Monday, September 30, 2019

Truearth Case Analysis

TruEarth Healthy Foods: Market Research for a New Product Introduction Case Analyses: * Isabel Eckstein the brand manager had let the introduction of the most successful product of the company (Pasta Kit) in 2006 which means that she has a very strong marketing background. * Competitors began offering similar products in 2008 which cause the growth to slow. * Some of their competitors are Nestle and Kraft. * The do not make a rash decision. The success of Cucina Fresca was a calculated risk based on significant research. The company only uses high-quality durum wheat and mostly organic ingredients. * The company further raised consumer awareness through several promotional programs, using coupons, magazine advertisements, and in-store demonstrations. * Idea generation. As the company grew, the idea generation process became a more systematic evaluation of consumer trends, with formal management brainstorming sessions. * Three important developments reshaped how consumers purchased gr oceries. The first important trend was a new, loosely defined food category in the United States— â€Å"home meal replacement† (HMR).An increase in dual-income households had led to higher disposable incomes coupled with â€Å"time poverty,† as both workers found themselves lacking the time to cook a meal and clean up afterward. Further, consumers had tired of unhealthy carryout and fast food and started seeking greater variety and freshness. Supermarkets began meeting HMR needs by enhancing their fresh, prepared food offerings. * There was no fresh whole grain pasta with broad distribution, with 85% of those in favour of the concept having never purchased it before. * Competitive Threat: Rigazzi Fresh Whole Grain Pasta. Pizzas were a core component of the Italian-American food category, with annual sales in the United States estimated at $53 billion in 2007. * suggested that 77% of consumers ate pizza at least once a month. * The store-bought refrigerated pizza market was 11% of sales and totaled $5. 8 billion, making it a larger market than refrigerated pasta, which was approximately $4. 4B in 2007. * pizza demand in key demographics had been hurt by health concerns and the popularity of diets that restricted or cut out carbohydrates. Eckstein believed this presented the perfect opportunity for TruEarth. Independent surveys of restaurant-goers showed that 33% of people had â€Å"strong interest† in a whole grain crust. * Major chains like Papa John’s and Pizza Hut had introduced whole wheat or multi-grain crusts * Kraft and Nestle are already huge players here with low-cost frozen pizza. RECOMMENDATION HAI YE FUU MEMORANDUM DATE:January 11, 2009 TO:Isabel Eckstein Brand Manager FROM:Brett Matlack RE:Introduction of Whole Grain Pizza Product The slowing growth of Cucina Fresca’s sales has placed our competitive edge in the fresh Italian food category in jeopardy.In an attempt to retain our leadership position and exte nd our product line, we have invested in the development of a new whole grain pizza. We must decide whether to launch our pizza offering. Our decision must take into consideration that the new product’s wholesales volume estimates must exceed $12 million to meet our return requirements. The decision-making process is time sensitive because one of our competitors, Rigazzi Brands, has already tested a whole grain pizza concept and is not far from introduction. Given these factors, we can either debut or suspend the product.Based on sales volume estimates and situation analysis, I recommend that the company launch the pizza. The introduction will result in a wholesales volume that exceeds our return requirements and these additional funds can be reinvested into the firm. Option I: Launch Whole Grain Pizza Product The launch of a whole grain pizza kit will capitalize on the same consumer trends that prompted the release of Cucina Fresca: growing demand for quick, customizable hom e meal replacements that are refrigerated and available in tasty, whole grain options.Also, pizza is a core component of the Italian-American food category that we cannot ignore because it is frequently purchased by customers on a monthly basis. Our whole grain pizza product resolves the time- and health-related concerns of American consumers in one of their favorite dishes (see Exhibit 1: SWOT Analysis for Whole Grain Pizza Product). The growing demand for a whole grain crust has been addressed by local pizzerias and take-out franchises, but not in the store-bought refrigerated pizza market. The immediate release of the pizza kit would allow us to penetrate this market before Rigazzi and benefit from first mover advantages.As a result, our 1st year wholesale volume estimates would exceed our return requirements by approximately $4. 5 million (see Exhibit 2: Whole Grain Pizza Concept Purchase Volume Estimate, Year 1 [Excellent]). The excess returns can be reinvested into the firm an d used to expand our manufacturing facilities or further extend our product line. If the pizza kit is launched, the firm must consider the potential consequences. We must assess the impact it will have on Cucina Fresca’s success and production, as well as the TruEarth image if the product flops (see Exhibit 1: SWOT Analysis for Whole Grain Pizza Product).Likewise, we must review the potential consequences if the wholesale volume estimate is calculated using the percentage repurchases when the product is perceived to be of mediocre or average quality (see Exhibit 3: Whole Grain Pizza Concept Purchase Volume Estimate, Year 1 [Mediocre, Average]. Option II: Do Not Launch Whole Grain Pizza Product The competitive environment of the pizza market and quality-related issues discovered in the BASES studies indicate that the whole grain pizza product should not be launched. Although the market generates high sales, it is extremely crowded and dominated by powerful players like Kraft a nd Nestle.Furthermore, the ability to market a tasty whole-grain pizza crust and communicate its benefits will be difficult because the American public perceives whole grains to be less appetizing than white flour. Attempting to change consumer preferences is timely and costly. By foregoing the release of the pizza kit, the company can focus solely on Cucina Fresca. The operating facilities will not have to worry about manufacturing two different product lines and our distribution infrastructure will not be overworked (see Exhibit 1: SWOT Analysis for Whole Grain Pizza Product).Likewise, our marketing team could concentrate on attempting to revive the pasta meals. This product has proven to be successful at one time. Investing all of our resources into the pizza product could be both disastrous and expensive considering we have no experience in this market category. However, by shelving the pizza, an opportunity is lost because our company would be ignoring the needs of a potentiall y profitable market. The health-conscious trend is not going away and our firm needs to expand our product line in order to retain our leadership as a gourmet, healthy alternative.Recommendation At this time, our company would benefit the most by launching the new whole grain pizza product. By not launching the pizza kit, our investments and time can be focused on expanding the pasta line and retooling the marketing campaign to improve sales; however, in order to diversify the TruEarth brand name, innovation is needed. Although the pasta market may seem safe, we must venture into new categories in order to raise brand awareness, seek new customers, and increase our profits. Exhibit 1: SWOT Analysis for Whole Grain Pizza Product Strengths| Weaknesses| Highly selective about ingredients * Existing infrastructure for coupons, magazine advertisements, in-store demonstrations * Existing formal 4-step process for research and development * Incremental investment for pizza less than pasta * Higher awareness of pizza product among Cucina Fresca customers * Successful market experience in launching new products (brand name awareness) * Existing manufacturing equipment and distribution infrastructure to get fresh food to shelves quickly * Easy preparation, but gives customers the chance to be involved in the cooking process * Permits customers to customize * Refrigerated pizza is considered tastier, more authentic than frozen pizza * Is a product for the whole family (8. /10 in mall-intercept) * 28% of home-trial users believe there is no need for improvement * 33% of respondents in mall-intercept considered the TruEarth name a favorable advantage| * Pizza kit only feeds 2-3 people * Consumers have to buy toppings separately * Limited selection of toppings and varieties offered * Considered too expensive ($12. 38 vs. $10. 09 for other refrigerated options, $11. 72 for takeout) * Only received 10% favorable to product in overall taste, texture, and quality * Limited time to product expiration (similar refrigerated manufacturing issues as Cucina Fresca) * If using same equipment, this may lead to bottlenecks in both operating facilities and distribution network| Opportunities| Threats| Leverage relationship with North Dakota durum wheat supplier to supply wheat for pizza dough * Expand serving size options * Offer single serving sizes for individual meals; whole pizzas to feed a family * Expand topping offerings * Contract with local cafes and other gourmet specialty restaurants to offer products in other store formats * Create a packaged bundle which includes Cucina Fresca and the pizza kit * Leverage TruEarth brand name to enter the pizza market * TruEarth is well-liked and considered to be high quality Utilize this to demonstrate the benefits/product attributes of the pizza product | * Health conscious mindset (e. g. ow carbohydrate diet) has hurt key demographics in pizza demand * Consumers may not purchase additional toppings * Rigazzi has test ed a pizza concept and is preparing to introduce it * Competitors may quickly replicate whole-grain pizza kit and price them lower to win larger share of the market * Nestle and Kraft dominate the frozen-pizza market * Our pizza dough’s quality may not be comparable to freshly made takeout * Pizza market is extremely crowded (options include takeout, delivery, refrigerated) * If product succeeds, product facilities may struggle to manufacture two lines (Cucina Fresca placed on back burner, limited production) * If product fails, damage to TruEarth name may make it harder to launch new products in future| Exhibit 2: Whole Grain Pizza Concept Purchase Volume Estimate, Year 1 (Excellent) Total Purchase Intent| Definitely would buy| 18. 00%| % of â€Å"Definites† who actually buy| 80. 00%| â€Å"Definite† Purchases| 14. 40%| Probably would buy| 43. 00%| % of â€Å"Probables† who actually buy| 30. 00%| â€Å"Probable† Purchases| 12. 90%| Trial Rate | 27 . 30%| Marketing Plan Adjustment| Target Households| 58,500,000| Cucina Fresca Pasta Customers | 6,435,000| Non- Cucina Fresca Pasta Customers| 52,065,000|Customer Awareness| 50. 00%| Non-Customer Awareness| 12. 00%| All Commodity Volume Distribution (ACV)| 40. 00%| Marketing Adjusted Trial Rate| Cucina Fresca Pasta Customers Adjusted Trial Rate | 5. 46%| Non- Cucina Fresca Pasta Customers Adjusted Trial Rate| 1. 31%| Cucina Fresca Pasta Customers Trial Purchases| 351,351| Non- Cucina Fresca Pasta Customers Trial Purchases| 682,051. 5| Total Trial Purchases| 1,033,402,| Repeat Purchase Inputs| Repeat Purchase Occasions| 2. 00| Repeat Rate, by Product Services| Excellent Product| 49%| Repeat Volume, by Product Scenario| Excellent Product| 1,012,733,| Total Purchases| 2,046,135| Total Sales Volume|Retail Sales Volume| $25,331,151. 30| TruEarth Sales Volume| $16,465,248. 35| In Excess of Return Requirements| $4,465,248. 35| Exhibit 3: Whole Grain Pizza Concept Purchase Volume Estimate, Year 1 (Mediocre, Average) Inputs from Exhibit 2| Trial Rate| 27. 30| Total Trial Purchases| 1,033,402| Repeat Purchase Occasions| 2. 0| Repeat Rate, by Product Services| Mediocre Product| 21%| Average Product| 37%| Repeat Volume, by Product Scenario| Mediocre Product| 434,028. 84| Average Product| 764,717. 48| Total Purchases| Mediocre Product| 1,467,430,| Average Product| 1,798,119,| Total Sales Volume| Retail Sales Volume (Mediocre Product)| $18,166,783. 40|TruEarth Sales Volume (Mediocre Product)| $11,808,409. 21| Retail Sales Volume (Average Product)| $22,260,713. 22| TruEarth Sales Volume (Average Product)| $14,469,463. 59| Based on these wholesales volumes, the average product perception meets our return requirements. We would gain $2,469,463. 59 in extra cash if we were to launch this product. However, the mediocre product does not meet our return requirements (off by $191,590. 79). We are only off of our return requirements by a small margin (1. 596%); thus, we may conside r taking on this initial loss for the first year. Considering the growth rate of Cucina Fresca’s retail sales between the 3rd quarter of 2006 and 2007 (194. 4%), we may predict that the initial sales volume will grow between the first and second year of the product launch. Our future sales volume will most likely cover our initial return requirements in the 2nd year and our losses from the 1st year. ——————————————– [ 2 ]. Definitely would buy x % of â€Å"Definites† who actually buy: 80% x 18% [ 3 ]. Probably would buy x % of â€Å"Probables† who actually buy: 30% x 43% [ 4 ]. â€Å"Definite† Purchases + â€Å"Probable† Purchases: 14. 4% + 12. 9% [ 5 ]. Target Households x 11%: 58,500,000 x 11% [ 6 ]. Target Households x 89%: 58,500,000 x 11% [ 7 ]. Trial Rate x Customer Awareness x ACV: 27. 3% x 50% x 40% [ 8 ]. Trial Rate x Non-Customer Awaren ess x ACV: 27. 3% x 12% x 40% [ 9 ].Target Households x Cucina Fresca Pasta Customers Adjusted Trial Rate: 58,500,000 x 5. 46% [ 10 ]. Target Households x Non- Cucina Fresca Pasta Customers Adjusted Trial Rate: 58,500,000 x 1. 31% [ 11 ]. Cucina Fresca Pasta Customers Trial Purchases + Non- Cucina Fresca Pasta Purchases: 351,351 + 682,051. 5 [ 12 ]. Rounded down because cannot include 0. 5 of a household [ 13 ]. Total Trial Purchases x Repeat Purchase Occasions x Excellent Product Repeat Rate: 1,033,402 x 2. 00 x 49% [ 14 ]. Rounded down because cannot include 0. 96 of a product [ 15 ]. Trial Purchases + Repeat Purchases: 1,033,402 + 1,012,733 [ 16 ]. Total Purchases x Average Spent per Purchase: 2,046,135 x $12. 38 [ 17 ].Retail Sales Volume x (1-Food Retailers 35% Gross Margin): $72,835,811. 1 x (1-0. 35) [ 18 ]. TruEarth Sales Volume – Minimum Return Requirement: $16,465,248. 35- $12,000,000 [ 19 ]. Total Trial Purchases x Repeat Purchase Occasion x Mediocre Repeat Product Rate: 1,033,402 x 2. 0 x 21% [ 20 ]. Total Trial Purchases x Repeat Purchase Occasion x Average Repeat Product Rate: 1,033,402 x 2. 0 x 37% [ 21 ]. Total Trial Purchases + Mediocre Product Total Purchases: 1,033,402 + 434,028. 84 [ 22 ]. Rounded down because cannot have 0. 84 of a purchase [ 23 ]. Total Trial Purchases + Average Product Total Purchases: 1,033,402 + 764,717. 48 [ 24 ]. Rounded down because cannot have 0. 48 of a purchase [ 25 ].Total Purchases for Mediocre Product x Average Spent per Purchase: 1,467,430 x $12. 38 [ 26 ]. Retail Sales Volume for Mediocre Product x (1-Food Retailers 35% Gross Margin): $18,166,783. 40 x (1-0. 35) [ 27 ]. Total Purchases for Average Product x Average Spent per Purchase: 1,798,119 x $12. 38 [ 28 ]. Retail Sales Volume for Mediocre Product x (1-Food Retailers 35% Gross Margin): $22,260,713. 22 x (1-0. 35) [ 29 ]. (TruEarth Sales Volume (Mediocre Product) – Return Requirement)/Return Requirement: ($11,808,409. 21-$12,000,000)/$12,00 0,000 [ 30 ]. [{ (2007 Retail Sales-2006 Retail Sales)/(2006 Retail Sales)} + 1] x 100%: [{($35,000,000-$18,000,000)/($18,000,000)} +1] x 100%

Sunday, September 29, 2019

What Are the Advantages of Jpepa?

Republic of the Philippines Department of Education Region IV – A CALABARZON Division of Laguna District of Liliw LILIW CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Liliw SUMMATIVE TEST IN SCIENCE VI I. Write the letter of the correct answer. _____1. Why plants called producers? They _____________. a. Consume food b. Make their own food c. Provide food for other organisms d. All of the above ______ 2. Why animals called consumers? They ______________. a. Do not eat plants b. Produce their own food c. Depend on other plants food d. Depend on plants for protection ______ 3.Which of the following can cause dead plants and animals to decay and turn into useful substances? a. Mosses b. Producers c. Consumers d. Decomposers ______ 4. Which of these materials is NOT needed during photosynthesis? a. Carbon dioxide b. Water c. Sunlight d. Oxygen _______ 5. The transfer of food energy from the producers to a series of consumer is called a. Food web b. Food chain c. Food cycle d. All of the above ________ 6. Plant gives off______ which animals and human beings breathe in order to live. a. Carbon dioxide b. Oxygen c. Carbon monoxide d. Hydrogen ________ 7.What activity can disturb the carbon dioxide oxygen cycle in an aquarium? a. Placing enough amount of water. b. Placing equal amount of plants and fishes. c. Putting too many fishes with small amount of plants. d. Placing the aquarium in a place where there is enough sunlight. ________ 8. Which is the correct sequence of organisms in a food chain? a. Rice grain chick hawk decomposers b. Chick hawk rice grains decomposers c. Hawk rice grains decomposers chicks d. Rice grains decomposers chick hawk ________ 9.What does a food web show? It shows a. A series of food links b. The role of the consumers c. A series of eating activities d. An interlink among food chain ________ 10. What is the role of producers in a food chain? a. They make their own food. b. They feed primary consumers. c. They replace nutrients in the soil. d. They provide oxygen in the air. ________ 11. Photosynthesis is performed by a. Herbivores b. Producers c. Primary consumers d. decomposers _________ 12. The role or profession of an organism in an ecosystem is its a. Habitat b. Consumption c. Ecological niche d. Production _________13.What happens in a food chain? a. Energy is lost to the air. b. Energy is transferred from producer to consumer. c. Energy is transferred from consumer to producer. d. Energy is increased from consumer to another consumer. _________14. Why are decomposers important? a. They break down complex wastes into simple materials. b. They provide carbon dioxide and oxygen to the soil. c. They deplete the soil of nitrogen and other minerals. d. They make the soil dry. _________15. What is transferred in a food web? a. Parasites b. Predators c. Energy d. Water II. Fill in the blanks. Choose your answer from the list below. 6. Plants are called_______________________ because they manufacture their own food. 17. _______________ ___ shows the path way of food from producers to a series of consumers. 18. When several food chains are interwoven and taking place in a particular community, a ___________________ results. 19. The chemical energy of food taken from the plants is trans fomed in the bodies of ______________________. 20. The_____________ is the main source of energy for all living things. ———————– Consumer Producers Sun Food Chain Food Web

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Letter From Birmingham Jail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Letter From Birmingham Jail - Essay Example 38). Kind does utilize rhetorical questions to persuade the readers (pg. 29). He addresses the issues at hand with a high degree of professionalism. He also utilizes comparisons as an indicator of the efforts the Negros had to pursue freedom (Eskew, pg. 45). He is courageous enough to expound that he does possess the qualifications to lead the rest of the populations in demonstrations. Concisely, he says that he is in Birmingham because of the immense injustices available, and he is ready to provide a solution to them. The letter introduction sets an acknowledgement tone rather than attack. Primarily, he utilizes the words such as â€Å"My dear fellow clergymen† to initiate a sense of welcome and unison. He does not usher in an argument, but rather brings up a sense of understanding. Such an attack to the religious men could increase the chances of washing away the respect they had for him. He even compares himself to the prophets, such as Paul who was called to save the Macedonians. The daring Paul was not afraid to leave his small Tarsus village to spread the gospel of Jesus. In the form of allusion, he persuades the clergy that he is sent and having an intrinsic urge to preach the freedom gospel to the people of Birmingham until they are free from injustice. Immediately after he addresses the core reason for the letter, he goes ahead to address the clergymen, to counteract their claims and arguments in a logical manner (Birt, pg. 16). In a calm manner, he points out that the clergymen are not concerned with the conditions or issues leading the rising trends of demonstrations in Birmingham. Such utilization of logos does instills common sense among the clergymen. Kind adds insult to injury by saying that the demonstrations were inevitable. The Negro community could not react in any other way, other than demonstrating. The clergymen did claim that the demonstrators were breaking the laws through

Friday, September 27, 2019

Management - Compensation Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management - Compensation Methods - Essay Example In this paper, we will discuss some major compensation methods/employee benefit programs, which a company can use to improve employee performance. Types of Compensation According to Menguc and Barker (2003), use of compensation plans influences all dimensions of organizational performance. Companies use different types of compensations to increase employee motivation. Some major types of compensation include bonuses, free meals, housing allowance, health insurance, company car, travel allowance, free patrol, promotion based on performance base pay, overtime pay, and commissions. In some companies, the compensations like bonuses and commissions are associated with the job responsibilities of the employees. Some jobs are of very difficult nature, so the companies put some rewards for the people associated with those jobs in form of bonuses in order to encourage them and make them dedicated to their jobs. Companies categorize different types of compensations into short-term and long-ter m programs. Mazin and Smith (2004) asserts, â€Å"Short-term programs are usually based on cash payments, while long-term incentives typically involve stock† (p.113). Short-term rewards include cash and stock bonuses, which a company gives to the employees when they achieve short-term goals, such as, increase in the company’s revenue. ... The basic purpose of short-term compensation programs is to increase employees’ performance and productivity over a specific time. Long-term rewards, on the other hand, are such rewards that a company gives to its employees when they increase the company stock’s value in the market. The stock value increases when a company maintains its product standard and quality for a long time. Good quality of products generates higher levels of productivity and revenues, which result in increasing the stock value of the company. Companies reserve long-term rewards usually for the employees who are at managerial posts. Calvin (2001, p.119) asserts, â€Å"In established firms, long-term incentives, such as stock options, are reserved for senior salespeople, national account managers, and sales managers†. Commissions and bonuses are two of the most useful types of compensations because they attract a large number of employees towards the companies, which offers such compensatio ns to the employees. Commission is a form of compensation that a company gives to its employees on achieving some targets. Commissions and bonuses play a key role in retaining talented and skilled employees for a company. Increase in salaries is also one of the most effective ways to retain key employees of a company. Employees do not want to leave the job when their companies reward them in terms of increase in their salaries. Compensation programs not only make employees work hard to achieve the incentives but also make the company achieve higher levels of profitability and productivity. Apart from increase in salaries, some other types of rewards also play a good role in increasing employee motivation. These rewards include foreign trip of

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Effects of Guerrilla warfare on Counter Insurgency Operation Essay

The Effects of Guerrilla warfare on Counter Insurgency Operation - Essay Example As these groups of people will be in minimum numbers when compared to the forces of the State, they might use key strategies to attack and overwhelm their opponents, and one among them is the guerilla warfare. Guerilla warfare is a quick and surprise form of attack carried out by a small group of insurgents against a much larger group of armed forces, causing immediate as well as minimum or maximum causalities and then withdrawing quickly. This form of warfare has been carried out by many groups against established armies achieving both successes and failures. Counter measures To counter this guerilla warfare by the insurgents, government or the official armed forces will indulge in Counter-Insurgency (COIN) operations. Nations try to reach the top echelons on the back of its strong armed forces. Nations’ with its army, navy and air force will protect its territorial integrity as well as gain superiority. On those lines, counter-insurgent forces are formed to carry out various military or armed strategies and actions against those insurgent groups, in order to eliminate their challenge against the state and also for the common good of the population including the local populace. Apart from indulging in armed actions, these COIN forces will further isolate and pressurize the insurgent groups and prevent them from guerilla warfare, by striking a good rapport with the local population. Thus, this report will first discuss how guerilla warfare gets formed and evolved, and how it is being used by the insurgent groups to fulfill their various needs. Then in the second part, the report will discuss how these guerilla warfare techniques and actions has made the COIN forces even more aware of any impending attack, thereby helping them to come up with a optimal strategies to counter them, using real-world examples. Guerilla Warfare As pointed out above Guerrilla warfare is surprise-filled irregular form of warfare carried out by a small group of combatants against a much larger regular armed forces in a terrain, which favors them. Apart from attacking the larger army’s convoys or forces, guerrilla army would also target their opponent’s resources including their arms and ammunitions depot, food supplies, etc, which can have a key impact on the way counter-insurgency is carried out. This way, they will try to cut the supply lines of their opponents, thereby weakening them to launch more attacks and finally make them withdraw. That is, as the small groups cannot directly confront the larger, equipped and dominant groups in a single battle, then knock them down and emerge victorious, they indulge in guerilla warfare to weaken them step-by-step. â€Å"†¦they seek through a constant campaign of sneak attacks to inflict continuous casualties upon their superior enemy forces and thereby over time demoralize the occupying forces and erode political support for the occupation in the homeland of the occupying forces.† (Singla ). This can be seen in many successful guerilla warfare based attacks, where there is a greater disparity in abilities and resources. So, it can be seen as a â€Å"simple strategy of repeated pin-pricks and bleedings that, though small in proportion to the total force strength, sap the will of the occupier to continue the fight.† (Singla). Another aspect of guerilla warfare is that,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Effects of Structural Adjustment Programs and Globalization on women Essay

Effects of Structural Adjustment Programs and Globalization on women in Zambia - Essay Example Structural Adjustment Programs that are the policy package of the IMF and World Bank which calls for reducing government expenses, privatization, and opening up countries to manipulative foreign investment, among other dealings which actually has intensified poverty around the world. In the two regions with the most structural adjustment experience, per capita income has vegetated as in Latin America or fallen as in Africa. Structural adjustment has also contributed to rising income and wealth inequality in the developing world. "In terms of policy initiatives, the market-based approach embodied in SAPs became pre-eminent in the 1980s. SAPs have become widespread throughout the developing world. By the end of 1989, they had been put into force in 28 Sub-Sahara African countries. In total, 55 borrowing countries had been involved (World Bank,1990). Up to the end of 1988, adjustment efforts have been concentrated in Latin America and especially, Africa, by governments that have, however, varied considerably in their commitment, willingness and ability to implement policy changes." "Elson, (1987) distinguished betwe... the elimination of exchange controlsthe floating of the kwacha the liberalization of the banking sector the removal of quantitative restrictions on imports and exports the reduction of the level and dispersion of customs tariffs It is a report given by World Bank in 1990 "In terms of policy initiatives, the market-based approach embodied in SAPs became pre-eminent in the 1980s. SAPs have become widespread throughout the developing world. By the end of 1989, they had been put into force in 28 Sub-Sahara African countries. In total, 55 borrowing countries had been involved (World Bank,1990). Up to the end of 1988, adjustment efforts have been concentrated in Latin America and especially, Africa, by governments that have, however, varied considerably in their commitment, willingness and ability to implement policy changes." There is another report which is quoted over here as it is:: "Elson, (1987) distinguished between women in different parts of the economy. While some women will gain in terms of employment and income from the end of certain subsidies and the development of the market; others will lose. The contraction of the state's role will also have a mixed effect on women. Certain actions of the state have perpetuated women's subordination while others have aided women. Gender issues have mostly been expressed in terms general to all developing countries. This global approach to gender issues is partly due to the universality of the way that economic upheaval and worsened poverty impinge on women multiple roles in delivering sustenance to their families. It is also partly because the evidence of the impact of the new policies on women tends to be anecdotal with continental cross-reference." Structural Adjustment Programs have

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Write a summary on the short story the necklace Essay

Write a summary on the short story the necklace - Essay Example She hates her world of â€Å"poverty† and its â€Å"worn walls† and yearns for â€Å"large parlors, decked with old silk†¦coquettish little rooms, perfumed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  These are opposing images that describe the life that Mathilde has and the life she would have rather wanted for herself. Because of what she thinks she is born for, she has become a discontented woman. Furthermore, the necklace is a social status symbol. It stands for the social class that Mathilde wanted to climb, but failed to do so. Mathilde has too much pride; she believes herself to be superior to her social class. Her thoughts are devoted to the notion that she should be â€Å"envied,† â€Å"seductive† and â€Å"sought after.† de Maupassant employs dramatic irony to foreshadow the inevitability of Mathilde’s great loss, when Mme. Forester easily lends her a supposedly-expensive necklace. Somehow, this already points out that the necklace might not be that expensive after all. Still, Mathilde has chosen that necklace precisely because it fits the self-importance she has attached herself to. Mathilde paid a heavy literal and figurative price for her materialism. She is immersed in dreams of grandeur and a better life, a life of parties and luxurious material possessions. When she gets invited to a grand party, she wants a new dress, even if they can hardly afford it, and even borrows a diamond necklace, without thinking of the risks involved. When she loses the necklace, she almost loses her mind. She and her husband bought a new one to replace the lost necklace. From here, Mathilde learns â€Å"rough work of the household, the odious labors of the kitchen.† Situational irony is shown here, because Mathilde only wanted to be beautiful and sought after for one night, but she paid for this night with ten years of hard work that reduced her physical beauty. Hence, she paid a literal and figurative cost for

Monday, September 23, 2019

Joe Keller Character Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Joe Keller Character Analysis - Essay Example In the play’s plot, there exists other characters who play significant roles in the story’s development, characters who will help in expounding on this papers thesis that revolves around dynamism and static nature. This paper will look in depth at the dynamic character of Chris, who is the son to Joe and Katie. Chris is a dynamic person because of his anticipation to see change, his romantic relationship with Kate and because of his heroism in the war. Chris Keller was a soldier who found his way home after the war and was disturbed by what he saw when he came back. He was principally troubled by the fact that the world and in specificity his parents’ home and neighborhood was unperturbed regardless of the war ordeals. He is naturally dynamic because of his anticipation to see change as a result of the war in which he had fought hard to survive. Chris is portrayed as a man who had succumbed to change as a result of the war in which he had observed some of his col leagues fight do hard but eventually died. â€Å"We used to shoot a man who acted like a dog, but honor was real there ...But here? This is the land of the great big dogs, you don't love a man here, and you eat him. That's the principle; the only one we live by - it just happened to kill a few people this time, that's all. The world's that way...† (Andrew 167). ... Chris Keller is a dynamic person on the basis of his romantic relationship to Ann, who is a former girlfriend to Chris’ brother, Larry. In the beginning Chris and Ann had fallen in love as they used to write letters to each other. Chris even requested her to come to his home to propose marriage. Chris is a dynamic character because at first he wanted to be with Ann, but at the end of the play he no longer wants her, and this is illustrated in the conversation they have close to the end of the play. The conversation goes like â€Å"Ann: I am coming with you†¦Chris: No, Ann, I can’t make that†¦ Ann: I do not ask you to do anything about Joe. I swear I never will; Chris: Yes, you do. In you hart you always will.† Chris did not want to be with her anymore because he started thinking that she is going to look at him like in his dad. In the beginning he believed in honest of his father and at the end he changed his mind. At the end of the play, we find Chris to be a person who came to be devastated after learning of his father’s deceit and outright lies in the case of selling damaged cylinder heads to the American Air force fighting in World War two. For three years, Joe had lied about his involvement in the sale of the damaged cylinder heads and entirely blamed his business associate Steve Deever of the sub-standard products. Steve was found blameworthy and incarcerated whereas Gorge was set free. Fate would play its role when Steve’s son, George pays visits him (Steve) in jail. George learns from his father how Joe had set him up whereas he was innocent. The enraged George finds his way to Joe’s family house to face him and his family about his deceitful actions. It is in this scenario that

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Maketing analysis of cheese pizza Essay Example for Free

Maketing analysis of cheese pizza Essay Cheese pizza is a consumer product that is bought to satisfy individual’s personal wants. It is a shopping product that requires comparison shopping because it is usually more expensive and found in fewer stores. It is not as popular as pizza box and pizza hut, but it is an relatively new product in the market and offers an alternative for customers with different wants. Cheese pizza is now at the growth stage. It is experiencing increasing rate of sales, entrance of competitors, market consolidation, initial healthy profits. It has been expanding to 14 branches within half a year. Its main strategy is to attract customers by setting relatively low prices , so most of its branches are near public housing estates . The target customers of cheese pizza are just ordinary people , whose affordability is similar to students. Though it focuses mainly on take out services , it lowers the dine in costs to 40% of its take out one. The operation of cheese pizza stores is simple and easy, there are detailed guidance for food-making procedures and the ingredients required, the only thing the staff need to do is to follow the instructions. After calculation , they think that it is more economical and safe to put sources on cooking utensils rather than on labors , so a pizza oven is equipped in each branch. It is easy to use the oven- there’s the raw pizza with toppings on left hand side, after 6 minutes, a well-cooked pizza will be ready on the right hand side. As a result, much costs are saved. Besides the pricing strategy mentioned above, cheese pizza also adapts other marketing mix strategies. For example, product strategy. It expands different types of tastes and toppings – from onion, pepper, pepperoni, ham, mushroom only to pineapple, beef, pork, chicken, bacon, tomato ,egg, jalapano and peach inclusive. It also has frequent product modification on the pizza quality. Second, distribution strategy. It has expanded the number of dealers- opening more and more branches. At the beginning , there are only several stores of cheese pizza, but now there are branches in Fanling, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai, Tai po , Shatin, Kwai Fong, Hung Hom, Tsuen Wan and Tung Chung etc. Cheese pizza also tries its best to establish long-term relationships with wholesalers and retailers. Lastly, promotion strategy. Cheese pizza is trying its best to stimulate selective demand. For instance , it softens the hardness of fried chicken by adding more oil . Up till now, cheese pizza has set up 16 branches, and is expanding rapidly with a speed of 2 new branches in a month. Such an achievement implies the high standard of the cheese pizza made. In fact, every piece of cheese pizza and its quality are strictly monitored , so as to make sure the pizza is solely cooked with high quality of raw materials. For example, the weight and size of a fired chicken is under strict control, as it will be over-fired if it is too small, and it will not be tasty if it is too large. They make sure every raw material used is of the highest quality , and they will not fry any chicken until an order is made. In the process of making the pizza, cheese pizza is the only one pizza restaurant that uses olive oil. The cost of using olive oil is high, but the pizza made from it smells good and will not be too oily, most of all , people will not get food stagnation after eating . Conclusion: In this project, we have been working intensively into Cheese Pizza and trying to find out ways that the company can increase its market shares. We have identified the company’s strengths and weakness. We have also showed the current positioning of Cheese Pizza and its competitors. Cheese Pizza’s current segmentation strategy as well as its importance were also analyzed. Finally, based on all the analysis, we recommended a new product for Cheese Pizza. It is hoped that Cheese Pizza will continue to take its advantage and make improvements from time to time, so as to increase more and more branches and to increase its market shares. References: http://blog. yahoo. com/_VI2LRCBUJLT5L6PNJKMLDAAW6Y/articles/29299 http://www. openrice. com/restaurant/reviews. htm? shopid=38341tc=sr1listpage=2 http://www. cheesepizza. hk/index. html.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Religion in Colonial America Essay Example for Free

Religion in Colonial America Essay Throughout the colonial period with British North American settlement, the subjects of religion and economics often come hand-in-hand when associated with significance. Although economic concerns of development and exploration had its part in British settlement into the New World, religious entanglement, such as Puritan progression and The Great Awakening , played a bigger role in the rise of the American colonies. The flee for religious freedom and organization based on religion in a colony outweigh the concerns for economics. The American colonies valued their religion, as well as making it the most valuable part of their lives. In the early 1500’s certain Christians from different European nations went against the Roman authority of the pope. Religious wars/conflicts, competition, and the Protestant Reformation all contributed to a religious motive for exploration and colonization into North America. Many British immigrants came to the new world not only looking for wealth, but for a religious freedom and structured society. This pull factor created a foundation for religion in the new colonies many people fled the home country to avoid religious persecution and inferiority. Furthermore, Puritans, who colonized the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629, sought to create an empire of religious tolerance. Under John Winthrop, the religious group taught the new colony that the people should provide a whole world a model of Christian society ought to be, as in â€Å"A City upon a Hill†. The groups of people who wanted to separate from the church of England or go against the Roman catholic Pope went to the New World solely for religious freedoms, creating a religious superiority put into their new location. Immigration into America was by far dominated by groups of people avoiding the oppression and persecution faced by royal and religious leaders in their homeland; religious refuge provided means for these colonists to build upon a belief of religious tolerance and organization. As colonies were developing and new groups of people/ideas were diffusing, religious conflict and authority became prominent. A major religious event  in the life of the American people, The Great Religious Awakening, highlighted the valuable role of religion in the people’s lives. The Awakening permanently reflected the need for religious tolerance and organization in a group of people. Also, religious groups such as the Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians (all minority religious groups) took root and grew. Along with awareness to significance, the movement highlighted the presence of religious feeling among masses of people. A major division between orthodox and â€Å"New Lights† increased religious diversity and created a greater competition between the groups to attract followers. This historical event exposed a new way of thinking for the peoples – democracy. In fact, the Great Awakening brought a shared common experience for Americans regardless of race or religion. The Great Awakening brought political and religious impact to the Americans, which still influences the nation today. Even though religion posed to be the biggest concern associated with British settlement in the New World, economic development proved to contribute in the time period. Columbus’s exploration of the New World was based on the hope to find land, resources, and wealth; all pertaining to the progress and bringing up of Europe’s economy. Moreover, the thirteen colonies developed ways, (such as Jamestown’s tobacco crop) to exploit resources as means for survival. The North American Colonies Association with trade (Columbian Exchange) put them in competition with other empires to compete for wealth and progression as a community. Economic concerns engaged in the colonies’ organization; however, religion was the basis for British settlement and the foundation for population growth, social movement, and political structure. Although economic concerns of development and exploration had its part in British settlement into the New World, religious entanglement proved to be more important in the race for American development. Religion posed as the main factor for the peoples, and led them to make decisions and act upon their beliefs. In this colonial time period, religion proved to be a greater power in the daily lives of Americans.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The History Of American Football Physical Education Essay

The History Of American Football Physical Education Essay American football  resulted from several major divergences from rugby, most notably the rule changes instituted by  Walter Camp, considered the Father of American Football. Among these important changes were the introduction of the  line of scrimmage  and of  down-and-distancerules.  In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, gameplay developments by college coaches such as  Eddie Cochems,  Amos Alonzo Stagg,  Knute Rockne, and  Glenn Pop Warner  helped take advantage of the newly introduced  forward pass. The popularity of  collegiate football  grew as it became the dominant version of the sport in the United States for the first half of the twentieth century.  Bowl games, a college football tradition, attracted a national audience for collegiate teams. Bolstered by fierce  rivalries, college football still holds widespread appeal in the US. The origin of  professional football  can be traced back to 1892, with  William Pudge Heffelfingers  $500 contract to play in a game for theAllegheny Athletic Association  against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. In 1920 the American Professional Football Association was formed. This league changed its name to the  National Football League  (NFL) two years later, and eventually became the  major league  of American football. Primarily a sport of Midwestern industrial towns in the United States, professional football eventually became a national phenomenon. Footballs increasing popularity is usually traced to the  1958 NFL Championship Game, a contest that has been dubbed the Greatest Game Ever Played. A rival league to the NFL, the  American Football League  (AFL), began play in 1960; the pressure it put on the senior league led to a  merger  between the two leagues and the creation of the  Super Bowl, which has become the most watched television event in t he United States on an annual basis. First games Although there are mentions of  Native Americans  playing ball games, modern American football has its origins in traditional ball games played at villages and schools in Europe for many centuries before America was settled by Europeans. There are reports of early  settlers  atJamestown, Virginia  playing games with inflated balls in the early 17th century. Early games appear to have had much in common with the traditional mob football played in England, especially on  Shrove Tuesday. The games remained largely unorganized until the 19th century, when  intramural  games of football began to be played on college campuses. Each school played its own variety of football.  Princeton  students played a game called ballown as early as 1820. A  Harvard  tradition known as Bloody Monday began in 1827, which consisted of a mass ballgame between the freshman and sophomore classes.  Dartmouthplayed its own version called Old division football, the rules of which were first published in 1871, though the game dates to at least the 1830s. All of these games, and others, shared certain commonalities. They remained largely mob style games, with huge numbers of players attempting to advance the ball into a goal area, often by any means necessary. Rules were simple and violence and injury were common.  The violence of these mob-style ga mes led to widespread protests and a decision to abandon them.  Yale, under pressure from the city of  New Haven, banned the play of all forms of football in 1860, while Harvard followed suit in 1861. Boston game While the game was being banned in colleges, it was growing in popularity in various  east coast  prep schools. In 1855, manufactured inflatable balls were introduced. These were much more regular in shape than the handmade balls of earlier times, making kicking and carrying easier. Two general types of football had evolved by this time: kicking games and running (or carrying) games. A hybrid of the two, known as the Boston game, was played by a group known as the  Oneida Football Club. The club, considered by some historians as the first formal  football club  in the United States, was formed in 1862 by schoolboys who played the Boston game on  Boston Common. They played mostly between themselves, though they organized a team of non-members to play a game in November 1863, which the Oneidas won easily. The game caught the attention of the press, and the Boston game continued to spread throughout the 1860s. The game began to return to college campuses by the late 1860s. Yale, Princeton,  Rutgers, and  Brown  all began playing kicking games during this time. In 1867, Princeton used rules based on those of the English  Football Association.  A running game, resembling rugby, was taken up by the  Montreal Football Club  in Canada in 1868. Intercollegiate football Rutgers v. Princeton (1869) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2f/Firstfootballgame.jpg/200px-Firstfootballgame.jpg On November 6, 1869,  Rutgers University  faced  Princeton University  in a game that is often regarded as the first game of  intercollegiate football.  The game was played at a Rutgers field under Rutgers rules. Two teams of 25 players attempted to score by kicking the ball into the opposing teams goal. Throwing or carrying the ball was not allowed. The first team to reach six goals was declared the winner. Rutgers won by a score of six to four. A rematch was played at Princeton a week later under Princeton rules (one notable difference was the awarding of a free kick to any player that caught the ball on the fly). Princeton won that game by a score of eight to zero.  Columbia  joined the series in 1870, and by 1872 several schools were fielding intercollegiate teams, including  Yale  and  Stevens Institute of Technology. Rules standardization (1873-1880) On October 19, 1873, representatives from Yale, Columbia, Princeton, and Rutgers met at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in  New York City  to codify the first set of intercollegiate football rules. Before this meeting, each school had its own set of rules and games were usually played using the home teams own particular code. At this meeting, a list of rules, based more on soccer than on rugby, was drawn up for intercollegiate football games. Harvard, which played the Boston game, a version of football that allowed carrying, refused to attend this rules conference and continued to play under its own code. While Harvards voluntary absence from the meeting made it hard for them to schedule games against other American universities, it agreed to a challenge to play  McGill University, from  Montreal, in a two-game series. The McGill team traveled to  Cambridge  to meet Harvard. On May 14, 1874, the first game, played under Boston rules, was won by Harvard with a score of 3-0. The next day, the two teams played rugby to a scoreless tie. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/1882RutgersFootballTeam.jpg/180px-1882RutgersFootballTeam.jpg The  Rutgers College  football team of 1882, wearing uniforms typical of the period Harvard quickly took a liking to the rugby game, and its use of the  try  which, until that time, was not used in American football. The try would later evolve into the score known as the  touchdown. In late 1874, the Harvard team traveled to Montrà ©al to play McGill in rugby, and won by three tries. A year later, on June 4, 1875, Harvard faced  Tufts University  in the first game between two American colleges played under rules similar to the McGill/Harvard contest, which was won by Tufts 1-0.  The first edition of  The Game-the annual contest between Harvard and Yale-was played on November 13, 1875, under a modified set of rugby rules known as The Concessionary Rules. Yale lost 4-0, but found that it too preferred the rugby style game. Spectators from Princeton carried the game back home, where it also became popular. On November 23, 1876, representatives from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia met at the Massasoit House in  Springfield, Massachusetts  to standardize a new code of rules based on the rugby game first introduced to Harvard by McGill University in 1874. The rules were based largely on theRugby Football Unions code from England, though one important difference was the replacement of a kicked goal with a touchdown as the primary means of scoring (a change that would later occur in rugby itself, favoring the  try  as the main scoring event). Three of the schools-Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton-formed the  Intercollegiate Football Association, as a result of the meeting. Yale did not join the group until 1879, because of an early disagreement about the number of players per team. Walter Camp: Father of American football Walter Camp  is widely considered to be the most important figure in the development of American football. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Walter_Camp_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_18048.jpg/180px-Walter_Camp_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_18048.jpg Walter Camp, the Father of American Football, pictured here in 1878 as the captain of the Yale football team As a youth, he excelled in sports like  track,  baseball, and soccer, and after enrolling at Yale in 1876, he earned varsity honors in every sport the school offered. Camp became a fixture at the Massasoit House conventions where rules were debated and changed. He proposed his first rule change at the first meeting he attended in 1878: a reduction from fifteen players to eleven. The motion was rejected at that time but passed in 1880. The effect was to open up the game and emphasize speed over strength. Camps most famous change, the establishment of the  line of scrimmage  and the  snap  from  center  toquarterback, was also passed in 1880. Originally, the snap was executed with the foot of the center. Later changes made it possible to snap the ball with the hands, either through the air or by a direct hand-to-hand pass. Camps new scrimmage rules revolutionized the game, though not always as intended. Princeton, in particular, used scrimmage play to slow the game, making incremental progress towards the end zone during each  down. Rather than increase scoring, which had been Camps original intent, the rule was exploited to maintain control of the ball for the entire game, resulting in slow, unexciting contests. At the 1882 rules meeting, Camp proposed that a team be required to advance the ball a minimum of five yards within three downs. These down-and-distance rules, combined with the establishment of the line of scrimmage, transformed the game from a variation of rugby or soccer into the distinct sport of American football. Camp was central to several more significant rule changes that came to define American football. In 1881, the field was reduced in size to its modern dimensions of 120 by 53 1/3 yards (109.7 by 48.8 meters). Several times in 1883, Camp tinkered with the scoring rules, finally arriving at four points for a touchdown, two points for  kicks after touchdowns, two points for safeties, and five for  field goals. In 1887, gametime was set at two halves of 45 minutes each. Also in 1887, two paid officials-a  referee  and an  umpire-were mandated for each game. A year later, the rules were changed to allow tackling below the waist, and in 1889, the officials were given whistles and stopwatches. After leaving Yale in 1882, Camp was employed by the New Haven Clock Company until his death in 1925. Though no longer a player, he remained a fixture at annual rules meetings for most of his life, and he personally selected an annual  All-American team  every year from 1898 through 1924. TheWalter Camp Football Foundation  continues to select All-American teams in his honor. Rules Field and players http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/AmFBfield.svg/250px-AmFBfield.svg.png The numbers on the field indicate the number ofyards  to the nearest end zone. American football is played on a field 360 by 160 feet (109.7 by 48.8 m). The longer boundary lines are  sidelines, while the shorter boundary lines are  end lines. Sidelines and end lines are out of bounds. Near each end of the field is a  goal line; they are 100  yards (91.4  m) apart. A scoring area called an  end zone  extends 10  yards (9.1  m) beyond each goal line to each end line. The end zone includes the goal line but not the end line.  While the playing field is effectively flat, it is common for a field to be built with a slight crown-with the middle of the field higher than the sides-to allow water to drain from the field. Yard lines  cross the field every 5  yards (4.6  m), and are numbered every 10 yards from each goal line to the 50-yard line, or midfield (similar to a typical  rugby league  field). Two rows of short lines, known as inbounds lines or  hash marks, run at 1-yard (91.4  cm) intervals perpendicular to the sidelines near the middle of the field. All plays start with the ball on or between the hash marks. Because of the arrangement of the lines, the field is occasionally referred to as a gridiron. At the back of each end zone are two  goalposts  (also called  uprights) connected by a crossbar 10  feet (3.05  m) from the ground. For high skill levels, the posts are 222  inches (5.64  m) apart. For lower skill levels, these are widened to 280  inches (7.11  m). Each team has 11 players on the field at a time. However, teams may substitute for any or all of their players, if time allows, during the break between plays. As a result, players have very specialized roles, and, sometimes (although rarely) almost all of the (at least) 46 active players on an NFL team will play in any given game. Thus, teams are divided into three separate units: the  offense, the  defense  and the  special teams. Start of halves Similarly to  association football, the game begins with a  coin toss  to determine which team will kick off to begin the game and which goal each team will defend.  The options are presented again to start the second half; the choices for the first half do not automatically determine the start of the second half. The referee conducts the coin toss with the captains (or sometimes coaches) of the opposing teams. The team that wins the coin toss has three options: They may choose whether to kick or receive the opening kickoff. They may choose which goal to defend. They may choose to  defer  the first choice to the other team and have first choice to start the second half. Whatever the first team chooses, the second team has the option on the other choice (for example, if the first team elects to receive at the start of the game, the second team can decide which goal to defend). At the start of the second half, the options to kick, receive, or choose a goal to defend are presented to the captains again. The team which did not choose first to start the first half (or which deferred its privilege to choose first) now gets first choice of options. Game duration A standard football game consists of four 15-minute quarters (12-minute quarters in high-school football and often shorter at lower levels),  with a 12 minute  half-time  intermission after the second quarter.  The clock stops after certain plays; therefore, a game can last considerably longer (often more than three hours in real time), and if a game is broadcast on  television,TV timeouts  are taken at certain intervals of the game to broadcast  commercials  outside of game action. If an NFL game is tied after four quarters, the teams play an additional period lasting up to 15 minutes. In an NFL overtime game, the first team that scores wins, even if the other team does not get a possession; this is referred to as  sudden death. In a regular-season NFL game, if neither team scores in overtime, the game is a tie. In an NFL playoff game, additional overtime periods are played, as needed, to determine a winner. College overtime rules are more complicated and are descr ibed in  Overtime (sport). http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/NSU_Football.jpg/180px-NSU_Football.jpg A  line of scrimmage  on the 48-yard line. The offense is on the left. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Nate_Longshore_prepares_to_pass_at_ASU_at_Cal_2008-10.04.jpg/180px-Nate_Longshore_prepares_to_pass_at_ASU_at_Cal_2008-10.04.jpg A  quarterback  searching for opportunity to throw a pass. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/2006_Pro_Bowl_tackle.jpg/180px-2006_Pro_Bowl_tackle.jpg A  running back  being tackled when he tries to run with the ball. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Shea_Smith-edit1.jpg/180px-Shea_Smith-edit1.jpg A quarterback preparing to throw a pass. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/Orton_To_Wolfe.jpg/180px-Orton_To_Wolfe.jpg Forward pass in progress, during practice. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Alabama_Field-Goal.JPG/180px-Alabama_Field-Goal.JPG A kicker attempts an extra point. Advancing the ball Advancing the ball in American football resembles the  six-tackle rule  and the  play-the-ball  in  rugby league. The team that takes possession of the ball (the  offense) has four attempts, called  downs, in which to advance the ball at least 10  yards (9.1  m) toward their opponents (the  defenses) end zone. When the offense succeeds in gaining at least 10 yards, it gets a  first down, meaning the team has another set of four downs to gain yet another 10 yards or to score. If the offense fails to gain a first down (10 yards) after 4 downs, the other team gets possession of the ball at the point where the fourth down ended, beginning with their first down to advance the ball in the opposite direction. Except at the beginning of halves and after scores, the ball is always put into play by a  snap. Offensive players line up facing defensive players at theline of scrimmage  (the position on the field where the play begins). One offensive player, the  center, then passes (or snaps) the ball backwards between his legs to a teammate behind him, usually the  quarterback. Players can then advance the ball in two ways: By running with the ball, also known as  rushing. By throwing the ball to a teammate, known as a  forward pass  or as  passing  the football. The forward pass is a key factor distinguishing American and Canadian football from other football sports. The offense can throw the ball forward only once during a down and only from behind the line of scrimmage. The ball can be thrown, pitched, handed-off, or tossed sideways or backwards at any time. A down ends, and the ball becomes dead, after any of the following: The player with the ball is forced to the ground (a  tackle) or has his forward progress halted by members of the other team (as determined by anofficial). A forward pass flies beyond the dimensions of the field (out of bounds) or touches the ground before it is caught. This is known as an  incomplete pass. The ball is returned to the most recent line of scrimmage for the next down. The ball or the player with the ball goes out of bounds. A team scores. Officials blow a whistle to notify players that the down is over. Before each down, each team chooses a  play, or coordinated movements and actions, that the players should follow on a down. Sometimes, downs themselves are referred to as plays. Change of possession The offense maintains possession of the ball unless one of the following things occurs: The team fails to get a first down- i.e., in four downs they fail to move the ball past a line 10 yards ahead of where they got their last first down (it is possible to be downed behind the current line of scrimmage, losing yardage). The defensive team takes over the ball at the spot where the 4th-down play ends. A change of possession in this manner is commonly called a  turnover on downs, but is not credited as a defensive turnover in official statistics. Instead, it goes against the offenses 4th down efficiency percentage. The offense scores a touchdown or field goal. The team that scored then kicks the ball to the other team in a special play called a  kickoff. The offense punts the ball to the defense. A  punt  is a kick in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground. Punts are nearly always made on fourth down (though see  quick kick), when the offensive team does not want to risk giving up the ball to the other team at its current spot on the field (through a failed attempt to make a first down) and feels it is too far from the other teams goal posts to attempt a field goal. A defensive player catches a forward pass. This is called an  interception, and the player who makes the interception can run with the ball until he is tackled, forced out of bounds, or scores. An offensive player drops the ball (a  fumble) and a defensive player picks it up. As with interceptions, a player recovering a fumble can run with the ball until tackled, forced out of bounds, or scores. Backward passes that are not caught do not cause the down to end like incomplete forward passes do; instead the ball is still live as if it had been fumbled. Lost fumbles and interceptions are together known as  turnovers. The offensive team misses a field goal attempt. The defensive team gets the ball at the spot where the previous play began (or, in the NFL, at the spot of the kick). If the unsuccessful kick was attempted from within 20  yards (18.3  m) of the end zone, the other team gets the ball at its own 20 yard line (that is, 20 yards from the end zone). If a field goal is missed or blocked and the ball remains in the field of play, a defensive player may pick up the ball and attempt to advance it. While in his own end zone, an offensive ball carrier is tackled, forced out of bounds, loses the ball out of bounds, or the offense commits certain fouls. This fairly rare occurrence is called a  safety. An offensive ball carrier fumbles the ball forward into the opposing end zone, and then the ball goes out of bounds. This extremely rare occurrence leads to a  touchback, with the ball going over to the opposing team at their 20 yard line (Note that touchbacks during non-offensive speplays, such as punts and kickoffs, are quite common). Scoring A team scores points by the following plays: A  touchdown  (TD) is worth 6 points.  It is scored when a player runs the ball into or catches a pass in his opponents end zone.  A touchdown is analogous to a  try  in rugby. Unlike rugby, a player does not have to touch the ball to the ground to score; a touchdown is scored any time a player has possession of the ball while the ball is on or beyond the opponents goal line (or the plane above it). After a touchdown, the scoring team attempts a  try  (which is also analogous to the  conversion in rugby). The ball is placed at the other teams 3-yard (2.7  m) line (the 2-yard (1.8  m) line in the NFL). The team can attempt to kick it over the crossbar and through the goal posts in the manner of a field goal for 1 point (an  extra point  or  point-after touchdown (PAT)[19]), or run or pass it into the end zone in the manner of a touchdown for 2 points (a  two-point conversion). In college football, if the defense intercepts or recovers a fumble during a one or two point conversion attempt and returns it to the opposing end zone, the defensive team is awarded the two points. A  field goal  (FG) is worth 3 points, and it is scored by kicking the ball over the crossbar and through the goal posts (uprights).  Field goals may be placekicked (kicked when the ball is held vertically against the ground by a teammate) or  drop-kicked  (extremely uncommon in the modern game, with only two successes in sixty-plus years in the NFL). A field goal is usually attempted on fourth down instead of a punt when the ball is close to the opponents goal line, or, when there is little or no time left to otherwise score. A  safety, worth 2 points, is scored by the opposing team when the team in possession at the end of a down is responsible for the ball becoming dead behind its own goal line. For instance, a safety is scored by the defense if an offensive player is tackled, goes out of bounds, or fumbles the ball out of bounds in his own end zone.  Safeties are relatively rare. Note that, though even more rare, the team initially on offense during a down can score a safety if a player of the original defense gains possession of the ball in front of his own goal line and then carries the ball or fumbles it into his own end zone where it becomes dead. However, if the ball becomes dead behind the goal line of the team in possession and its opponent is responsible for the ball being there (for instance, if the defense intercepts a forward pass in its own end zone and the ball becomes dead before the ball is advanced out of the end zone) it is a touchback: no points are scored and the team last in pos session keeps possession with a first down at its own 20 yard line. In amateur football, in the extremely rare instance that a safety is scored on a try, it is worth only 1 point. Kickoffs and free kicks Each half begins with a  kickoff. Teams also kick off after scoring touchdowns and field goals. The ball is kicked using a kicking tee from the teams own 30-yard (27  m) line in the NFL and college football (as of the 2007 season). The other teams kick returner tries to catch the ball and advance it as far as possible. Where he is stopped is the point where the offense will begin its  drive, or series of offensive plays. If the kick returner catches the ball in his own end zone, he can either run with the ball, or elect for a  touchback  by kneeling in the end zone, in which case the receiving team then starts its offensive drive from its own 20 yard line. A touchback also occurs when the kick goes out-of-bounds in the end zone. A kickoff that goes out-of-bounds anywhere other than the end zone before being touched by the receiving team is a foul, and the ball will be placed where it went out of bounds or 30  yards (27  m) from the kickoff spot, depending on which is mo re advantageous to the opposite team.  Unlike with punts, once a kickoff goes 10 yards and the ball has hit the ground, it can be recovered by the kicking team.  A team, especially one who is losing, can try to take advantage of this by attempting an  onside kick. Punts and turnovers in the end zone can also end in a  touchback. After safeties, the team that gave up the points must  free kick  the ball to the other team from its own 20 yard line. Penalties Fouls (a type of rule violation) are punished with  penalties  against the offending team. Most penalties result in moving the football towards the offending teams end zone. If the penalty would move the ball more than half the distance towards the offenders end zone, the penalty becomes half the distance to the goal instead of its normal value. Most penalties result in replaying the down. Some defensive penalties give the offense an automatic first down.  Conversely, some offensive penalties result in loss of a down (loss of the right to repeat the down).  If a penalty gives the offensive team enough yardage to gain a first down, they get a first down, as usual. If a foul occurs during a down, an official throws a yellow  penalty flag  near the spot of the foul. When the down ends, the team that did not commit the foul has the option of accepting the penalty, or declining the penalty and accepting the result of the down. Variations Variations on these basic rules exist, particularly  touch  and  flag football, which are designed as non-contact or limited-contact alternatives to the relative  violence  of regular American football. In touch and flag football, tackling is not permitted. Offensive players are tackled when a defender tags them or removes a flag from their body, respectively. Both of these varieties are played mainly in informal settings such as  intramural  or youth games. Another variation is wrap, where a player is tackled when another player wraps his arms around the ball carrier. Professional, intercollegiate, and varsity-level high school football invariably use the standard tackling rules. Another variation is with the number of players on the field. In sparsely populated areas, it is not uncommon to find high school football teams playing  nine-man football,  eight-man footballor  six-man football. Players often play on offense as well as defense. The  Arena Football League  is a league that plays eight-man football, but also plays indoors and on a much smaller playing surface with rule changes to encourage a much more offensive game. Another variation often played by American children is called Catch and Run. In this game, the children split into two teams and line up at opposite sides of the playing field. One side throws the ball to the other side. If the opposing team catches the ball, that player tries to run to the throwing teams touchdown without being tagged/tackled. If no one catches the ball or if the player is tagged/tackled, then that team has to throw the ball to the opposing team. This repeats until the game (or recess period) is deemed over.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Great Gatsby 2 :: essays papers

Great Gatsby 2 F. Scott Fitzgerald is an author who is distinguished for his use of symbolism in his literature, like in the novel The Great Gatsby. He uses the image of Doctor T. J. Eckelburg's eyes to symbolize a godlike being. Fitzgerald uses the symbol of the two women in yellow at Gatsby's party to represent the values of the 1920's. The food provided at Gatsby's party symbolically represents the members of 1920's society. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Symbolism in the novel The Great Gatsby as an accurate reflection of life in the American 1920's. In The Great Gatsby the symbol of T. J. Eckelburg's eyes represent a godly being watching over society. Fitzgerald incorporates the eyes into his novel to represent a pair of all seeing, all knowing and judging eyes, which are meant to intimidate. The character of George Wilson believes that the eyes are the eyes of God. "I spoke to her," he muttered, after a long silence. "I told her she might fool me but she couldn't fool God. I took her to the window- " With an effort he got up and walked to the rear window and leaned his face pressed against it, "-and I said 'God knows what you've been doing, everything you've been doing. You may fool me but you can't fool God!' " Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg, which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night. "God sees everything," repeated Wilson. (p.167) Through Wilson's beliefs Fitzgerald explains that the eyes can see everything including Myrtle's infidelities. Myrtle is a typical person of the 1920's. She has put her own life and interests ahead of everyone else's including her husband's. The eyes of God are frowning down on the 1920's society. But above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic-their retinas are one yard high. The look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose...his eyes, dimmed a little by many painless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.(p.27-28) Through Fitzgerald's wording in describing the image of Eckleburg's eyes the reader develops a mental image of an omnipotent being who is constantly watching over the land. The reader discerns that the eyes not only see everything but that they eyes are morbidly unhappy.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

American and Japanese values system Essays -- compare, contrast, compar

Japan and America each have their own value system that draws comparable interest for how it shapes society and patterns of interaction. Even though there are similarities between the two-value systems, it is essential to understand the fundamental differences that deal with equality, respect, and communication style. Understanding the motivations behind behaviors will lead to successful intercultural interactions. Japanese society exhibits a gender base stratification of society. Male dominance over female contributes to upholding norms and expectations of gender specific division of labor. Still prevalent and modeled after by most households in Japan, is that the male is typical salaryman ‘breadwinner’ that provides only the economic means. Meanwhile, the female is the ‘shufu’ or the full house wife is responsible for the household, raising children, and the wellbeing of the husband’s parents. The masculine and feminine speech patterns further refines the gender roles and the gender divide in all domains of society. Masculine speech is vulgar while feminine speech is politer in nuance. Even though the institutions that prevent women from entering into the workforce are changing, it is stigmatize that a woman’s career peck at age 25 and expected to return to the house married with ‘shufu’ responsibilities. ‘Career women’ are marginalized from society for having a higher status in income or education to good for oneself. This contrasts with America’s society of equality. Male and female are encouraged to pursue individual goals and aspirations as competitive equals. The transparency of institutions discourages discrimination and enables women to strive and advance in their careers in the majo... ... pursing happiness by being able to strive for individual achievement and desires. Many Americans would go back to school to seek better skills or degrees in improving the available opportunities in life. Similar in Japan, expectations by parents push their kids into the correct primary schools and later, cram schools, in order to get ahead because of the examination culture. At an early age, these kids learn that self-improvement is the means of avoiding marginalization public and family shame. The fundamental differences between the American and Japanese values system is the difference in individualistic and collectivism tendencies. Both Americans and Japanese see share similarities in time orientation and self-improvement. Understanding the core assumptions of each culture will improve the intercultural interactions and promote a global consciousness.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Economics †Product Differentiation in Monopoly Essay

Monopolies are firms that are the sole or dominant suppliers of a good or service in a given market. And what sets apart monopolies from competitive firms is â€Å"market power†- the ability of a firm to affect the market price. Price discrimination is the business practice of selling the same good at different prices to different customers, even though the cost of production is the same for all customers. Only monopolies can practice price discrimination, because otherwise competition would prevent price discrimination. Price discrimination increases the monopolist’s profits, reduces the consumer surplus and reduces the deadweight loss. (the buyers of the lower-priced product should not be able to resell the product to the higher-priced market. Otherwise, the monopoly will not be able to maintain price differentials. ) The monopolist must be able to identify segments of the market that are willing to pay different prices, and then market its products accordingly. A common technique to achieve this is by making it harder to get the lower prices, since wealthier consumers value their time more than their money. Some ways the monopolistic firms can implement discriminatory pricing are; †¢Linear Approximation Technique or Markup Pricing Technique †¢Personalized Pricing – extracting the maximum amount a customer is willing to pay for the product. †¢Coupons and Rebates – providing coupons to attract more customers or providing personalized discounts. †¢Bulk pricing – offering lower prices when customer buys a huge quantity of the same product. †¢Bundling – joining products or services together in order to sell them as a single combined unit. Block pricing – Charging more for the first set of the product, then less for each additional product bought by the same consumer. †¢Group Pricing- charging different customers different price based on factors such as race, gender, age, abilities etc. and also â€Å"psychographic segmentation†- dividing consumers based on their lifestyle, personality, values, and social class. †¢Charging different prices based on geographic location. Some products may be cheaper to produce in different places and based on the cost of the good sold the monopolistic firm can charge different prices in order to maximize its profits. Placing restrictions or other â€Å"inferior† characteristics on the low-price good or service, so as to make it sufficiently less attractive to the high price segment †¢Establishing a schedule of â€Å"volume discounts† (â€Å"block pricing†) such that only large-volume buyers (who may have more elastic demands) qualify †¢Using a two-part tariff, where the customer pays an up-front fee for the right to buy the product and then pays additional fees for each unit of the product consumed.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Hjlk

Dominic Cole’s IELTS Blog www. dcielts. com The bar chart below shows the quarterly profit forecast for three major US companies in 2012. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the chart. You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Quarterly pro? t forecasts for three major US companies in 2012 1500 1350 1200 Pro? t in millions of dollars 1050 900 750 600 450 300 150 0 Jan-March Apr-June July-Sept Oct-Dec Microsoft Ford IBM Dominic Cole’s IELTS Blog www. dcielts. comThis bar graph shows the quarterly change in pro? ts for Microsoft, Ford and IBM in 2012. The ? rst point to note is that while both Microsoft and IBM are predicted to show a substantial growth in pro? ts in this period, there is going to be little movement in the ? gures for Ford. It should also be remarked that although IBM will start the year with the lowest margin, it is predicted to be the most pro? table company by the end of the year. If we look at the numbers in detail we see that Ford is expected to make a ? st-quarter pro? t of around $825 million and this should rise marginally to $900 million by the end of September, only to fall back to its starting point by December. In stark contrast, IBM is predicted to show a steady growth in pro? ts throughout the year, shooting up from just over $180 million to exactly $1,200 million by the year? s end. After a dif? cult ? rst quarter where its pro? ts drop by around half to around $200, Microsoft is forecast to follow a similar pattern of steady growth from April to December, ? ishing at $600 million. notes 1. This report relates to future predictions. See the variety of language that refers to the future 2. The report starts by noting the two main points: general growth apart from Ford and that IBM moves from the least pro? table to the most pro? table 3. The second paragraph deals with each company in turn. It is linked by the comparisons comparing Ford to IBM and then IBM to M icrosoft 4. The word pro? t is repeated consistently but there is some effort to use synonyms or related phrases

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Marketing and PR Handout

Taking a Masters in Business Administration degree means that you need to understand each and every aspect of the organization you work in.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Knowledge in Marketing and PR will equip you with the essential tools to make your own business or organization survive the competition.   Below are my insights from taking Marketing and PR course:1. Brand equity, which is the position that a product or company holds in the minds of the consumers is primary to creating the character and personality of your product.2. Branding integrates the overall strategies of your company or brand – advertising, marketing programs, customer service, public relations (Ochman, n.d.).   Make sure you give your brand a consistent positioning approach.3. Marketing is not just about offering discounts on coupons or giving away prizes in raffles.   It is about integrating effective tools to communicate with your market.4. Four Ps of marketing stand for Product, Price, Place and Promotion.   These determine the direction of your product, and integrate your programs to ensure consistency and synergy in your efforts (Arens, W., 2005).5. Market penetration strategies determine the total market potential, then divide that potential by the amount of product that is already sold or purchased (Berry, T., 2007).   If not done right, you may end up picking yourself on the wrong side of the road, with unjustifiable expenses and wasted efforts.6. Rewarding your loyal customers is a powerful tool nowadays to keep them coming back (Marketing Tricks for the Frugal Budget, 2003).   This gives rise to Relationship Marketing, ensuring that everything from customer service to after-sales service is going smoothly (Arens, W., 2005).7. Use discounts and promos sparingly.   Otherwise, people may think that your product is not good enough because they are always on sale (Marketing Tricks for the Frugal Budget, 2003).8. In Public Relations, you need to take care of your image to the pu blic, and equally important, to the media.   Otherwise, you risk yourself of being cast in the shadows of darkness, because media create the buzz for your product or company.9. The media coverage that you get through recommendations of editors, write-ups in columns and mentions in press releases is more powerful than advertising.   Utilize this as often and as effective as you can.10. Advertising is an effective tool to promote your product, which is why it does not come cheap (Arens, W., 2005).   You have to make sure that you pick the right medium for your product to reach the right market.ReferencesArens, W.   (2005).   Contemporary Advertising.   McGraw Hill, pp. 325-328.Berry, T. (2007).   Market Penetration Opportunity.   Retrieved May 8, 2007.Marketing Tricks for the Frugal Budget.   (2003).   Retrieved May 8, 2007 from https://businesstown.com/articles/cheap-marketing-tricks-that-work/Ochman, B.L. (n.d.).   Branding:   The Most Misunderstood Word in M arketing.   Retrieved May 8, 2007.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Inventory Accounting Essay

1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inventory costs: The use of LIFO for determining inventory costs under International Accounting Standards is prohibited, while it is permitted under US GAAP. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reversal of inventory write downs: Under IAS, it is required if certain criteria are met whereas US GAAP strictly prohibits it. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basis of Inventory valuation: Under IAS, the inventory is carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value (NRV). Under US GAAP, Carried at the lower of cost and market (market is the lower of replacement cost and NRV minus normal profit margin). 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Whether the costs of idle capacity and spoilage can be included in inventory Under IAS, it is prohibited. Under US GAAP, it is permitted. The change to IAS will avoid the biggest disadvantage of US GAAP that is; it permits LIFO to be used for inventory valuation where the oldest inventory costs are assigned to the inventory account which, when prices are changing can result in an inventory value that does not reflect the true current value. Also, in case of shift to IAS, US companies will not be able to show lower profits by using LIFO when prices are rising. US GAAP helped the companies to reduce their payment of taxes. Under US GAAP, extraordinary items are permitted but restricted to infrequent, unusual and rare items that affect profit and loss. However, it is prohibited under IAS. Thus, extraordinary items give companies somewhat of a â€Å"hall pass† with the markets, allowing them to sometimes report lower earnings but get credit for higher earnings. Obviously, it is tempting for companies to try to report every bad thing that happens as an extraordinary item. This can be avoided once IAS is in place. IAS is more comprehensive and clear. It would avoid misinterpretation by the companies.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Adidas Marketing Plan

(Adidas Group Annual Report, 2008) This marketing plan will focus on the Adidas brand. While research indicates there’s a belief that Adidas makes better footwear than Nike (Vertical Ascent Website), it has been unsuccessful in penetrating the young hip-hop crowd. With a generation that has grown up with i-pods, blogs and video games, Adidas is looking to appeal to his younger generation through technology that they have become used to using. (Marina, 2009) Adidas 1, claimed to be the world’s first computerized smart shoe, went on sale March 18, 2005. Adidas has long focused on being the footwear for sports and high performance with its core base being sports. According to the Adidas Group 2008 Annual Report, the company targets three brands: sports performance, sports heritage and sports styles. It’s known for its technological innovation and cutting edge design, with its mission being to challenge and lead through creativity. Adidas has positioned itself as a leader in professional and competitive sports, notably soccer, basketball, and running. As the technology permeates everyday life, Adidas hopes to live up to their changing expectations and deliver the best consumer experience through using creative new initiatives including interactive fitting footwear for peak performance and fit. With that focus on technological innovation, Adidas is going high tech, with everything from high tech sneakers, high tech virtual stores, and high tech promotion. This high tech is not just for show or glitz. It has a purpose – to deliver the best fitting, and best performing footwear tailored to the consumer’s individual needs. Adidas is hoping the high tech approach will eliminate potential customer dissatisfaction through virtual fitting. This eliminates producing shoes that don’t fit properly or perform well. It also leads to the best fit for the best performance out of footwear, something desired by professional or amateur athletes, as well as anyone embarking upon a running or fitness program. Adidas is looking at the changing interests of the up and coming market who also have i-pods, video games, email, internet, youtube and other highly technological devises as a way of life rather than traditional television or print media. With this change in media delivery, there’s also a change from it being one way to two-way communication, and with rapid advances in technology, they expect new and different things, and new and different footwear and sportswear is a way to reach that market. With an emphasis on fitness in today’s world, Adidas must create an image that Adidas footwear excels for everyone who is looking to improve their health. The goal is to maintain its traditional base as well while developing a technological environment that will broaden appeal to a younger consumer. Adidas’ strategy is to come up with a technology that meets a consumer need – excellent fitting footwear that has top notch performance. By having technology where one is not just fitted for the footwear, but also can gauge them for exact pressure and running posture, the company continues to follow its positioning as being the world’s favorite footwear for sports, and setting the pace for their footwear to meet their customer’s performance needs. The company is taking that image to its traditional promotional use of television and print advertising, as well as its exclusivity banners at major sporting events, especially European soccer matches. It also has made deals with professional football players and the New York Yankees to endorse Adidas. The company is the official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics that will reach millions, billions, and potentially open up strong Chinese Markets, and renew interest in sports performance which will lead to increased sales Adidas is distributed in corporate stores, throughout the web, high end sporting stores, the internet, and more limitedly in sporting goods stores throughout the US and Europe. It is also rethinking its distribution practices after last year’s purchase of Reebok and will close Reebok sports apparel and sneaker distribution centers in Massachusetts, Tennessee and Kentucky, and move those operations to an expanded center in South Carolina. Spartanburg was chosen for the two brands’ consolidated distribution center in part because it’s close to the two brands’ product shipping locations and to many customers (The Associated Press, 2008) Adidas high tech strategy is moving into its internal operations departments, adopting a better delivery system, increasing retail distribution, and taking customer service to a new level, beyond satisfaction to delight, thus trying to obtain return and possibly ifetime customers, something that would be very profitable for the company. The company can benchmark its success by measuring sales, web traffic to its innovative color based on-line advertisements that never mention the product, the number of downloaded pod casts and the number of visits to their Paris high-tech store. Works Cited http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/2005-03-02-smart-usat_x.htm Adidas Marketing Plan (Adidas Group Annual Report, 2008) This marketing plan will focus on the Adidas brand. While research indicates there’s a belief that Adidas makes better footwear than Nike (Vertical Ascent Website), it has been unsuccessful in penetrating the young hip-hop crowd. With a generation that has grown up with i-pods, blogs and video games, Adidas is looking to appeal to his younger generation through technology that they have become used to using. (Marina, 2009) Adidas 1, claimed to be the world’s first computerized smart shoe, went on sale March 18, 2005. Adidas has long focused on being the footwear for sports and high performance with its core base being sports. According to the Adidas Group 2008 Annual Report, the company targets three brands: sports performance, sports heritage and sports styles. It’s known for its technological innovation and cutting edge design, with its mission being to challenge and lead through creativity. Adidas has positioned itself as a leader in professional and competitive sports, notably soccer, basketball, and running. As the technology permeates everyday life, Adidas hopes to live up to their changing expectations and deliver the best consumer experience through using creative new initiatives including interactive fitting footwear for peak performance and fit. With that focus on technological innovation, Adidas is going high tech, with everything from high tech sneakers, high tech virtual stores, and high tech promotion. This high tech is not just for show or glitz. It has a purpose – to deliver the best fitting, and best performing footwear tailored to the consumer’s individual needs. Adidas is hoping the high tech approach will eliminate potential customer dissatisfaction through virtual fitting. This eliminates producing shoes that don’t fit properly or perform well. It also leads to the best fit for the best performance out of footwear, something desired by professional or amateur athletes, as well as anyone embarking upon a running or fitness program. Adidas is looking at the changing interests of the up and coming market who also have i-pods, video games, email, internet, youtube and other highly technological devises as a way of life rather than traditional television or print media. With this change in media delivery, there’s also a change from it being one way to two-way communication, and with rapid advances in technology, they expect new and different things, and new and different footwear and sportswear is a way to reach that market. With an emphasis on fitness in today’s world, Adidas must create an image that Adidas footwear excels for everyone who is looking to improve their health. The goal is to maintain its traditional base as well while developing a technological environment that will broaden appeal to a younger consumer. Adidas’ strategy is to come up with a technology that meets a consumer need – excellent fitting footwear that has top notch performance. By having technology where one is not just fitted for the footwear, but also can gauge them for exact pressure and running posture, the company continues to follow its positioning as being the world’s favorite footwear for sports, and setting the pace for their footwear to meet their customer’s performance needs. The company is taking that image to its traditional promotional use of television and print advertising, as well as its exclusivity banners at major sporting events, especially European soccer matches. It also has made deals with professional football players and the New York Yankees to endorse Adidas. The company is the official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics that will reach millions, billions, and potentially open up strong Chinese Markets, and renew interest in sports performance which will lead to increased sales Adidas is distributed in corporate stores, throughout the web, high end sporting stores, the internet, and more limitedly in sporting goods stores throughout the US and Europe. It is also rethinking its distribution practices after last year’s purchase of Reebok and will close Reebok sports apparel and sneaker distribution centers in Massachusetts, Tennessee and Kentucky, and move those operations to an expanded center in South Carolina. Spartanburg was chosen for the two brands’ consolidated distribution center in part because it’s close to the two brands’ product shipping locations and to many customers (The Associated Press, 2008) Adidas high tech strategy is moving into its internal operations departments, adopting a better delivery system, increasing retail distribution, and taking customer service to a new level, beyond satisfaction to delight, thus trying to obtain return and possibly ifetime customers, something that would be very profitable for the company. The company can benchmark its success by measuring sales, web traffic to its innovative color based on-line advertisements that never mention the product, the number of downloaded pod casts and the number of visits to their Paris high-tech store. Works Cited http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/2005-03-02-smart-usat_x.htm