It is hardly ever probable or cost efficient to assess all elements. After this it is very important to compare results with ones objectives and to in the end determine the needed changes in the strategic plan. This in a great way contributes towards improving the efficiency of the strategies that are being used by recognizing the present dissimilarities between real outcomes and anticipated performance. All this in turn will surely help determine the most probable and expected causes for the triumph or crash to achieve the set goals and objectives.

Life Styles Inventory Survey Life Style Inv Essay

Life Style Inventory Survey measures what motivates a person behavior, their thoughts and self-concept. The inventory is for self-discovery; it enables a person to take a revealing look at them and what makes them unique. The LSI enabled me to examine my own unique way of thinking and how it influenced my behaviors. Once I created a profile, I was able to determine what styles were working to my advantage and which ones where undermining my effectiveness. The LSI forced me to initiate positive changes in how I think and act; changes that can increase my personal and professional effectiveness. Life Styles Inventory Results The LSI heightened my self-awareness, and helped me to determine where I needed to direct my self-improvement efforts. The process of self-improvement involves certain steps. These steps include; knowing ones strengths and weaknesses, accepting yourself as you are now, understanding how ones thinking and behavior affect oneself and others, deciding to improve oneself, and committing to a plan of action to change ones behavior. When I took the LSI I was it recognized two strong personal thinking styles. My primary (highest percentile score) and back-up (second highest percentile score) personal thinking styles are oppositional and dependent. The oppositional scale measures ones tendency to use the defensive and aggressive strategy of disagreeing with others, and to seek attention by being critical and cynical. Oppositional people typically love to argue and have a fear of getting close to people. In general, this style is characterized by: the ability to ask tough, probing questions, a tendency to make others feel uncomfortable, a tendency to seem aloof and detached from people, and a need to look for flaws in everything. The dependent scale measures the degree to which one feels he/she efforts do not count. Dependent behaviors originate in a need for security and self-protection and often feel he/she has very little control over their lives. This type of behavior can be long-standing, or due to temporary life changes such as a new job, promotion, an illness, or the break-up of a close relationship. In general, this style is characterized by: a passive attitude, feelings of helplessness, difficulty making decision, the presence of rapid change or traumatic set-backs in one’s life and an over-concern with pleasing people. When I first read the results and definitions of each personal thinking style I was initially shocked. I said to myself, â€Å"Is this really who I am?† But I had to take a step back from the situation and allowed myself to really learn how to improve myself. By accepting who I am now; will allow me to change and improve my way of thinking and ultimately my way of life for the future. Recently I have moved away from family and friends and started a new job. It is very stressful and I am constantly critiqued and question about the process or procedures I do. I believe this is where that dependent style plays its part in my life. As for the oppositional style, I have had to fight and claw my way in everything I do. Some life changing personal events and poor relationships make me to question future relationships, both personal and work related, but I never saw myself as cynical or sarcastic. Oppositional reminded me of that negative person no one wants to be around and I was a little off put because that is not how I thought of myself. I have always thought of myself as a positive person, always encouraging others, a hard-worker who just wants to be a good example. However, deep down inside I question myself and others abilities. I seldom say what I really think and can be stubborn and slow to forgive. I believe the results of the Life Style Inventory survey opened my eyes and proved that I need to change my way of thinking. By changing my thought process I will be a better employee and leader, as well as a better sister, auntie, an all-around better person. Personal Thinking Styles The first step in self-improvement is understanding your strengths and weaknesses. This is one question that is typical in a job interview and also qualities people look at when developing relationships. Once you have truly examined your areas of weakness and strength you can then develop a plan to improve and enhance them. One style that I believe that isworking against me and reducing my overall effectiveness is my oppositional way of thinking. Oppositional scores in the high range like mine, indicates that I am skeptical towards others, extremely critical, and keep others away. I believe this style limiting my professional effectiveness because I am unable to effectively communicate with my co-workers or superiors. I am skeptical of others intentions which make me more detached and distant at first. I also have tendency to hold back and not say what I am thinking. Working within an organization you have to be able to effectively communicate and if you are deliberately withholding your thoughts then you cannot be effective and an employee or a leader. A great example of this is recently during an observation by my supervisor, I was being critiqued on how I communicate with potential students. She stated that, â€Å"Nina, you seem unable to relate to certain demographics of students, those being middle age white women.† She asked me why and what she could do to help me overcome this obstacle. Right there was a perfect time to give her a little background about myself but because I am skeptical of her intentions, I resisted and gave a half-hearted answer. I say on a daily basis that I have to improve on my communication skills. In order to do so I have to place more trust with the individual that will receive my conversation. A big part of being oppositional is lack of personal relationship and stubbornness that pushes people away. I want to be a leader one day in the community and within an organization. I understand that in order to do so, I must develop my communication skills and improve my mental attitude. The Impact on Management Style When it comes to the planning and organizing aspects of management I am confident in this area. I am somewhat of a perfectionist, so making sure everything is in order and everyone is doing their job is important. My personal styles play apart because my lack of trust will prevent me from trusting my coworkers to complete their tasks. This means I sometimes feel obligated to double work. However when it comes to leading and controlling this is where my personal thinking styles play a huge role. Oppositional managers are viewed more as a â€Å"watch dog† rather than a leader. Well I am not that extreme, I do watch over my employees making sure they are doing things correctly instead of trusting that my training has given them the skills needed to do the job accurately. I tend to be well-liked by co-workers and my subordinates. I demonstrate concern for staff members and their needs and emphasize teamwork. Genesis of Personal Style The LSI survey forced me to reflect on my past relationships, my culture, my family, and my life events that shaped me into these personal styles. It amazed me how the journey of my life shaped me into this person, some qualities I was aware of and others that I was in denial of. My parents have always placed a lot of pressure on me to be successful. I was the first in my family to graduate and my driving force was to be better than my parents. I played basketball in college and lost my scholarship after two years. It was during this time that all my trust for human beings was lost. I have always been a hard worker, never questioned myself or my abilities, but when that event to place it started a spiral effect of events in my life. I bounced back from that incident and graduated school but kept quiet in class and never developed relationships. Before that incident I knew exactly what I wanted to be and after I have been lost. I know I want to start my own non-profit organization but lack the confidence to do so. I felt I was critiqued on things I had no control over and that could explain why I am so critical of people, because I believe people are critical of me. But it also taught me to be grateful. I never want anyone to feel the frustrations and confusion I did, so I can be very compassionate and understanding at times. Conclusion and Reflection I am thankful for this assignment, it taught me about who I am and not in a judgmental or offensive way. It made me aware of problems and behaviors that I need to correct and develop so I can be that woman that I have envisioned in my head. That strong positive leader, who everyone appreciates her critiques because they know it will make them better, that woman that despite life’s hiccups she bounced back, stronger, braver, and more successful than one could imagine. As I continue on this journey in MGMT 591, I pray that I continue this transition into this woman I dreamed of and become a better person, a better employee and a better leader. I believe this class will allow me that freedom to do so and give me the knowledge and skills I need to communicate effectively.

A Secret Weapon for Essay about Me

A Secret Weapon for Essay about Me The major question of all students who essay to compose a reflective or private essay is whether it's possible to produce such sort of academic paper without sounding too egotistical. There are several different kinds of essays you could be requested to write in elementary, middle or higher school. When you compose a brief essay, you should remember that there are not any elements to be sacrificed. Writing an essay on everything which makes an individual unique would not be possible. Exploratory essay is just one of the forms of academic writing. Determining the sort of essay is the very first step to writing a targeted essay. Producing introduction needs to be brief and succinct. If you're struggling with writing essays and wish to boost your skills, taking a course or workshop can be exceedingly helpful. So as to compose an exploratory essay, the student is going to have to do a couple of things. The very first is you will be marveled at the simple fact that professors are prepared to compose your essays. Writing About Me essays could possibly be thought to be a means to express yourself, show what type of person who you are. Don't forget, your private essay might be the truth, but it doesn't indicate you shouldn't consider it from a creative writing mindset. Thus, there are lots of ways an essay can be written. It should start telling personal things. It's common to list degrees you've received. Any sort of ideas may also help you personally. There are a lot of great courses on Udemy which can help you learn to think of excellent ideas. There's a selection of explanations for why college students choose to find support. The Pain of Essay about Me Script writing is a vital portion of. Short essays are important when one is attempting to present an important topic without needing to compose lots of words or using numerous pages. Templates and word documents you may download to assist you begin with scripting a video. Tips If you're having a hard time writing about yourself, search online for homework pages of private writing, to be able to find some ideas and inspiration. The Rise of Essay about Me Others must work full-time to afford to visit school, and they simply have zero opportunity to finish every writing assignment punctually. Write about something you are conversant with, and don't use outside sources. Also, you will require a transition word to create readers understand you're going to conclude. Whenever moment you go to the composing service that's leading, we've got someone to aid you. After you have answered that question, you are prepared to go. You may want to amplify the major point of an essay or place it in a different perspective for setting a bigger context. You then want to think about developing your own topic. By this time, it's well established that I have issues with depression and anxiety. Describe why it is you're writing in the very first paragraph. To begin with, it's dependent upon how you use the paper that' s completed. It is crucial to use our writing assistance to have the ability to develop on your analysis. To compose an impressive short essay, especially during an examination, you should be in a position to hit the question and give a straightforward answer while at the exact same time observing the proper structure of an essay. At first, it may seem that writing essays is an effortless process which certainly does not take away a relatively large amount of time. The exploratory or inquiry essay isn't to locate definite answers. The web has turned into a sizable community of individuals sharing common interests. You could be requested to provide one for numerous explanations. There aren't any 2 individuals who have the exactly same personalities. There are quite a few other explanations for why students ask us for support. The selection of assignments allows you to earn a reasonable selection and make certain of the timely delivery we provide on a daily basis. While there's a good dea l of information readily available in the libraries and on the internet, it is quite hard to process it and choose the vital data only. You're worried that someone will determine that you're using writing service. It's possible to treat our on-line essay service as an internet library tailored to your particular needs. A degree in Civil Engineering enables me to attain my targets and also gives me a chance to produce a difference locally. Students start to secure more assignments and not as much time to study and complete them. Some students face a fantastic challenge when they should cope with a tremendous influx of writing assignments.

Many Types of Drop-In Fuels

These days, it’s hard to find an organic material that isn’t being positioned as the next great alternative energy source. Rising to the top of the list are biofuels known as so-called â€Å"drop in† fuels – those renewable sources that can be used without major investment in infrastructure in the U.S. where storage and distribution has long catered to petroleum. That current investment in infrastructure isn’t small potatoes. There is about $7 billion in pipeline expenditures alone each and every year. Defining Drop-in Fuels What defines a drop-in fuel? The alternative fuels industry itself isn’t exactly clear, with some defining it broadly to mean any renewable fuel making use of at least some of the costly existing petroleum infrastructure. Others have taken a more narrowed approach. One of the most popular definitions is that drop-in fuels are those renewable fuels which can be blended with petroleum products, such as gasoline, and utilized in the current infrastructure of pumps, pipelines and other existing equipment.    Under such a definition, a biofuel would require some percentage of gasoline blender , derived from unique gasoline stocks, to form the fuel’s base. Examples of drop-in fuels defined in this way include the terpenes, butanol and isoprene, among other. Often, the technology is applied to diesel fuel, forming a biodiesel, rather than to gasoline. There are even some next-generation biofuels proponents who are developing mixtures of chemicals to form a biofuel without the gasoline or diesel base. Algae Most Common Drop-in Fuel With well over 50 companies investing in the development of algae as a biofuel, the little green plant reigns supreme among drop-in fuels. Yet, despite this general interest, most biofuels experts agree that at least another decade of research and technological breakthroughs will be necessary before this drop-in fuel is deemed commercially viable. That’s a long—and costly—trail ahead. As with most drop-in fuels, the challenges come in moving the technology from the lab to full-scale commercial production. An additional challenge with algae specifically has been the wide variance among algae and the extensive processing necessary. Butanol Also Sees Growth But algae isn’t the only show in town. Last year, a leading biobutanol company, Gevo, announced plans to acquire ethanol facilities in the Midwest and convert them to commercial production of the drop-in fuel isobutanol, also known as isobutyl alcohol.    The move was seen by industry players as a step forward in the development of butanol as an alternative drop-in fuel, with the company hoping to begin isobutanol production by 2012. Although able to make use of existing infrastructure, unlike algae, there is some concern over potential safety threats. Vapors can travel long distances and collect in low-lying areas to form an explosion hazard. However, its proponents are quick to point out the biofuel’s many fuel and chemical applications make it an attractive venture. Big player DuPont has also tested the waters of biobutanol as a drop-in fuel and plans to likewise rely on existing under-utilized ethanol capacity and conventional feedstocks as it gets its operations off the ground. The investment to retrofit existing ethanol facilities is more economical than building new structures and require only minor changes to the fermentation and distillation processes. Broadening Portfolios DuPont says it plans to follow a multi-step approach to drop-in fuel development, first focusing on n-butyl alcohol and conventional feedstocks before moving on to other drop-in fuels like isobutanol as well as non-feed crops, such as cellulosic feedstocks.    Yet another company, ButylFuel, LLC, has gone on record as having said it has now developed fermentation-derived biobutanol at a cost that is competitive with petroleum products. Its drop-in fuel can be blended at a variety of percentages with gasoline or diesel fuels. How competitive? The company claims it can produce its drop-in fuel from corn for about $1.20 per gallon. Like algae players who are benefiting not only from algae as a drop-in fuel, but from the many byproducts as well, research and development in other drop-in fuels sectors are looking at diverse portfolios of products, causing some to characterize this next generation of alternative fuels as a means to produce hydrocarbon blend stock that can have a multitude of applications.