Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Effective Leadership in a Hair Salon Essay

Unique A compelling pioneer has the ability to improve the accomplishment in an association. This paper will show the attributes and practices of Tava Jackson as a powerful pioneer in dealing with her hair salon. It will talk about her own capacity, political aptitudes, and dynamic style. The four components of transitional administration conduct will be the primary focal point of Mrs. Jackson’s authority execution in the working environment. Basic reasoning advances created by Browne &Keeley (2010) and speculations clarified by Colquitt, Lepine, and Wesson (2013) will bolster how Mrs. Jackson is a compelling pioneer and her effect on me in the salon. Presentation Colquitt et al. (2013) characterizes authority as, â€Å"the utilization of intensity and impact to coordinate the exercises of devotees toward objective achievement† (p. 450). Tava Jackson maintains appropriate abilities in her salon, engaging her representatives to accomplish their objectives. This paper will examine her moral authority characteristics, bolstered by insightful articles, and clarify how it has affected me as her representative. I will show her capacities by clarifying the accompanying: How her own capacity impacts the conduct of her representatives?; the political aptitudes in systems administration capacity and social shrewdness to expand her comprehension of workers; and her consultative style in pioneer dynamic permitting the association to fill in as a group. Glorified impact, moving inspiration, scholarly incitement, and individualized contemplations are the four elements of transitional authority conduct that will accentuation her viable administration abilities. I will investigate the reasons, presumptions, consistent understandings liberated from paradoxes, unquestionable proof, causes, huge data overlooked, and sensible ends. The settling will be of Mrs. Jackson personalâ reflection as a pioneer. Setting Tava Jackson, proprietor of Hairtopia Salon, as claimed her salon for more than five years. Her business continually develops on account of the qualities and practices she keeps up in the work environment. More than ten years prior, she got a permit to show people the craft of hair. Inside her salon, Mrs. Jackson employs people to work, however furnishes them with the information to be better in the restorative business. She has taken explicit classes to upgrade hair capacities, keeping up grants in remarkable accomplishment by John Amico and propelled trim and shading by TONI &GUT TIGI. I have worked with her since sixteen years old, and she has consistently affected me through her compelling capacities, assurance to accomplish in the working environment, collaboration with customer and representatives, and abilities of settling on balanced choices. I might want to claim my salon later on, and she has affected me has a pioneer to follow certain systems and methods with the capac ities I acquire to accomplish that objective. She is a successful pioneer who motivates people through her activity execution and hard working attitude. Hypothetical Framework Yunus and Anuar (2012) express that, â€Å"transformational administration enables others to become receptive, free people fit for practicing leadership† (p. 651). Transformational pioneers are compelling pioneers in a salon, with the gathering of individual force, political aptitudes, and consultative style of administration dynamic. Force can emerge out of the administration position an individual has in a salon. It can give the individual the ability to grant or order others. Colquitt et al. (2013) makes reference to, â€Å"expert power gets from a person’s mastery, expertise, or information on which others depend† (p.421). People with power have an ability or aptitudes that others don’t have, drawing in other people who need to hold that expertise. Salon directors hold high positions dependent on their exceptional presentation, critical thinking aptitudes, and comprehension of the errands expected to achieve the employments strategic. Political abilities is the fitness to productively understanding others at work, and utilizing that understanding to impact others in manners that expansion individual as well as hierarchical destinations (Colquitt et al., 2013, p.427). Systems administration capacity and social insightfulness areâ two parts in political abilities. Greenery and Barbuto (2010) disclose arrange capacity to be the most grounded show of an effective pioneer (p.156). System capacity shows the noteworthy valuation of occupation execution. An individual expertise that allows a person to comprehend and react viably to the work condition is social keenness. Greenery and Barbuto (2010) examined social shrewdness as â€Å"the capacity to get people, kid and young ladies to act carefully in human relations† (p. 159). At the point when a pioneer talked about an issue with representatives, taking in sentiments and proposals before concluding a choice in the work place is consultative dynamic (Colquitt et a l., 2013, p.427). A salon supervisor basically needs to settle on moral choices as a pioneer. Their choices can have a specific compelling outcome, since it includes various business arrangements and cooperations with such a large number of individuals (Woiceshyn, 2011, p.311). Transformational authority is characterized as â€Å"the capacity of the pioneers who impact changes in dreams, techniques, and societies of an organization† (Sookaneknun and Ussahawanitchakit, 2012, p. 79). Glorified impact, rousing inspiration, scholarly incitement, and individualized contemplations are the four components of transitional initiative conduct. Glorified impact is the point at which a pioneer can convey their plans to their workers and be a persuasive good example for the representative. Rousing and spurring workers to picture what they will get from achieving the business objectives is moving inspiration. Scholarly incitement is the ability a pioneer acquires to build up the representatives capacities. D emonstrating care and significance to the worker permits them to feel esteemed in the business is singular thought. Transitional authority is viewed as an extra inspirational strategy to initiative than other administration strategies (Colquitt et al., 2013, p.462). Structure: â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€- > Application and Analysis What makes Tava Jackson a successful pioneer in her hair salon? How has her authority affected me actually in the salon? Colquitt et al. (2013)â explained initiative adequacy as, â€Å"the degree to which the leader’s activities bring about the accomplishment of the units objectives, the proceeded with duty of the unit’s workers, and the advancement of shared trust, regard, and commitment in leaderâ€member dyads† (p. 452). The fundamental ideas that are characterized are that pioneers use force and impact. Her supreme characteristics that make her a successful pioneer are the force and impact she keeps up in the working environment. Mrs. Jackson’s individual force impacts the conduct of her representatives by guaranteeing that they are talented in the field and refreshed with new procedures of the period. Her honors got from her work execution by John Amico and huge customer base impacts her representatives to need a similar information and ability apt itudes to expand their demographic. Mrs. Jackson sets aside effort to comprehend what every worker is skilled at, impacting them to extend that ability by systems administration. Greenery and Barbuto (2010) expressed how systems administration can bring advancement and expanded pay affecting initiative execution (p. 160). The capacity she have to socially adroit her representatives shows her ability to comprehend her every person. Each representative in the salon is influence from choices made by Mrs. Jackson. She thinks about the suppositions her representatives have, so when choices should be made she tunes in to their recommendations. Her consultative style in pioneer dynamic articulations her moral comprehension to cause representatives to feel heard in the work environment. Mrs. Jackson compassion toward her workers my motivation them to trust and regard her more. â€Å"Transformational administration is a sort of pioneer that can advance authoritative development capability† depicted by Sookaneknun and Ussahawanitchakit (2012, p. 79). Mrs. Jackson is an admired impact when she designs gatherings to educate staff on approaches to expand benefit wi th her different thoughts. She spreads out a dream that rouses other to be a piece of the venture. At the point when she goes to various classes, to remain refreshed in the restorative field, it is persuasive and rouses others to follow her strategies. Mrs. Jackson mentally animates her representatives by taking them to hair shows like, Bonner Brother, Nirobi, and Dudley, to let them see abilities outside of the work environment that will rouse them to attempt new methods. This brings out ability that people might not have realized they gotten. Abilities are created from Mrs. Jackson’s exertion to receptive outlooks to imaginative things. She thinks about her workers by independently thinking about their needs to progress and improve inâ the field, by close to home preparing when they believe they need all the more understanding. Ends and Reflections Tava Jackson is a transitional pioneer that has affected me by and by I have experienced around four salons. I began at Hairtopia Salon, yet while in school I needed to migrate. I have seen poor administration in chiefs, not being obliging or ready to give proficient information to improve their representatives in the working environment. She by and by affected me through her persuasive capacities. I don't know how she proceeds the have these aptitudes, and what she experienced to pick up the abilities she acquires. Mrs. Jackson secures various capacities from research found, clarifying her development and the development of her workers. In the moral dynamic evaluation I scored a 41/50 indicating I have great aptitudes in moral dynamic. This exploration shows that there are various characteristics that can be get to

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Zara

Dangers †ZARA Some dangers that influence ZARA incorporate universal development, geographic extension, and exceptional rivalry. Zara perceives that the organization needs to have an upper hand so as to endure, so they are developing a subsequent circulation community in Zaragoza. Likewise the organization is as yet hoping to grow globally. Growing in Spain is hard for the organization in view of past involvement with Sweden.Zara is thinking about extension in North America, yet is worried that it is as of now experiencing retail immersion, less style forward sense, the interest for larger sizes, loads of rivalry, and insufficient interest for the garments. Zara's vertically coordinated model is a danger to Zara in since a long time ago run. The model won't work once Zara scales its activity. As of now, Zara's planning, creation, appropriation and retails stores are firmly coupled together and work very closely.Expanding activities in various areas, for example, American or Asia n requires tending to various style drifts one after another. Likewise, given various sizes and patterns in various locales, it would not be anything but difficult to pull another style fabric or attire from one area and put it in other district. Furthermore, scaling its activity may require joint-adventures and securing some littler chains moreover. In a 50:50 joint endeavor, it is hard for Zara to force its plan of action to the next partner.In this case, we have just observed Zara's joint endeavors dissolving on two or three events. While Zara may think that its hard to deal with the vertically coordinated model for its huge sizes of activity, nearby retailers may follow Zara's recipe to progress and can develop as large danger to its prosperity. It is difficult to beat the nearby retailers in their home market. For instance, the Local attire showcase in Italy is despite everything claimed 61% by the autonomous stores, 45% in Spain (Note this is Zara's neighborhood advertise as w ell) and 15-30% in other three significant European markets.Specially, in a nation with exceptionally modest work (for the most part in Asia), it will be hard for Zara to keep up its creation in Spain. Zara's plan of action depends on regularly evolving style. For nations like US, where individuals are less style forward, it might be a test for Zara to continue its essence. With evolving time, Advertisement is turning into a significant piece of the business and it reflects straightforwardly to the deals. Zara's in-store notice model may not work going forward.Most genuine danger to Zara is to continue its prosperity. Another most genuine danger to Zara is its development. The organization couldn't obtain huge pieces of the overall industry in the residential market. Indeed, even in Europe, the organization doesn't have a sensible nearness. American and Asian markets have various kinds of difficulties, which Zara might be looking in future. American market is less style forward, whi ch questions Zara’s fundamental plan of action itself. Asia, then again, is known for its modest labour.Competing with these difficulties one after another in various markets, while keeping its vertically coordinated plan of action unblemished is the most genuine test for Zara. Zara can't address various prerequisites and difficulties working from its home area as it were. It can have numerous vertically incorporated creations for every area. For Asia, having modest work will add a ton to the working expense. While it’s building group can keep giving quick reaction to new plans. Zara Title Warehouse Inventory Management A Case Study in Retail Fashion Industry Company Name Ezra International Objective for a stockroom the board Is completely use the space, Improved the profitability of activities stream and decrease the Inventory conveying cost. From the instance of Ezra, I found that they masterminding the cross-dock rather then commonplace stockpiling capacity. Since they have the dedication about the request satisfaction time from distribution center to stores, for models 24 hours to European nations, 48 hours to American and inside 72 hours to Japan.So Sara stockroom needs to have productive activities plan with the programmed ordinary hardware to accomplish the quick style objective. (90 words) 1. 1 Functional Design The regular distribution center capacities have five primary procedures getting, pathway, stockpiling, pick pack and dispatch. On the off chance that we have to comprehend and well arranging the distribution center plan and design. Principally we should understanding the business procedure, pattern and buyer conduct. These days the distribution center capacities are not just for capacity and furthermore need to give the additional worth assistance to satisfy the business needed.First of all, we have to gain proficiency with the item nature and comprehend business Intention. For the retail design Industry, the crude materials appliers from Fabric Company primarily. The materials have contrast shading, example and characteristic of texture (fleece, cotton, cowhide and so on ), the providers must have adequate crude materials to give to the business to additionally handling. Second, we have to comprehend the idea of items, for instance bundling (containers, boxes, beds, holders and so on), size, stock keeping unit (SKIS) and stock layout.Third, we have to know the creation, work in process for instance providers request, shipment request, size of business sectors served, material taking care of framework utilized, throughput ra te, creation lead time, path necessity and so forth. In the event that we have to give the quick and precision activities stream, all gatherings inside the flexibly affix additionally need to give the co-activity completely, Including texture provider, extras provider, piece of clothing producer, article of clothing processor, creator, dissemination focus, distribution center, client care levels and so forth 218 words) Basic stockroom activity process for retails design Industry (Figure 1)- Irrespectively of conveyances from providers (crude materials) Involve the handling of pertinent business records Capture and passage of the real physical subtleties of every conveyance Quality checking items to guarantee consistence with the curves radiotherapy Pathway includes assigning a capacity area Physically moving the thing to the area Ensure right data is entered in the stock control renaming's includes keeping items in their allotted location.Moving things to picking areas as required a nd hanging tight for creation. Visualization's in manufacturing plant Produce the completed geodesics biophysically choosing every thing and amount from stock to dispatch the request Packing the request for transportation to maintain a strategic distance from harm or electrocardiographs the essential documentation for the vehicle administrator Planning the stacking of conveyance opposition and conveyance courses Physically stacked the vehicles/holders to boost block use and limit harm. (167 words) 1. Stockroom format and configuration According to the subtitled activities stream, I planned the ordinary Hong Kong, as per the site data, Established attire retails in the Asia Pacific area, and more than 1700 stores working in 31 regions around the world. The stockroom to mastermind the Just In Time TOT) tasks and 95 of creations lines re-appropriate to Asia industrial facilities and still have 5 organizing the in-house creation and after the creation every single completed positive att itude send to focal distribution center to orchestrate the circulation function.The inbound zone including the review capacity to guarantee the getting products have great quality, if the load for crude materials will go to transitory capacity zone to hanging tight the procedures for the assembling and get together capacity. In the event that the payload for completed merchandise will go to outbound are for capacity and sitting tight for appropriation to the town stores. From the figure 2, contrast stockpiling zone to mastermind the distinction style of cargoes, for models square stacking stockpiling region or little embellishments. Completed products stockroom for set of procedures and capacities that improve the organization capacity to serve the physical distribution.The holder territory for the completed style, 2 level racking regions for the container piece of clothing cargoes, the square stacking zone for the picking zone and prepared to discharge for the shipment. Since to sa tisfy the most extreme stature of the structure will utilizing the twofold stack configuration joined with racking framework and holder framework. Additionally utilizing the U-molded design to orchestrate the activity stream, to improve the use of dock assets and offices he cross-docking for re-appropriate completed merchandise to sparing the time and maintain a strategic distance from the wastefulness. (276 words) 751 words 2. Offices arranging and materials taking care of After the stockroom format and structure, the other most significant choices for a distribution center activities the executives to organize office arranging and how to expanding the successful limit and limit path space. Since the arranging focus on decrease number of time items took care of and create powerful working conditions to diminish development including difficult work and the fundamental deduction to lessen cost. Distribution center administration framework (WHIMS) to working procedures and accelerate all warehousing functions.It can be work all archives and data stream, including getting request, conveyance request, stock record, area allotment, discharging request and so forth. It is generally examination with bigger and increasingly complex appropriation activities. The WHIMS advancement to ideal limit of stockroom activity for the business to convey the correct merchandise at the perfect time, in the ideal place and make the best decision at the correct expense, to expanding circulation effectiveness by abbreviate lead time and lessen the uncertainty.So for the objective at innovation related reserve funds, efficiency advantages and business process upgrades empowering the extraordinary rate of return. The subtitled realistic (Figure 3) indicating WHIMS worked works in the distribution center and helping the coordinations procedure. It is including the distribution center format plan, stockpiling information data, activities streams and stock record area, through the data exc hange in WHIMS with other extra instruments (RFC, barrica

Sunday, August 9, 2020

APA Style Made Easy

APA Style Made Easy So, youre getting ready to write a scholarly research paper, dissertation or journal article and have been told that APA style must be used. Who is this APA and why must you suddenly follow their rules?APA stands for the American Psychological Association and the groups type of publication style began in the 1920s as a writing style used in scientific and psychological journals. Over the years, the style expanded from there and has quickly become the most commonly used style for dissertation writing in a wide array of scientific disciplines.If youre readying to write a paper of any advanced length in APA style, my first advice is to get the most recent APA Style Guide. Its an investment well worth the price for the mere ability to look up any minutia you need to while typing away at your computer at 3 a.m. And in the meantime, Ive compiled a list below of some of the most common basics of APA style that I find myself editing for regularly.One space between sentencesFirst and foremost , APA style requires that only one space appears between the end of one sentence and the beginning of another. This may or may not be a style you have used in previously written work â€" if not, the easiest way to remedy this is to do a find in Word at the end of writing and replace every two spaces with one.Spacing, margins and font preferencesDouble spacing is the preferred choice for APA, with (of course) exceptions for longer quotations that require special formatting and/or indentations. Preferred APA style margins are one inch for the top, bottom, left and right of the paper (and sometimes are altered by college departments or publications to leave one and a quarter inches on the left for additional space for binding purposes). Font choice for APA style leans toward the standard Times New Roman or Arial that most word processing programs are defaulted to, or that professors typically request their students write papers in. Font size is also the standard 12 point.Commas in list While most basic English writing styles require that in lists of three or more a comma not be used after the second item and the word and or or, APA style is an exception to that rule. In fact, APA requires that commas do appear between a second item in a list and the and or or at all times. Proper APA style would be, for instance, She likes tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots.Punctuation with quotation useAnother APA style quirk is its contradicting use of punctuation outside of quotation marks. While typical English style directs all punctuation be contained inside quotation marks, APA style calls for punctuation to be left outside of quotation marks for incomplete thoughts or sentences. An example would be, for instance:He said hed never seen monkeys eat so many bananas.If a sentence or thought is completed within quotation marks in an APA style writing, however, the punctuation does stay within the quotation marks then, however. An example would be:Studies identified two types of b ananas as most commonly eaten by monkeys.In-text citations versus naming authors within the textThe format of an in-text citation within parentheses versus naming authors within the text is one that I see commonly confused when editing APA style writing. In particular, there is a distinction between when you should use an sign and when the word and should be used between author last names. For instance, naming authors within the text should use and, such as:Johnson and Smith (1999) studied the tendency of monkeys to like bananas.Conversely, an in-text citation should use the sign between last names of authors, such as:It was found that many monkeys preferred unripe bananas overripe ones (Johnson Smith, 1999).Numbers and percentagesLike many other writing styles, APA style dictates that numbers 10 or above be written in Arabic numerals. Numbers below that, such as one through nine, should be written out. However, when percentages come into play, regardless of the number, it should be written as an Arabic numeral and directly followed by the percent sign, like so: 8%.Also, as with so many writing rules, there is an exception. If more than one number is being listed and one of those is below 10, the numbers should all be written as Arabic when presented together in a group or list. An example would be, She said 5 to 15 monkeys came to the tree each day.Heading systemsAnd finally, one of the least embraced rules of APA style is perhaps one of the easiest to learn (or bookmark at the very least). It appears on page 113 of the APA Publication Manual, Fifth Edition. The five levels of APA headings are detailed there, but most writers typically use only the first three, and sometimes the fourth. The fifth heading is used mainly for scholarly paper title pages and rarely, if at all, in journal articles.In sum, APA style has lots of little ins and outs, but these basics above should help you get on your way to getting the big differences taken care of. As with everyt hing, of course, its always good to check your own college, department or journals style handbook as well, which can even further deviate from typical APA style with its own set of writing rules.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Is the G in Guacamole Silent

How do you pronounce the word guacamole in Spanish? The quick answer: It depends. This word is often a minor source of confusion for Spanish students because the official pronunciation of guacamole given in dictionaries is something like gwa-ka-MOH-leh, but quite a few native Spanish speakers use the pronunciation wa-ka-MOH-leh. Note the difference in the first syllable. Pronunciation of Guacamole The fact is both pronunciations of the initial g in guacamole and some other words that begin with g are common. Although the g can be silent or close to silent in these words, when it is pronounced it is somewhat softer (or pronounced further back in the throat) than the g in English words such as go. Heres a partial explanation of what is happening. In general, the Spanish g is pronounced much as it is in English, although softer. When it comes between vowels, it typically becomes soft enough to sound like an aspirated h, the same as the Spanish letter j. For some speakers, the sound, even at the beginning of a word, can become so soft as to be unnoticeable to English speakers, and perhaps even inaudible. Historically, thats what happened with the Spanish h. Succeeding generations made its sound softer and softer, eventually causing its sound to disappear. The standard pronunciation of guacamole would be to sound out the g. But pronunciation does vary with region, and speakers in some areas often do drop the sounds of some letters.   Heres another explanation of whats happening with the Spanish pronunciation: Some speakers of English pronounce words that begin with wh using an aspirated h. For them, witch and which are not pronounced the same. For those who do distinguish the two sounds, the wh is something like the way some Spanish speakers pronounce the first sounds of gua, gà ¼i or gà ¼e. Thats why some dictionaries give gà ¼isqui as a variant spelling of the Spanish word for whiskey (although usually the English spelling is used). Origin of theWord Guacamole Guacamole came from one of the indigenous languages of Mexico, Nahuatl, which combined the words ahuacatl (now aguacate in Spanish, the word for avocado) and with molli (now mole in Spanish, a type of Mexican sauce). If you noticed that aguacate and avocado are vaguely similar, thats no coincidence — the English avocado is derived from aguacate, making them cognates. Nowadays, of course, guacamole is also a word in English, having been imported into English because of the popularity of Mexican food in the U.S.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Stupidity Definition Paper Free Essays

Emily Thompson Mrs. Clem Advanced Composition October 25, 2012 What An Idiot! Of the 14 million people on the planet, not one of them was born stupid. Everyone possesses some level of intelligence at birth. We will write a custom essay sample on Stupidity Definition Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Yet, as some grow older, they transform from great beings of high intellect to creatures that seem to have little to no aptitude. During the years that they grow up, most of these stupid people do not lose knowledge; they gain it. What is the reason for their degeneration into stupidity? Perhaps stupidity is not a lack of intelligence, as many believe. Maybe, it is the refusal to utilize one’s intelligence to the highest possible degree. Unwillingness to learn is unmistakably present in the life of a stupid person. Last week, I was discussing schoolwork with a friend of mine when he said that he recently failed a paper on the usage of commas. I was aghast that a sixteen-year-old student could fall short in the simple arena of comma usage, but this happens every day. My friend and others like him have sat through countless classes that have taught them how to use commas. However, they cannot determine the correct site of a comma because they have deliberately decided that neither self-improvement nor the acquisition of knowledge is an important objective in their lives. For whatever reason, they have chosen to be ignorant, and thus, they are stupid. In addition, laziness consumes the life of a stupid person. Stupid people will not apply themselves in anything that is not pleasurable. Stupid teenagers sit in their rooms all weekend playing Black Ops because it takes less effort and brainpower to play  a  game  than it does to write an English paper. In the same manner, stupid adults engross their minds in college football all weekend rather than cleaning out their garage. To make matters worse, both stupid adults and  stupid  teenagers complain about their unfinished papers and filthy garages. Furthermore, stupid people do nothing to get themselves out of their undesirable situations. Unless motivated  to change their surroundings, these stupid people continue to sit in their laziness and incessantly grumble about their unfavorable, yet repairable, conditions. Stupid people constantly refuse to use common sense in their words. When a thought enters the mind of a stupid person, it immediately converts into words. The stupid person does not censor what they say, so they will question obviously true statements and declare completely unintelligent babble. Since they are stupid, they do not contain their senseless questions and statements. If they would only think through their thoughts before transforming them into words, stupid people would appear to be much less stupid. In addition to not using common sense before speaking, stupid people do not use common sense before performing their actions either. Recently at volleyball practice, I was standing still when a fellow player of mine launched a ball at my head. I looked at my teammate and scowled. She obviously did not mean to send the ball at my face. In fact, she did not mean to kick it at anything in particular. However, she also did not consider that if she kicked this ball, it might travel in an undesired direction and injure someone. Stupid people do not consider the effects of their actions. Consequently, they travel through life recklessly while immediately turning their impulsive ideas into actions. Although stupid people can reform themselves into intelligent, productive members of society, these conversions are infrequent. It seems that there is no hope to entirely eradicate the existence of stupid people. However, if we remove all the warning labels, the problem may sort itself out. How to cite Stupidity Definition Paper, Papers

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Danone Yakult free essay sample

DANONE – FUTURE STRATEGY IN INDIA Background: Danone, a French company, is the world’s sixth largest packaged food company and the world’s leading dairy player. It believes in mergers and acquisitions in order to fuel its geographic and product-line expansion. It has positioned itself as a Health and Wellness company. It operates under four business divisions- †¢Fresh dairy products, †¢baby nutrition †¢water and †¢health nutrition Danone’s brand strategy has been focused on health benefits and convenience. Danone and the Wadia group own equal stakes in Associated Biscuits International Holdings, Britannia’s controlling shareholder. Both companies have been in discussions to untangle differences over issues that range from intellectual property rights(IPR) in Britannia’s popular Tiger brand, a minority stake purchase by Danone in Bangalore-based nutraceuticals firm Avesthagen, and Danone’s application to the Indian government to do business in India on its own. Yakult, a Japanese player, is engaged in the manufacturing and selling of food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. We will write a custom essay sample on Danone Yakult or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It pioneered the concept of probiotics and its probiotic milk called yakult is its flagship product. It aims to provide a healthy life to as many people as possible Danone brought in Yakult. The JV formed is restricted to the Indian market. The main reason for choosing Yakult was their unique product line. The 50-50 JV (equity alliance) was formed between Yakult and Danone in 2005 to manufacture and market probiotic curd in India. Objective: By means of the project, we are trying to pursue the following learning objectives: †¢To diagnose and solve the key issues ingrained in an international joint venture †¢To apply the course takeaways in a practical scenario (the given case) such that the relevance/limitations of stated theories can be understood †¢Formulate a comprehensive case, based on ompany and industry archives, for future analysis Proposed Methodology (Case Structure) Parent Company Situation Danone is a subsidiary of Groupe Danone and marketed as Dannon worldwide. The original company was founded in 1919 by Isaac Carasso in Barcelona and was a small yogurt producing factory. Ten years later, French company came into the existence. Danone is a Fre nch multinational corporation of food products and has the world leadership in fresh dairy products. It also has a leading position in the products like cereals and biscuits. It also has become the leading vendor of packaged water with the market share of 20% in Asia. Danone has grown rapidly over the years through joint ventures, especially in emerging markets. As a result of its strategy of growth, it recently signed joint ventures with various companies like Al Safi in Saudi Arabia, Yakult in India and Vietnam, Alqueria in Colombia, and Mengniu in China. Management model Danone adopts fresh and new prospectives; their fleet of pedal-powered delivery bikes is an example for the same thereby, going beyond a traditional distribution network. This company is characterized by its optimistic, desire to grow and take the lead approach. In spite of its small size, it has grown tremendously over the years with its well-known brands, global development, and continuous innovations. Danone is a ‘glocal’ company, meaning it is both global and local (since its operation is adapted to its local market). Its subsidiaries established in various countries works for local consumers. Danone is visible everywhere in the world but as a local brand. For e. g. , In the US, the company name Danone is not written the same way as in France. Indian Dairy Industry Situation The Indian dairy market grew strongly in 2005-2009 period, reaching double digit rates, as a result of strong sales growth in the cheese category. Gradual deceleration is expected in the forecast period; however, the growth within the market will remain strong. The Indian dairy market generated total revenues of $4. 4 billion in 2009, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11. 9% for the period spanning 2005-2009. Year $ million Rs. million â‚ ¬ million % Growth 2005 2,798. 5 136,705. 1 2,012. 5 2006 2,982. 6 145,701. 2,145. 0 6. 6% 2007 3,174. 5 155,075. 6 2,283. 0 6. 4% 2008 3,851. 6 188,148. 7 2,769. 9 21. 3% 2009 4,388. 0 214,355. 7 3,155. 7 13. 9% CAGR: 2005–09 11. 9% Source: Datamonitor ? Indian Dairy Industry: Segments Category % Share Milk 90. 5% Spreadable fats 3. 7% Yogurt Fromage Frais 3. 6% Cheese 1. 6% Cream 0. 6% Chilled desserts 0. 0% Total 100% Source: Datamonitor Indian Dairy Industry: Key Players Company % Sha re Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation 32. 5% Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation 9. 7% Mother Dairy Fruit Vegetable Pvt. Ltd. 9. 6% Others 48. 1% Total 100% Source: Datamonitor Key Issues faced by company Following are the key decisions Danone has to take in Indian market oTo exit from Associated Biscuits International Holdings, joint venture with the Wadia group oTo enter Indian market with Danone groups products and choose one of the following modes ? To use existing joint venture with Yakult to manufacture and distribute Danone’s own products ? To go alone in Indian market to manufacture and distribute its own products, separately from existing joint venture with Yakult

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Write My Essay

How often do you think ‘I need a person to write my piece for me’? Sometimes we think the best way to get help is to pay for it. However, spending money doesn’t always guarantee that we will get exactly want we want. When it comes to writing papers, you may think you have found a good service to get some essay help by a professional writer, but it may be a trap. Whether you’re a procrastinator, English isn’t your first language, you don’t have enough time, or simply don’t have a desire, the first place you turn to will be online websites offering cheap custom essays. Money Wastage There are several issues you might face following this particular strategy. The first example is that the company may mislead you. Therefore, they will just get your money without giving you a research paper or essay in return. In this case, you have to be very watchful while searching for a trustful service to provide you with any kind of help. Inaccuracy Some writers do not edit their works, and you may not be a great editor as well. Thus, you will submit something containing too many gaps. Always look over your writings, no matter you are an author or not. Lack of Knowledge Another example of a downfall is that since you aren’t doing the assignment yourself, you won’t have enough knowledge about the subject matter of your dissertation or, potentially, the entire term paper content. Academic writing is an important skill that will be used at some point in your life after college, so it’s important to take it seriously. What you should do is just write your essays yourself. It’s definitely the cheapest route! You don’t want to spend money as well as time on something that you won’t end up using anyway.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

The Fashion Industry Battles Anorexia

The Fashion Industry Battles Anorexia Free Online Research Papers â€Å"Anorexia nervosa is a medical condition in which an individual reaches fifteen percent under their expected body weight. The average model is twenty- three percent below their expected body weight† (Thompson). The fashion industry today is filled with women wearing sizes zero and two. Young girls aspire to be just like these women, a feat that is unattainable while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Anorexia is on the rise and the fashion industry needs to step up and show girls how to be healthy and beautiful. People with anorexia have an unexplainable loss of appetite. The main cause of anorexia is a diet that spirals dangerously out of control. Anorexics usually attempt to limit their calorie intake to 200 or 400 calories per day. This is considerably low since the average person requires two-thousand calories per day to maintain a healthy lifestyle (Cotter 10). The effects of anorexia are alarming. One in ten people who suffer from anorexia die, due to starvation, cardiac arrest, or suicide (Hoffman). â€Å"Eating disorders have more than doubled since the 1960s†(Terzieff). According to a Philadelphia-based Renfrew Center Foundation survey, 47 percent of U.S. females between fifth and twelfth grade say they wish they could lose weight. Also 60 percent of the same group say that magazines influence what they think of the perfect body type (Terzieff). Everyday young girls are bombarded with new diet ads, ensuring them if they lose weight they can be happy. While they flip through their favorite magazine, size zero and size two appear on every page. Young girls believe this is normal and that everyone should be able to achieve the â€Å"media’s perfect body image.† The media is shaping the minds of young girls around the world. Tyra Banks often talks openly about the pressures to be thin that she faced while in the modeling industry. She says that â€Å"she’s happy that she doesn’t have to live up to that model standard anymore.† Natalia Vodianova (a former super model) also says that â€Å"After I started modeling I began to hate my body- no matter how thin I got.† These are perfect examples of how the fashion industry forces young girls to be to thin (â€Å"Skinny Scandal† 149). This is not healthy for the models, or for the young girls looking up to them. The fashion industry constantly refuses that they are at fault for any health related issues. Yet, Janice Dickinson (a former super model and now an agency owner) said â€Å"I’m dying to find kids who are too thin. I’ve got 42 models in my agency, and I’m trying to get them to lose weight. In fact, I wish they’d come down with some anorexia† (â€Å"Skinny Scandal† 149). The industry is constantly pressuring young girls to lose weight. Usually a healthy diet just does not show the results the models need so they resort to not eating at all. The fashion industry also claims that there is no evidence that correlates them with anorexia, yet many young models have died of anorexia related problems. Ana Carolina Reston is a young model that passed from this terrible eating disorder. The size six model started modeling in Sao Paulo, Brazil where she was told she was too fat. She was determined to make it, so she secretly stopped eating. On November 14th of last year, she finally got her big break. She was on the cover of magazines all across Brazil and the world. â€Å"Soon she made headlines across the globe, not for her modeling but for dying of anorexic related problems.† Reston went from a size six to a size two and the change was blatantly obvious. She began to feel pain in her kidneys around October. Later the doctors found out she was living off tomatoes and fruit juice. She was admitted to the hospital on October 25. She spent her last 21 days in an intensive care unit. Her death certificate reads cause of dea th as â€Å"multiple organ failure, septicemia, and urinary infection† (â€Å"Everyone Knew she was Ill†). Reston was not the only model to die from an eating disorder. Weeks before her death Luisel Ramos â€Å"suffered a heart attack thought to be the result of anorexia.† The model was a size 00, or the typical waist size of a seven-year old (â€Å"Everyone Knew she was Ill†). Also in the same year, three South African models died due to anorexia-related problems (â€Å"Skinny Scandal†). Not only models are dieing from anorexia, employees at the Cygnet Hospital Eating Disorder Unit see deaths and hardships everyday. These people strongly believe that the fashion industry is a huge component in the continuing increases in cases of anorexia. One patient said â€Å"You look at them and think, God, I wish I looked like that.† An employee commented â€Å"Seeing waif-like models didn’t cause their disorders, but they certainly exacerbated the process.† Also, Bryan Lask, one of Britain’s leading authorities on eating disorders was quoted â€Å"The massive increase in eating disorders in the last twenty years has to be attributed to the pressure to be thin† (Henry). The fashion industry should follow several examples that some institutes have made. On September 13, 2006, Madrid Fashion Week set a ban on underweight models. This was the first time a large-scale fashion show set a weight limit in a healthy direction. In order for models to be in the 2006 Madrid Fashion Show, they needed to be in alliance with the â€Å"World Health Organization guidelines for healthy height-to weight rations used to calculate a person’s body mass index, which estimates the portion of fat in the body† (Terzieff). Organizers of the Madrid fashion week wanted to â€Å"project an image of beauty and heath, rather than a heroin chic look.† The Madrid’s regional government placed the rule that stated no models under a BMI (body mass index) of eighteen would be allowed to participate in the Madrid Fashion Show (â€Å"Skinny Models Banned†). The decision by the Madrid government turned controversial quickly. Thirty percent of the models who formerly participated in the show were disqualified under the new rule. The fashion industry immediately split into two groups, those for the new rule and those against. Cathy Gould, New York Agency Director, stated â€Å"The ban was outrageous and discriminatory to naturally slim models.† Even though the ban didn’t change everyone in the fashion industry mind on what is healthy, Milan, Edinburgh, and India, hosts of premiere fashion shows jumped on the band wagon. They placed the 18 BMI rule in their shows immediately after the Madrid incident (Terzieff). Madrid Fashion Week made a positive impact on the fashion industry and encouraged good health around the world. The fashion industry should follow the examples of the shows that require a healthy living rule. The industry is setting an unattainable ideal for young girls around the globe, causing them to fall into a trap of low self esteem and self doubt. Lynn Grefe, the executive officer of the Seattle-based Nation Eating Disorders Association, says it best â€Å"The worst part is that the images being portrayed in popular culture are completely unrealistic, airbrushed, manipulated†¦.while putting a lot of pressure on young people to look a certain way† (Terzieff). Research Papers on The Fashion Industry Battles AnorexiaArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Fifth HorsemanPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenDefinition of Export QuotasAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementTrailblazing by Eric AndersonMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesHip-Hop is Art

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Compare and contrast Schnitzlers and Freuds interpretations of Essay

Compare and contrast Schnitzlers and Freuds interpretations of character - Essay Example At one point, Freud believed that the psychoanalysis brought an opening for the horizons of understanding characters of art; while on the other hand it has been observed that Schnitzler was more concerned about the experiences of protagonists. Many written works by both Arthur Schnitzler and Sigmund Freud brought in-depth assessment of protagonists or characters in the art work. This paper also presents differing viewpoints that further back up the statement regarding interpretation of characters. Arthur Schnitzler and Sigmund Freud have both contributed their respective assessment and understanding regarding character in fin de sià ¨cle in Vienna. Herein, it is extremely significant to understand the change that was noted during fin de sià ¨cle in Vienna. It will not be incorrect to state that fin de sià ¨cle in Vienna (a French title for the turn of century), social degeneration where new thoughts regarding subject matters were being introduced. These new concepts had direct impact on associations between members of the society1. Critics and writers of fin de sià ¨cle in Vienna pointed out that Schnitzler has been curious about his characters that he created in his different literary works. It was due to this reason that presented a great deal of his art work to bring his abstract view regarding characters into a proper definition. In the same fashion, one can easily notice that Sigmund Freud has also presented an in-depth assessment of character by coming up with major psychoanalytical study of his characters through psychoanalysis2. As per various critics, it has been noted that there are vast similarities between the work of Sigmund Freud and Arthur Schnitzler. The reason behind such a claim is that both the assessors of characters were from the same city who merely acknowledges each other’s work through the help of letters3. The major difference at this point between the works of Freud and Schnitzler which was peculiar is none other

Monday, February 3, 2020

Explain how lean just-in-time has broader application to a range of Essay

Explain how lean just-in-time has broader application to a range of manufacturing and service operations - Essay Example In order to react quickly to the ever growing and changing customer demands, there is a need for efficient manufacturing system that are capable of expanding and re-configuring during their course of operation. It should also have the ability to accommodate new procedures in the assembly techniques in such a way that it does not make any investments for manufacturing obsolete products (Fliedner, 2011). The lean manufacturing concept is also applicable to the service operation. There have been huge changes in the service operation too from that of the past. The lean principle for the continuous improvement and respect for the employees are applied to every service. It includes the healthcare services, call centre services, higher education, public and professional services and also in the software development services. The Lean manufacturing approach in both the manufacturing and services operation highly depends on the workplace organization and the flexibility of the production syst em. Lean manufacturing can be defined as an outstanding initial point for the companies those who want to create a fresh and new look for their existing manufacturing system by introducing innovative methods of production. ... The environment is cautiously tuned in accordance with the demands of the manufacturers (McGiven, 2013). The manufacturing of the products are carried out once at a time, after getting confirmation from the customers and are not done in batches, which adds up to the stock of the companies if not sold. The main goal of the lean manufacturing is to produce what is needed and not more than that. As there is production of limited number of products, it is important to change the processes during the day. It is required so as to accommodate various parts of the products and employ maximum effort from the workers, proper utilisation of the equipments and the floor space so as to save the scarce resources (Wincel, 2004). The flexibility that is inbuilt in the manual assembly cells is preferable for the automated assemblies. Thus, there is a prerequisite for the utmost flexibility so as to create unique demands on lean work cells and also, for the mechanism that are used for making the lean work cells. However, it can be observed that the lean approach is not always a resolution for the manufacturing problems. It is realised that it offers unique flexibility to the solutions for the assembling of the complex products. The essay thus elaborates the principle and the techniques of the lean management along with examples (Toyota Production System). It also highlights the lean just-in-time practice that is exercised by the companies. The essay also highlights the assumption whether lean principles can be applied in the low volume high variety manufacturing. Lean Management Principles and Techniques (including Just-in-time) The lean concept originated from the Japanese manufacturing areas. Lean can be described as the group of tools

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Ethical Leadership Is Mostly About Leadership Integrity Philosophy Essay

Ethical Leadership Is Mostly About Leadership Integrity Philosophy Essay Leaderships comes from emotions, and one cannot lead without emotions. The passion and drive to lead that make others look him or her in the eye and say I want to follow you (Patrick D, 2010). These are the moral values moral and principles that form the ethics that leaders lead by. Ethics, Integrity, Leader Ethics are a set of moral and just principles that serve as a deep guiding sense of what is right, fair and proper while Integrity is part of this principle, defined as the quality that makes people trust the leader. It acts as a bridge between personal ethics and professional ethics that the leader adhere to values that may be outside of themselves, mainly, truth where trust is built on. Trust is of paramount importance in all personal relationship(John, A, 1987). Integrity also represents the consistency and accuracy of actions and behaviour which further assures the trust people put in the leader. Ethical leadership, law abiding or human compassion? Ethics comes different perspective, depending on situation and objective, for instance, euthanasia. Mercy killing is not legalised in many countries including Singapore, so is it humanely ethical for a medical practitioner to follow the law and watch his/her patient suffer emotionally and physically day after day? Is it professionally ethical to disregard the law and have professionals and patients question the practitioners ability to perform his or her duty in a professional manner, would anyone prefer an emotionally compromised doctor to treat him or her? Many professional doctors will establish a professional code of ethics that they do not get personally and emotionally involved in such cases, and continue to treat patients in such cases with painkiller to ease their pain till they pass on. In my opinion, a passionate doctor will definitely be emotionally involved, after all it is what they love to do saving lives and reliving people of their pain. We all have different opinion s of what should be done, depending on the principle and experiences that form our moral awareness(refer to Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development, figure 1). Integrity is practiced when regardless of which decision the doctor choose to make he or she stands out and be responsible by facing the consequences of his/her actions. Supporters from both sides of the argument can deem the doctors actions to be right or wrong but they cannot deem the doctor to be unethical because of the level integrity the doctor display. Kohlbergs Stages of Moral Development(figure1) Different leaders can have different standards of ethics and when we talk about ethical standards, there is the question of whether this standards are applicable, after all ethical behaviour is actually an absolute, good or bad-right or wrong.(Ken, L, 2002). Kohlbergs stages of moral development begs to differ. Stage 1, a person in this stage is aware only of one fixed set of rules enforced by authorities which he or she must unquestioningly obey. Failure to do so will result in punishment. Ethical behaviour in this stage only limits to punishment avoidance. Stage 2, person in this stage now realise and is aware that there are more than one view points with regards to right or wrong, different personality have different viewpoints. Ethical behaviour in this stage is widen to include self-interest. Stage 3, moral values become more complicated in this stage involving, intention and emotions. person in this stage is very conscious of what others think because what is right or wrong subjects to the approval of the family or community. Ethical behaviour in this stage factors in the persons emotional state and motives. Stage 4, person becomes aware of the consequences of failure maintaining law and order. right or wrong depends on the greater good for the society. Ethical behaviour in this stage involves keep social order. Stage 5, person in this stage adopts a more utilitarian philosophy, where social utility or public interest is put on top of social order. Ethical actions involves protecting the rights of the individual according to rules agreed upon by the whole society. unethical action involves totalitarian rule, which bring social order but morally flawed. Ethical decision is one that ensure all parties are satisfied and on agreeable terms. Stage 6, person in this stage has attained the highest level of moral awareness, moral principle becomes the main concern. Where the principles of justice is based on treating prerogatives of all parties in an unprejudiced manner, individually respecting the basic dignity of all people, therefore, universal. Ethical decision is one that is made based on individual point of view of all parties, under the veil of ignorance(Rawls, 1971). According to Kohlberg: A person moral reasoning progress stage by stage up the stages without skipping stages. A person progresses up the stages upon encountering moral dilemmas, assuming he or she seeks to solve the moral dilemmas while a person in the lower level cannot comprehend the reasoning of the next level. How is integrity in anyway involved in these 6 stages? Other than stage 1 where there is clearly no need for the application of integrity, we can say that integrity is achieved so long as ethical behaviours, decisions and actions are being made/performed in each of these 5 stages. In supporting the previous argument of the euthanasia case, it does not matter what level of moral awareness a person or a leader has attained, as long as he or she act according to the result of his or her moral reasoning, it is ethical. Therefore, it is suffice to say that integrity is the backbone of ethical behaviour/ ethical leadership, that a person or a leader does what he or she feels is right. Uncompromising integrity is the most important quality. All of the other characteristics stand upon this steel-reinforced concrete foundation- Danny Cox, 2002 Moral person moral manager leadership(Figure 23) A leaders reputation for ethical leadership are based on perceptions of the public or followers of the leader both as a moral person and a moral manager(Trevinio, L. K., Hartman, L. P., Brown, M. 2000). To put it into a clearer perspective, moral person represents ethics while moral manager represents leadership so it is the combination of these two morals that forms the reputation for ethical leadership. We look at the scandal of City Harvest Church involving several senior members charged with the misappropriation of S$24 million to allegedly fund the music career of Sun Ho, wife of the churchs founder. Before the emergence of this scandal we can easily assume that head pastor Kong Hee with his fellow executives are ethical leaders based on the fact that they displayed behaviours of a moral person and acted in accordance to a moral manager. We can safely say that they are definitely moral managers but it is not fully accurate for us, as third persons or even some followers to deem Kong Hee and his executives as ethical leaders as we do not know them personally, we do not see or experience them in all aspects of their life. So how can we know if they are genuinely moral persons or if it is just a show? We may never know until they are tested in the presence of the public, thatà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s where people with no integrity says do anything but donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t get caught, while people with integrity says its only matter of time before the truth gets out. Kong Hee and his executives, while still on trail, now has a reputation as hypocritical leaders due to the scandal(test), we are now aware that although they are moral managers performing their duties, they are not moral persons as they personally do not believe or practice what they preach to the congregation. The case is an example that integrity cannot be faked, it is attribute that circumscribe the traits of honesty and trustworthiness. One may argue that Kong Hee is an ethical leader until certain bad apple or bad barrels comes in and corrupts him. To this, the answer is very simple, integrity is a trait of a leader that automatically resists temptations, a leader with integrity is therefore incorruptible. Integrity is the clear line between a ethical leader and a hypocritical leader. Lead by example Leaders have the ability to influence the followers, therefore, the leader have to responsible for the behaviours and actions of his or her followers. Compromise of integrity can lead to followers behaving or acting in disregard to ethics, after all the leader is the model example of what behaviour, actions and decision are expected. In cases where followers have a higher stage of moral awareness(figure1), compromise of integrity can cause followers to lose faith in achieving their ambitions or aspirations. When nurturing a child, how can parents expect their child to develop ethical moral values and living by them if they fail to do so themselves? In developing future leaders, how can a mentor teach integrity to his or her students and expect them to believe in it if he or she compromises in integrity? They can state themselves as bad examples, a child can be corrected but integrity probably will be the last lesson the mentor ever teach the students.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

James I of England and Macbeth

Some say he's mad; others, that lesser hate him, Do call it valiant fury† (Caithness: Act 5, Scene 2) Consider Macbeth as a gothic protagonist in the light of this comment.Although William Shakespeare's ‘Macbeth‘ was written in a time before the introduction of the Gothic genre, it is fair to argue that he fits the role typically prescribed to Gothic protagonists. However, the question of whether he is ‘mad' or shows actions of ‘valiant fury' is a matter open to interpretation. Sickness and madness are common themes in Gothic texts, and it is arguable to suggest that as a Gothic protagonist, Macbeth is indeed driven to madness.Firstly, his repeated association with various supernatural elements in the play present him as being a character who is perhaps driven by his own mental manifestations; upon seeing a levitating dagger, Macbeth questions whether it is in fact â€Å"a dagger of the mind†, citing the possibility of his â€Å"heat-oppress'd br ain† being the factor behind this vision. However, while many Gothic protagonists are associated with elements of the supernatural, that is not to say that they are mad. For example, when Macbeth witnesses Banquo's ghost – â€Å"Never shake thy gory locks at me!† – it is perhaps fairer to argue that the ghost is a manifestation of his own guilt as opposed to an outright madness which possessed Macbeth.Those who argue that Macbeth is mad may relate his madness back to the notion of Gothic protagonists possessing an all-consuming passion or goal which they are determined to reach. In Macbeth's case, this desire is arguably his thirst for power and desire to kill the king. Some critics would refute this point, and argue that Macbeth does not harbour such a passion, and that it is the femme fatale-esque character of Lady Macbeth who taunts Macbeth with demeaning rhetorical language such as â€Å"Are you a man?† and â€Å"I would be ashamed to wear a he art so white†; there is certainly evidence to suggest that Macbeth's desire to be king does not lead to his madness, and that it is his wife's power that leads him to the first of many murderous acts.However, this interpretation may be too narrow in its analysis, and it is perfectly possible to argue that Macbeth's inherent thirst for power is what leads to his ‘madness'. In act one scene four Macbeth expresses quiet dismay at  Malcolm's appointment as the Prince of Cumberland, referring to the obstacles in his path to glory as â€Å"a step / On which I must fall down, or else o'er-leap†. In terms of structure, this scene occurs before Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's onstage discussion, and suggests that Macbeth's madness does indeed stem from the typical Gothic protagonist role as one who is driven to madness or inner conflict by an all-consuming passion. Furthermore, this passion is present even in Macbeth's first meeting with the witches, where Banquo notes that M acbeth is â€Å"rapt withal† at the possibility that he â€Å"shalt be king hereafter†.Another typical feature of a Gothic protagonist is a high social rank, which â€Å"noble Macbeth† certainly adheres to. It may then be in his nature as a worthy warrior to strive for greatness and power; perhaps Macbeth's actions are down to ‘valiant fury' after all. Shakespeare's use of adjectives such as â€Å"brave† and â€Å"worthy† establish him as a high-ranking soldier before he is even introduced; this of course contrasts with the language used to describe him later, where demonic imagery such as referring to him as a â€Å"hell-hound† and â€Å"something wicked† associates him with inherent evil.In act one scene two, the Captain describes Macbeth's fearlessness and fury on the battlefield, describing how Macbeth ran his sword â€Å"from his nave t'the chops† in what is considered an act of bravery. This may lead to the assertio n that Macbeth is not ‘mad' after all, and that the nature of his character is far more likely to succumb to ‘valiant fury', since he is a warrior and, as already mentioned, has the will to kill the king harbouring within him as soon as he hears the witches' prophecy. However, the word ‘valiant' suggests a sense of honour and dignity surrounding Macbeth's tyrannical reign.Macbeth's actions may have been valiant, had King Duncan been a cruel and oppressive king. However, Shakespeare presented Duncan as a kind and virtuous character, perhaps to appease King James I, who was the king at the time of writing and admired Shakespeare's work. The fact that Macbeth murders the king is already contrary to the divine right of kings at the time, but the fact that the king was virtuous allowed for little interpretation calling Macbeth ‘valiant'. Furthermore, Macbeth's duplicitous nature in the play sets him aside as a character who does not possess ‘valiant fury' at all.He openly lies to Banquo, his trusted friend, by replying with â€Å"I think not of them† when questioned about the witches, and after Duncan's body is found he  delivers a melodramatic and duplicitous monologue expressing his professed grief. The fact that Macbeth is called â€Å"noble† and is described indirectly as â€Å"a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust† directly contrasts with his duplicitous and cunning nature. This contrast is perhaps best explained as the extremes of Macbeth's behaviour as a character, a feature typical of Gothic protagonists.Most Gothic protagonists are caught in a dilemma or inner conflict, which often leads to extremes of behavior. In Macbeth's case, it is as though he is aware of his own actions and cannot even say the word ‘murder', instead making use of euphemisms such as â€Å"this bloody business†, yet he is also flippant in certain orders, such as the request that Macduff's â€Å"wife and babesâ €  should be killed. Therefore, considering his conflicting and deceptive nature, it is indeed possible to refer to Macbeth's actions as fury rather than madness. Valiant fury, however, is perhaps not true; there seems to be almost no honor or nobility in Macbeth's actions and willingness to lie.Macbeth's alleged madness is often linked to his use of emotive language. For example, the metaphor â€Å"full of scorpions is my mind† makes it sound as though Macbeth's mind is poisoned, or out of his control. However, as just one of many instances where Macbeth uses Gothic language, it is not necessarily true to link such metaphors to madness. Instead, it is perhaps likely that Macbeth is referring to the conflicting nature of his mind, and the inner turmoil that he is facing as a Gothic protagonist. In conclusion, the assertions that Macbeth is either ‘mad' or harbours ‘valiant fury' both seem to undermine his nature as a Gothic protagonist.Macbeth's ‘madness' is perhaps better described as the conflicting nature of any Gothic protagonist, and the notion that Macbeth's fury is ‘valiant' contrasts the numerous times where Macbeth's cunning is anything but valiant or noble. Macbeth is indeed typical of a Gothic protagonist but, like many, does not necessarily fall into just one category.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Josh Hamilton Book

Justin Michael CabanEnglish 10 Mrs. MeyerBook Report For my 1st quarter book report I read â€Å"Beyond Belief† which is written by Josh Hamilton. Hamilton is a Major league baseball player who now plays for the Texas Rangers and was named MVP two short season’s ago. Josh is a premier center fielder and the captain of his team, for the average person you may think Mr. Hamiliton lives the ordinary life of a sports star , the pretty women , fancy cars , huge house’s and the six figure pay checks.Even though this may be true, living an everyday lifestyle was extremely difficult for Josh throughout his whole life , you would think someone who is so well respected and idolized by many fans throughout the world would try to live up to his expectations, but that was not the case for Josh , he was addicted to cocaine and struggled with many other addictions such as alcoholism and having anger issues with his loved ones. Josh wrote this book to express his feelings and gi ve readers a point of view on how thing’s may not also be the same as it seems.So next time you judge someone just by their appearance, financial situation or even idolizing someone just by the way they perform a certain thing, you might want to think that over. Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers who made last year’s all-star team and hit a record 28 home runs in one round of the Home Run Derby has a lot more than All Star memories to be thankful for. He is alive, reunited with his family and back in baseball, which only a few years ago seemed impossible since he was in the middle of dealing with a cocaine addiction.Josh was drafted in 1999 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays , as a young kid , Josh stunned all different kinds of people with his skill for the game of baseball , reaching nearly 80 mph on a pitching gun at age 12 meant he was destined to play in the MLB at one point or another. When Josh was drafted in 1999 he as well as others expected him to be an automatic fi rst round pick , which he was but instead of going right to work with his new team , Josh was sidelined, not by his coach , but by his devastating addiction to cocaine. The MLB has a very strict drug policy and there players are constantly found =. are serve a suspension of 50 games.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Multi Cultural And Multi Racial - 1476 Words

Running Head – Caribbean Multi-cultural and Racial The Multi-Cultural and Multi-Racial Caribbean Michelle Knight Essay Submitted for Caribbean History 27100 Professor Audra Diptee Carleton University June 14, 2016 The Multi-cultural and Multi-racial Caribbean The Caribbean islands are a group of diverse islands throughout the Caribbean Sea. These islands can be as far south as the northern South America and as far north as southern North America. These islands have a history that is steeped in its own tradition and traditions from other nations. The Caribbean is a diverse populace that has representation of many cultural and racial bodies. Many of the Caribbean traditions exist because of the historical†¦show more content†¦Initially, indentured servants from Europe were used as the labour to cultivate these crops; however, as the sale of these crops exploded, Europeans began engaging in the African slave trade to further support the harvesting of these crops (Thornton, 1993, p. 182). The history of African slaves is inextricably intertwined with the Caribbean history. Many of the African slaves were sold into slavery but still were able to hold onto customs and philosophical ideals (Thornton, 1993, p. 195). Though these Africans were enslaved they still maintained many of their strong beliefs and warrior ideals from their home countries. In fact, it is believed that these ideals were prominently figured in the slave revolution of Saint-Domingue that eventually resulted in Haiti’s independence (Thornton, 1993, p. 198). The many historical influences on the Caribbean related to slavery and agriculture had a continuing effect on the development of Caribbean islands long after slavery was abolished. These influences are best demonstrated by the differing migration patterns that occurred to sustain the agricultural based economy of the Caribbean islands for the benefit of the European countries that had colonized these islands. Migration Patterns Slavery was gradually abolished throughout the Caribbean. European countries became enlightened and realized that slavery was an inappropriate source of labour (Young, 2015, p. 122). Despite the changing nature of the labour and the elimination

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Literacy Is The Foundation Of Every Student s Learning Essay

Importance of Literacy Literacy is the foundation of every student’s learning, and learning to read English is a particularly challenging task. The OECD Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies defines literacy as: the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals to develop their knowledge and potential and to participate fully in their community and wider society (as cited in Kennedy, Dunphy, Dwyer, Hayes, Mc Phillips, Marsh, O’Connor, Shiel, 2012, p. 40). Additionally, The OECD report (1996) highlighted the role of literacy in promoting competitiveness and employment, democracy and social cohesion, and addressing poverty (as cited in The National Literacy Strategy for all in Malta and Gozo, 2014). However, many research conducted in countries have shown that literacy levels are below the normal rate. Research conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has found that more than 74% of children who enter first grade at risk for reading failure will continue to struggle to read into adulthood. Progress in International Reading Literacy Study shows that children from a low socioeconomic status and migration backgrounds are the biggest group among poor readers (as cited in TheShow MoreRelatedFinal Literacy Statement . I Have Learned A Vast Amount1057 Words   |  5 PagesFinal literacy statement I have learned a vast amount of knowledge after taking this literacy course. My perspective on literacy now, have developed into a notion that literacy is needed for a student’s success. My outlook on adolescent literacy is still that it has wide range of different perspectives. Literacy is the basic method of understanding the material. I define literacy to be composed of several components such as: comprehension, communication, reading, critical thinking, and analyzingRead MoreStandards for Teaching in the Modern Classroom1411 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the last century literacy and the definition of being literate has changed and evolved. No longer are teachers at an advantage by creating curriculums based on traditional lessons of ‘reading and ‘writing’. One must now incorporate every day language, and cultural influences, including technology to enhance the learning experience (Callow, 2011). Within the classroom, context and it’s various forms are highlighted (McDonald, 2013), and children are benefiting greatly from the allowanceRead MoreEvaluation Of A Student Struggling With Literacy Comprehension And Theories1597 Words   |  7 PagesAssignment: Case Study on Caden Tori Brien Wilmington University October 16, 2014 Literacy instruction is intended to offer students the skills and strategies that are necessary to embark in the education process. Each student has a different path towards comprehension of literacy, also about the different types of texts and the focuses within those texts. To have effective literacy instruction, the student should be able to decode, comprehend, and discuss the text. They should be able to beRead MoreThe Impact of Fluency Tutor on Student Reading Scores1564 Words   |  7 Pagesstandardized learning goals that are specific to each grade level, designed to set clear expectations for students, teachers, and parents that are robust and relevant to the skills needed in the real world (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2014). These standards have been designed intentionally to â€Å"articulate a vision of what it means to be ‘a literate person in the twenty first century (Gambrell, Malloy, Mazzoni, 2011, p. 15).† The CCSS for English Language Ar ts Literacy are intendedRead MoreMy Personal Statement For Teaching Reading772 Words   |  4 Pageskeep up with classes and new techniques, but feel that I am much more capable of teaching reading than before I started these courses. The course 653 Literacy Acquisition helped me to improve and further develop my educational philosophies and beliefs. So, I chose to speak about the first lesson that was expected of me in this class, Module 1 Literacy Theories, Beliefs and Practices. As I reviewed this assignment I see how novice, I was on the subject of reading and how artificial the comments wereRead MoreEssentialism is an educational philosophy in which it is important to â€Å"promote and instill cultural600 Words   |  3 Pageswhich it is important to â€Å"promote and instill cultural literacy in all students† (Morrison, 2009, p.338). Teachers only teach the basic skills that they think are necessary for educational and cultural growth. I noticed several things throughout my experience with the school system which leads me to suggest that our school system is based on the philosophy of essentialism. Essentialists believe that a curriculum that develops cultural literacy and basic skills is needed. In my experience, I grew upRead MoreA Summary On Content Education1069 Words   |  5 PagesMcKnight, Katherine S. (2014) Common Core Literacy for Math, Math, and Technical Subjects: Strategies to Deepen Content Knowledge (grades 6-12) Ed.: 1. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2014 The schools improvement effort was changed in its instructional practices that aligned with literacy outlook, that would be effective in advancing student grades. This study present findings from an analysis of classroom instruction data collected in 200 classrooms in seven high poverty high school classroomsRead MoreDesign of an Ideal Early Literacy Program1610 Words   |  7 PagesDesign of an Ideal Early Literacy Program Goals I have such an overwhelming feeling come over me when I think about the fact that in a few short months I will be responsible for helping nearly thirty students either learn to read or improve in their reading abilities. It is such an exciting yet daunting task! I already had many ideas and goals in my head about how I wanted my literacy based classroom to look and run, and after taking this class, I feel as though I am bursting with greatRead MoreIdeal Reading Program For Fifth Grade1738 Words   |  7 Pagesflourishing reading program for fifth grade appear? â€Å"There’s no one best way to teach reading; instead, [educators must] create a balanced literacy program† to meet every student’s needs (Tompkins, 2014, p.327). It is essential that all literacy programs feature instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension so that students can become capable readers and writers. Phonemic Awareness Phonemic awareness is â€Å"the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individualRead MoreMy Personal Experience With Literacy1587 Words   |  7 PagesLiteracy is defined as being literate, that is, being able to read and write in a language. My personal experience with literacy began at an early age, at the age of 4 when I began to sit and read words and letters in the back of my mother’s car. Soon enough, she would bring me a magazine called â€Å"Majed† which, in the 90’s, was a popular magazine. With this, I began even more interested in reading and writing and reviewed every word in the magazine associated with each of the short pictured stories

Monday, December 16, 2019

The Battle Of Antietam Was The Turning Point Of American...

The battle of Antietam was the turning point in American history pertaining to the possible division of the nation, the abolishment of slavery, and the success of a democratic government. The battle analysis examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Confederate and Union army leading up to the battle on September 17, 1862. Union and Confederate forces suffered severe losses totaling 22,719 casualties, ending with Confederate forces withdrawing to the south. Broken and unmotivated, Union and Confederate soldiers lost morale and drive to finish the battle. The fact that Lee withdrew from the battle of Antietam was enough of a victory for President Lincoln to justify the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, and prevented the Confederate army from gaining foreign support. The battle analysis of Antietam assesses the invasion of Maryland, human intelligence assets utilized, and failures on both sides of the battlefield. This battle analysis will depict an alternate outcome of the Confederate army winning at the battle of Antietam (Cannon, 1994). President Abraham Lincoln took office on November 6, 1860, three months later eleven states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. Lincoln wanted to eradicate slavery and issue the Emancipation Proclamation. He knew it would be hard to unite the north and south, due to southern reliance on slavery in the cotton fields. Confederates were fully aware of President Lincoln’s plan to abolish slaveryShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of Antietam By Robert E. Lee1046 Words   |  5 Pagesthe American Civil War. The Civil War was fought between the North (Union) and the south. The Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and it was the bloodiest day in American history. Before the battle, the confederacy had a better chance of winning the war. Conflict arose between McClellan and Robert E. Lee which sparked the invasion of the north and the beginning of a long war. McPherson argued in his novel that the battle of Antietam w as the turning pointRead MoreThe Civil War : The Battle Of Antietam969 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1800s, there was a war that happened that caused many people to die in the war, which was Civil War. The Civil War was a war that was fought between the Union and Confederate parts of United States. The Union was in the North, and the Confederates were in the South. There were many reasons why the battles were fought. During the Civil War, the president was Abraham Lincoln. There were many reasons why the war was fought, but the main reason was to keep the country together. Before the war, theRead MoreThe Battle Of Antietam And The Civil War876 Words   |  4 Pages Ryan Prendergast Morrow A/B American Studies First Draft Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, uttered the words,That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. This meaningful sentence perfectly represents the Battle of Antietam as a turning point in the Civil War and its effect on America decades later. The small step was one man s step on the moon just like the Battle of Antietam was just another battle during the Civil War, but they were short and impactful events thatRead MoreAnalysis Of James Mcpherson s The Opening Sentence 931 Words   |  4 Pagesbloodiest single day in American History.† The opening sentence in James McPherson’s book is quite telling. McPherson goes on to describe that around 6,500 Union and Confederate soldiers combined met their deaths at the Battle of Antietam. McPherson’s use of death statistics bring the reader into his narrative, and help the reader to begin thinking about the impact the Civil War had on America. According to McPherson the Civil War was constantly changing hands, at some points the Confederates wereRead MoreEssay on Battle of Antietam1561 Words   |  7 PagesThe following case study will be about the Battle of Antietam that took place on September 17, 1862 in Sharpsburg, Maryland along the Antietam Creek. Known as â€Å"†¦the bloodiest single day in American History,† by the end of the day there would be approximately twenty-three thousand casualties of which forty-five hundred to six thousand were dead. The first topic of discussion will be on the history leading up to the morning of the seventeenth in order to establish the mindset of the commanders onRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War960 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever wondered why the Civil War happened or why it was so substantial to American History? What was the battle that changed it all; that made it the history it is today? Many people have made speculations on the causes of the war and what the major turning point was, but cannot really narrow it down. In James McPherson’s Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam he points out the pivotal moments in American history that led up to and changed the Civil War, so that the reader can get a better insightRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War1018 Words   |  5 Pages On September 17, 1862, the Union and Confederate armies met near the Maryland village of Sharpsburg in a battle that still remains the single bloodiest day in American history. The battle consisted of many attacks and counterattacks between Union General George B. McClellan and The Army of the Potomac against Confederate Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Confederates managed to fight relentlessly over the course of the struggle. However, afterRead MoreThe Battle Of Allan Pinkerton s Human Intelligence On The Enemy s Position And Troop Strength Essay700 Words   |  3 PagesMcClellan’s apprehension robbed him of victory and allowed Lee’s forces to consolidate prior to the Battle of Antietam (Davis, 1999). If McClellan had defied Allan Pinkerton’s human intelligence information claiming the Confederacy consisted of 120,000 soldiers, he could have defeated Lee prior to the battle of Antietam (Cannon, 1994). L ee relied heavily on J.E.B. Stuart’s scout unit for reconnaissance missions to gather intelligence on the enemy’s position and troop strength (Cannon, 1994). OnRead MoreTen Days that Unexpectedly Changed America Summary Essay1406 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 1: â€Å"Massacre at Mystic† May 26, 1637 was a fateful day in the history of America. The actions of Major John Mason and his Puritan men set a precedent for the next two hundred years of European and Indian relations. On that clear May night near the Mystic River of New England, hundreds of Pequot Indians were killed by the Europeans and their allies, most of the victims being the elderly, women, and children. This massacre was a massive turning point in the Pequot War, effectively ruining theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Crossroads Of Freedom By James M. Mcpherson1167 Words   |  5 PagesBook Essay Two The book Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam, was written by James M. McPherson to argue why the Battle of Antietam was the battle that changed the cause of the Civil War. While McPherson argued this he also argues that the Civil War had many other turning points and was not settled by just one battle. McPherson’s targeted audience would have to be those interested in the Civil War and the events that led to it. McPherson wrote this great book which came to be an important contribution

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Phillip morris Essay Example For Students

Phillip morris Essay Definition of Industry Market Concept The tobacco industry consists of many competitors trying to satisfy a specific customer need. Companies such as Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Brown and Williamson, and Lorillard hold almost the entire market share in the tobacco industry. While each company has different advertising and marketing techniques, they all target the same customer group. Tobacco companies try their best to generate interest in their particular brand or brands. Companies market a number of attributes that usually include, but are not limited to: taste, flavor, strength, size and image in order to distinguish themselves from competitors (Business Week 179, November 29, 1999). However, all tobacco companies are satisfying the same needs. Many long-time smokers are addicted to the nicotine in cigarettes. They smoke because the nicotine is needed to help them feel normal (Focus group). Many addicts go through withdraw without nicotine. All tobacco companies have nicotine in their cigarettes, which fulfills the need of long-time smokers. Other smokers depend on cigarettes in social settings. Many smoke to look sophisticated and mature. Tobacco companies make many kinds of cigarettes that target different groups. Social smokers may perceive certain brands as more sophisticated, and therefore they shy away from other lesser-known brands. For example, a person who smoked generic cigarettes at the bar may be perceived as uncultured. On the other hand, the smoker with the Marlboro Lights may be more socially accepted because they have a brand name product (Focus group). Many types of cigarettes cater to the many markets of smokers who want to portray a certain image in social settings. Tobacco companies do not create the need to smoke, but try to generate interest in their particular brand (Hays, New York Times, November 24, 1999). Overall, the tobacco companies satisfy consumer demand for the millions of adult Americans who choose to use tobacco by providing differentiated products to different target markets of smokers.Industry Concept The tobacco industry has developed a rather large array of products. Companies such as Philip Morris, Lorillard, RJ Reynolds, and Brown and Williamson, as well as the other smaller competitors, all provide the same product- cigarettes. The tobacco industry is filled with fierce competitors. But underneath the brand names and images, the product is relatively the same. All tobacco companies produce an inhalant that is made with tobacco, tar, and nicotine. These materials are rolled in a special kind of slow-burning paper for longer smoking time. The cigarettes are approximately three to four inches long and come in packs of twenty to twenty-five. With so many similarities, one would think that the market would resemble that of a commodity. However, through brand marketing and promotions, each cigarette is uniquely different in the mind of the customer. Boundaries The tobacco industry can be broadly or narrowly defined. Many products use tobacco as the main material. We chose to define the market by focusing on the tobacco and the way it is smoked. Companies such as Philip Morris, Lorillard, RJ Reynolds, and Brown and Williamson are the main competitors in the tobacco industry (Pollack, Advertising Age, August 30, 1999). They produce cigarettes, which are lit and the smoke is inhaled to the lungs. Tobacco products such as cigars, snuff, and chew are considered close substitutes to cigarettes. Cigar smoke is just taken into the mouth, but not inhaled like cigarettes. Snuff and chew do not even contain smoke, but are put on the skin for nicotine absorption. Companies such as Imperial Tobacco, which produce a wide array of chew and snuff products, would be considered a company that provides substitutes to cigarettes. They would not fall in the cigarette industry itself. 2 .Situation Analysis 2.1 Industry Structural Analysis 2. 1.1 Threat of Entry The tobacco industry has a very low threat of entry. A few powerful firms, such as Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Lorillard, and Brown and Williamson, control most of the industry (Pollack, Advertising Age, August 30, 1999). Any new entrants would be sure to receive heavy retaliation from the other companies fighting to keep their share of the lucrative industry. For example, Philip Morris is by far the industry leader with estimated tobacco sales of $46.7 billion is 1999 (Business Week 179, November 29, 1999). They have a huge base of resources with which to attack other competitor entrants. They could easily start promotions such as buy one, get one free or offer coupons at certain times during the year to discourage entrants to the industry. Many small companies will not be able to compete with the capital requirements in the tobacco industry. The barriers to entering the tobacco industry are numerous. First, the high volume of cigarette sales gives existing firms economies of scale, which would be a disadvantage for newcomers to the market. The products currently on the market are differentiated somewhat in their design, but mostly through the large advertising budgets that are used to promote them. Tobacco companies now pour $4 billion a year into promotions and advertising- nine times what they spent in 1971 (Elliot, New York Times, September 22, 1999). These firms have finely tuned distribution channels, which include legions of sales representatives that vie for shelf space. One of the biggest obstacles to a new entrant would be finding a decent place of the shelf with such heavy-handed competition already occupying that space. Store managers may be reticent to give away prime slots for fear of losing discounts or other offers from major players. Government policy is another possible deterrent to enter the market. Large settlements against the tobacco companies have been the norm in the past several years. Although gigantic companies like Philip Morris are able to handle the charges because of their extensive monetary resources, it is difficult to imagine how a small startup company would be able to burden the expense. Switching costs are very high in the tobacco industry. Many smokers are still smoking the same brand they first started smoking (Focus group). Even if the price of their brand is raised, they would not consider switching to another brand (Focus group). Many companies who would want to come into the industry would not easily take away market share, due to high brand loyalty. 2. 1.2 Competitive Rivalry The tobacco industry is a very competitive market. As mentioned above, about four very large corporations control the entire market. Philip Morris is the biggest company in the industry, but others such as Lorillard and growing in brand name (Pollack, Advertising Age, August 30, 1999). All companies battle for market share through heavy advertising budgets and slotting deals. The cigarette market is well into the maturity stage of the PLC, and some might even argue that given the recent anti-smoking campaigns and lawsuits the industry is nearing the decline phase. However, sales show that decline has not yet been reached. As mentioned before, Philip Morris has estimated tobacco sales of $46. 7 billion (Business Week 179, November 29, 1999). Apparently, brand loyalty still exists. Buyers Retailers. The stores that sell tobacco products have a moderate influence on the market. Retailers have some power over manufacturers who need prime slotting to ensure strong sales. However, manufacturers have leveraged quite a bit of power by offering retailers special incentives for giving their products good placement or for installing certain numbers of brand advertisements around the store. To some stores, such as gas stations, losing a major cigarette brand would mean large loss of revenues from customers who would rather go to another gas station to locate their favorite brand. Also, companies are trying to develop closer relationships with bars and coffeehouses. Tobacco companies offer ashtrays, napkins, and matches, saving each buyer thousands of dollars in supply costs (Heuslein, Forbes, January 11, 1999). Retailers now are marketing the brand on coasters and napkins for the company. Consumers. The end-users in the industry also have moderate power. Brand loyalty is very high, and it has been shown that smokers generally chose a brand in their teen year and continue to smoke that brand the rest of their lives (Focus group). However, in the face of a dramatic price hike, consumers have been quick to notice that brands are interchangeable and then go for the lowest price. But the dearth of substitutes for tobacco products makes it difficult for the industry to lose customers all together. Suppliers The suppliers in the tobacco industry have a low level of influence, even though there is no close substitutes that the industry can use in place of tobacco. Tobacco is purchased from farmers, who essentially have to take the market-determined price for their crops. Tobacco is a commodity, so it makes no difference from which supplier a firm buys its materials. The large number of individual farms that supply the industry makes it almost impossible for anyone to raise the price. There is not a threat of forward integration from suppliers because they have none of the tools necessary to manufacture or market tobacco products. The farmers have only the land and equipment necessary to grow the leaf. If they were to try to produce cigarettes, they would probably not be able to compete with the many large companies that have economies of scale (from Threat of Entry section). 2.1. 3 Substitutes The affect of substitutes on profits is also low. Nicotine can be found in cigarettes, as well as cigars, chew, and snuff. But most people will not switch over to chew and snuff if the price of cigarettes rises. Chew and snuff do not substitute for the needs of a cigarette. Cigarettes are smoked for the nicotine and for social acceptance. Chew and snuff are not acceptable substitutes for most smokers; the nicotine is not inhaled but put on the skin for absorption. 3 . Profit Analysis Why are tobacco executives still smiling? Simple: They continue to rake in the huge profits from the category despite a decade-long stagnation in dollar and unit sales growth. (Arrizza, Discount Merchandiser, p 97) Indeed, the tobacco industry has faced much opposition during recent years but still remains profitable. To be specific, there are two main reasons that the industry has continued to be prosperous: addiction and management practices. Government influence and lobbying have also played a smaller role. First, the strong addiction of tobacco has allowed for a very loyal following in the tobacco industry. In fact, most tobacco users are very brand-loyal and therefore less price sensitive than most would think. Not only does this bring in revenue for the companies themselves but for the wholesalers and retailers as well. The average smoker still smokes 1.2 packs per day, which means strong profits for the industry as a whole (Heuslin, Forbes, p 160). Buyer power is lower because the smokers depend on the cigarettes to fulfill their addictions. On average, the industrys profit on cigarette sales is about 23 cents a pack. When the average store sells around 25 packs per day, the industry is bound to make substantial profits (Sullum, Reason, p 18). The loyalty of customers in tobacco has allowed for a successful forecast of future profits in the industry. The management practices of the tobacco industry have also contributed to the industrys success. For example, The Retail Masters program has allowed for strong profits. Retail Masters is a multi-level program of promoting brands in the retail environment. This program has the potential to increase a stores cigarette sales by 11 percent (Arrizza, Discount Merchandiser, p 99). Simply by getting better displays and shelf space, for instance, the tobacco industry could become more profitable. Buyer influence increases because they have the power to delegate displays and shelf space. Overall, if the industry were to constantly maintain better displays and shelf space, tobacco companies as a whole would have a better chance of achieving greater profits. Also, most tobacco companies are introducing new products in order to keep high profit margins. RJ Reynolds, for example, is in the final phase of conducting market studies on its latest product, Eclipse. The company claims the new product reduces second-hand smoke by nearly 90 percent, ridding itself of ash and odors ( Arrizza, Discount Merchandiser, p 98). Tobacco companies are also trying to get a better public image by producing public service announcements such as the Be Smart, Dont Start campaign. And although the industry has been under close scrutiny as of late, their customers are impressed with the message. Again, the marketing management practices behind the tobacco industry bring a promise of strong future profits. As already stated, the profits of the industry look to be good, but there are a lot of changing conditions that might affect the future of the industry. For example, the new product inventions mentioned above could either help or harm the industry depending on how well they do. For example, the new Eclipse cigarette will more than likely be imitated by other competitors, who will also have to invest a great deal of capital to get the product on the market. And finally, tobacco companies are having to pay more and more money for court settlements. Profits can be decreased greatly if money the money is spent defending the company. The government is also a very limiting factor to tobacco. Just over the past decade, the government has passed so many laws that it has forced the tobacco companies to double their prices on cigarette packs. Although the customers still seem to be buying as they have in the past, there is certainly a price ceiling that a customer will not be willing to pay above. It is highly unlikely that the same customers who are currently paying less than three dollars a pack, will pay ten dollars for a single pack of cigarettes. However, if the government keeps increasing excise tax and still allots money to the prosecution during tobacco lawsuits, the industry will be severely handicapped. Overall, as the restrictions of the government increase and lawsuits are lost, the profits of the industry are bound to decrease. Industry Environment The tobacco industry is an environment with many strong competitors that have many opportunities in the market. There are also many threats, mostly imposed by the government. The tobacco companies play off each other for market share and innovate marketing strategies to fight back and keep the smoking demand. The tobacco industry has limited media coverage due to government restrictions placed over the past two decades. The tobacco companies have been prohibited from advertising on television and radio, and even more recently from billboards and outdoor posters because of the harmful side effects their products may cause. Since so many channels of marketing are closed for the tobacco industry, magazines are the most common method of advertising (Elliot, New York Times, September 22, 1999). Even with magazines and other legal forms of advertising, tobacco makers are still running into restrictions. In each magazine advertisement, a Surgeon Generals warning is required to appear with information about tobacco-related health risks that the product may lead toward. Companies have also been required to create advertisements solely about the harmful consequences of using tobacco products. These ads were a result of an advertising war between the tobacco industry and anti-tobacco campaigns. The tobacco companies were mocking the ads and celebrating those who continued to use tobacco. The government intervened and required the tobacco warning advertisements for all tobacco companies (Fairclough, Wall Street Journal, B12, 1999). The government has also intervened with tobacco marketing by altering the slogans and gimmicks the companies use. The government wants the companies to avoid targeting vulnerable markets, such as young children and teenagers under the legal smoking age of 18 years. Since government regulations have become such a threat to the tobacco industry, companies are coming up with creative ways to advertise and appeal to consumers. Some companies are developing smokers lifestyle magalogs, a combination of a magazine and catalog. The issues come out monthly and contain articles about travel, cooking, and shopping. The magalogs do not contain articles about smoking and do not have pictures of people smoking, but they do advertise tobacco products and accessories. The idea of the magalogs is to portray an image that a smokers lifestyle is fun and exciting (Wyatt, New York Times, C5, November, 24, 1999). Tobacco companies are hoping these magalogs will persuade the existing smokers to purchase more. In the past consumers have been proven to remain loyal to one company throughout their lives, but as tobacco prices have steadily increased several times, more brand switching from the premium brands to the lower priced one is occurring. The price increases are decreasing the demand for tobacco products as well. Figures show the number of smokers has decreased 10% in 1999 (Heuslein, Forbes, January 11, 1999). One of the main reasons for the price increases in the tobacco industry is that companies are trying to keep shareholders happy by paying them high dividends. Another reason is that companies need to cover the higher costs that they have incurred from legal settlements with state governments. The premium brand companies are also spending more money on advertising as the prices increase to keep their customers from switching to the lower-cost brands (Fairclough, Wall Street Journal, B12, 1999). The tobacco industry has many strong competitors with varied portions of market share. As of now, the price leader is Philip Morris. When they increase prices, other brands will follow the lead to avoid price wars. Any attempt to take away market share from the leader will result in more harm than good for the lower companies with less share. If a price war were to be started, Philip Morris, with its extensive capital, could easily outprice all other brands (Porter). The smaller tobacco companies could not compete and would soon go out of business. This type of competitive rivalry causes threats to all competitors. The companies with less market share want to follow the trends to avoid losing share no matter how high costs are, and they are trying to gain new consumers as well. The competitors have to watch the price leader carefully to make a competitive strategy. The price leader controls the industry and sets the rules of the game. But the opportunities of the leader and the other companies can be dampened by government regulations. As more restrictions are being placed in the tobacco industry, all companies will lose consumers if they do not find successful alternatives to marketing their products. Once the tobacco gain market share, it is somewhat easy to keep it. The addictive substances in tobacco products give the industry opportunities to keep consumers brand loyal and trying their new products. The environment of the tobacco industry is constantly changing with all of the threats and opportunities. Tobacco makers rely on the key success factor of image in all that they do. The new magalogs are another attempt to create a wanted tobacco users lifestyle, and they will continue to find alternatives around regulations to keep their image up as they fight hard in the competitive environment. Competitive Analysis We have chosen Philip Morris and their brand of Marlboro. Philip Morris is the industry leader and is able to heavily promote and advertise a new product. Marlboro is one of the most well-known brands in the world. We could easily create a line extension and rely on the brand name for customer loyalty. The tobacco industry consists of many competitors striving to provide tobacco products that satisfy the consumers need to smoke. Companies such as Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Brown and Williamson, and Lorillard are the top four competitors in the tobacco industry that together hold almost all of the market share. While each company targets the same customer group, they have different advertising and marketing techniques. Philip Morris is by far the industry leader with tobacco sales of $46.7 billion (Business Week, 179, November 29,1999). The industry giant is responsible for the development of Marlboro, Virginia Slims, and Basic, three of the best-known brands on the market. Other than producing tobacco products, the company has expanded and purchased Kraft Foods in 1988, the largest food company in the United States in (Business Week 186, November 29, 1999). Krafts affiliation with Philip Morris has led to much scrutiny from anti-tobacco users and a decrease in profits. Philip Morris has a strong advantage with the Marlboro brand. Marlboro is one of the most well-known brands in the world. The brand loyalty to Marlboro will help Philip Morris keep customers. Lorillard is responsible for cigarette brand Newport, which is currently second behind Marlboro (Pollack, Advertising Age, August 30, 1999). Lorillard is the fasted growing brand in the cigarette category, but is still quite far behind Philip Morris (Pollack, Advertisng Age, August 30, 1999). Currently, the company is trying to introduce a new kind of cigarette that would directly compete with Marlboro. The new product would be a non-menthol cigarette, which is a first in the industry because most companies usually introduce menthol cigarettes. Lorillards strength is shown with its creativity. As long as they try new products, they can gain some market share from Philip Morris. Juvenile Delinquency Essay Soft packs were not liked by any participants. More hard packs should be distributed. One point that surprised us was the excitement for prepacked cigarettes. Tobacco companies might have a marketing strategy with prepacked cigarettes. The high price of the cigarettes was noted within the group, but each was willing to pay for their particular brand. Tobacco companies do not need to lower price because the members of the group were still willing to pay. They all saw the brands of cigarettes as being very differentiated, and therefore the industry has very high switching costs. It was also noted that the participants still smoked the same brand of cigarettes that they started out with. Many have not even bothered to try different brands. This is a key point that the tobacco companies need to focus on. If they can get people to start smoking their brand first, then they have a good chance of having that person making a repeat purchase. The tobacco industry is seen by consumers to be very differentiated, allowing the companies to charge higher prices and creating high switching costs. Current Marketing Mix Philip Morris Marlboro is currently in the mature life cycle. The cigarette industry as a whole is in this life cycle. The objectives for the mature stage are to extend the life cycle for Marlboro by maintaining the brand leader position, advertising image, and cannibalizing the product. Marlboro needs to watch competition (RJ Reynolds and Brown and Williamson), maintain high brand loyalty to keep brand leadership, and continue with creating a socially conscious company. The creating of this image as a socially conscious company is a company wide customer orientation. What has helped them remain on top is their size advantage, experience, and well-defined target. Some specific areas that Philip Morris needs to focus on are sales growth, profits, customers, and competition. These will be discussed briefly. We will elaborate on the factors product, pricing, promotion, and distribution in greater detail. Marlboro is currently in a growth maturity stage for sales growth. Although the industry is in the mature life cycle, Marlboro still controls a majority of the share and sales are increasing (1999 Annual Report). With the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, where Philip Morris had to pay a large settlement to past consumers for with holding information about the harmful effects of smoking, sales still increased from 1998 to 1999. This is mostly due to the high brand loyalty of consumers (focus group). As mentioned above, due to the high and unusually strong brand loyalty of the market, profits have increased even with stricter laws and regulations. Pending litigation, smoking could become even more expensive than it already is. Taxes could be imposed to increase price per pack, which would hurt profits if consumers start buying cheaper brands. If government raises the price per pack as a standard and consumers remain brand loyal, profits could increase for the company. Marlboro targets adults over twenty-one and will not use anybody in an advertisement who looks younger than twenty-five. They wish to retain current customers and try to discourage youth smoking. Many smokers start smoking in high school and remain loyal to the brand they start smoking (focus group). Though reality and their strategy are incongruent, they try to target current consumers. The three big competitors in the tobacco industry are Philip Morris (market leader), RJ Reynolds, and Brown and Williamson. Philip Morris (Marlboro) and RJ Reynolds (Camels) own the two main brands. Due to the price increases delegated by the government, cheaper non-premium brands are catching price sensitive customers. If such price increases persist, competition could increase as well. That is only if the prices increase so much that brand loyalty sways. We would like to discuss how these stated strategies of Marlboro effect Porters Five Forces. Buyers are an overall weak force in that they are so brand loyal, they will pay inflated prices for product. They do expect more from the parent company that helps explain the Philip Morris Foundation, a community service charity ran by the people of Philip Morris, and the new slogan for Philip Morris, Working to Make a Difference. The People of Philip Morris. The main reason buyers are a weak force is because of their strong, unwavering brand loyalty. Competitive rivalry is intense in the tobacco industry. With the changing view of smoking by society from one-time glamorous to now outcast and increasing government restrictions with price increases, the consumer pool is dwindling. Luckily, Philip Morris Marlboro has an advantage as brand leader. The three main competitors are struggling to maintain market share, and Philip Morris is succeeding in remaining the market leader. New entrants in the tobacco industry are rare. It is later in the life cycle, so many would-be new entrants are dissuaded by many factors. First is the sheer size of the established competition. They have the upper hand with economies of scale, experience curve, channels of distribution, and high brand loyalty. New entrants also are thwarted from entering the tobacco market by the uncertain future of the market. The pending legal dealings, increased restrictions, and mandated price increases makes the environment risky for new entrants. There are high barriers to entry. Being that the cigarette industry is in the mature life cycle, the number and availability of substitutes should be numerous. There are a few substitutes to cigarettes like chew, snuff, and cigars, but none truly substitute the cigarette. Unlike perfume were the smell is similar enough or clothes that fit well and look nice, the taste and experience of smoking your brand of cigarettes can not be duplicated. This inability to reproduce the experience and taste makes the substitution uncommonly weak for the mature life cycle. As mentioned in the new entrants, channels of distribution are established and the high demand from the brand loyal customers weakens the power of distributors. This is the environment for Marlboro in reference to Porters Five Forces. Although it does not follow the text book definition of the mature life cycle, it is due mainly to the unique industry of tobacco. The competitive strategy of Marlboro is differentiation. Marlboro has a perceived uniqueness industry wide by consumers. The uniqueness of the brand name Marlboro and its image, quality, and taste, is highly valued by customers. The customers value it enough to pay higher prices for the Marlboro brand. Marlboros strategy of differentiation has remained stable and consistent. There are three main strategies Philip Morris has chosen to help differentiate Marlboro. The company has increased the service quality of quick responsiveness to complaints and compliance to federal regulations, assurance of a quality product purchased, and empathy for consumers (smokers and non-) through the services of the Philip Morris Foundation. Philip Morris has differentiated by reputation and brand image as well. The company has remained consistent in their image as a high quality product and an American tradition. Their market expertise, as market leader, has also allowed them to differentiate their product. This strategy reinforces the image as a stable company and plays up the companys longevity and dominance in the market. The current position of Marlboro has been mentioned many times as the brand leader. As the brand/market leader, Marlboro has to defend their position and territory against competition (which as mentioned before is very intense). Luckily for Marlboro, the defensive position is the preferred position. It has becoming increasingly difficult to defend position pending legal results from numerous cases set against Philip Morris and other tobacco companies. If excise taxes ensue (which would increase price of cigarettes by federal government and state) they could lead to a decline in sales, a decline of volume for the entire industry, and a shift from the premium segment (Marlboro and Camels) to the discount segment (GPC) (1999 Annual Report). Given Philip Morris superior defensive position currently, it enables them to have defenses against environmental factors Porter identified as the Five Forces. Marlboro being a differentiated premium brand, this creates a buffer with high price and low cost. The consumers are brand loyal and less price sensitive. New entrants have barriers to entry due to Marlboros brand leader position. The barriers include the high emotional switching cost from Marlboro to a new brand due to high brand loyalty, the high product differentiation Marlboro has created and maintained, and the economies of scale and established distribution channels the com from Marlboros experience. The buffer previously mentioned for the defense against the threat of new entrants, also is a defense against competitive rivalry. It is with this buffer that Philip Morris has the excess resources to fight, identified as the Principles of Force by Ries and Trout. The expertise of the company in the mature industry also is a powerful defense against competitors. As the market leader and the high brand loyalty, Marlboro is less susceptible to price wars. For some of the same reasons mention above, Marlboro has similar defense against buyers. Being less susceptible to price wars because of the high brand loyalty helps the company have greater control over pricing. This could change, though, with price increases and pending excise taxes. For now it does not seem to be a problem, but the future of the industry is uncertain. But for now as market leader, Marlboro can create expectations of higher quality products and service. The buffer so prominent in many of the factors defends against suppliers. The defense against substitutes is Marlboros decreased susceptibility to a price ceiling and the brand name loyalty advantage. Due to the position of market leader, Philip Morris and Marlboro have strong defenses against factors in the industrial environment. Their defensive position allows them these perks and if the market is not too effected by litigations pending, it looks to be a very sustainable advantage. Growth strategies of Marlboro have been product development or line extensions. They have created new products like Marlboro Lights and Marlboro Menthol and introduced them in the same market. They have also employed a family of branding such as specific brands (Marlboro, Virginia Slims, and Newport) that target certain segments and offer different images. Marlboro is well positioned and successfully maintaining the leadership position in the mature life cycle stage. They have retained this position through differentiation and product development. These have helped and will continue to help, if the market stays stable, Marlboro extend the mature life cycle and remain market leader. Now we are going to focus and emphasis some major factors in the current marketing mix not yet discussed. These factors are the product, pricing, promotion, and distribution. The product strategy is differentiation and being widely available through distribution. As market leader, Marlboro has taken the Defensive Warfare. They have had the courage to attack themselves through line extensions, and have expanded the market with their family of brands. Strengths of their product position is that the company has a strong position. They are not over, under, confused, or doubtful in their positioning of Marlboro. It makes sense, is not too narrow, is stable and consistent, and consumers believe in the higher quality of the brand. The high brand loyalty and perceived higher quality help the positioning of the product to be strong. Some weaknesses of the product are mainly environmental. Societys view of smoking has changed. Smoking used to be considered glamorous and beautiful, now most buildings are smoke free. Smokers have to huddle outside in rain, sleet, and shine and enjoy their cigarettes. Restrictions on advertising for tobacco products have increased. Outdoor advertising has recently been taken away. The only traditional medium appropriate to find tobacco product advertisements is print. There have also been legal backlashes due to health risks of nicotine use. A negative view of tobacco companies that is prominent in society is one of shiftiness and shadiness. Plus in medium unavailable to the tobacco companies, there has been an influx of anti-smoking campaigns. But even with all of the weaknesses of the market, Marlboro has remained brand leader. The branding strategy of Philip Morris, as mentioned before, is family of branding. Marlboro follows a family branding strategy. Marlboro would be considered the megabrand and Marlboro Lights/ Ultra Lights/ Menthol would be considered the subbrands. This some what follows Ries and Ries 22 Laws of Immutable Branding. Ries and Ries say that family of branding is good, while family branding takes away from the product. Marlboro follows many of the suggestions made by Ries and Ries. Marlboro has a unique and one of a kind name that helps set it apart from other cigarettes. Marlboro also owns a word, that word is rugged. The cowboy, who embodies a sense of a great American tradition, represents this ruggedness. There are many characteristics highly valued in our society that are related directly to cowboy. Marlboro has also been continuously consistent in their brand imaging (with the cowboy) and packaging. Changes have been slight and industry wide, like the introduction to Lights, Ultra Lights, and hard packs. Some other ways in which Marlboro follows Ries and Ries suggestions are their law of color, law of quality, and law of extensions. As mentioned above, Marlboro has followed Ries and Ries law of consistency. They have done this not only in the handling of their brand image, but also in the look of their packaging. Marlboro does not follow all of the suggestions from Ries and Ries. One is their law of publicity. With all of the trials impending and the changed view of society on smoking and tobacco companies, publicity has not helped the product or the market. Though the Philip Morris Foundation would be an excellent vehicle for publicity, they have decided to advertise. If they would let the newspapers and reporters take the drivers seat, consumers might believe it more. Even with all of the problems the industry is seeing, Marlboro is still the brand leader. The high brand loyalty is the key factor to Marlboros dominance in the market. They achieved brand loyalty by being first movers, becoming established, quality of their product, and consistency. This has helped them endure through the turbulent times in the industry. Brand equity is also very important to the product. Marlboro has a lot of brand equity. It has high brand loyalty that increases trade leverage, attracts new customers, and gives consumers a reassurance in you product. The high brand awareness is due in part of it being brand leader. Marlboro sticks out in the mind of consumers, including non-smokers because of familiarity, and is seen as a brand to consider. The perceived quality is very high for Marlboro. It is positioned as a premium brand and the price leader. Marlboro is also closely associated with its parent company, Philip Morris. Philip Morris is currently creating an image as a socially conscious company. This indirectly creates a positive image for Marlboro. And as the market leader, Marlboro has a competitive advantage. All of these factors increase Marlboros brand equity. This brand equity helps the consumer by increasing satisfaction, confidence in purchase and helps them to process information by setting a reference point. Brand equity helps the firms by assisting in creating efficient and effective marketing programs, increasing brand loyalty, to independently set prices, aid in brand extensions, increase trade leverage, and competitive advantage. This is shown through the increase of shares from 1998 to 1999 (1999 Annual Report) even though there has been an increase in restrictions. The increases help demonstrate the power of brand equity. The nineties ushered in a time of relationship marketing. Customer Services programs were the most popular way many companies played the new game. Marlboro and Philip Morris are no different. Marlboro offers Marlboro Miles to their customers. Collect a certain amount of miles and order items out of a catalogue them have Marlboro written all over them. This gives current customers perk and draws in new customers. Philip Morris started the Philip Morris Foundation, a service charity and created a new slogan. Their community service relief is aiding in creating a new image for the Philip Morris company. Instead of a seedy, shady cigarette manufacture, Philip Morris is helping society and is socially conscious. Some recommendations for Philip Morris and Marlboro are to let the news organizations cover your good work. Perhaps send out press releases of activities the Philip Morris Foundation are involved in. Dont stop the advertisements, it creates awareness and since Marlboro and Philip Morris are so closely associated it helps separate them during the legal mess and hopefully will have a carry-over effect from Philip Morris to Marlboro. They need to continue the programs that are working for them. These things are the consistent image of the brand, being a first mover to comply with government regulations, and in creating the image of a socially conscious company. They also could introduce a new product, a line extension, of the brand leader Marlboro. They need to introduce a product that offers what no other cigarette offers, waterproof packaging. Pricing Strategy Marlboro is a very well known company with many subsidiaries. The pricing strategy followed by the tobacco portion of the company is one where the primary objective is to simply sell the most products possible through promotions and brand-loyalty. For the first part, demand has been proven to be inelastic. Even if the United States Government enacts bills where cigarette taxes grow even further, customer brand-loyalty will still exist strongly. In fact, history has shown that demand is very, very inelastic, meaning higher prices dont necessarily translate into equivalent reductions in consumption. (Kennedy, p30, June 1998) Indeed, the one out of six tobacco smokers that use Marlboro products have proven their preference not to change. Secondly, Marlboro uses a fair amount of discounting in order to retain its customer base. The company, two times a year, will run promotions where consumers can buy two packs and receive a third for free. This has been shown to not only keep customers who are loyal to Phillip Morris, but will also tend to take away from the competition. According to the article, Experts Pick: Marlboro, by Nathaniel Kennedy, every time the campaign is launched, Marlboro gains a substantial portion of market share. (Kennedy, p31, June 1998) However, competitors have follwed the lead of Marlboro. They too run the same promotions that, in turn, balance out the market share that Marlboro had just recently taken. Because competition is so fierce, the majority of Marlboro pricing strategy is to promote lower prices. In fact, Marlboroshows that you dont have to make cars and trucks to make money. It has the second-highest profit margins among the top-ten U. S. manufacturers.(Hedden, p26, October 1996) The reason being is simple. Marlboro does not sell low enough for it to be considered a generic, but it does keep its prices compatible with its closest competitors. For example, in Mexico, Marlboro and its Mexican producer Cigarrera La Tabacelera Mexicana are temporarily reducing the price of Marlboro cigarettes in Mexico by 20%. (p2, March 1997) The move is an attempt to beat the competition of cigarette smugglers, who are illegally importing the cheaper U.S.-manufactured cigarettes and selling them at steep discounts. Furthermore, the company must fight in the face of many legal competitors as well. With three main competitors, RJ Reynolds, Brown ; Williamson and Lorillard, Marlboro strives to keep its products at a quality level and it prices competitive with the other leaders in the industry. The aforementioned laws of the United States governments have also proved to be a stiff competitor to the companys overall successes. Through maintaining low prices, an inelastic demand and well-placed discounts, Marlboro share of the market is more than doubling its closest rival. However, that demand could easily switch hands at any time. Marlboro relies too heavily upon brand-loyalty to assume that it would always be the leader. Newcomers are plentiful, and it will take a lot of work for the company to maintain its current market share. Indeed, with cigarette prices on the rise as much as they are, consumers are more likely to become, in the future, more price-sensitive than they currently are. If Marlboro falls into the age-old trap of incumbent inertia, there is a good possibility that the corporation will lose their number one spot in the industry. To prevent market loss, Marlboro needs to pay close attention to consumers preferences and any new additions to the industry (such as a less harmful cigarette). Marlboro will be able to keep on top of the game. Technology is the key here, and the corporation must do everything possible to be ahead of it. Promotion Strategy The biggest problems that Marlboro faces today are health problems and advertising to children. To combat these issues, the company uses a substantial amount of promotion and goodwill to keep its high-quality name. For the first part, the company is constantly giving to charities and running television commWords/ Pages : 10,492 / 24