Nike and Reebok an Example by

Nike  and  Reebok by Expert Prof. Cecil | 13 Dec 2016 Description of the Primary Industry of the segment: Need essay sample on "NikeandReebok" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Nike and Reebok belong to the sports equipment industry. They produce sportswear for everybody in both indoor and out door sports. They have also been producing sport monitoring equipment and gadgets. Nike is based in Oregon, in US. (Foot wear global market, Online)Reebok on the other hand was acquired by Adidas by 2006 for $8 billion. Reebok are British based. (Reebok, Online) Current Annual Sales: By the end of year 2007, Nike's annual sale had risen to $17 billion. (Foot wear global market, Online). Just ahead of take over by Adidas, Reebok had revenue of $825 million in the 2005 first quarter. (Reebok Earning, Online). Today, Adidas has revenue of about $8 billion after taking over Reebok. Reebok contributed $ 4 billion to these sales. (ESPN, Online). Market Share relative to its competitors Nike has 37% of the market share and is actually the market leaders in that segment. It is followed by other mix of firms at 29% then Adidas is third with 22%, Puma is fourth with 7% and new balance is fifth with 6%. (Foot wears global market, Online) Reebok on the other hand takes 8.8% on the market share after the acquisition by Adidas. (Reebok Earnings, Online). Historic growth rate: Trends and characteristics related to the industry as a whole (life cycle stage in industry) This industry has been growing at a decreasing rate. Citing from 2003 to 2004, the growth for sports apparel went up by about $7.5 billion which translated to over 12%. In the following financial year to 2005, there was a growth of under $ 4 billion which translated to only 6%. Therefore the life cycle at the moment is at lag phase. (Foot wear global market, Online).Reebok has had a slow growth rate up to the time it was acquired by Adidas. (Reebok Stores, Online) Projected growth rate Overall, Nike will have a reduced growth rate in the total market. Specifically Europe will have a reduced growth while China has a steady growth that will boom toward 2008 when they host the Beijing Olympics. Nike will be sponsoring the event. Nike has a project growth rate of 7% for the next 10 years. (Foot wears global market, Online). Reebok have a 10 years projected growth rate of 4.7%. (Fortunes 500, Online). Major customer group within the industry (businesses, government, consumers and expected demand) The trend for the customers has been a steady shift to the low performance consumer who is not necessarily involved in sports. The big markets have continued to be in US and Europe. Generally the low performers are the most consumed at average 88 - 100% followed by the athletic products at average 58- 87% and finally the fashion products at average 0-57%. (Foot wear global market, Online). How similar products are distributed within the industry Across the industry for Nike, footwear contributes $7.965 billions, Apparels contribute $ 4.168 billions, Equipment contributes $0.873 billions while other products contribute $ 1.954 billions. (Foot wear global market, Online). Sales force options/ media available Nike uses low advertising strategies to push the sales up. In 2006, they spent $ 1.74 billion on the aggregate advertising strategies which translated to just 11% of its revenue. However their force for sales lies on well networked retail system. Nike has in the past used the Beetles songs, and Chinese theme advertisements. (Foot wear global market, Online). Reebok on the other hand have been active on sponsorships such as the NBA and other sporting functions. (Reebok Stores, Online) Barriers to exit to operate in this market place The barriers for exit for Nike from this market segment are the multi billion sponsorship arrangement and contracts that have been made by the respective sport organs and athletes. They are also the market leaders. (Foot Wear Global Market, Online). The exit barriers for Reebok are very high due to its acquisition by Adidas whom the have become entity. (ESPN, 2008.) Macro - environmental analysis The Sociological Conditions conditions that impact on Nike are the preferences for low performance products. This has seen the rise of demand of low cost footwear and apparels always from the core sport gear. (Foot wear global market, Online) The Technical Conditions that affect Nike are its manufacturing locations. Nike has most of its manufacturing plants in Asia and especially in China but that will soon impact on its distributions technicalities with rising stiff competition. (Foot wear global market, Online). The technical conditions that affect Reebok are it current acquisition status that means management will not be as independent as before. (ESPN, Online) The economic conditions that face Nike are the rising wage bill especially in China which takes more than 35% of its world manufacturing share. This has been going up by over 10% per year. From 2002 to 2005 there was a rise of over 17% in wage bill. Nike also has the second highest operating margin at 8.8% after Adidas. They spend over 11% of the revenue in advertising. Nike has 418 mega store worldwide. (Foot wear global market, Online). The Economic conditions that affect Reebok are its dwindling sales due to poor brand positioning. (Reebok Stores, Online). The Environmental conditions that affect Nike are its good compliance with product recycle that has earned it a high slot in global ratings. (Foot wear global market, Online). Reebok on the other hand was recently fined $1million for violations of Federal Hazardous Substances Act. This was following an import of lead laden bracelets which are considered toxic. (Environment News Service, Online). The Political Conditions that affect Nike are concerns for human right. Nike has been accused of exploitation of laborers in Far East, Asia, Mexico. They have also been accused of disempowering women with some of their campaign strategies in the East Asia. There are also allegations of child labor. (Foot wear global market, Online). The political conditions that affect Reebok are the market image following the acquisition by Adidas. (Reebok Stores, Online) Any Cultural Changes that influence Nike and Reebok Both Nike and Reebok has been moving from the cultural product advertisement to celebrity promotion styles. They are contracting major sport personalities to sell their brands globally. (Foot wear global market, Online) Works Cited ESPN: Adidas buy of Reebok would boost US market Share. Footwear Global Market: Nike Market Share. Available at http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Nike_(NKE)#Market_Share . Accessed on March 21, 2008. Fortunes 500: Reebok. Available at http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500_archive/snapshots/2003/1113.html . Accessed on March 21, 2008. Reebok Stores: Available at http://store.reebok.com/home/index.jsp Accessed on March 21, 2008. Reebok Earning. Available at http://www.reebok.com/useng/ir/press/2005/Q1_2005_Earnings.htm Accessed on March21, 2008.

Ode To A Nightingale Essays

Ode To A Nightingale Essays Ode To A Nightingale Essay Ode To A Nightingale Essay Both poems convey similar messages about life but in perspective Ode To A Grecian Urn seems to differ in some ways depending on the way you see the poem. In this poem we realise that Keats also tries to tell us that being human and having ups and downs of life is in some ways better than being still and never changing. On the urn things stay the same, the people on the urn never get to fulfil their desires as much as they would wish to as they are still. In life we can even though there are consequences to every action humans take whether it is bad or good. Keats describes the urn as a Cold Pastoral. This is maybe because the urn is lifeless, and in some ways humans prefer things that change and things that are warm in comparison to a cold lifeless never changing urn. In the lifetime of this urn it will remain the same, unlike life which is always changing which can be seem as more preferable than being an urn. Keats was attracted to the imaginary world of the urn as the places in the urn stayed the same forever. He wanted to be immortal like the Nightingale and the people on the Urn because he believed that as a human that as you get older life gets worse as a consequence of growing less attractive and dying and being frailer. In Ode To A Nightingale he says Where beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, but this contrasts with the statement in Ode To A Grecian Urn, which says For ever wilt thou love and she be fair. As one poem is about something that is natural and one poem is about something that is a piece of art it is harder to say what each one says about art. An urn is a vase like container made of pottery or stone with rounded bodies and narrow necks. They were widely used in ancient Greece and Rome to preserve the Ashes of the dead. As his brother was dying and many people he knew had already died it would not have been unusual for Keats to write about something like this. Ode To A Grecian Urn is an indoor poem; and deals with art and not nature. In this poem he also mentions the Elgin Marbles and other examples of Greek art. I think that Keats in some ways tries to convey the message that art is superior to human life. This is maybe because of the fact that things like the Urn do not change and the people in the Urn are always happy, much unlike human life although they are static. And because they cannot move it is in some ways not as superior to life as he might think. Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn? And, little town, thy streets for evermore will silent be. In some ways this is an advantage but in other ways it is also a relatively bad thing. In human life we get to fulfill our desires even though it leads us to undesirable consequences. The fact that things cannot be experiences fully in the immortal world described in Ode To A Nightingale s also shown in Ode To A Grecian Urn. For example, when Keats describes a couple shown on the urn, they are frozen at a good time in their relationship but they will never get to go any further and reach maximum happiness as they are frozen. Keats again decides that he would prefer to have extreme feelings of good or bad rather than always feeling okay Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss, though winning near the goal.

Battle of Peebles Farm in the Civil War

Battle of Peebles Farm in the Civil War Battle of Peebles Farm - Conflict Dates:   The Battle of Peebles Farm was fought September 30 to October 2, 1864, during the American Civil War and was part of the large Siege of Petersburg. Battle of Peebles Farm - Armies Commanders: Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. GrantMajor General George G. MeadeMajor General Gouverneur K. Warren29,800 men Confederate General Robert E. LeeLieutenant General A.P. Hillapprox. 10,000 Battle of Peebles Farm - Background: Advancing against General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia in May 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and Major General George G. Meades Army of the Potomac first engaged the Confederates at the Battle of the Wilderness.  Continuing the fighting through May, Grant and Lee clashed at Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna, and Cold Harbor.  Blocked at Cold Harbor, Grant elected to disengage and marched south to cross the James River with the goal of securing the key railroad center of  Petersburg and isolating Richmond.  Beginning their march on June 12, Grant and Meade crossed the river and began pushing towards Petersburg.  They were aided in this effort by elements of Major General Benjamin F. Butlers Army of the James. While Butlers initial assaults against Petersburg commenced on June 9, they failed to break through the Confederate lines.  Joined by Grant and Meade, subsequent attacks on June 15-18 drove the Confederates back but did not carry the city.  Entrenching opposite the enemy, Union forces began the Siege of Petersburg.  Securing his line on the Appomattox River in the north, Grants trenches extended south towards Jerusalem Plank Road.  Analyzing the situation, the Union leader concluded that the best approach would be to move against the Richmond Petersburg, Weldon, and Southside Railroads which supplied Lees army in Petersburg.  As Union troops attempted to move south and west around Petersburg, they fought several engagements including Jerusalem Plank Road (June 21-23) and Globe Tavern (August 18-21).  Additionally, a frontal assault was made against the Confederate works on July 30 at the Battle of the Crater. Battle of Peebles Farm - The Union Plan: Following the fighting in August, Grant and Meade achieved the goal of severing the Weldon Railroad.  This compelled Confederate reinforcements and supplies to disembark to the south at Stony Creek Station and move up Boydton Plank Road to Petersburg.  In late September, Grant directed Butler to mount an attack against Chaffins Farm and New Market Heights on the north side of the James.  As this offensive moved forward, he intended to push Major General Gouverneur K. Warrens V Corps west towards Boydton Plank Road with assistance on the left from Major General John G. Parkes IX Corps.  Additional support would be provided by a division from Major General Winfield S. Hancocks II Corps and a cavalry division led by Brigadier General David Gregg.  It was hoped that Butlers attack would force Lee to weaken his lines south of Petersburg to reinforce the Richmond defenses. Battle of Peebles Farm - Confederate Preparations: Following the loss of the Weldon Railroad, Lee directed that a new line of fortifications be constructed to the south to protect Boydton Plank Road.  While work on these progressed, a temporary line was built along Squirrel Level Road near Peebles Farm.  On September 29, elements of Butlers army succeeded in penetrating the Confederate line and captured Fort Harrison.  Gravely concerned about its loss, Lee began weakening his right below Petersburg to send forces north to re-take the fort.  As result, dismounted cavalry was posted to the Boydton Plank and Squirrel Level lines while those parts of Lieutenant General A.P. Hills Third Corps that remained south of the river were held back as a mobile reserve to deal with any Union incursions.   Battle of Peebles Farm - Warren Advances: On the morning of September 30, Warren and Parke moved forward.  Reaching the Squirrel Level line near Poplar Spring Church around 1:00 PM, Warren paused before directing Brigadier General Charles Griffins division to attack.  Capturing Fort Archer at the southern end of the Confederate line, Griffins men caused the defenders to break and retreat in a rapid fashion.  Having nearly had his corps badly defeated at Globe Tavern the previous month by Confederate counterattacks, Warren paused and directed his men to connect the newly-won position to the Union lines at Globe Tavern.  As a result, V Corps did not resume their advance until after 3:00 PM. Battle of Peebles Farm - The Tide Turns: Responding to crisis along the Squirrel Level Line, Lee recalled Major General Cadmus Wilcoxs division which had been en route to aid in the fighting at Fort Harrison.  The pause in the Union advance led to a gap emerging between V Corps and Parke on the left.  Increasingly isolated, XI Corps worsened their situation when its right division got ahead of the rest of its line.  While in this exposed position, Parkes men came under heavy attack by Major General Henry Heths division and that of the returning Wilcox.  In the fighting, Colonel John I. Curtins brigade was driven west towards the Boydton Plank Line where a large part of it was captured by Confederate cavalry.  The rest of Parkes men fell back before rallying at the Pegram Farm just north of the Squirrel Level Line. Reinforced by some of Griffins men, IX Corps was able to stabilize its lines and turned back the pursuing enemy.  The next day, Heth resumed attacks against the Union lines but was repulsed with relative ease.  These efforts were supported by Major General Wade Hamptons cavalry division which attempted to get in the Union rear.  Covering Parkes flank, Gregg was able to block Hampton.  On October 2, Brigadier General Gershom Motts II Corps came forward and mounted an assault towards the Boydton Plank Line.  Thought it failed to carry the enemys works, it allowed Union forces to construct fortifications close to the Confederate defenses. Battle of Peebles Farm - Aftermath: Union losses in the fighting at the Battle of Peebles Farm numbered 2,889 killed and wounded while Confederate losses totaled 1,239.  Though not decisive, the fighting saw Grant and Meade continue to push their lines south and west towards the Boydton Plank Road.  Additionally, Butlers efforts north of the James succeeded in capturing part of the Confederate defenses.  Fighting would resume above the river on October 7, while Grant waited until later in the month to attempt another effort south of Petersburg.  This would result in the Battle of Boydton Plank Road which opened on October 27.   Selected Sources National Park Service: Battle of Peebles FarmCWSAC Battle Summaries: Battle of Peebles FarmSiege of Petersburg: Battle of Peebles Farm

Oil and Gas Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Oil and Gas Management - Essay Example However things are not as simple as they might look. According to various examples and researches it is believed that countries that enjoy abundance in resources are on average less likely to attain economic development in comparison with countries that do not (Heum, Kasande, Ekern, and Nyombi, 2011). Porter (1985) has explored the progressions of various combinations of actions or activities that are performed in order to come up with the final product for the customers. The process involved different actions and services carried out on the specific product from beginning till the end i.e. from extracting the product till the product is manufactured and later distributed to the final customers. However the analysis of Porter can be significantly applied to separate entity or firm (single firm) and can also be applied on number of firms or organizations keeping one thing under consideration i.e. their interconnections amongst each other in the supply chain context or in simple words the link among manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and customers in a specific area or globally (Tordo, Tracy, and Arfaa, 2011). Meanwhile the value chain supply system of the oil and gas industry with reference to social value creation has been highlighted below Oil and gas sector value chain comprises of various procedures initiating from development, processing, transporting and marketing of the product (oil) to the end user or consumers. The process of value chain in the oil and gas sector begins from allocating areas in order to later search or explore those areas for oil and gas. However soon after the basic search for oil or gas, evaluations are carried out on the grounds or fields; development and production are the other two things that are carried out later. The overall procedure is also known as Exploration and Production (E&P) or in other words it is also known as

Foensic Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Foensic Accounting - Assignment Example Practicing sales of the company’s merchandise during off-hours can also result in â€Å"off-book† frauds. Ways to prevent this include: surveillance of the employees at all point-of-sales; investigating of gaps in the transaction sequence or the pre-numbered receipts; and encouraging customers to ask for receipts for any purchases made so as to make employees ring up sales. Case management software refers to an immensely powerful tool used by investigators to conduct timely, effective and efficient investigations in an organization. It can be used to investigate issues such as workers’ compensation cases, customer cases, fraud and insurance claims among others (Silverstone & Sheetz, 2007). It works in a variety of forms including alerts to the mangers or investigators when a new case is entered, capturing of new referrals by employees when they notice any form of fraud but, anonymously, and identifying of repeat offenders of misconduct in an organization. Mostly, this software is used in internal investigations and risk management in a

Aqa Business Studies Essay Example for Free

Aqa Business Studies Essay Explain two benefits to them of setting up the business as a partnership. (4 marks) Explain two ways that Expresso Printing Ltd could motivate its two new employees (4 Marks) Explain two possible effects on Good for Us of lowering its prices (4 Marks) Good for Us prides itself in providing good customer service. Explain two ways in which Good for Us could provide good customer service (4 Marks) Explain the benefits to Darren of producing a business plan (4 Marks) Explain two benefits to Darren of aiming his product range at a gap in the market (4 Marks) Explain why the charity uses volunteers in the shop and not paid workers (4 Marks) Explain why the profit or loss made in November 2010 has changed from the ? 50 000 profit made in November 2009. (4 marks) Using the data in Figure 1, calculate the profit or loss made by Atkins Ltd in November 2010. (4 Marks) Explain why it is important and how does it benefit Atkins Ltd for having a high quality product. (4 Marks) Explain one advantage and one disadvantage for Jenny of operating as a franchise. 4 Marks) Explain two possible reasons why A to Z Frames has highly paid workers (4 Marks) Explain how STS would benefit from improving its customer service. (4 Marks) State one other source of finance and explain why it might be suitable for Tony and Rima (4 Marks) Explain the possible effects on Meals for All of using cheaper ingredients (4 Marks) Describe the effect that the opening of the new pizza takeaway might have on two different groups of stakeholders of Marco’s business (4 Marks) Explain what other information Marco would need to consider before deciding whether to reduce his price (4 Marks) Explain two advantages to Budget Signs Ltd of using batch production to produces its large range of standard signs (4 Marks) Explain two advantages to Budget Signs Ltd of using job production to produces its large range of standard signs (4 Marks) Explain two disadvantages to Budget Signs Ltd of using batch production to produces its large range of standard signs (4 Marks) Explain two disadvantages to Budget Signs Ltd of using job production to produces its large range of standard signs (4 Marks) State and explain two reasons why the company mainly employs part – time staff State and explain two reasons why the company mainly employs full – time staff Explain two benefits to them of setting up the business as a company. (4 marks) Explain two benefits to them of setting up the business as a franchise. (4 marks) Explain two benefits to them of setting up the business as a partnership. (4 marks)

The Cuban Legend of the Owl and the Sijú Essay -- Urban Legends Siju

The Owl and the Sijà º The legend of "La lechuza y el sijà º" ("The Owl and the Sijà º") is a popular and old Cuban legend. I collected this legend on March 17th, when I first talked to Denise Corte, my co-worker at my campus job, about this particular class assignment. She is a Brazilian doctoral student whose thesis is based on a Cuban theater group. She traveled to Cuba to follow this theater group that primarily focuses their plays on Cuban legends. When she heard about my assignment she was enthusiastic, as her dissertation is based on the exploration of Cuban legends. She generously told me about a legend that she had included in her own work, concerning an owl and a sijà º, a nocturnal bird native to Cuba. This legend was told to her in Spanish, so she graciously translated it into English. The patakà ­n (legend of Yoruba) concerns the story of a beautiful, mysterious, and wise princess who lived in a very small country. After a war to expel a tyrant, it was proclaimed that all citizens would be equal. Anyone who wanted to put an end to tyranny would find a home in that land. One day, a traveler from a country enveloped in eternal darkness arrived in search of light. The princess saw him and thought he was sick. Confused, she asked her grandmother what to do: "Oye tres dà ­as al zunzà ºn, otros tres dà ­as al canario. La verdad solo tà º la sabes. El remà ©dio està ¡ en tus manos" ("Listen to the zunzà ºn for three days, and other three days to the canary. Only you know the truth. The remedy is in your hands") answered the grandmother. The princess did as recommended, but the only thing she heard was "mal de amor se cura amando" ("lovesickness is cured by loving"). The traveler also sought the old woman, received the same counsel, and heard ... ...n and achieving equality. Also, the legend focuses on how the truth lives on forever and can be heard only by those who are pure at heart. This is demonstrated by the tree of eternal truths, where the princess told the story about her lover, that would not seem "different than any other tree" to liars. This could lead to the interpretation that, despite the tyranny that they were suffering under, the slaves still had hope that their traditions and beliefs would last forever and would only be heard by those that would understand and appreciate them. Works Cited Ayorinde, Christine. Afro-Cuban Religiosity, Revolution, and National Identity. Gainsville: University Press of Florida, 2004 Brown, David. Santeria Enthroned. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2003. Clark, Mary Ann. "Santeria." 2000. 09 Apr. 2005 http://sparta.rice.edu/~maryc/Santeria.

The AXE Man

Advertisement, itself, is a creative genre in these post-modern days of ideas. If people in the future were to search for artifacts of our culture, in hopes of finding something that gives them insight into our culture and our life, they will be able to see what we leave behind in this consumer-driven world. Our ancestors left behind arrow heads and pottery, and we will leave behind a lot more that can easily communicate about who we are and what is important to us. Commercials and the products they advertise are some of the most important cultural artifacts in our society. They communicate what is important to or influences our culture, the good and the bad, because within any culture it is natural for the many different aspects of that culture to be portrayed on the screen or the page, from our stereotypes and biases, to what makes us proud and what makes us ashamed. One commercial that seems to represent an artifact of American culture is the recent AXE commercial, where a young man on a beach begins to spray AXE cologne, attracting literally hundreds of buxom beauties in bikinis, with the slogan being â€Å"Spray more, Get more†. The implications here about the way our culture stereotypes gender and what types of images we find to be suitable becomes part of the artifact and what it stands for in our culture. The first part of the advert shows a woman running in a wilderness. The first question that comes to mind is if this is a spoof of the new Mel Gibson movie â€Å"Apocalypto†? The theme of said movie is the hunter-hunted type of thriller where the protagonist is always on the run (from an AXE man perhaps? ). This is further implied by the choice of music – â€Å"Deus Irae† by Karl Jenkins which appears on his album â€Å"Requiem†. But then the video shows something else. There are many more than women running and therefore this is something else. The women are all focused with the task of reaching the goal first. They are single-minded indeed, to the point of being obsessed with whatever it is that made them run in the first place. All are jockeying for position and intense shoving and pushing is seen in the first few seconds. The second thing that hits the viewer is the fact that the women are not properly clad. If they are indeed going for a late afternoon jog then where is the sports wear needed to do the job? It is not usually normal to run with skimpy clothing! Then the next thing that hits the viewer is the fact that these are not only a group of young women running but it is actually a swarm. The multitude running together indicates mass hysteria. At this point the audience is becoming interested to know what this anarchy is all about; are they hunting for something? Again similarities can be drawn with â€Å"Apocalypto†. The next scene makes the video a bit confusing as a shot is taken from the other side of the terrain – a shot of the ocean where a similar number of horde of women are swimming frantically towards the shore. For a minute there one thinks that this may be something about the â€Å"Iron Woman† competition. But then it becomes clear as the video gives a top shot that shows where all the women are heading. The swarm is converging on the shore where a solitary male figure was spraying AXE cologne, specifically AXE Lynx. And the text flashed in the end saying, â€Å"Spray more. Get more. † If the AXE commercials are to be marked as anything of immediate interest, the popular tags that come to mind immediately are â€Å"pornographic advert† or â€Å"advert with sexual overtones. † Such terms are quite befitting as we find the women who are running from different topographical extremes have svelte, well-maintained physiques with sexual appeal, and the man on the beach stands armed with AXE cologne to attract more such women by spraying more of the heart-smashing fragrance. Commercials stand as an important artifact that can be used to understand a culture, and this commercial in particular says a lot about certain gender-related issues. Commercials such as this are not only for entertainment value, they are subconsciously sending messages to a population of people that view what they see on television as truth and fact. Someday, people will study such commercials in search of something historically or culturally important to our generation and will quickly realize that for all of our advances in our way of thinking and our technology, we were still submitting ourselves to the humiliation of gender-related stereotypes and sexually explicit material. If sexual excesses are not used deliberately, then why has such a slogan been floated in the air: Spray more, Get more? Is it not somewhat pornographic, tickling the fancy of men with the promise of winning an armful of femme fatales at one sprinkle of AXE? Why again a horde of belles are needed with immense sexual charms if no sexual implications are intended? When a condom, a bra or lingerie is advertised, the same types of images are blatantly paraded across the television screen, the sexual overtones not even subtle anymore. Even in odd places do we see such use of sexuality to sell a product, like the commercials that are for car insurance but are cartoons, using the cartoon character of a cute, busty girl to try and sell insurance for someone’s automobile. Even Pizza Hut commercials use Jessica Simpson’s sexuality to sell pizza, and Pepsi has been notorious for using stars such as Madonna to sell their product. The fact is that sex sells. Thus, if categorically the artifact is to be judged, then it is a piece of advertisement in the first place and then it is pornographic i. e. an advert with sexual overtones. In my view, whatever nomenclature may be piled on the term â€Å"advertisement†, it is a creative way of presenting an object or a commodity. So I would like to call it innovative advertisement. If we move a step further we will be able to see that innovative and sexually-exploitive adverts apply to all sorts of business tricks to catch the consumer youth. There is yet another genre that this advert falls into, and that is humorous. Despite its sexual overtones, the commercial is filmed in such a way that, at first glance, it appears to be harmless, comedic tone and all. The public seems to be very forgiving of any images or messages that are not politically correct when there is humor involved, as in this case. There is no complaining from the public even if a salacious picture or video clipping is used in order to make a commodity attractive to the target audience. It may appear denigrating in the eye of a few thoughtful, conservative people, but to hit the bull’s eye of consumerism, it is a weapon, a necessity, the need of the hour. In fact, this advert was shown only once on British television prior to a World Cup football game where it has reached near cult status. I never considered myself to be a conservative person, not even a little bit. I really thought the AXE commercial to be a great one with a sense of humor, but after I observed it many times closely, there were several things really bothering me. While it is common knowledge that marketers are using sex to sell their products, the issue that arises with this commercial is that it tried to hide the sexual content behind the product itself. The text did not imply anything sexual and therefore no one can accuse AXE of intentionally telling men of the benefits of using their cologne in terms of their becoming attractive sexually, but the imagery is enough to convince the viewer that it is selling the product through sex. In other words, AXE is using the fantasies of young men to bring them in as consumers of their product by promising them, visually, that there is something about their product that attracts women. If there is a law regulating sexual themes in advertising then it seems that the AXE advert is trying to beat the system. Those who do not agree with the blatant use of sex in advertising, be it implied or explicit, must heed the words of Tom Reichert when he wrote, â€Å"†¦other forms of sexual information is woven into ads [†¦] sexual content can vary in form and meaning, it is important to provide an overview of recurring representations of sex in advertising† (Reichert, 2003). The bone of contention here is how to draw the line between what is acceptable and what is not. J. Sivulka had warned that â€Å"when scholars have explained the changing nature of sex in advertising, they have often viewed this shift as an evolution from a relatively innocent representation of a sexually alluring woman to a new type of image, in which sex is explicit† (Sivulka, 2003). The world it seems is divided over what kind of judgment to give this sort of TV commercial, but fo r those who are looking for substance there is only one verdict. For those who are tired of being given information that is not based on truth but rather on assumptions and pop culture, the verdict is not positive. In the AXE commercial the first thing that does not escape the viewer is the stereotyping of the female. Geral Tellis observed that, â€Å"One of the most common criticisms of advertising is the gender stereotyping [†¦] endorsers are typically presented as young, beautiful, and sexually attractive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tellis, 2004). As a female watching this commercial I felt it not only was the dreaded stereotyping being used but also the fact that women were depicted as not having the intellect to comprehend what was going on and furthermore, that women were not valued for their intellect at all, but for their appearance. The women were portrayed like buffoons, parading themselves with no regard for their self-worth, with no obvious intelligence (in direct contrast with the ‘Iron Woman’ comparison). Instead of showing a commercial where the images show an intelligent, well-mannered male using AXE cologne and attracting an intellectual and strong woman, we are bombarded with yet more images of the stereotypical buxom bimbo and in my opinion, that is an insult to the feminists out there who are championing woman’s equal rights, access to power and control. The AXE commercial made them look like they have no ability whatsoever to control their destiny, much alone their lives and they are purely driven by instincts. Lorraine Code asserts that this kind of reaction is not new and she wrote that in fact, â€Å"In the 1970s feminists criticized advertisements for portraying stereotypical images of women†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Code, 2000). Forget about the feminist stereotype, what is disturbing about the way women were depicted in the AXE ad is the fact that there is no truth to what was being communicated. Granting that commercials are not supposed to be whole truths, still the fact that something can be created wholly out of imagination is a bit of a stretch. Adding another aspect of then forcing people to accept it or maybe worse, manipulating people to behave in a certain way are actions not acceptable for a highly influential medium. A casual survey of the real world will immediately inform the observer that women do not behave like those in the said commercial. If the producer of the AXE commercial would come back and say that this is the whole point; that making fantastic claims and using pure creative imagination to sell something is the reality of advertising, then it is going to be hard to argue that line of reasoning. Even if this were the case, not everybody will agree with the producer. Many believe that advertising is no longer a neutral medium but that it is an artifact that has the capacity to transform society, especially how people think, and therefore it is a medium to be regulated. If one allows the producer of the AXE commercial the benefit of the doubt, that there was no intention to demean women and to insult their intelligence, then the problem keeps on compounding because the next group that would be insulted by this commercial is the male population, because while it is common to hear women being exploited, more and more men are being devalued by the media as well. There is a movement out there that forces the world to recognize the place of women in society. It is almost a normal experience to constantly hear of women being abused and misrepresented, but it may be taken for granted that men can also be stereotyped. That there is a whole assumption out there that men are savages and no smarter than wild beasts who are being controlled by their carnal instincts would be insulting to me if I was male, and I cannot believe that the media can stereotype both genders in such simple terms. To be honest, however, no man would stand up and say that his reputation is on the line because of such media exploitation. For them, it is somewhat absurd, but if truth can be told and truth be the standard of knowing what must be done in this society then someone has to point out the problem with the AXE commercial. What exactly is wrong about it in terms of the male image is that this time men are not depicted as buffoons in the same way that the ladies were depicted running around half-naked and half-crazed when a potent brew aroused their senses and they could not control themselves. This time men were assumed to be buffoons, period. This assumption is basically a belief that when men will see the commercial then they will not stop to think and evaluate what is being projected on screen. They will simply instinctively pick up their wallets, head for the store and buy a crate full of AXE cologne – and â€Å"spray more†. It is interesting to note that marketers are well aware of what they are doing to the male stereotype and the projection of an image that will make men want to buy the cologne. As suggested by Stephen Fox in his study of the history of American advertising, marketers in the past made the generalization that, â€Å"†¦all men are fools† (Fox, 1997). They have expanded this theory into something more useful, â€Å"†¦that while men may be fools and sinners, they are everlastingly on the search for that which is good† (Fox, 1997). Advertising is the guide that leads them to the path of bliss and truth; yet, there is one more weakness of the male psyche that is being exploited here, but it must first be understood that this commercial was not created with the general public in mind. It is quite probable that the target-segment are young men between puberty and their twenties. It is possible that the target-market are adolescent males who lack the confidence to take their place in the world and establish relationships with the opposite sex and therefore need a touch of courage, in this case in the form of AXE cologne. There is evidence pointing to the fact that the target market is indeed the teenager segment of the population. Buddenberg pointed out that, â€Å"†¦despite being more knowledgeable about advertising, teens are still very susceptible to it† (Buddenberg, 2004). Fox enumerated the common behaviors considered normal for teens: a) struggle with sense of identity; b) feeling awkward or strange about one’s self and one’s body; c) concerns regarding physical and sexual attractiveness to others; and, d) worries about being normal (Fox, 1997). If Fox’s theory proves right then what a powerful effect the AXE commercial must be having on the minds of the teenage males that watch it. The video suggests achieving power and control where there is none – by simply spraying more AXE. To be fair, however, I must say that the humorous nature of the commercial was, even to me, funny at the beginning and I did not take it serious on first glance. The women, making funny faces and rushing this geeky-looking young man whose eyes are huge as he watches the scene unfold before him was more of a comedic event than anything. In this way, the producer of this commercial was not, perhaps, trying to use stereotypes about men and women to influence our culture, but perhaps just trying to make an impression, something that is hard to do in a society filled with a flood of advertisements at every turn. Despite my misgivings about the commercial, I do not remember any other cologne commercials vividly, only AXE, and perhaps that was the point all along. The advertisement used in this study can make people react in many different ways. The more important issue to address is the potential offensive effect of the commercial to both men and women, at least to those who are sensitive enough to really analyze the content of the video. The problem with the video is that it depicts women as stupid and at the same time assumes that young men are stupid enough to believe what they are seeing and will not take the time to verify it. Moreover, the commercial is trying to hide its sexual content and that is not acceptable for those who are shielding children and the rest of the public from too much exposure to indecency. Still, at the core of the problem is the unceasing evolution of advertising. This time what is perceived to be improper will soon change in a few years time. This will continue until one day, parents and concerned citizens will one day wake up to see sex in advertising being shown explicitly without shame. At some point, American advertising will turn the corner and, just as now, we will simply sit back, watch, hence evolving as viewers too, and let the images convince us of something just as ridiculous as the assumptions made in the AXE cologne commercial. Having said that, however, the public is not as taken in by adverts as we once were and so advertisers may be responding accordingly by making adverts more humorous, shocking and ridiculous in order to capture our attention and remember the product in question which is being advertised. Then just as the advert may be mocking women and/or men it may just as easily be merely ‘tongue in cheek’ and using the satirical content to try and get the consumer to simply buy a product which makes you smell nice! So, whether it be gender stereotyped, intellectually backward or in direct contrast, intellectually superior in order to be able to appreciate the humor in the AXE advert and not take it too seriously, the artifacts our commercial culture is leaving behind are, sadly, not a representation of who we really are, but who were are told to be.

Case for Analysis Marching Towards Market Essay

Introduction Whirlpool Corporation is a Fortune 500 company and a global manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $20 billion. Whirlpool entered the Indian market in the late 80s, and had entrenched itself as a formidable player in the Indian home appliances market by the mid 1990s, with a comprehensive product portfolio covering washing machines, refrigerator, microwave ovens and air conditioners. Today, Whirlpool is one of the most recognized brand in home appliances in India and holds a market share of over 20%. While Whirlpool is an acknowledged player in many of the water purifier markets across the world for the past several years now, Whirlpool entered the growing water purifier market in India in 2008. Given its focus on â€Å"attaining market leadership through Customer loyalty†, Whirlpool aspires to be the market leader in the water purifier market by 2012. This case presents the situation of the water purifier market in India, and poses challenges that Whirlpool will have to overcome to achieve its vision of becoming the market leaders. Drinking Water : A perspective Even as world bodies and governments across the continents are strategizing to manage the growth humanity in a holistically sustainable manner, availability of safe drinking is a major area of concern for all. As high as 884 Mn people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly  one in eight of the world’s population. 1.4 million children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation – one child every 20 seconds. Approximately 80% of diseases in India are caused by water borne micro organisms. This is true in rural as well as urban India. However, awareness of health risks linked to unsafe water The use of water can be broadly divided in to two major categories, namely for Consumption (drinking, cooking etc) and Sanitation. This case focuses on water used for drinking purposes. A brief on Water Treatment methods Throughout human history, different methods of treating water before consumption have been devised. Up until about 100 years ago, it was always found that water flowing from natural springs was safe for drinking in its natural state, but in the 21 century even spring water is first scientifically tested before it is recommended or bottled for drinking. Each of the above methods carries with them significant disadvantages either from a convenience point of view or from health and hygiene perspective. This calls for more sophisticated methods of purifying water, to suit with the evolving lifestyles in the societies. Current State-of-the-Art Water Purification Technologies Today, the more sophisticated and commercially available water purifying technologies are, †¢ †¢ †¢ Manual fill Purifier (Drip Type) Ultra Violet (UV) purification Reverse Osmosis (RO) purification The latter two are generally referred to as Electronic Water Purifier technologies (EWP); by exception, the first one is referred to as Non EWP.  The above three are given in the order of chronological evolution, with RO technology being the latest in the Water Purification technology. The manual fill purifiers do not run on electricity, which is a scarce resource in many parts of rural India, and also have significantly lower costs in comparison to the EWPs. Interestingly , these manual fill purifiers which primarily use chlorine or UF technology are at par in performance with UV in terms of microbial protection. UV has been the oldest technology in the industry. It typically involves preliminary stages of filtration, followed by treating the filtered water through UV rays to deactivate the microbial organisms.   In the RO technology, even the smallest of microbial organisms are filtered using the reverse osmosis technology. RO technology especially scores over UV when the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) count in the source water is high . One disadvantage of RO systems is the wastage of significant quantum of water during its processing. Needless to say, the costs of the products under these different technologies increase from manual fill purifiers to UV purification systems to RO purification. The typical price range of manual fill purifier products is Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3500, while the UV products range in price between Rs. 4000 to Rs. 9000. The RO products are priced on the higher side starting from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 20000. Many products available in the market today in India use a combination of technologies but for the products in the lower end technologies (manual fill purifiers). Water Purifier Market in India The delivery of purified water in the Indian markets follow two conduits, namely, water purified in purification plants delivered to residences and other consumption locations (e.g. restaurants) in cans; and installation of water purification instruments at the place of usage. While the former  One of the oldest methods of treating water, and one still used constantly in Third World and often in developing nations or areas that have seen recent natural disasters, is boiling to kill microbes (but this causes loss of taste and may leave in dirt). Other methods of water treatment include filtering and distilling, use of chemical agents such as Iodine or Silver or Potassium Permanganate into the water supply, or the use of candle filters. methodology predominantly uses multiple technologies mentioned above, provides economies of scale and eliminates initial costs of investing in equipments, the costs involved in distribution of the treated water counters these economies of scale. The l atter provides for visibility and ease of use, which are significant perceived benefits in comparison to the former. While both the delivery mechanisms exist, the latter is fast catching up. This case focuses on the latter, which is typically referred to as the Water Purifier industry. This industry is broadly divided in to two categories namely Electronic Water Purifiers (EWP) comprising of products using UV or/and RO technologies and Non Electronic Water Purifiers (Non EWP) comprising of products that use the manual fill purifiers. Frost and Sullivan report of primary research in 2009, estimates the total market size of the Water Purifier industry in India to be 2000 Cr of which 63% is from product sales and 37% is after sales revenue. Despite the size of this industry, the Water Purifier industry in India has a low penetration (2% Urban and 0.5% All India) as per IRS 2007 and is growing at a strong rate (others use traditional water treatment methods like boiling and filtering, or use of chemical additives like Chlorine, Potassium permanganate etc). As per AC Nielson 2006 study( and internal estimates), the industry is expected to touch approx 2.3 mn units by the end of 2009. Expected growth rate of 15% and a CAGR (‘04-‘09) 21%. The average ASV of the industry is Rs 6700. With a size of approx 1.7mn (units), the EWP market is divided into 2 sub-segments – RO (30% sal) & UV (70%). The RO segment is the premium end of the category and has an ASV of Rs 12000 while UV has an ASV of Rs. 7000 .RO & UV growths , CAGRs(‘04-‘09) are (15% ,16%) and (10% ,10%) respectively. The Non-EWP segment operates at a sub 2K ASV (Rs 1900). This segment is witnessing an explosive growth with the entrance major players like HUL etc . The Annual growth rate was witnessed at 25% while CAGR(‘04-‘09) at 77%. It is important to note that the technology sold in a given local market is also dependent largely on the characteristics of the source drinking water in the given demography. For example, a region like Delhi with high TDS calls for RO technology, while regions like Cochin with low TDS would depend on products with UV technology. Also, one of the detriments to EWP products is the availability of continuous flow of source water and availability of power, both of which advantages are addressed the products dependent on Manual Fill Purifier technology. While the major element of the market in the water purifier equipment business in India is still in the unorganized sector, branded products are catching up and their market share is improving. The major branded players in the market are Eureka Forbes (AquaGuard, AquaSure brands), Kent, Philips, HUL (Pureit), Ion Exchange (Zero B) Ushabrita and Whirlpool (Purafresh). As per Frost and Sullivan report 2009 , Market share by player and by technology- Approx Shares ( for 2008) Eureka Forbes: RO(20%) , UV(35%) , Drip Type(33%) Kent: RO(25%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(0%) ZeroB: RO(15%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(0%) HUL : RO(0%) , UV(0%) , Drip Type(42%) OTH: RO(40%) , UV(65%) , Drip Type(25%) The Non-EWP segment was primarily dominated by local players until recently, when HUL entered the category with its drip type purifier under the brand Pureit at a break through price of Rs 1800 and took the market by storm. The other key players in this segment are Ushabrita & Eureka Forbes. The channel for this segment has traditionally been the Direct to Home (DTH) route, with this route still accounting for a whopping 65% of the product sales in this category. The ratio of Eureka Forbes’ DTH sales is higher at 75%. On the trade side(contribution bal 35%), the DAP channel (Domestic Appliances Products) accounts for the larger proportion of the share with 65% while the Durable Trade accounts for the remaining 35%. The DAP Channel mainly consists of small appliance sellers  who sell products like iron , blenders , mixers , gas burners etc. These retailers primarily sell products which lie within the price range of Rs 500-Rs 5000. They are typically not in the prime locations in the market place and their shopfloor size is on an avg10X10ft. The products are displayed mostly in a packed form. The products are sold very close to the MRP and the discounts offered are in the range of only 5-10% HUL has made an entry through a unique channel. It has opened up a large number of ‘Water Safe Zones’ / â€Å"Product Experience Centres’ and is pushing the volumes from there while catering to direct to home service as well While HUL is establishing itself in the entry level segment through consistent advertising and promotions , the more established players in UV & RO like Eureka & Kent too are active in the media space and are seen promoting their products through several media elements. Recently, HUL was seen rolling out a ‘Rs 1 Crore’ challenge offer and heavily promoting the same. At the same time Eureka Forbes was also seen throwing a ‘Money Back Guarantee’ offer on its products. Eureka Forbes operates with a strong sales& service force of 6000 people on the company rolls along with an equally large group of third party franchises. The company has been under pressure to expand its volumes since the avg the productivity of its sales team has come down over years. Lately, they have been seen heavily focussing on retail through their ‘Aquasure’ brand while the ‘Aquaguard’ brand is operating in the DTH section. Kent has its own sales & service set up in Northern India while it depends on third party franchises for its operation in the rest of the country. It has branch offices in 6 cities (AP , Karnataka, Kerala , Mumbai , Gujarat , West Bengal). In order to counter HUL’s explosive growth, Kent recently rolled out a NON-EWP (UF based) purifier at a price of Rs 2500 under the sub-brand  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Kent Gold’. This product is being primarily marketed through the retail channel. HUL has set up its Safe water zones with external KSPs ( Key service providers) while continuing to have its internal sales team supervising the operations . In Delhi for example , it has 27 such zones with a sales team of 750 sales men, 17 Territory sales executives (TSE) , 3 business development executives (BDE) , 1 area head.(AH) and 2 service officers . The TSEs, BDEs & AH are on company rolls. The following table summarizes the typical product price points in the various segments. Price range (In Rs) Unorganized 1500-2500 4000-6000 8000-12000 Organized 2000 – 3500 6000-9000 8000-20000 Whirlpool Not Applicable Not Applicable 12500-20500 Segment Non EWP Ultra Violet (UV) Reverse Osmosis (RO) Whirlpool’s entry in the Water Purifier Market in India Whirlpool has been present in the Water category in all the key regions of the world including US, Canada, NAR, Europe, Brazil, Mexico & Asia in several value added segments like water heaters, bottled water dispensers, water softeners , Refrigerator filters etc. Whirlpool entered the Water Purifier Market in India in the early 2008 to tap in to the growing Water Purifier Market, focused on the RO segment to start with, with the launch of the Purafresh range of purifiers. Currently, Whirlpool Water Purifier products are available across all markets in the country. Whirlpool has garnered a Market Share of 5% in the RO segment in the past 1  ½ years. The Water purifier category is a perfect brand fit for Whirlpool. It is a home appliance used by the home maker to provide safe and pure drinking water to her family, thus building a strong case of placing trust in the brand. This category will lend a lot of credibility to the Whirlpool brand. Whirlpool’s communication strategy also revolves around reinforcing this element of Trust. Equipped with Whirlpool’s patented ‘6th Sense’ technology, the new ‘Purafresh’ water purifier is the first Reverse Osmosis system on the market that not only purifies but also protects the purity and freshness of the water with its prestigious gold seal certification (from GOLD Seal of Water Quality Association, USA WQA). Purafresh is available in three models – Purafresh Platinum, Purafresh Elite and Purafresh Deluxe.    Trigger Questions for Analysis Given the situation described above, suggest a comprehensive â€Å"Go-To-Market† plan following a systematic methodology for Whirlpool to achieve its overall objective of achieving market leadership in the Water Purifier Market (in the organized sector) by 2012, and its interim goal of achieving market leadership in the RO segment, ensuring its premium brand image, and its operational philosophies (given in the annexure for ready reference). A) Understanding and presentation by a Systematic methodology. B)Inputs: Should reflect comprehensive understanding of the company and competitive environment. 1) Analyze company development , history, Growths. 2) Identify Strengths , weaknesses , 3) Analysis of external environment (Porter 5 forces , SWOT etc) C) Outputs: Understating should result in output 1) Strategy on all 4 P’s 2) Channel Strategy ( Spl Focus) a) Evaluation of SWOT b) Key market insights c) Business Level Strategy d) Recommendations (including articulation of hypothesis) e) innovative approach especially in the communication/promotion strategy Phase II Build a detailed business plan arising out of the above strategic plan, and project the profitability of this business over time, including investments that may be required for new products and their market entries, while achieving this objective. Recommendation evaluated by 1) Strategy 2) Product choice 2) Financials ( volumes, Margins , costs , etc) 3) Process of executing strategy 4) Innovative approach/ideas. {In the first phase, the second phase question and related references should not be circulated} Whirlpool’s high end Purafresh platinum model, is India’s first and Only Direct Flow RO with no storage tank enabling immediate consumption of freshly purified water with 72 litres per hour capacity (Normal RO products have 8-10 litres per hour capacity). It has an advanced 5-stage purification process and also boasts of a first–of–its–kind electronic interface with a ‘Filter change indicator’, which alerts the consumer on the need to change the filter and thus ensures continual purity & protection of the water. Other diagnostics functions like no water on tap indication, self cleaning mode indication, and water extraction indication makes it the most advanced and best in class product available in the Indian market today. Whirlpool entered the Indian market mainly leveraging their strength in the durable retail channel and has the highest share (30%) of all Water Purifier sales in this channel. Whirlpool has also entered the DAP Channe l and are currently having a 10% share in that channel. The â€Å"Surging to Lead† Challenge Given its focus on â€Å"attaining market leadership through Customer loyalty†, Whirlpool aspires to be the market leader in the water purifier market by 2012, with an interim goal of attaining market leadership in the RO segment by 2010, while at the same time maintaining its brand position. This, no doubt, is a challenging aspiration for Whirlpool, given the well entrenched players in the market like Eureka Forbes, aggressive players like HUL who is focused on tapping the market at the â€Å"Bottom of the Pyramid† and a large unorganized market who would significantly benefit from the growth fuelled by these players. However, Whirlpool has to its advantage of its strong brand position in the hearts and minds of the home makers, and a strong, well established channel in the white goods market. The challenge for Whirlpool is to leverage its strengths, and perhaps work out completely innovative market strategies if it has to achieve its intent of becoming a  market lea der in the Water Purifier Market in general, and that in the RO segment. Annexure : A brief about Whirlpool Whirlpool, right from its inception in 1911 as first commercial manufacturer of motorized washers to the current market position of being world’s number one manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, has always set industry milestones and benchmarks. The parent company is headquartered at Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA with a global presence in over 170 countries and manufacturing operation in 13 countries with 11 major brand names such as Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Roper, Estate, Bauknecht, Laden and Ignis. The company boasts of resources and capabilities beyond achievable feat of any other in the industry. Whirlpool initiated its international expansion in 1958 by entering Brazil. However, it emerged as truly global leader in the1980’s. This encouraging trend brought the company to India in the late 1980s. It forayed into the market under a joint venture with TVS group and established the first Whirlpool manufacturing facility in Pondicherry. Soon Whirlpool acquired Kelvinator India Limited in 1995 and marked an entry into Indian refrigerator market as well. The same year also saw acquisition of major share in TVS joint venture and later in 1996, Kelvinator and TVS acquisitions were merged to create Indian home appliance leader of the future, Whirlpool India. This expanded the company’s portfolio in the Indian subcontinent to washing machines, refrigerator, microwave ovens and air conditioners. Today, Whirlpool is the most recognized brand in home appliances in India and holds a market share of over 20%. The company owns three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Faridabad, Pondicherry and Pune. Each of these manufacturing set-ups features an infrastructure that is witness of Whirlpool’s commitment to consumer interests and advanced  technology. In the year ending in March ’09, the annual turnover of the company for its Indian enterprise was Rs.1,719 Crores. The company’s brand and image speaks of its commitment to the homemaker from every aspect of its functioning. It has derived its functioning principles out of an undaunted partnership with the homemakers and thus a slogan of â€Å"You and whirlpool, the world’s best homemaker† dots its promotional campaigns. The products are engineered to suit the requirements of ‘smart, confident and in-control’ homemaker who knows what she wants. The product range is designed in a way that it employs unique technology and offers consumer relevant solutions. Whirlpool Corporation : Vision and Mission Whirlpool’s pervasive vision, â€Å"Every Home, everywhere, with pride, passion and performance†, rests on the pillars of innovation, operational excellence, customer-centric approach and diversified talent. These are embedded within our business goals, strategy, processes and work culture. Be it our products that are the result of innovation and operational excellence to meet every need of our consumers or the people behind these products that come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, everything we do features a distinct Whirlpool way. Core Competencies Innovation: Unique and compelling solutions valued by our customers and aligned to our brands create competitive advantage and differentiated shareholder value. Operational Excellence (OPEX): A methodology for solving problems & continuous improvement of products & processes through pursuit, acquisition, and utilization of knowledge using critical thought and planned experimentation helps us achieve operational excellence. Customer Excellence: Excelling the customer expectation from the company, its brands,  products and services are a three-step process. The three steps are: Know a customer, Be a customer, Serve a customer. Knowing a customer helps us know who our customers are, how to treat them, how we add value, and what the drivers of brand loyalty are. This information is gathered from the customer’s data base history. This way we are better able to customize products for them and recommend the right product to solve problems. Being a customer is important to share customer knowledge and insights, drive actions based on customer insights, be passionate about our brands and customer loyalty and provide a positive voice for our brands. We show empathy for customers and seek to resolve their problems by creating consistent customer touch-points, with our endeavour always being to provide unique solutions for the customer . Whirlpool Corporation’s Transformation Agenda Whirlpool is transforming into a completely customer-centred company where the customer lies in the core of every of our functions. This focus has arrived as direct consequence of our core IDEATE up of five elements: competency of customer excellence. It allows us to build Customer Loyalty. The transformation is made The elements of the transformation hold the promise of making Whirlpool a growing company and thereby increasing value for our shareholders. The five  elements are the basis for describing our strategy internally and guide the development of our plans and initiatives. Whirlpool has swiftly moved from being a World Class Manufacturer to a World Class Marketer using the brand-building framework. We are dedicated to creating unique branded solutions that build customer loyalty and achieve brand excellence.

Free Essays on Mossflower

Have you ever read a book so captivating that you just can’t put it down? Have you ever bought a book you thought was good and then it wasn’t? Don’t waste your money again! The Redwall series are all the really good books you need! There are about ten different books already and each one is better than the last. My book Mossflower is the first book in the Redwall timeline. It is full of animals there are moles, mice, rats, ferrets, bobcats, otters, badgers, voles, and more. This story takes place in the country known as Mossflower. It starts off with a mouse getting caught by the evil forces of Kotir (rats, foxes, and, weasels) and the tyrannous princess Tsarmina (bobcat). The mouse fights back with all his might. This is unusual because nobody is brave enough to fight back in Mossflower. Later you find out his name is Martin. Martin gets caught and thrown in the Kotir prison. He makes some friends and then he escapes. Thus the adventures begin! He eventually finds a way to destroy the castle and Tsarmina in it. For all the dwellers of Mossflower peace and prosperity sweep over the land. There is much more detail in the actual book and it has 380 pages in it. This book is actually so detailed you feel as if you are in it, so it is really nice to sit on a quiet sunny day and read under some shade. If you want to know the next book in the timeline so far is the Legend of Luke. I greatly recommend this series to anyone and this is one of my favorite books. Read this book!... Free Essays on Mossflower Free Essays on Mossflower Have you ever read a book so captivating that you just can’t put it down? Have you ever bought a book you thought was good and then it wasn’t? Don’t waste your money again! The Redwall series are all the really good books you need! There are about ten different books already and each one is better than the last. My book Mossflower is the first book in the Redwall timeline. It is full of animals there are moles, mice, rats, ferrets, bobcats, otters, badgers, voles, and more. This story takes place in the country known as Mossflower. It starts off with a mouse getting caught by the evil forces of Kotir (rats, foxes, and, weasels) and the tyrannous princess Tsarmina (bobcat). The mouse fights back with all his might. This is unusual because nobody is brave enough to fight back in Mossflower. Later you find out his name is Martin. Martin gets caught and thrown in the Kotir prison. He makes some friends and then he escapes. Thus the adventures begin! He eventually finds a way to destroy the castle and Tsarmina in it. For all the dwellers of Mossflower peace and prosperity sweep over the land. There is much more detail in the actual book and it has 380 pages in it. This book is actually so detailed you feel as if you are in it, so it is really nice to sit on a quiet sunny day and read under some shade. If you want to know the next book in the timeline so far is the Legend of Luke. I greatly recommend this series to anyone and this is one of my favorite books. Read this book!...

A View of the Problems in Washington, D.C., Surrounding the Enforcement of Firearm Limitations

A View of the Problems in Washington, D.C., Surrounding the Enforcement of Firearm Limitations Challenges to local gun restrictions in Washington DC Introduction The district of Columbia law prohibits handgun possession by criminalizing carrying of unregistered firearm and barring the registration of handguns, the law gives a separate provision that an individual shall not carry an unlicensed firearm, however, the law permits the police chief to give 1year licenses, and it is a requirement for the residents to keep legally owned handguns dissembled and unloaded or bound by a trigger lock apparatus. The petitioner Heller, a special D.C police officer sought permission to register a firearm he wanted to keep at home, yet the District declined his application (Blocher, (2008). The petitioner filed this suit pursuing based on the Second Amendment grounds, to include Dc from implementing the ban on firearm registration, the licensing need at the moment bars possessing an unlicensed handgun at home, in addition to the trigger lock device as it disallows functional firearms use at home. The D.C circuit reversed the suit set aside by the District Cou rt holding the view that the Second Amendment gives a person protection to own handguns. More so, the circuit held that the city’s full ban on handguns, in addition to the city’s requisites that firearms held at home should always be dissembled or on trigger lock devices; denied an individual his right to defend himself/herself when in danger Majority opinion District of Columbia v. Heller (2007-2008) The Supreme Court held that the second amendment guarantees a person’s protection to own a firearm as long as the firearm is not related to use of unlawful deeds but for purposes of protection and self defense inside the home. According to the majority ruling delivered by Scalia J, the firearm and trigger-lock apparatus requirement (when applied to self-defense) violates the second amendment act. The entire ban on firearm possession at home by the District is tantamount to the illegalization of different class ownership of ‘arms’’ which Americans unilaterally choose for the legal purpose of self-protection. Under some of the normal scrutiny the court has used applications to enumerated constitutional rights, therefore the ban in the scenario where the value of legal defense of family, property, and self is paramount the ban would fail the constitutional rights agreed (Lee, 2009). Additionally, the need that for every legal firearm held at home the handgun must be dissembled or bound by trigger-lock device makes it absolutely impossible for citizens to use the lawfully held firearms for the primary lawful objective of self-defense and thus making the total ban unconstitutional. In this ruling the Supreme Court considered Heller’s oral acceptance that the District law is allowed when not capriciously or arbitrarily enforced, the bench assumes that a license shall meet his prayer for relief even though licensing need is never addressed. Therefore, assuming the petitioner is not barred from exercising the second amendment rights; the District should allow the petitioner to register his handgun and must provide Heller a license to carry within the home. Being aware of the challenge of firearm violence in the country, and taking seriously the prayers of those that believe the ban on handgun possession is a remedy. The constitution gives the city a range of tools for curbing the menace; this includes a number of measures regulating f irearms (Magarian,2009). A constitutional enshrined right certainly takes particular policy an option off the negotiating table. This option includes the total prohibition of handguns used and possessed for self-defense within the home. Indisputably a number is of the opinion that the second amendment is outdated in a community where the nation’s army is the pride of the nation, and was a very well-trained disciplined force give private security, and a society that gun violence is a menace. According to them, this is arguable; however, what is not arguable of course is this court making the second amendment defunct. Minority opinion District of Columbia v. Heller (2007-2008) The Supreme Court’s dissenting opinion holds that the ruling of giving a fresh constitutional right to possess and the usage of handguns for personal objectives defeats the foregone understanding, yet it provides an uphill task for future litigations seeking definitions for the scope of allowable procedures and regulations. Particularly, the dissenting judgment delivered by Stevens noted that there is no sign that the drafters of the amendment desired to include the common-law right of self –protection as an integral part of the constitution. The minority judge notes that the opinion announced by the court fails to find any new evidence giving support to the view that the amendment was meant congress power to minimize civilian use of weapons. Incapable to give any such findings, the announcement relies on an edgy and unimpressive understanding of the amendments context. With the assumption that majority of citizens are law steadfast, and given the reality that the desir e to protect oneself might suddenly emerge in number of locations other than within the home, the judge in his opinion fears that the city’s policy choice might as well be the first of unidentified number of dominoes to be removed off the table. Conclusion Even though the ruling, in this case, provides a short implication to the formulation of the second amendment, the court focuses at length on other four primary sources: Blackstone’s commentaries on England laws, the Seventeen century English Bill of rights, the post-civil war legislative history, and the post-enactment commentary on the second amendment. The above sources give the slight answer to the bigger question before the court, and thus, in any event, offer small support to the courts conclusion. The majority ruling thus expresses some elements of judicial restraint from the jury.

Natural environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Natural environment - Assignment Example Another equally disastrous effect of man’s unlimited usage of energy will be exhaustion of earth’s natural resources. Each human activity today will have its repercussions tomorrow. The manner in which man’s life might change because of the change in the environment is complex and quite unpredictable. The rapidly changing climate will have an impact on a person’s life by endangering life itself through natural disasters. It is not only the poor countries that will suffer but rich countries will suffer as well evident from instances such as Katrina and Aila leading to a crash in the world’s economy and creating economic problem for each individual . Problems in crop production might lead to market politics and decrease in food security. Famines might also result from this. Bad air and water quality will affect a person’s health and reduce the quality of life. Man-wildlife conflict is bound to harm man’s life as well with rapid urbanization and an increase in stress factors on wildlife (Hunter, 2007, p316). Another major problem will be scarcity of water because of rapid decrease in potable water leading scientists to predict as 3rd World War over this precious resource. Exhaustion of natural resources would bring man’s life to a stand-still since man is over dependent on resources such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. Since man’s future depends on the present activities, mitigation efforts and plans need to be constructed to help restore the environmental quality and control anthropogenic activities thereby ensuring continuation of life on