The Crusades and their effect on Europe specifically England Research Paper

The Crusades and their effect on Europe specifically England - Research Paper Example In this crusade, Christian warriors were urged to move into Palestine and free Jerusalem from Muslims Turks (Hallam 17-19; Crawford 1). The attack against the Muslim caliphates of the Near East was successful, and marked the onset of other subsequent crusades. However, for the subsequent crusades were not all victorious. Some ended up in defeats while others ended in compromises (The Christian Broadcasting Network 1) The Crusaders, who settled first in Palestine, underwent numerous challenges. They were in hostile territory i.e. surrounded by unified Islamic forces that were constantly seeking means of eliminating them. They lacked proper means of nominating or electing a widely accepted leader, and had no clear guidance on how to coexist after the victory. Thus, they lived in small factions rather than a unified entity (Butler 1). Most of the Christian crusades were as consequence of joint operation under the popes’ instruction. Even though in Europe most of the crusaders were mainly from England France and Germany, other European Christian localities also availed crusaders whenever the pope gave a directive for a crusade (World History Center 1). As consequence, the crusades’ effects were nearly uniform across ‘Christian Europe’. Crusades and visits to Palestine, Egypt and the Arab world was not just a mere expedition in which people went and fought but where people learnt various aspects of the Islamic World and incorporated them in their culture The crusaders in Palestine had adopted the locals’ way of dressing and housing architecture(Crawford 1). The dressing style and housing structures were the same as those of the Muslims. It was common to find â€Å"harems with veiled women wearing makeup† and Muslims neighbors praying in Christian chapels (Dutch 1). As consequence, there was a huge cultural gap between the crusaders in the holy land and those who lived

IVe Seen the Promise Land Essay Example for Free

IVe Seen the Promise Land Essay Through understanding of his speeches and similar past leaders such as Moses and Jesus, it is clear how Dr. King established himself as the leader of the civil rights movement and his vision and strength led many to a better life filled with the freedoms that they had yearned for. The opening of this speech is inspirational yet it is also somewhat unexpected when put in the context of his other more famous works. When asked by God what age he would like to live in, he describes some of the most famous and wondrous places of all time, such as Ancient Greece or the Renaissance. Then, with a powerful swoop in his voice, he says: Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, ‘If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the 20th century, I will be happy. ’ Now thats a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around. Thats a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that the time had come to finally address the issues that had been conflicted within him as well as countless others. He states, â€Å"But now, no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; its nonviolence or nonexistence. † He continued his speech by delivering messages from Jesus and various biblical passages to show why it is so important that they continued to be pushed forth and not remain idle. Even after their protest in Memphis they needed to keep marching forward, literally and figuratively. This speech was not only inspiring for the civil rights movements, but can also be used as an inspiration and a guideline to overcome any injustice that can be inflicted onto someone. Dr. King believed that when men and women had the mission of doing God’s will and standing up for what is right, that this would allow them to no longer fear death. Once you have conquered those who had at one point unjustly conquered you, then you are free. In addition to all the things Dr. King believed were needed to reach the â€Å"Promised Land†, the most important thing, though not directly stated by King, was the presence of an innate and inspirational leader who has a clear vision and the ability to express and correctly assert that vision onto those who want to quell injustice, along with the courage to fight against it himself. When you look at the difference between successful and also failed campaigns against injustice, the one thing that is always remembered is that in successful ones there was a leader who rallied his people. Moses was determined to lead the slaves out of Egypt and accomplished it by uniting them with his cause. Another example is Abraham Lincoln when he organized those around him and passed the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. King Jr. embodied everything that Moses and Abraham Lincoln did for their people, and then some. Without him, the civil rights movement very well could have died down and the world would not be where it is at today. With this in mind, there are 3 key moments in Dr. King’s life that made him into the visionary who took on all the arduous tasks that were placed before him. First is the time he spent in Birmingham Jail and the letter he wrote. â€Å"Human progress†¦it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be coworkers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. This showed that he was willing to fight alongside his people and endure anything that they did, and that he would go to the greatest of lengths to make his point. The second and his most famous speech, â€Å"I Have a Dream†, delivered on August 28, 1963, not only sparked a fire under those who had already been involved, but additionally enlisted those who may not have had previously agreed with his beliefs or thought that change was not possible. It also gained global media attention and exposed his brilliance, showing what he truly envisioned for the future of his country. The third and final moment was his death the day after delivering his speech â€Å"I See the Promised Land†. His martyrdom was a symbol to all that things needed to, and were going to, change. From that very speech given in Memphis, he preached: Well, I dont know what will happen now. Weve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesnt matter with me now, because Ive been to the mountaintop. And I dont mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But Im not concerned about that now. I just want to do Gods will. And Hes allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Ive looked over. And Ive seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! In his speech â€Å"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop†, King delved into the current status of the civil rights movement and how he saw that the future was bright, as long as people continued to persevere in the face of adversity, and did not allow the opposition to deter them. He believed that they had come too far to let it slip away, and even without him as their leader he knows they can accomplish it. As with all other successful movements, a leader who is extremely persuasive, motivational, and is willing to do anything for what he believes in is key. For Dr. King, there were three crucial moments in his life that shaped him to become such, and they are: his prison time and letter from Birmingham Jail, his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, and his martyrdom. These not only made him the face and leader of the civil rights movement, but arguably the greatest and most influential leader in history. Bibliography King, Martin Luther Jr. â€Å"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop. Speech, Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968. American Rhetoric. http://www. americanrhetoric. com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop. htm King, Martin Luther Jr. â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail. † (letter, Birmingham, Alabama, April 16, 1963. African Studies Center-University of Pennsylvania, http://www. africa. upenn. edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham. html [ 1 ]. Martin Luther King Jr. ,  "I’ve Been to the Mountaintop† (speech, Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968), American Rhetoric, http://www. mericanrhetoric. com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop. htm [ 2 ]. King Jr. , â€Å"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop† (April 3, 1968) [ 3 ]. Martin Luther King Jr. , â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail† (letter, Birmingham, Alabama, April 16, 1963), African Studies Center-University of Pennsylvania, http://www. africa. upenn. edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham. html [ 4 ]. Martin Luther King Jr. , â€Å"I’ve Been to the Mountaintop† (speech, Memphis, Tennessee, April 3, 1968), American Rhetoric, http://www. americanrhetoric. com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop. htm

Risks In Bandra Worli Sea Link Project

Risks In Bandra Worli Sea Link Project The Movement of Vehicles in Mumbai city and the Bandra-Worli Sea link project are like disease and anti dote. It is the perfect solution for the sites endless Movement of Vehicles issue. The native rail network provides better tracks, AC coaches and transports million of travellers. The non-rail components have new roads, over bridges, subways, and signal system. The Bandra-Worli Sea Link will only add to the existing issues. Mumbai city is among the five most polluted cities of the world. The Municipal report insists that to reduce the air pollution in Mumbai city it is essential to promote public transport viz. Rail network and Bus service. Many projects were suggested since 50s for smooth Movement of Vehicles in Mumbai city. The project in question was opposed, strongly by fisher men and other alert natives constantly. However the CRRI mentioned that these corridors should be implemented only after detailed native research and the Execution of these projects should be started only after the research say it is ok to go ahead. MUMBAI URBAN TRANSPORT PROJECT-I was planned around 1984. There was a heated brain storming session in the Assembly and the Maharashtra Govt. appointed a high level team called the K. G. Paranjape Team to give a list in priority of solutions to Mumbai citys Movement of Vehicles issues. The Team submitted its consolidated Report which had certain projects listed in a priority list. Kirloskar Consultants and the Operation Research Group made a thorough research of Movement of Vehicles conditions and submitted their reports in July 1994. This report has rejected the Bandra-Worli Sea Link Project and the West Island Freeway saying that it will attract more and more Movement of Vehicles towards South Mumbai city and the congestion will only get worse in many areas. The report has warned that if the Bandra-Worli Sea Link Project is implemented it will lead to more congestion and as a consequence more pollution and therefore affecting the health of Mumbai citys natives. The V.M. Lal Team has also suggested restricting automobile Movement of Vehicles entering the island Site at Sion and Mahim. As per the newspapers it is clear that the Bandra-Worli Sea Link Project has no scientific basis. It is disastrous to let the personalised vehicles occupy more space and roads, as it will be harmful to everyone including the users of private vehicle. Constitutional Legitimacy of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link Project The project is supposed to be based on a research made by the Central Water and Power Research Institute, Pune. The research is based on a hydraulic model and not on the actual sea is studied. It is imperative to note that the Indian Ecological Protection Act came into effect in 1986 and the CRZ Notice in February 1991. In 1994 the Notice which made it compulsory to make an Ecological Effect Analysis came into force and in the Notice requiring a public hearing also came into force. Obviously these legal requirements were not fulfilled. The Ecological Clearance cannot be given without doing prior research and observing all the steps of procedure. Even then on 7th January, 199 the clearance was given. The important clauses of this clearance were also violated. This attitude shows that there is no respect for Constitutional clauses. In addition to this the site location of the proposed toll plaza has been changed after obtaining Ecological clearance. Illegality of the Project Rules for Ecological Compliance in India Almost every Progressive activity has some negative Effect on the nature. The Effect, however, differs according to the nature of activity. Thus, whereas setting up an industrial unit can have serious Effect on the water and air quality besides affecting the flora and fauna of the area, a highway project can dramatically push up the noise and pollution level of the surrounding areas. It is with the purpose of containing the potential negative Effects of a development projects that the Nature Effect Analysis is done. Thus, it can be stated that Ecological Effect Analysis is one of the tools available to planners to minimize and contain harmful effects of the development activity on the nature. The objective is to foresee and address potential Ecological issues/concerns at an early stage of project planning and layout. This is a decision-making tool to ensure that finite natural resources are utilised within the carrying capacity of the eco-system to avoid its collapse. It is desirable to ensure that the development options under consideration are sustainable. In doing so, Ecological consequences must be characterized early in the project cycle and accounted for in the project layout. It integrates the Ecological concerns in Progressive activities right at the time of initiating the project when preparing the feasibility report; It can often prevent future liabilities or expensive alterations in project layout. Prior to January 1994, in India was carried out under administrative leadlines which required the project proponents of major irrigation projects, water body valley project, power stations, ports and harbours etc., to secure a clearance from the Ministry of Nature and Forest, Govt. if India. The Ecological appraised team of the Ministry carried out the Ecological appraised. In January 1994, the Govt. of India notified the Nature Effect Notice under rule 5 of Nature Protection) Rule, 1986 and 29 designated projects. The Notice made it obligatory for the 29 designated projects to prepare and submit an, and Nature Management Plan (EMP) and a Project Report to an Effect Analysis Agency for clearance. The Ministry of Nature and Forests, Govt. of Indian was designated the Effect Analysis Agency. What went wrong with Project Location? The site selection is always an effective approach in mitigation of risk. Sea link project locations should be reviewed based upon various regulatory and non regulatory criteria. Project siting restrictions depend on the reception of the surrounding nature. Sensitivity should be assessed in relation to proximity of the project to the sites/sites listed in the identified ecologically sensitive zones (ESZ) notified by MoEF. The siting criteria delineated by MoEF include: As far as possible, land retained for agricultural purposes should not be converted into an industrial site. Acquired land must have a green belt area as per regulatory norms. Sufficient space and arrangements must be made for storing and disposing solid waste. The design of the project must confirm to the landscape pattern of the area without unduly affecting the scenic beauties of that site. Respective town of the project, if any, to be created must provide for space for a barrier between the project and the township. Mitigation Measures and Ecological Effect Analysis Report Once substitutes have been examined, a mitigation plan should be drawn up for the selected option and be supplemented with an Ecological Management Plan (EMP) to lead the proponent towards Ecological improvements. The EMP is an important input to monitoring the clearance conditions and therefore details of monitoring should be included in the EMP. An EIA report should provide clear information to the deciding committee on the different Ecological scenarios without the project, with the project and with project options. Unknown elements should be clearly reflected in the EIA report. The affected persons may include: Bona fide native natives; Native associations; Ecological groups active in the area and Any other person located at the project site(s) of disinterment They are to be given an opportunity to make oral/written suggestions to the State Pollution Control Board as per the rules and regulations given forth in the Notices. Monitoring the Clearance Conditions Monitoring should be done during both the construction and operations stages of a project. This is not only to ensure that the commitments made are complied with however also to observe whether the predictions made in the reports were correct or not. Where the Effect exceeds the predicted levels, corrective action should be taken. Monitoring will enable the regulatory agency to review the validity of predictions and the conditions of Execution of the Ecological Management Plan (EMP). Violations of Ecological Laws With reference to the Notice as given above, the following violations have taken site during the execution of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link Project 1. Mockery of a Public Hearing As per the notifications issued vide the Central Ministry of Nature and Forests (MoEF), dated 27th January 1994, 4th May 1994 and 10th April 1997, under the Nature Protection Act (EPA), Public Hearing was mandatory in development projects such as the one in question. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) is responsible for holding such Public Hearings. This public hearing is not a mere formality. The native population is often more conversant with the native implications of a project than Govt. agencies and experts exercising their judgement from outside. Besides, in attempting to get through a attractive project, the agencies are known to turn a blind, even to obnoxious and harmful implications, and the hearing in a public court gives an opportunity, though limited, to highlight such consequences. In addition, public participation is an extremely crucial component of democratic governance and has to be treated seriously, and respected nationwide. Above all, the affected population has a right to be informed about any project, which is likely to influence its quality of life and Living. 2. Incomplete Ecological Effect Analysis According to a further Notice, the Effect Assessing Agency should prepare a set of recommendations based on the technical analysis of documents and data furnished by the project authorities of the factories and sites if started and details of the public hearing. Also, the notice issued above, for obtaining Ecological Clearance of projects, the applicant has to obtain a NOC from the State Pollution Control Board. The MPCB should issue this NOC only after completing the legal proceedings. In the case being discussed, the public hearing was not held in regard to (BWSLP), nor was the relevant documents etc. made available for inspection to the IPT panel or other NGOs and concerned natives. Therefore the panel concludes that the report is incompletely furnished before the eyes of the law. 3. Project assessment Report not Available for inspection or fault finding As per clauses of Nature and Forests (MoEF), whoever applies for Ecological Clearance of projects has to submit 20 sets of a summary of the salient features of the project and other relevant documents as prescribed, by the State Pollution Control Board so that the same can be made accessible to the concerned committee or agency in case a public hearing is conducted. The Mumbai city Ecological Action Group (BEAG) approached the MoEF for an opportunity to raise objections with regard to this project. MoEF agreed to give them the opportunity to justify their claims for rejection of the project. However, no particulars, maps, designs, layouts or other information was furnished to the BEAG. These factors prove that from the very beginning there has been a lack of transparency in the passing and Execution of the project before the eyes of law. 4. Proved negligence and Violations Due to Reclamation In the case of Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, The State of Maharashtra and the MMRDA gave a statement that no reclamation would be carried out in the Kurla Complex area and no mangrove in the Mithi Water body and its estuary would be disposed off. There has been a apparent dis-obeyance of the terms and the conditions of the Ecological clearance notifies that land reclamation should be kept to the minimum, at any cost to less than 4.7 hectares and the same should be monitored closely so that it does not violate the clauses of the CRZ Notice, 1991 or as amended subsequently. Mrs. Geeta Pardiwala a native of Shivaji Park deposed before the IPT saying that initially we were told that there would be only two pillars on the sea link, one at Bandra and the other at Worli. However now they are reclaiming more land, as it becomes cheaper for them to build the bridge. According to the 1994 Notice, any expansion of all existing or new projects requires that not only a fresh Ecological Effect Analysis is carried out however also fresh permission for the said project is sought and granted. This has definitely not been adhered to in the case of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The present project is based on the 1992 MMRDA report; however there are a number of contradictions to the original recommendations. The Ecological Effect Section has recommendations by scientist C. V. Kulkarni that no further reclamation be allowed on the Bandra side, to prevent siltation in the Mahim bay and the creek area. In project such as mentioned above, in case new quarries are to be opened, specific approvals from the competent authority should be obtained in this regard. This has been violated by the Mumbai city Suburban Collector who has issued the quarrying Permit. The quarry on site falls under a no development zone, Notified in development control regulation for Greater Mumbai city, 1991. Wherever fishing or other marine activities are getting affected, the concerned agency should be consulted and their concurrence obtained for the project in question. The fishermen affected by the project in question were neither consulted nor was their consent obtained. Mumbai city is geographically positioned to play host to creeks and shallow waters opposite headlands. In most of the areas, these creeks have been blocked. Mahim Creek is one of the few sites left where the waves can partially enter the area. However, the Effect on the marine ecology, flora and fauna, and the possibility of initiating erosion has not been studied. With Mahim creek getting shallower because of the process of siltation, there is a greater danger for coast like the Versova beach. The erosion here become a geological hazard, and has assumed alarming probabilities. The road network in Mumbai city is based on three north-south corridor routes and there are very few continuous east-west routes. Therefore, Movement of Vehicles is concentrated on a few routes that have become congested. Mumbai city road Movement of Vehicles has worsened by around four hundred percent in the last twenty years. It poses considerable health issues. The W. S. Atkins Report (1994) was commissioned by the MSRDC to research the feasibility of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The result of the report is based on a strategic transportation computer model based on cost and time of travel and calibrated for Mumbai city. Undesirability of the Project a) Effect due to Blockage of Mithi Water body The most insidious aspect of the link, that will endanger the life of every native person, is related to the outbreak of epidemics. Almost 800 million litres of sewage is discarded everyday in the Mahim Creek, besides the thousands of industries that release effluents that are located in Dharavi and upstream of the Mithi Water body. b) Financial Viability and Absence of Realistic Projections of Cost Recovery The generalized cost of travel for the Bandra-Worli Sea Link is taken as the sum of travel time cost, direct cost of travel and cost of discomfort. By considering only internal and direct costs borne by motorists, the project planners have not considered external and opportunity costs of the project c) Issues with the Planning and Execution of the Project It is not possible to accurately predict the behaviour of the sea using a research based on models. Also the date used is outdated and the subsequent development i.e. the EPA of 1986 and the CRZ Regulation of 1991 have not been considered. Further, the CWPRS report goes on to say that the construction of the bridge is not likely to create any adverse condition along the costs. However as we have seen, this is definitely not correct, and among other thing with regards to Livings, floods and mangroves the negative Effect is already being experienced Most experts agree that Socio-economic and financial instruments can help achieve sustainable development. Issues relating to transportation are so complexly mixed with other issues, such as agricultural land use and demographic and cultural trends that only a coherent set of policy measures will work. Obviously, policy recommendations must be made on a case-by case basis; however some generalized approaches can be suggested. Transportation policy strategies should consist of Socio-economic, institutional, technological, information and land-use reforms. A balanced strategy should set standards that can be used to achieve full-cost recovery, inform consumers, provide options for them and integrate social and urban planning. Conclusions It is understood from the above discussed report that not one, but several aspects of the Ecological Regulations of the country have been violated in the proceedings of this project. The project as is planned will only seek to eliminate the issue of vehicular pollution and Movement of Vehicles especially in the Worli-Haji Ali Area which is already severely congested due to lack of space. The most annoying part of the project is that in depth research using current data have not been used to estimate the Ecological Effect of the project on the sites coastline, mangrove forests and marine ecology, which till date remains a major flaw in the plan. Lastly as there has been no survey started to elicit how much the natives are willing to pay for the use of the bridge it should not end up being another white Elephant to the States exchequer.

Dylan Thomas Do Not Go Gente Into That Good Night and Catherine Davis

Dylan Thomas' Do Not Go Gente Into That Good Night and Catherine Davis' After a Time In Dylan Thomas's "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" and Catherine Davis's "After a Time," there is a very clear concept of differences and similarities between the two poems. From a reader's standpoint, they seemed to be quite a bit more alike than dissimilar. Through an investigative analysis, "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" and "After a Time" were proven to be comparable in almost every aspect in poetry, such as structure, rhyme scheme, and meter. At a first glance, both poems strike as death related pieces of writing. That is where the contrast of the two is distinguished. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" sees death as something we can fight to avoid. If one is able to "rage, rage against the dying light," he or she will be able to shy away from this life-ending situation. This author states that no matter the person or circumstances, everyone should envision death as a negative thing and resist as long as possible. This does not necessarily give a positive twist on death, but it does give one some insight into why there is a reason to rage until the end. In a stanza-by-stanza analysis, there was a more complex interpretation of the meaning. First in "Do Not Goà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦," the first stanza states that one should be able to feel old age creeping up on our bodies, yet we must fight against it. The author also informs us that wise people know when death is near because of a lack of interest in their words, and good people cry out their deeds to make them known. Explained in 4, crazy men, who do wild things, learn too late and ar... ... point is that the second stanzas last line in both poems contains the title of that particular selection. In conclusion, these poems, "Do Not Go into That Good Night" and "After a Time," are not completely the same, but they do prove to have a vast amount of similarities. Opposite meanings do not always signify a conflict in structure. The arrangement of the poems is nearly exact to one another, and they can be picked apart to find even more complex likenesses. A deeper understanding can be found of both of these pieces just by going into a detailed comparison and contrast. WORKS CITED ----------- Davis, Catherine. "After a Time." Literature: The Human Experience. 8th Ed. 2002. 1414-1415. Thomas, Dylan. "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night." Literature: The Human Experience. 8th Ed. 2002. 1412.

How Effective is “The F Word”?

When having a baby one of the most difficult parts of the process is deciding on a name for the little one. Parents want to be careful in choosing, no one wants there child picked on or treated unfairly because of a name they have chosen. In the article â€Å"The F Word† the author, Firoozeh Dumas expresses her thoughts and feelings about coming from Abadan, Iran to America with her native name. She explains how her name that has much meaning in her country was nothing but a hindrance for her trying to get established in this country.In the â€Å"F Word† the author uses contrast between names in America and names in her home land to show the effectiveness of this article. â€Å"How could our parents have ever imagined that someday we would end up in a country were monosyllabic names reign supreme, a land where â€Å"William† is shorten to â€Å"Bill†, where â€Å"Susan† becomes â€Å"Sue†, and â€Å"Richard† somehow evolves into †Å"Dick† ( Dumas751). Here the author uses logos to make the reader think, why is it that we call â€Å"William† by the short name of â€Å"Bill†? It’s a logical question, the audience may want to know the answer to.It makes one wonder, do the names in this country have any meaning or are we just trying to make things as simple as possible. If simple is what we, as Americans are after, is that why we don’t like to pick acentric names for our children? In terms of ethos, the author effectively tells how she researched her idea by adopting a new simpler name â€Å"Julie†. â€Å"People actually remembered my name, which was an entirely refreshing new sensation. All was well until the Iranian Revolution, when I found myself with a new set of problems.Because I spoke English without an accent and was known as Julie, people assumed I was American . This meant that was often privy to those real feelings about those, damn Iranians† (Dumas 753). The authors says later she went back to using her native name because she felt like a fake. Eventually, Firoozeh went back to the name Julie after college when she could not obtain a job. This is where the author begins to use emotional appeal to her argument. Dumas says, â€Å"Once I changed my name on my resume call it coincidence, but the job offers started coming in.Perhaps it’s the same kind of coincidence that stops an African American from getting a cab in New York† (Dumas 753). That’s very strong statement on the authors part because most people associate African Americans not being able to hale a cab as a racial issue. That is an issue that would make a lot of people upset and generates plenty of emotion, thus this is a very effective use of pathos. This article was written for an audience of Americans. In the author’s argument it was her name that really caused her a problem when she came to America.She did a good job of adding the pathos, etho s, and logos in her article to draw the audience in to how life was for her in a new country with such a unique name. The article also tells the audience how something as simple as a name could be viewed as a form of racism. Americans’ should show enough respect and courtesy to try and understand ones heritage. Everyone knows at least one person who has been discriminated against. The author now uses her native name and is comfortable in doing so.

Create FORP User Account

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High GPA but Low SAT Score What Do You Do

High GPA but Low SAT Score What Do You Do SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips For a lot of smart students, the SAT is a struggle. If you have a high GPA, but a low SAT score, you're not alone! If you feel like you're good in school but not great at test taking, here's our expert guide on how you can boost your chances of getting into a great college. You'll be able to show colleges your true academic potential. The Good News Your high GPA shows that you have been diligent in your schoolwork across all four years of high school. I am classifying a high GPA as 3.5 to 4.0 on a 4.0 scale for reasons outlined in the article linked, though more competitive colleges such as the Ivy League will consider a high GPA to be in the 3.85 to 4.0 range. Stanford says on their admissions website, â€Å"We expect you to challenge yourself throughout high school and to do very well. The most important credential that enables us to evaluate your academic record is the high school transcript.† Your GPA is the most important part of your application, but a school will only consider your high GPA impressive if you took the hardest classes (AP or IB) offered at your school.If you took easy classes and had a high GPA, it does not impress admissions officers. (I'll discuss this more in detail later.) The Bad News Universities care about SAT scores because they see them as an equalizer (for an in-depth explanation of the function of the SAT, check out our other article).Every student in the country received a different high school education. Even students at the same school took different classes or had different teachers. However, every applicant to that university took the SAT or ACT. Every student took the same test (or at least an equivalent one, as the exact test changes from administration to administration). So, unfortunately, a university admissions officer may think that your high school grades were inflated or that you took easy classes at your high school and may think that your low SAT score is a more accurate representation of your college achievement potential. How Low Is Low for an SAT score? Before you worry about how low your SAT score is, consider this:some schools â€Å"superscore† the SAT, meaning they only count your highest section scores across all the dates you took the SAT. If you've taken the test multiple times,your score might be higher than you thought. For example, if you took the test 2 times, and your best Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score was on your 1st test date (710), and your best Math score was on your 2nd test date (680), you can combine those 2 best section scores into a brand new composite score (1390). For a more in-depth explanation and for the schools that superscore the SAT, see our other article: Which Colleges Superscore the SAT? If you still feel like your SAT score is low, consider this: how "low" your SAT score actually is depends on which college you hope to attend.You should Google search for â€Å"[College Name] SAT† to find out the 25th/75th percentile for the school you are interested in. The 25th percentile score means that 25% of the students attending that school have a score at or below that number (this is below average). The 75th percentile means that 75% of students have a score at or below that number. In essence, the 25th/75th percentile covers the middle 50% of all students admitted to the school. If you score at the 75th percentile for any school and have a high GPA, you have a great chance at getting in. If you're at the 25th percentile, you'll need to have a strong application to boost your odds of getting in.For example, NYUhas a 25th/75th of 1255 to 1475, and Harvard has a 25th/75th of 1405 to 1600. You may ask, well, why don’t I have a great shot scoring a 1405 of getting into Harvard when 25% of admits scored below that?In reality, the 25% below are most likely admitted because they are a special applicant such as an athlete (or have a special talent beyond athletics such as being a New York Times published writer/famous actress), legacy, or child of a significant donor. In this article, I'm assuming you're a â€Å"normal applicant†(not an athlete/special talent, legacy, or child of a significant donor). In order for you to have the best shot of getting in, you want to get your SAT score to match your high GPA and get a score that is at or above the 75th percentile for the school you are applying to. What Do Colleges Think of Your High GPA/Low SAT Score? What really matters in all of these questions is how the college admissions office views your application. A high GPA paired with a low SAT score means a few things - most of them bad. One potential impression is that your school inflated your grades or you took easy high school classes, and that your SAT score may be a more accurate reflection of your academic potential than your GPA. In other words, if your academic skill is, in reality, low, you'll get a high GPA at an easier high school but perform poorly when compared to the rest of the nation on the SAT. However, admissions officers will go beyond this initial impression. Most admissions officers know high schools in the US very well. At most universities, each admissions officer is responsible for a specific state or a region. They read all the applications from that area and visit the high schools (if your high school has an admissions officer visit and talk about the university they work at - that person will typically read your application). Since the admissions officers visit these schools and read the applications from students at them, they are very familiar with the academics at these high schools. You want them to be impressed by your GPA and SAT score! They know if your school is historically academically challenging or historically easy and known to inflate grades.So, an admissions officer will know if you chose to take easier classes and avoided the AP or IB classes that your school offered (if your school offers AP or IB) and will most likely then consider your low SAT to be a better representation of your academic potential than your GPA. If you did take a very challenging course load throughout high school (packed AP or IB classes, if available at your school) and you still have a very high GPA, the admissions officer will know and may be willing to look past your SAT score.However, you will have a better chance of being accepted if you can get your SAT score up to match your high GPA. Why Is Your SAT Score Low? Not sure why your SAT score was lower than you expected? In this section, we discuss several common reasons good students often get low SAT scores, and we also explain what you can do to overcome these issues. Issue 1: Did You Study? If you didn't study, that is most likely the reason behind your low SAT score.You need to know the test format cold.Learn how the SAT is scored, how long the SAT is and the SAT structure, andknow the SAT instructions.You need to take several timed practice SATs(I recommend four or more before taking your next test).Check out our other article for Printable SAT Practice Tests PDFs: 8 FREE Official Tests.By taking all of these timed practice tests, you will get very familiar with the test format and comfortable with the timing. However, you should not be taking the tests just to take the tests; you also need to be reviewing your answers. For help reviewing your mistakes, check out our other article: The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes for the SAT/ACT. Issue 2: Did You Study Effectively? If you have practiced a decent amount for the SAT and it didn't result in a high score, then you may need to change how you study. If you studied on your own, what material are you using?You should only be using real SATs.Sincethe SAT is such a unique test, you need to being using the real thing to get the best practice.Check out our other article for Printable SAT Practice Tests PDFs: 8 FREE Official Tests.If you want more practice, check out our other article for advice on the best books to buy for SAT prep. When you study, are you reviewing your incorrect answers?This is the most important step in the learning process: figuring out what you did wrong.Without this step, you will not learn from your mistakes, and you will keep repeating them.For help reviewing your mistakes, check out our other article: The Best Way to Review Your Mistakes for the SAT/ACT. If you're studying with official practice SATs and reviewing your answers and still not seeing improvements in your SAT score, there may be a couple of problems: Problem #1: You have not mastered the strategies of the test.To help fix this problem, you should check out the other free guides offered here at PrepScholar, and you should also be looking at the other free resources available on the web. Problem #2: If you are still struggling after working on the strategies, you may be having an issue with focus while studying.To fix this problem, you may want more personalized preparation and may want to consider hiring a tutor, taking an SAT prep class or attending an SAT prep camp, or using an online resource such as PrepScholar. Issue 3: Is Your Tutor or Prep Program Not Getting You the Results You Want? If you have been studying with a tutor/class/online program and seeing no improvement, there may be a couple of problems: Problem #1: The tutor/class/online program is not personalized. It/he/she is not figuring out what your strengths and weaknesses are and is not focusing on fixing your weaknesses.Try to find a more personalized tutor/class/program.Consider trying our PrepScholar SAT prep program. We do the heavy lifting for you, by splitting up our prep material into specific skills. We'll detect your weaknesses automatically and give you focused lessons and quizzes to improve those skills. Problem #2: The tutor/class/ online program is not pushing you hard enough (i.e. letting you not do practice tests or is not forcing you to complete the test in the allotted time frame).You need a tutor/class/online program that will make sure you are taking accurately timed practice tests, and that will keep you on a study schedule.Consider trying our PrepScholar SAT prep program, whichtracks your hours spent studying each week, times you during all practice tests, and commits you to a study regimen. Problem #3: You may just be suffering from test anxiety.I have seen this in some students. You score very high in your practice, but on the real SAT, you cannot get the same score because you are nervous, or you forget your pacing and end up not finishing in time.There is no easy fix for this problem.Getting comfortable with the test format should help minimize stress, but may not eliminate test anxiety completely.Try to remember that this is just a test and the test will not determine your success in life.Consider trying meditation to calm your mind before the test. If You Don't Have Time to Retake the SAT, What Are Your Options? Your SAT score is only one part of your application, so try to focus on making the rest of your application as strong as possible. You already have a great transcript going for you, so try to make the rest of your application match your high GPA. This includes getting great letters of recommendation, having strong extracurriculars, and knocking your personal statement out of the park. For in-depth advice on how to build the most versatile college application,check out our other article. What’s Next? Retaking the SAT? Check out our ultimate SAT study guide to help you with your prep. Taking the SAT very soon? Check out our guide to cramming for the test. Not sure where you'd like to go to college? We'll help you find the right college for you. Nervous about getting arecommendation letter for your college application? Learn about who you should askto write itand check out ourtemplate for a good letter. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by SAT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Advertisement involves communication to a target market Essay Example

Advertisement involves communication to a target market Essay Example Advertisement involves communication to a target market Essay Advertisement involves communication to a target market Essay Advertisement involves communication to a target market. The intension is to attract the target market, primarily to the advertisement, then ether to the product, or the through the context of the advertisement to the product. Their intension is to pursued through the point of contact between commercial interests and the audience as consumers of products and services. Although it is important to remember that that there are constrains to advertising, for example certain products and services may not be advertised religions and doctors and fortune tellers, cigarettes and other tobacco products. Alcohol may not be glamorised for youth audiences. The National Lottery, slimming products and alcohol products may not be advertised around childrens programmes. The advertising of womens sanitary products is not permitted until after 9.00 p.m. Although small aspects, rules like these ethical constrains appear obvious. Using them as an example it is easy to see the ever-changing environments that advertisers have to navigate. Advertising is directed at mass audiences, so to be tasteful and descent appropriate in any work done. Advertising is very similar to television, and other programmes; * Comes out of the same production base, technologies and production practices. * Has the same basic narrative structures, but compressed. * Uses genre material as a point of recognition and attraction for the audience * Makes interstitial references to other television material * Uses television performers (and their voices) whom we know from other programmes. * Creates its own stars and popular series. General, and obvious key areas adverts want to achieve: (*The connotation strategic methods) * Persuasion An advert communicates, and attempts to win over the audience. *Persuasion:- It is illegal and sinful to use subliminal messaging * Justification The above persuasion would not be possible with out justification Advertisers use special tools in there advertisements to avoid problems such as ethical complaints, taste and decency ect (above). Tabaco companies such as Marlboro use hidden and covert messaging to avoid such regulations. Fear and emotion are the main aspects advertisers try to tap. In this tool box aspects such as the following help towards a direct approach at communicating with audiences;- Surrealism/ inversion *See Orange mobile phone advertisement (*currently showing 11/04/02). There is a man who is on his way somewhere (not specified) and keeps meeting people he knows. The orange phrase is; connecting people; the man must represent the (advert directed) orange philosophy, demonstrated as lots of people waving, saying hello, where he replies. This approach is very surreal, this man appears to know every person he walks by, but is conducted in a very natural manor, expressing an un-real environment. In an attempt to express the communication aspects of him, appealing to feelings such as recognition, social achievement ect. Endorsement This comes in the form of celebrities, or presenters appealing to audiences emotions involved in a range of representations. I.e. health, social direction, lifestyle, point of sale ect. A good example of popular endorsement would be the use of sporting personalities to endorse products. *See Nestle Sporties, this commercial used Mike Own a well-known footballer to been seen eating the product. This would entice fans of this player to eat the breakfast cereal he does. Endorsement around the identity of the product, can be seen with release of Lucozade Sport, where the product endorses the Sport image, inventing slogans and ideas, such as energy replenishment, leading to express a statistic stating 33% more energy from lucazade than standard pop drinks (I think it must be packed with more sugar than the other drinks). Concern of Compassion This strategy is used widely in the cosmetics industry. Where the common form of advertisement is to use and portray perfect models, or perfect beauty to express youthfulness. Or in charity advertisements of i.e. third world countries or RSPCA adverts, where an audience have concern and compassion over an example of poor, or needful persons. From what small donations would make large differences. Concern of compassion on a more overt level can be seen in such advertisements for cleaning adverts. I.e. The advert demonstrates to the mother that she should clean the kitchen surfaces to stop germs breading. Depictions of the child playing on the floor, with reassured looks demonstrate to audience that this is the right way to clean, and she uses Flash to do it with, the right choice of cleaning product. Politics: This can benefit and obstruct advertisers. Obviously advertisers need to work in the conjunction of rules and regulations, but can also feed off any political headlines at that time. With out reference; politics can benefit an advert on many levels. Whether that would be from such things as tax, or political issues ect. (i.e. foot and mouth, tourism industries). Physical techniques: Repetition; is used to remind audiences of the advert/ product, service. Steady repetition is used regularly in advertisement Advertising relies just as much on visual appearance as the overt connotations; (*denotation) Content of the advertisement: Strategies Companies develop strategies to assist them in meeting their objectives. The types of strategy which might be identified in terms of advertising could include: * Identifying the benefit being offered to the consumer by the organisation or its products/ services. * Putting forward an argument to help to sell the product * Identifying to whom the argument is being aimed * Being able to convince the target audience to believe the message Product-Oriented Strategies These strategies relate specifically to the product itself, i.e.: * Generic strategies Sell the category of product, e.g. slimming drinks, toilet roll, trainers. They do not sell the actual brand, e.g. Heinz Baked Beans. Generic clams relate to the highlighting of a particular benefit of a product, i.e. quick effective relief from indigestion, clean Wights etc. Some advertisers highlight this kind of generic claim and then relate their particular brand to that claim to gain a cumulative benefit. * Features of the product Highlighted in an attempt to appeal to the individuals reason. The advertiser attempts to suggest that the logical choice would be their particular brand in preference to others. This is an effective approach if the advertiser is attempting to gain distinction for his or her brand. * Positioning Strategies This strategy attempts to carve out a desired and very distinct market niche. The idea of positioning was developed by Trout Ries. Consumers tend to place products into a hierarchy, and the positioning is about where in that hierarchy the advertisers brand appears. Coca Colas campaigns Coke is it and the real thing were an attempt to position the product as the authentic cola drink. Pepsi on the other hand attempted to reposition Coke Cola by suggesting that it was a drink for older people, with the campaign The choice of a new generation. This type of strategy works well for new products. Questions that need to be addressed in terms of positioning are: * What the brands present position in the market? * Where are your competitors placed in the market? * Does the company wish to reposition its present position in some way? * What type of advertising approach could we use? * USP The unique selling proposition will depend upon the culture of the company and its approach to advertising. Every companys ultimate aim is to create an idea, which will result in the sale of the companys product/ service. The USP was a philosophy developed by Rosser Reeves. It suggests that every product/ service has characteristics that make it unique at its level. Preferably, these characteristics should be a major feature of the product, thereby making the brand superior to others. A slogan like Guinness is good for you is a unique-selling-proposition statement. A unique selling proposition based on a physical characteristic limits potential, however, and could run into difficulty with strict advertising codes that now exist. The claim by Persil that it washes wighter is an example of such a proposition. All advertisements should, nevertheless, promote one specific benefit to the consumer. Consumer-Oriented Strategies These strategies are aimed at the consumer: * Brand image strategies These strategies attempt to give the brand a personality, and that personality- instead of any built-in or intrinsic features of the product is what is being sold. David Ogilvy is credited with developing the idea of a brand image in the 1950s for products like Schweppes. With Coca Cola and Pepsi we have two similar products which are differentiated by the way each brand is portrayed and communicated through advertising. This approach works well in a competitive market environment or where the product might be classed as a commodity, i.e. soap, beer etc. This type of advertising also works well for products which have obviouse social identities, i.e. cars. Products which are invisible, i.e. cleaning products or food products stored in cupboards, are also sold by using the brand image approach.

The repeal of the US Banking Act 1933 (commonly known as the Essay

The repeal of the US Banking Act 1933 (commonly known as the Glass-Steagall Act) was a substantial cause of the global bankin - Essay Example Stock markets in most of the countries plunged and there was widespread inflation everywhere. Food and oil prices rose to an all time high. Oil price went as high as $147 a barrel. (Oil and Gasoline, April 6, 2011). Lack of purchasing power led to a fall in demand for goods and as a result several industries suffered. International institutions like IMF and European Union outlined several corrective policies and advised nations on adopting more risk aversive regulatory measures for the national financial institutions. All over the world the governments dished out policies and bailout programs for the citizens and institutions to tackle problems like inflation and unemployment. Most of the countries spent huge amount of money from their federal reserve’s in an effort to bring them back to the path of sustained growth. German government helped Hypo Real Estate with $50 billion (Bettinga and Parkin, September 29, 2008). Investors from UK had huge losses in the London Stock Exchan ge. On October 2008 the British government announced a plan worth $850 billion to rescue its banks from going into insolvency. (Nanto, 2010, p.58) The US government adopted the Troubled Asset Relief Program in 3rd October 2008 to rescue the distressed homeowners and also lent to $182 billion to AIG to prevent it from going down (GAO, 2009; The Troubled Asset Relief Program, n.d.). In total they pledged $700 billion to fight the recession in their country. The bailout though saved the economy for the time being, a lot of senators argued that these monetary assistance from public money cannot chart long-term growth stability for the country. They emphasized on the need for the Glass- Steagall Act that was enacted at the time of the Great Depression to be reinforced. In this paper we shall try to address the issue concerning whether the Glass-Steagall Act was needed to prevent the Financial Crisis. About the Act United States experienced worst recessions in its history during the 1930s . One of the primary reasons behind the recession was that the bankers and brokers of the nation were guilty of dubious financial practices like using their customer’s deposit to invest in stocks and securities. Also they used their financial might to inflate the prices of the securities and did not have enough capital cushions to back up their investments. So when the public got scared and wanted to withdraw their deposits a large number of banks went insolvent. A large number of small banks filed for bankruptcy and the nation faced an extreme crisis. Under such circumstances the US Banking Act of 1933 also called the Glass-Seagull Act was enacted under President Roosevelt to prevent the country from further such disasters. The Glass-Steagall Act had two main components. They are as follows: Setting up the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to insure the deposit of the customers and secure their deposit: This was done firstly, to restore the customers faith in bank deposits and secondly, to collect money so that the banks can be assisted in terms of liquidity crisis. A lot of banks were saved from bankruptcy by receiving capital from the FDIC. Separating the commercial banking activities from the investment banking activity: Firstly, this would prevent the banks from using the saving of their customer to indulge in buying stocks and bonds.

DELL company update Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

DELL company update - Research Paper Example This strategy has helped the firm to actually capture that segment of the market which was looking for low priced computers in place of expensive IBM PCs- Over the period of time, Dell has expanded into other markets by forming strategic partnerships with different other players in the PC industry. Starting as a PC manufacturer, Dell has subsequently expanded into the Servers, Printers, memory and storage devices, LCD TVs, portable music players etc. Dell however, has subsequently discarded some of the products due to thin margins. Case also further discusses as to how the better assembly and manufacturing system, effective inventory management as well as direct sales approach of the firm has helped it to gain market share. The Update Since the end of 2008 there have been major changes in the information technology market as the new products and services changed the way market behaved in the past. The introduction of the Smartphones as well as the tablets in the market has made a gre at impact on the personal computers industry as more and more consumers preferred to use products like IPAD and Iphone to have entertainment on the go. There has been also a great change in the business computing as more focus was placed on the information technology security and safety. Recognizing this change in the market, Dell has also responded to these market changes and introduced new products and services which were potentially aimed at catering to the changing needs of the consumers. The introduction of new products such as Dell Venue Pro as well as Dell Streak outlines the shift in the strategy of the firm towards offering innovative products and services. Dell Inc has also focused on making a transition towards a services oriented firm rather than a purely hardware manufacturing firm. The use of social networking services to initiate a more personalized interaction with the customers therefore outline the necessary change in the attitude of the firm. The offering of enter prise wide services such as IT security Services, Data Storage Services etc therefore suggest that Dell is making a gigantic shift in its strategy to systematically lessen its dependence of personal computers as the major source of revenue for the firm. The Strategy Since 2008, Dell Inc has focused on the strategy of acquiring new firms in order to build its capacity to serve the different segments of the market. Dell Inc has systematically initiated the strategic acquisition process to acquire firms which can build its capacity to offer diversified range of services across different segments of the market. The acquisition strategy has proved successful for the firm as Dell Inc specially has been able to cater to the needs of its business customers. By acquiring firms like SystemWorks, Dell has been able to offer enterprise wide services to its customers. Acquisition strategy has been successfully implemented and executed by Google therefore it seems that Dell is also following into the footsteps of Google to expand its overall base of services by acquiring small and medium businesses and utilize its research and development expertise to bring in more innovation and creativity into the overall product offering. There may also be a shift in the way Dell Inc has traditionally marketed

What Did Robert Adam Learn From the Grand Tour Essay

What Did Robert Adam Learn From the Grand Tour - Essay Example This essay stresses that many people seemed to like and appreciate these new designs, the idea of making fittings and other movable elements in houses prompted a great demand for their house designs as well as conference structures. Robert Did not fully create the designs that he had learnt on Rome and France, instead he decided to inculcate his own creativity into the final designs, something that brought about totally new methods of building houses and different structures. One of the motivations in their deign was to create houses to the simplest element that one may want to have in his house. To this effect, it can be said that the success that Adam brothers enjoyed was arose from their decision to create architectural designs down to the smallest detail. This creativity received great demand by many people in Britain and other places because it was said to create a sense of unity in their house design. This paper makes a conclusion that the great tour that was undertaken by Robert Adams is said to have had a great impact not only to the architectural designs of that time, but also to the modern time approaches in architecture. The Adams family pioneered most of the classical architectural designs used in modern practices in this industry, the desire to establish unique designs that would be used by many generations prompted Robert to take a tour and learn from different people.

Current international interest (anything really) Essay

Current international interest (anything really) - Essay Example Armed extortion is one of the ways of making a living in Somalia. Piracy today in Somalia is a highly profitable enterprise raking in millions of dollars through ransom. It is growing at an alarming rate. According to reports about 41 ships were attacked in 2007, more than 122 were attacked in 2008 and more than 100 in 2009. The situation is grim and has become a cause for worry with reports of connection between the pirates and Islamist extremists. Most of the pirates are from Puntland, situated in northeastern Somalia and their ages range from 20 to 35.According to The East African Seafarers Association there are about five pirate gangs consisting of about 1,000 armed men. The pirates are mainly local Somali fishermen who work for themselves and are known for their skill and knowledge of the sea. Some pirates are ex-militiamen who used to fight for the local warlords. What began as small acts of piracy on small and vulnerable ships has today reached alarming proportions. From 2008 Somali pirates have attacked ships much outside the Gulf of Aden. There has been an increase in the frequency and sophistication of the attacks. The size of vessels hijacked has also increased and today large cargo ships and international oil and chemical tankers have become the new targets for the Somali pirates. The economic success of the pirates has had negative effect on local residents. The presence of armed men makes the local residents feel insecure, and the lavish spending ways of the pirates has caused great fluctuations in the local exchange rate. There are also reports that some Islamist groups have used Somali Pirates to smuggle arms. US Navys Fifth Fleet and many other countries have deployed ships to patrol the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. Egypt along with Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan and Sudan has formulated a joint strategy against piracy. But the size of the coast and the traffic of ships that goes past Somalia make it

Money Management - Portfolio of funds or ETF Essay

Money Management - Portfolio of funds or ETF - Essay Example Most of these investors turned to government bonds, certificates and private or corporate bonds from reputable firms (Madura, 2008, p.13). This trend led to the emergence of special funds which allowed small investors to pool funds and investment in a number of securities or stocks. These funds are managed by fund managers which became popular with huge companies like insurance firms and banks. However the costs of managing these funds were high and some investors looked for other options to invest. This led to the emergence of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), which allowed investors to put their money on investment funds to be traded on stock exchanges (Abner, 2010). ETF investment funds incorporate an array of assets such as stocks, commodities or bonds and trades at a price close to the net value of these combined investments. For the many years it has been in existence, EFT’s have been successful with current stock markets due to its flexibility and low risk. Table of Content s Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Individual Analysis 3 EFT Analysis 5 Swiss Based ETFs 5 Other Managed Funds (ETFs) 6 Personal Asset Allocation 8 The art of investing requires careful planning in asset allocation since the way you allocate your assets reflects the return on your investment. For instance, if you have $ 100, 000, you should invest in a number of investment options. Time factor is one of the most crucial factors to watch out while investing. Looking at the Swiss market, we witness that the some mutual funds have been performing very well compared to some ETFs. Therefore, it not easy to conclude that mutual funds are better than ETFs or vice-versa, the most important factor is tracking these investments over a suggested period of time (Ferri, 2011). A look at ComStage Stoxx Europe 600 ETF Household goods based product we notice that this ETF tracks household goods stocks in the Swiss market. This ETF has performed well over the past two years ret urning 40.2% compared to the ComStage Stoxx Europe 600 Food & beverages ETF which returned only 24.1% as witnessed by table 4 in the appendix. In comparison to the United States of America where there is a mid cap fund that has returned over 41.87%. This performance is better than the ETF based investment option in Switzerland (Wagner, 2008). This mutual fund is known as the JB holdings fund and it has invested in different segments based on a selected benchmark. A list of investments in the JB holdings fund is shown by table 5 in the appendix. Based on the analysis of the different ETFs and funds listed above, it is difficult to choose the best investment option by solely choosing and ETF or fund based investment (Madura, 2008). The best investment decision to undertake when investing in an ETF or fund is to analyze the industry or benchmark used in implementing the fund or ETF product. Time factor is also very important since most ETFs or funds take a minimum of three years for th e investment to make marginal gains. 8 Current Investing Trends 8 References 12 Appendix 14 Introduction The art of investing is very difficult and challenging and many a times, people find it difficult to invest. Several investment options are available to potential investors interested in making profits. Investing is a risky venture and many people prefer to invest in low risk investments. As a result, many investment banks and

Music Appreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Music Appreciation - Essay Example However, when we hear someone talk about â€Å"classical music†, he or she is most likely talking about the kind of musical standards set in the common practice period, when European music became different in notation from the music of other parts of the world. Because the word â€Å"classical music† is unfairly broad, it is best for music scholars and appreciators to compare classical eras, such as the Romantic era and the Baroque era. Even though the times the experts have set as either the â€Å"Baroque† or the â€Å"Romantic† are somewhat arbitrary, they are convenient. Otherwise, it is not fair to lump very different kinds of music together into one. In today’s terms, that would be like lumping pop artists with classic rock artists and bluegrass artists, stretched across a 400-year period. Within this 400-year period in European music, from the 16th to the 20th century, European music developed and perfected a system of staff notation to preser ve and transmit very important information about the musical composition. With staff notation, composers gained the ability to guide performers on their use of meter, rhythm, speed, and pitch, all necessary to perform any given piece of music. As a result, European classical music became unique and different from other forms of classical music like those in the Asian continent. European classical music, with a strict system of notation, left less room for improvisation and invention on the part of performers. The performers became indistinguishable from their instruments.

Current international interest (anything really) Essay

Current international interest (anything really) - Essay Example Armed extortion is one of the ways of making a living in Somalia. Piracy today in Somalia is a highly profitable enterprise raking in millions of dollars through ransom. It is growing at an alarming rate. According to reports about 41 ships were attacked in 2007, more than 122 were attacked in 2008 and more than 100 in 2009. The situation is grim and has become a cause for worry with reports of connection between the pirates and Islamist extremists. Most of the pirates are from Puntland, situated in northeastern Somalia and their ages range from 20 to 35.According to The East African Seafarers Association there are about five pirate gangs consisting of about 1,000 armed men. The pirates are mainly local Somali fishermen who work for themselves and are known for their skill and knowledge of the sea. Some pirates are ex-militiamen who used to fight for the local warlords. What began as small acts of piracy on small and vulnerable ships has today reached alarming proportions. From 2008 Somali pirates have attacked ships much outside the Gulf of Aden. There has been an increase in the frequency and sophistication of the attacks. The size of vessels hijacked has also increased and today large cargo ships and international oil and chemical tankers have become the new targets for the Somali pirates. The economic success of the pirates has had negative effect on local residents. The presence of armed men makes the local residents feel insecure, and the lavish spending ways of the pirates has caused great fluctuations in the local exchange rate. There are also reports that some Islamist groups have used Somali Pirates to smuggle arms. US Navys Fifth Fleet and many other countries have deployed ships to patrol the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. Egypt along with Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan and Sudan has formulated a joint strategy against piracy. But the size of the coast and the traffic of ships that goes past Somalia make it

Music Appreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Music Appreciation - Essay Example However, when we hear someone talk about â€Å"classical music†, he or she is most likely talking about the kind of musical standards set in the common practice period, when European music became different in notation from the music of other parts of the world. Because the word â€Å"classical music† is unfairly broad, it is best for music scholars and appreciators to compare classical eras, such as the Romantic era and the Baroque era. Even though the times the experts have set as either the â€Å"Baroque† or the â€Å"Romantic† are somewhat arbitrary, they are convenient. Otherwise, it is not fair to lump very different kinds of music together into one. In today’s terms, that would be like lumping pop artists with classic rock artists and bluegrass artists, stretched across a 400-year period. Within this 400-year period in European music, from the 16th to the 20th century, European music developed and perfected a system of staff notation to preser ve and transmit very important information about the musical composition. With staff notation, composers gained the ability to guide performers on their use of meter, rhythm, speed, and pitch, all necessary to perform any given piece of music. As a result, European classical music became unique and different from other forms of classical music like those in the Asian continent. European classical music, with a strict system of notation, left less room for improvisation and invention on the part of performers. The performers became indistinguishable from their instruments.

Website Review and Summary Essay Example for Free

Website Review and Summary Essay Infant Mortality Infant mortality is a serious matter when it concerns the life of an infant. Many individuals and families have had to face the death of a child in one way or another. Infant mortality can cause devastating implications for all those involved. The awareness of assistance offered from local, state and national government agencies are available for those who have experience the death of an infant. One way to provide information would be to understand what public and community health is all about. Public and Community health is important and researching related websites can benefit those who are interested. This paper will address and compare how local, state and national government websites address specific information regarding infant mortality. In addition, information will be explored specifically related to whether or not the information found in the websites overlap, what type of structure is identified between the levels of government, what functions are seen at each level of government, and how the levels of government work together specifically regarding infant mortality. Defining Public and Community Health. First of all, public health deals with promoting health through the communication and organizational efforts to assist health care providers, the public, the communities and individuals. (Kleinfelder, 2013). To be honest, for the most part, people refer to public health simply as â€Å"free†, meaning a place to go when they need state and federally funded vaccinations, influenza and pneumonia shots, wellness prevention, and tuberculine screening for health care workers to mention a few. As far as community health, this addresses issues through education, research on diseases, injury prevention and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. How  does the information overlap? When researching for the sole purpose of obtaining information specifically related to infant mortality, many websites are reviewed. The information identified did at times overlap such as the percentages of infant deaths at the local and state levels as opposed to the United States percentage of infant deaths, meaning the percentages were typically the same. In addition, the top rated causes of infant deaths from one website to the next were similar such as sudden infant death syndrome, premature births, very low birth weights and birth defects. Types of structure and function identified between levels of government. Each level of the government whether local, state or national, has their own processes and procedures to handle concerns affecting the people. The structure at the state level governs over the city, or local counties. When an issue arises that local and state levels cannot handle, national levels will assist to resolve those issues. The purpose of understanding the structures among the government levels is not only to figure out how to identify, analyze, plan and implement resolutions to health concerns, such as infant mortality, it is also important understand the funding for health care and other needs of the people. In the eyes of the people it must prove its legitimacy to remain in office. According to Beitsch LM, Brooks, Grigg Menachemi, (2006), â€Å"A strong infrastructure is required to perform public health services and to protect the public from environmental toxins, influenza, chronic diseases, and unacceptable rates of infant mortality. State health agencies must be able to provide the core functions of public health, assessment, policy development, and assurance across the domains of health protection and health promotion activities.† The local and state agency’s focus on decreasing infant death. To accomplish this, the government provides funding to enable state-based programs the ability to perform surveillance to gather information that would enable a decline in maternal and infant mortality. The purpose of the information gathered is used to develop the health programs associated with infant mortality or other health related issues. In addition, the ability to identify infant mortality risks rests on the shoulders of local and state agencies. These agencies use of pregnancy risk assessment monitoring systems data to complete this task. On  a national level, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will work with state agencies to develop a national strategy for addressing all health related issues. (Riegelman, 2010). How do the levels of government work together? All agencies work in a collaborative effort to improve women’s health prior to pregnancy, promote quality prenatal care, strengthening surveillance and research, including prevention and overall health promotion. According to Beitsch, Brooks, Grigg Menachemi, (2006). â€Å"The goals of these agencies communicate with the main objective to improve access to quality pre-conception, peri-conception, and prenatal health care across racial/ethnic and geographical divides, and to provide the best available care to mothers and infants.† Conclusion In all reality, despite the efforts of all levels of government health agencies, the probability of the concerns surrounding infant mortality will continue simply due to the ignorance and negligence of the American public to simple choose not to do the right thing. All levels of government, whether local, state or national, infant mortality is a health concern to be reckoned with. We, as a community, have an obligation to understand that educating ourselves through research and reviewing websites for knowledge is key to resolve all public and community health concerns on all levels. The paper did explore information related to websites address the type of structure between the levels of government, what functions are seen at each level of government, and how the levels of government work together specifically regarding infant mortality. The ability to promote educational programs to prevent a death of an infant is a necessity to ensure lifelong happiness. References Beitsch LM, Brooks RG, Grigg M, Menachemi N. Structure and Functions of State Public Health Agencies. American Journal of Public Health. 2006; 96(1):167-172. Doi:10.2105/AJPH.2004.053439. Kleinfelder, J., (2013). What is the difference between community health and public health? Retrieved from http://wwwresearchgate./post/What_is_the_diffe†¦ Riegelman, R. K. (2010). Public health 101: Healthy people—healthy populations. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Solubility Characteristics Between Organic Compounds

Solubility Characteristics Between Organic Compounds Objective: The objective of this experiment is to study the relative solubility of organic compounds in various solvents. Besides, understanding on the effect of polar groups on a nonpolar hydrocarbon skeleton is the aim for the test. Introduction: The purpose of this experiment is to explore and understand the solubility characteristics between organic compounds and their relative solvents. The structure of organic compound indicates its solubility, acidity, basicity, reactivity, stability and so on. All of these properties can be called as â€Å"function† and different structure has different functions after reacting with solvents. It is important to know the solubility of reactant because it directly determines the recrystallization and reaction yields. In recrystallization process, an impure compound is dissolved into a highly concentrated solution at a high temperature. The mixture was left to cool to open air to filter out the insoluble impurities. After the further cooling of solution, the remaining amount of solute can no longer be held in solution forms, it will be purified into crystals, which can later be collected. This process has used the concept of solubility. In short, insoluble of reactants in solvent in dicates no reactions occur. In chemistry, there is a term in describing the solubility of polymer which is like dissolves like. The meaning is one substance is more likely to soluble in those solvents that are having similar properties. Polar compounds are generally soluble in other polar compounds; non-polar compounds are generally soluble in other non-polar compounds. Same goes to molecules that can form hydrogen bonds, they are generally soluble with other molecules that can form hydrogen bonds. To prevent unnecessary test, structure of reactants should be observed whether they are like dissolves like to predict the solubility before handing on the procedures. Acid-base extraction is a type of liquid-liquid extraction. Its basic concept is based on different solubility levels between organic solvent and water. In this case, the organic solvent may be any carbon-based liquid that have less solubility in H2O. The common used organic solvents are ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, or ether. Acid-base extraction is usually used to differentiate organic compounds from each other based on their acid-base properties. The assumption leans against this method is that majority of the organic compounds are likely to dissolve in organic solvent than that in water. However, if the organic compound is rendered ionic, it is eventually having high solubility in water compared to organic solvent because rendered ionic has the ability to easily transform into ions. It can be ionized into cation by adding a proton or becomes an anion by removing a proton (an H+ ion). The fundamental theory behind this technique is that salts, which are ionic, tend to be water-s oluble while neutral molecules tend not to be. If there is an addition of acid to a mixture of an organic base with organic solvent, the organic base will receive a proton to become cation while acid remains unchanged. Conversely, an addition of base into acid mixture together with organic solvent, acid will be deprotonated and transforms into anion meanwhile basicity remains the same. Both of these cation and anion will be dissolved in water and this aqueous layer can be eliminated after phase separation and the pure substance can be obtained. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy defines an absorption spectroscopy in the ultraviolet-visible spectral region. Its working theory is using light in the adjacent and visible (near UV and near infrared) ranges. The chemical inside the electromagnetic spectrum region will absorb the light which affects the perceived color of chemicals. At that moment, the light energy will be used by molecules to perform electronic transition. By going through Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, the compositions of organic compound can be identified. Diagram1 shows the energy distribution of each orbital inside a chemical compound. Diagram1 When UV light is passing through the compound, energy will be absorbed to promote the electron from either non-bonding orbital into anti-bonding orbital or that from bonding orbital into anti-bonding orbital. The energy of UV light was stored inside its wavelength whereas different wavelengths associate different strength of energy. The relationship between energy and frequency of light can be shown in the equation below: It shows the energy is directly proportional to frequency of light. Since UV spectroscopy is always giving the data of its wavelength instead of frequency. The relationship between frequency and wavelength needed to be considered. From next equation, it proves that the lower the wavelength gives higher frequency since they are inversely proportional: If large amount of energy needed to promote electrons, lower wavelength of UV light will be absorbed. Absorption spectrometer is only working in a range from about 200 nm (in the near ultra-violet) to about 800 nm (in the very near infra-red). Due to this case, when the electron is promoted from an orbital having weak energy (For example, pi bonding orbital has lower energy compared to non-bonding orbital), more energy is needed to help in transferring the electron. The wavelength of light absorbed will be shorter than 200 nm. Now the detection of functional group in this situation is ambiguous because the absorption of light does not happen in range. Non-bonding orbital requires lone pair of electrons inside the organic compound which means it may be containing oxygen, nitrogen or a halogen. The wavelength like 180nm will be absorbed to promote electron from pi bonding orbital into pi anti-bonding orbital while 290nm of wavelength will be used for promoting electron from non-bonding orbital. 290nm of wavelength will be picked because the spectrometer works in the range of 200 800 nm. Organic compound with different functional groups have their unique electrons configuration. The energy and wavelength of UV light required is also distinct. However, these properties prove that each composition has its own particular reading of wavelength absorption. From this, the composition of one unknown compound could be identified by testing the Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. Here is some example of compounds with their wavelength absorption. Example1 Furthermore, Infra-red spectrum is also one of the methods used to identify the composition of organic compound. Diagram2 shows the setup of Infra-red spectrum: Diagram2 Detector will absorb the non-absorbed infra-red and produce a graph by its strength on different wavelengths. For example, if the sample absorbs 800cm-1 of infra-red, the remaining light that passing through the sample will be lesser. Hence the graph will show a large trough at 800cm-1 of wavelength because detector received less amount of infra-red. This is the typical Infra-red spectrum: From the example above, the trough at 3000+ cm-1 indicates there is absorption of infra-red by sample to excite bonds in the molecule to a higher state of vibration either stretching or bending. Observation on this trough can determine the functional group inside the organic sample because every functional group has their approximate range of infra-red absorption. The advantage of applying Infra-red spectrum is that it can detect the other smaller parts of differences between the molecules that having same functional group. For example, both propan-1-ol and propan-2-ol contain same OH group as functional group. These can be shown in two graphs below: They have almost the same troughs around the area at 3000 cm-1 which indicates the same functional group. However, the regions between 1500 and 500 cm-1 shows the distinct in composition. This region is called fingerprint region. The pattern in the fingerprint region allows the user to evaluate the compound.

Movie Essays - Comparing the Novel and Film Version of Joy Luck Club

Comparing the Novel and Film Version of Joy Luck Club   Ã‚   Wayne Wang's adaptation of Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club combines literary and cinematic devices by adopting the novel's narrative techniques and strengthening them through image and sound. The adaptation exemplifies not a destruction or abuse of Amy Tan's novel, but the emergence of a new work of art, not hindered but enhanced by the strengths of its literary precursor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Incorporating her family's own experiences as Chinese immigrants to the United States, Amy Tan tells the story of four Chinese mothers (Suyuan Woo, An-mei Hsu, Lindo Jong, Ying-ying St. Clair) and their American-born daughters (Jing-mei "June" Woo, Rose Hsu Jordan, Wave... .... Pour une lecture sociocritique de l'adaptation cinematographique. Une publication de l'Institut de Sociocritique --Montpellier.1995. Drolet. Telling her stories to change the (con)text of identity.UMI Dissertation Services. Michigan 1994. Aycock, Wendell. Film and literature : a comparative approach to adaptation. Texas Tech University Press, 1988.

Jade of Peony Essay -- Literary Analysis, Wayson Choy

We have all been in a situation where we have immigrated to a new country for different reasons regarding, better future, or education. In the book Jade of Peony, Wayson Choy describes a struggle of a Chinese family as they settle in Canada, with their new generation of kids born here, the family struggles to keep their children tied to their Chinese customs and traditions as they fit in this new country. The Chinese culture needs to be more open minded as it limits the future generation’s potential. Chinese culture limitations are seen through the relationship expectations, education, gender roles and jobs. Firstly, the relationship expectations in Chinese customs and traditions were strongly held onto. The daughters of the Chinese family were considered as a shame for the family. The sons of the family were given more honour than the daughters. In addition, some daughters were even discriminated. â€Å"If you want a place in this world ... do not be born as a girl child† (Choy 27). The girls from the Chinese family were considered useless. They were always looked down upon in a family; they felt as if the girls cannot provide a family with wealth. Chinese society is throwing away its little girls at an astounding rate. For every 100 girls registered at birth, there are 118 little boys in other words, nearly one seventh of Chinese girl babies are going missing (Baldwin 40). The parents from Chinese family had a preference for boys as they thought; boys could work and provide the family income. Due to Chinese culture preference to having boys, girls often did not have the right to live. In the Chinese ethnicity, the family always obeyed the elder’s decision. When the family was trying to adapt to the new country and they were tryin... ...king in the same field would. Therefore, the Chinese culture resists the new generations potential, due to the gender roles and jobs. In conclusion, Chinese cultures prohibition is seen, by observing the relationship expectations, education, and gender roles and jobs. The Chinese culture needs to be more cultivated as it constricts the newer generation’s capability in Canada. In Wayson Choy’s book The Jade of Peony, he describes the struggles of a immigrated Chinese family, as they try to follow two cultures to adjust in a new country like Canada, but still hang on to the old traditions of China, the kids of the family struggled as they tried to follow these two cultures. We have all been in a similar situation where we have immigrated to a new country to seek a better future where we have a better lifestyle and education, to help our family grow.

Leaving Home and Memories

Leaving home, yes, I remember leaving home, can you? Leaving home for me was quite unlike the leaving home of what I would call the usual. It December 27, 2009. That day I won’t forget for my entire life, that day when it was the change in everything, that day when I was saying goodbye, the teary goodbyes to relatives and friends. Getting closer to time to leave home, I started to remember and retell, in my head, the bittersweet memories of leaving the loving nest. As my family and I arrived to the airport, my heart was heavy, and I started to feel sad because of what I hate and I’ve always hated, it is separation from my best friends, however I knew the time has come to leave. I felt an unsettling feeling in my heart and a kind of longing to stay back forever. But at the same time, I was excited. I have been reflecting on what my life would become and what it could have been and, eventually, I plucked up the courage to walk away and started a new life. In the plane, I sat with closed eyes, reliving those wonderful and fond memories, I left behind.  Like read about memories? Read also  Flashbulb memory! Today is a life change. It’s awaking me and saving me, striving forth happy, confident and bold, into a world that’s familiar but friendly. Into this new life my spirit will send me, Living, laughing, and loving it all. Now I’ve been sitting around this life, I can see just where it all went, Cherish every moment of this new life. Later, I woke up; I could hear the faint humming of the airplane engines. We were over the Atlantic Ocean. I noticed the journey viewer showed that only 2 hours to go. I was going to be in Canada after what seemed a lifetime of waiting, anticipation, obsession with it all. I was going to touch down, to take a first Canadian breath of air, in only just two hours, what an exciting feeling. I couldn't even believe I slept in the first place, but I had. After almost 2 hours, my dad told that we are flying above Canada. Canada! A smile took over my face. I sat there Looking out the window at the vast earth we live in. somewhat calming being so high up above the clouds, its peace, its tranquil, and mesmerizing. Without moment’s notice, I was jolted form, my calming wander to the sound of a belt light; it was time to fasten our seat belts as we were going to start descending on Canada. Finally, smiles all over. Only moments away before I knew it, I saw clouds rushing past my window, faster and faster, it was like a moment of such anticipation, as to what will be at the end, through the clouds. What I will see, what is going to be my first image, my first real life visualization of Canada? More clouds rushed past, more and more, I never thought it was going to end. It was hilarious, where is it, I remember I kept on thinking, where is Canada, show yourself to me, â€Å"SHOW ME†. Within three minutes, I looked down and I knew I was staring into my new land, my new home. I know as soon as I touch down, I’m not leaving for a long time, I knew it. Afterwards, I took a breath as I walked through the tunnel. I saw the steps, I seemed to count how many there where, I reached the last one, 17 steps, it was the last one, and I went down. I felt good, that first touch, that first moment. I breathed my first Canadian breath of air, all I thought in this moment; this is a grand moment in my life. It was Toronto in December, so it was cold. I could see my breath each time I talk. There were Glittering mounds of fluffy white snow, streets illuminated with warm golden Christmas lights, stars twinkling in the night sky. It’s almost like a fairytale. The roads were long and never-ending, darkness cut through by powerful glowing headlights. When I went to the hotel, no one was talking, we’re all too tired. I wanted to take a hot, steamy shower and just go to my bed. I was really tired, however, I was able to sleep, I kept thinking about my day. And I was looking up for my future in this country. In conclusion, To all of you out there who are faced with or contemplating leaving home, cherish the sweet moments and battle with all your courage against the bitter moments until you find your final home – then vow never to leave it.

Coca Cola Analysis

1 I. Introduction â€Å"Coca-Cola and Shasta. † These two products are in the same industry and both were invented around the same time. Nonetheless, a very different perception comes to consumers? mind when they hear these two words. In the 21st cent ury, Coca-Cola is considered one of the most valuable brands in the world, whereas Shasta is mostly known in United States, particularly in the West Coast region. Coca-Cola is owned and operat ed by The Coca-Cola Company, and Shasta is currently owned by National Beverage Corp. This report will examine, compare, and analyze both companies in terms of operation, promotion, management, and finance.In addition, SWOT analysis and Porter? s Five Forces will be conducted to evaluate the companies? positions in the industry. The report will also identify several issues that both companies currently face and suggest alternatives and recommendations in order assist Shasta, a subsidiary of National Beverage Corp. , to gain more market shar e. Table 3 exhibits that National Beverage Corp. makes up only about 2. 8% of the soft drink industry in 2010. Company Background Dr. John Pemberton, a pharmacist from Atlanta, invented Coca -Cola in 1886. The world? s largest non-alcoholic beverage company trademarked its name and logo in 1893.After thirty years of establishment, the company went public in 1919. The share price of its initial public offering (IPO) was $40 a share (Datamonitor, 2010). Coca-Cola expanded rapid ly; it is currently available in more than 200 countries and reaches about 99% of the world population (National Geographic Channel, 2011). Consumption rate of trademarked or licensed products amounts to 1. 7 billion servings a day. As of December 31, 2010, the company has 139,600 employees worldwide (The Coca-Cola Company, 2011). Similarly, Shasta was founded in 1889, three years after Coca-Cola. In Northern California, Mt.Shasta, â€Å"a group of businessmen opened a health and vacation resort at the s ite a nd featured naturally carbonated spring water. † The carbonated water received positive feedbacks from clients who stayed at the health and vacation resort . Shortly after, t hese businessmen established Shasta Mineral Springs Company and started selling the product throughout the West Coast region, including California, Oregon, and Washington. In 1928, the company was renamed The Shasta Water Company, and began to diversify its carbonated water line to a segment with more flavors. In 1985, Shasta was acq uired by National Beverage Corp.Despite of the acquisition and product diversification, Shasta is serving the same West Coast market that it was serving decades ago (Shasta Beverage, Inc, 2010). Target Market Coca-Cola views everyone as potential consu mers. Coca-Cola targets all age groups; however, the one with most potential is the age group between 18 to 25 years old , which tends to have busy lifestyles. Furthermore, the company attempts to appeal students and family-ori ented consumers. The socio-economic status of these demographics ranges from lower to upper-lower income level (Grimm, 2000). These are a few characteristics of Coca -Cola? target market. Soft drink Industry 2 Shasta? s main focus is variety. Even though the company sells a variety of cola, the sales of other flavors are better. Statistics show that ethnic groups prefer flavored drinks over cola. Based on this research, Shasta has centered its target market on et hnic groups. Shasta? s demographic targets: low to middle income consumers, less educated individuals, and large families. Psycho -graphically, the company targets individuals who look for value and quality in a product, like Shasta cola, as an alternative to Coca-Cola or Pepsi (C.Anicich, E-mail Interview, April 20, 2011). Table 3: Industry Trends & Comparison Analysis (source: Beverage Digest) Source: Beverage-Digest (Top-10 CSD Results for 2010). II. Operational Analysis ? The Coca-Cola Company Raw Materials Water is the main ingredient used in Coca-Cola? s products. The soft drink is made from diluting water with concentrates and sweeteners. The concentrates used in Coca -Cola? s beverage remains a secret; therefore, the company does not allow filming during manufacturing processes. According to National Geographic (2011), the beverage is made with 90 percent water.Because water? s taste varies at every location, Coca-Cola has to neutralize the water to ensure that its products taste consistently worldwide. The other main ingredient is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and since imported sugar is more expensive, Coca-Cola uses HFCS as its principal sweetener. Manufacturing Coca-Cola is the largest player in the non-alcoholic beverage industry. It operates in over 206 countries and has 900 bottling plants and factories worldwide with locations such as Eurasia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, as well as North America (National Geographic, 2011).Due to this, these manufacturers must adhere to strict sta ndards in order to produce sta ndardized CocaCola? s products. Moreover, Coca-Cola manages its manufacturing processes efficiently. For Soft drink Industry 3 example, the new factory in Baton Rouge operates 24 hours a day, five days a week, and can produce up to 4. 5 million beverages in one day. Additionally, in recent efforts to be environmental friendly, the company announces that it will change its electrical equipments and reduce water usage. The decision is projected to save the company approximately one million dollars annually. DistributionsCoca-Cola has the world? s largest distribution system; hence, it is a ble to reach almost every region (Coca-Cola Co. , 2011). The company distributes its beverages to consumers through various retailers, wholesalers, vending machines, and distribution centers. Furthermore, it sells its syrup and concentrates to cafes and restaurants used in fountain drink dispensers. ? National Beverage Corp. (Shasta) Raw Materials National Beverage Cor p. collaborates with many suppliers for raw materials and packages. Moreover, the company consolidates its purchasing function for cost containment purposes (National Beverage Corp. 0K, 2010). This advantage allows the company to compete against major beverage companies. Some of the materials used to produce the beverages are sweeteners, juice concentrates, carbon dioxide, water, glass, p lastic bottles, aluminum cans, paper, cartons, and closures (NBC 10K, 2010). The costs of the materials are very volatile; reasons being are because of gas prices, tariffs, foreign exchange fluctuations, etc. Consequently, the company purchases forward agreements with suppliers to minimize the price increases on certain materials. Manufacturing National Beverage Corp. ets up manufacturing plants strategically. Its twelve manufacturing facilities are located near major U. S. metropolitan cities; thus, enab ling the company to distribute products promptly and efficiently (NBC 10K, 2010). In manufactu ring plants, the company bottles and cans its beverages. National Beverage Corp. believes that ownership of bottling facilities provides a competitive advantage o ver some competitors? dependency on third party bottlers (NBC 10K, 2010). As a result, the company is able build its own competitive advantage and become s more experienced and efficient. Distributions National Beverage Corp. tilizes a hybrid distribution system to deliver products through three primary distribution channels: take-home, convenience and food-service (NBC 10K, 2010). Take-home channel distributes to grocery stores, wholesalers, and warehouse stores such as Costco. Secondly, the convenience channel, which distributes to gas station and convenient stores such as 7-Eleven stores. This channel allows the company to charge higher selling price than the other channels because of lower sales volumes. The last channel is food-service. This channel distributes its products to schools, hotels, airlines, restaurants, a nd other food related places.Soft drink Industry 4 III. Promotional Analysis ? The Coca-Cola Company Word-of-Mouth Consumers are talking about brands and companies every day, and it so happens that a vast number of conversations are about Coca-Cola. According to Keller Fay Group, a research marketing firm, a study of 25,142 consumers shows that Coca-Cola is currently the most talked about brand in America (Wang, 2008). This finding demonstrates and measures the sample of consumers? conversations on a daily basis. In addition, the CEO of Keller Fay Group, Ed Keller, states, â€Å"†¦these brands fall under the realm of „social categories? and have greater frequency of purchase. As a result, consumers are exposed to packaged goods? logos and slogans frequently. The more products consumers purchase daily, the more likely that they are to start conversations about the products within their social circles. The table below exhibits the ten most talked about brands and Coca-Cola is placed first. Top 10 Word-of-Mouth Most Talked About Brands: 1. Coca-Cola 6. Ford 2. AT&T 7. Dell Computers 3. Verizon 8. Sony 4. Pepsi 9. Chevrolet 5. Wal-Mart 10. McDonald's Public Relations Coca-Cola has strong public relations because it is always on the forefront of contributing to the community and society.For instance, Coca-Cola recently announces to the press that it has just established the Coca-Cola Japan Reconstruction Fund, which promises to raise 2. 5 billion yens ($31 million U. S dollars), to assist the reconstruction of Japan over the next three years (â€Å"Coca-Cola raises†, 2011). As a result of this generous act, Coca-Cola will receive great public media presses. Social Media Since the emergence of social media on the Internet, Coca-Cola has increased its presence in the global community. For example, Coca-Cola? s Facebook page has more than 5. 18 million fans and still growing, which makes Coca-Cola? page one of the top fan pages on Facebook (Staff, 2 010). This illustrates the immense community support and brand loyalty the company receives on the Internet. In addition, Coca-Cola also utilizes the Internet as a tool to support the community in charitable acts. Example being, Coca-Cola promises to give one dollar to the Boys and Girls Club every time a Facebook user gives a friend a â€Å"virtual coke;† thus, raising about $126,000 for the organization (Staff, 2010). Overall, Coca-Cola uses the social media for community engagements and also to reach out to more consumers.Global Branding As the first mover in the market, Coca-Cola is currently known as a global brand, not just Soft drink Industry 5 an American brand. For instance, when the company entered the China market in 1928, the first direct translations of Coca-Cola had absurd meanings; such as â€Å"bite the wax tadpole† or â€Å"female horse stuffed with wax. † However, with due diligence and core competency in branding research, Coca-Cola was able t o choose different characters pronounced â€Å"K'o K'ou K'o LE, † which literally means, â€Å"let the mouth rejoice† or â€Å"happiness in the mouth† (Wooten, 2011).This proves that the company takes branding seriously and tackles every global venture strategically by adapting to local cultures. ? National Beverage Corp. (Shasta) Overview In the company? s mission statement, National Beverag e Corp.? s main focus is variety. Its soft drink line has over thirty different flavors with new flavors being tested every day. Its goal is to have consumers identify themselves with particular flavors. As individuals grow older, their likes, tastes, and personalities will change. National Beverage Corp. encourages its consumers to link their transformations to their favorite soft drinks.Its other objective is to promote itself as a friendly soft drink company that everyone can relate to. By using social media platforms such as Facebook, the company is able to reach out to current as well as new consumers. Also, word-ofmouth is known as the greatest influence for consumers ; thus, National Beverage Corp. hopes to satisfy consumers in order to create a word-of-mouth â€Å"boom† effect. Conceivably, this tactic can possibly lure over other consumers who belong to its competitors. The company also follows a consumer-based promotional strategy t hat centralizes on fitting the consumer? image to his or her favorite drink, rather than creating an image for consumers like Coca -Cola. With this, National Beverage Corp.? s promotional strategy can be dissected into parts by engaging the promotional strategy mix: advertisement, public relations, sales promotion, personal selling, and direct mail. Advertising Recently, National Beverage Corp. began showing television and online commercials highlighting its low prices in comparison to larger soft drink co mpanies. These comical commercials exhibit individuals being hit in the heads with a Shasta can; thus , coining the â€Å"Hit in the Head† theme.The end of the advertisement shows a statement, â€Å"Some people wouldn? t know a good deal even if it hits them in the head. † The focal point is to gain a satirical image in the viewers? minds to reiterate the fact that National Beverage Corp.? s soft drinks are usually priced lower than its competitors. Moreover, the vibrant colors used in the commercial highlight the many flavors that the company carries. Public Relations National Beverage Corp. cleverly uses the Internet as a medium to promote its image as a â€Å"neighborhood friend† to its consumers.By utilizing Facebook, the company starts a monthly promotional page called â€Å"Shasta Pop,† which is maintained by its employees who post three to four weekly highlights. These posts mainly discuss about advertising soft drinks, especially around the holidays. In addition, there are recipes on how Shasta can be combined in daily cooking. Soft drink Industry 6 Sales promotion Presently, based on its â€Å"Shasta Pop† Facebook page, National Beverage Corp. uses a Shasta van that travels around California and gives out free soda cans, discounts, coupons, and T-shirts. This promotional tactic is known as â€Å"Sha sta Pop Stops. For example, to promote new flavors, Stater Bros. will be inviting the Shasta pop van with KFROP radio station to its store locations. Moreover, fans are able to follow the Shasta van by tuning in to some of their local radio stations. Personal Selling In terms of sales, National Beverage Corp. mainly conducts business with local retail grocery stores. In order to promote its products, it offers attractive discounts to retailers through partnerships. For example, a retailer that chooses to place National Beverage Corp.? s products in front of the store will receive a higher profit for every sale. Direct MailAs Internet usage increased exponentially over the years, National Beverage Co rp. uses the Internet to send promotions to consumers via E -mail. Subscribers of â€Å"Shasta Pop† Facebook page receive periodic coupons through their Facebook? s wall and E-mail accounts. IV. Financial Analysis ? Sales Graph 1 shows that Coca-Cola generates most of its revenue from international markets. The U. S. revenue accounted for 31. 7% of the total revenues in 2010, which was $11. 1 billion, a gain of 34. 6% compared to 2009 revenues. Moreover, international markets made up 74. 1% of the total revenues in 2010, which was about $23. billion, an increase of 4% compared to 2009 international revenues. The significant growth in U. S. sales can be traced to the gain from the acquisition of Coca-Cola Enterprises and the growt h of its other beverage products, such as Fuze, Trademark Simply, and tea. However, international market sales rose slightly due to the concurrent growth in emerging markets as well as a decline in developed markets. Additionally, the unfavorable impact of foreign curren cy exchange rates was primarily responsible for a stronger U. S. dollar compared to other currencies (Coca-Cola, 2011, p. 63). Graph1: Coca Cola 2010 Sales by Segment 3% 0% 7% 13% 11% 14% 32% Source: 2010 Coca – Cola 10-K Report Soft drink Industry Eurasia & Africa Europe Latin America North America Pacific Bottling Investment Corporate 7 On the other hand, National Beverage Corp. sells its products to U. S. market only. Therefore, its domestic sales account ed for 100% of the total revenue in 2010, which was $593. 5 million, an increase of 3. 2% from 2009. Robust revenue in 2010 resulted from growth in the sales of case volume of 1. 2% for energy drinks, juices a nd waters; and 5. 1% for branded carbonated soft drinks. Moreover, â€Å"unit pricing increased 0. % which mostly due to positive product mix changes. The improvement was partially offset by a decline in allied branded volume† (NBC, 2011, p. 13). For the past six years, Coca-Cola increased its revenues and ne t incomes with average growth rates range from 8% to 18% annually. In 2005, sales were only $23. 1 billion. However, 2010 sales amount ed to $35. 1 billion, an increase of 13% from 2009. Additionally, 2010 net income was $11. 8 billion, an increase of 72% from 2009. The large growth was due to when the company acquired Coca-Cola Enterprises in October 2010, it recorded other income of $4. 8 billion.However, Coca-Cola experienced drawbacks in 2009 after the 2008 market crash. Its revenue dropped 3% to $30. 9 billion; nonetheless, its net income still gr ew to 17. 5% during 2009 as a result of price increase and effective cost cutting method of operating expenses as well as cost of goods sold (see Table 1). Even though National Beverage Corp. did not experience as much growth as Coca-Cola in its financial statements, its revenues have also been rising steadily since 2005. In 2010, revenue reached its highest level at $593. 5 million, an increase of 3% from 2009. Likewise, 2010 net inc ome was $32. million, an increase of 33% from 2009, primarily due to â€Å"higher sales volume, favorable changes in product mix and lower raw material costs† (NBC 10 -K, 2010, pg 13). Since 2005, revenue increased with an average of 3% per year, and net income growth averaged 11% annually. National Beverage Corp. experienced some setbacks in 2008 when the recession occurred. Though revenue increased, net income decreased by 9% to $22. 5 million (see Table 2). Table 1: Coca Cola Company (2005 -2010) (in millions) 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Net Oper. Revenue 35,119 30,990 31,944 28,857 24,088 23,104 Cost of goods sold 12,693 11,088 11,374 10,406 ,164 8,195 S elling, general and admin expenses 13,158 11,358 11,774 10,945 9,431 8,739 Net Income 11,859 6,906 5,874 Source: sec. gov (Coca – Cola Company 10-K Consolidated Income Statement) 5,981 5,080 4,872 Table 2: National Beverage Corp. (2005 -2010) (in thousands) 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Net sales 593,465 575,177 566,001 539,030 516,802 495,572 Cost of sales 396,450 405,322 393,420 365,793 349,131 340,206 S elling, general and admin expenses 145,159 131,918 138,447 137,212 135,090 130,037 24,742 22,480 24,682 22,226 16,886 Net income 32,853 Source: sec. gov (NBC 10-K Consolidated Income Statement) Soft drink Industry 8 ?Financial Overview According to data compiled by Bloomberg, Coca-Cola, leader in non-alcoholic beverage industry, is valued at $153. 15 billion via the market capitalization method. On the contrary, National Beverage Corp. , on the mid-size market capitalization roster, is valued at only $628. 23 million. In another word, Coca-Cola? s value is approximately 244 times more than National Beverage Corp.? s. Table 1 and table 2 show the income statements for these two companies for comparison purposes. Coca-Cola has been able to increase its revenues year after year and recorded top net sales at $35. 1 billion in 2010. Gross margin was 63. %, or another way of interpreting this i s the company took away $0. 639 per dollar of sale. Furthermore, after all expenses and income tax deductions, $0. 336 was net income per dollar of sale. The company boosted its bottom line from $6. 8 billion to $11. 8 billion primarily through revenue growth ($31. 0 billion to $35. 1 billion). For costs associated with cost of goods such as selling, general and administrative expenses (SGA) and income tax, a ll increased as a percentage of sales. However, the growth in revenue contributed enough to still see net income improve (Coca-Cola, 2011). Similarly, National Beverage Corp. as also been able to increase its revenue; therefore, increasing its net income year aft er year. Gross margin in 2010 was 33. 2% compared to 29. 5% in 2009. Due to lower economies of scale, National Beverage Corp.? s largest expense has been consistently cost of goods sold. Even though the company was able to reduce cost of goods sold expense from 70. 47% to 66. 80%, this expense was still high and is fin ancially harmful. However, the reduction in cost of goods sold in 2010 was a major driver that led to a bottom line growth from $24. 7 million to $32. 9 million (NBC 10-K, 2010). ? Financial Ratios Analysis Coca-ColaCOKE (KO:US) Current Quick ROA ROE Assets Turnover Inventory Turnover A/P Turnover A/R Turnover 1. 17 0. 85 14. 82% 42. 32% 0. 58 5. 07 times or 72 days 7. 88 times or 46. 32 days 8. 58 times or 42. 54 days LTDebt to Assets Total Liabilities to Total Assets Interest Coverage 0. 19 0. 57 19. 43 Coca-Cola? s financial ratios indicate that the company is in good health. In respect to profitability, return on assets (ROA) was 14. 82% and return on equity (ROE) was 42. 32%. These figures help the investors to assess management performance. Furthermore, liquidity indicators measure the company? s ability to meet short-term obligations.In 2010, current and quick ratios were 1. 17 and 0. 85, respectively. The quick ratio presents a more stringent figure on liquidity. Even though the â€Å"Golden Rule† states that it should be at least one, a figure like Coca -Cola? s can Soft drink Industry 9 be considered normal for a multinational company. Solvency calculations include long-term debt to total assets as well as total liabilities to total assets, which calculated at 0. 19 and 0. 57, respectively. Additionally, the interest coverage ratio, which indicates how many times interest expense is covered by operating profits before taxes and interest are factored in. Coca-Cola? interest coverage ratio was 19. 43, which meant operating profit was about 19 times larger than interest expense. Although there were not enough liquid assets to satisfy current obligations (total liabilities to total assets ratio of 0. 57), operating profit was more than adequate to service the debts. In addition to the calculations above, activity ratios measure how effective the company is utilizing its assets. Assets turnover, the amount of sales generat ed for every dollar's wor th of assets, was 0. 6. Inventory turnover, indicates how many times a company's inventory is sold and replaced over a period, and calculated at 5. 7 times per year or every 72 days. This shows that inventories were managed well. Accounts payable, represents an entity's obligation to pay off a short-term debt to its creditors, was 7. 88 times or every 46 days. Accounts receivable, is used to quantify a firm's effectiveness in extending credit as well as collecting debts, reported at 8. 58 times per year or every 43 days (Coca-Cola, 2011). National Beverage Corp. NBC (FIZZ:US) Current Quick ROA ROE Assets Turnover Inventory Turnover A/P Turnover A/R Turnover LT-Debt to Assets Total Liabilities to Total Assets Interest Coverage 2. 30 1. 71 20. 1% 21. 05% 2. 35 10. 67 times or 34. 21 days 8. 12 times or 45 days 11. 04 times or 33. 06 days N/A 0. 41 432. 13 For a mature company like National Beverage Corp. with a much smaller market capitalization, financial ratios indicate good perform ance year after year. Profitabi lity ratios like ROA and ROE were 20. 51% and 21. 05%, respectively. These returns on investment calculations were well above the industry? s average, which is very impressive. Liquidity indicators, such as current and quick, were 2. 30 and 0. 9, respectively. Unfortunately, these figures were below the industry? s aggregate.In regards to solvency indicators, total liabilities to total assets ratio was 0. 41:1 or $0. 41 debt for every dollar of asset. National Beverage Corp. used little or no debt in its capital structure and may have less financial risk than the indu stry? s aggregate. This increased the interest coverage ratio to 432. 13, meaning operating profit was 432 times larger than interest expense. Lastly, an activity ratio, such as total assets was $2. 35 revenue generated per dollar of asset. Inventory was presented at 10. 67 times per year, or every 34 days of cost of goods sold tied up in inventories.Accounts payable ratio indicates that the company collected 8. 12 times per year or every 34 days. Accounts receivable, reported at 11. 04 times per year or about every 33 Soft drink Industry 10 days worth of sales outstanding. In conclusion, National Beverage Corp. also appears to be in good financial standing. V. SWOT & Porter’s Five Forces Analysis ? SWOT Analysis Coca-Cola SWOT Analysis Strengths: Weaknesses: – Strong brand image and customer loyalty – High fixed costs of business – Robust global infrastructures and distribution – Several product recalls system – Higher prices compared to others Various product offerings – Solid financial condition and market presence Opportunities: Threats: – Expand to other developing countries – Change in customer preferences – Offer new beverages/drinks – Global economic recession – Shift focus to volume/price/ mix – Foreign exchange fluctuations National Beverage Corp. SWOT Analysis Stre ngths: Weaknesses: – Diverse product offerings – Low profit margin – Hybrid distribution system – Limited to U. S. market only Opportunities: – Expand to other neighboring countries – Offer new beverages/drinks – Increase in the non-alcoholic beverage ndustry ? Threats: – Change in customer preferences – Global economic recession – Rising cost of inputs – Competition from major beverage manufacturers Porter’s Five Forces (Soft Drink Industry) Threat of new entrants (Low): (H): Low switching cost for buyer, Low product differentiation (L): High economies of scale, High capital requirement, Low access to distribution channel Power of buyers (Moderate-High): (H): Low switching cost for buyer, Moderate product differentiation for supplier (L): Low purchase volume for buyer, Low threat of backward integration Power of suppliers (High): H): High switching cost to another supplier, High suppliers? concentra tion, Low availability for product substitute Soft drink Industry 11 (L): High importance of customer, Low t hreat of forward integration Threat of substitute product (Moderate-High): (H): High differentiation of substitute product (L): Low price performance relationship Intensity of Rivalry (Very high): (H): High number of competitors, Low industry growth rate, high fixed cost and storage cost, Low switching cost for buyers, High exit barriers (L): None Threat of New Entry (Low) Supplier Power (High)Competitive Rivalry (Very High) Buyer Power (Moderate High) Threat of Substitution (ModerateHigh) VI. Management Analysis The management analysis section will examine management structures, corporate policies, mission statement s, and vision statements of both The Coca-Cola Company and the National Beverage Corp. The management structure segment will explore the corporate leaders and executives as well as the workplace environment. A segment on corporate policy will observe responsibili ties and ethics expectations of every employee. The last segment will analyze each company? mission and vision statement and what it means to the company. ? The Coca-Cola Company Management Structure Management at the corporate level is headed by Muhtar Kent, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Other top officers at the Coca -Cola Company include Executive Vice President Irial Finan, Chief Financial Officer Gary Fayard, President of North America Alexander Douglas, and President of Latin America Jose Reyes. Soft drink Industry 12 Coca-Cola creates a winning culture by developing a diverse workplace. At the core, there is the â€Å"right employee† value proposition, which is directly ffected by four key values. These values are finding the right talent, right capabilities, right leaders, and the right workplace (Global Diversity, Our Strategic Framework 2010). In order to create the right workplace, the company must sustain positive diversity and fa irness on all levels of operations. Finding the right talent relates to matching the right people with the market they serve. Building the right capabilities is about sharing social culture and knowledge in the workplace. The right leaders leverage talent in the workplace to achieve superior results across the business.Coca-Cola Company currently employs 139,600 people, also known as â€Å"associates† (Businessweek, 2011). Corporate Policy and Ethics The Coca-Cola Company has been able to enhance its reputation through integrity and ethical conduct. Therefore, it is important for the company to safeguard these values and set standards to ensure employees do the right thing. The company? s Code of Business Conduct covers guidelines on integrity around the globe, internal as well as external integrity, and conflicts of interest. Mission and Vision Statement The Coca-Cola Company has set long term road-map of acquiring its bottling partners.The 2020 vision defines the company? s attitudes and behaviors that are required to turn the vision into reality. Furthermore, Coca-Cola? s mission statement serves as a guideline for company? s actions and decisions (Mission, Vision, Values, 2010). ? National Beverage Corp. Management Structure The executive team at National Beverage Co rp. is led by Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Nick A. Caporella. Other top officers include President Joseph Caporella, Principal Financial Officer George Bracken, Executive Vice President of Procurement Edward Knecht, and Chief Accounting Officer Dean McCoy.National Beverage Corp. has been able to create a winning cultur e through several key factors. First, t he company works as a whole towards strength, knowledge, and longevity of management team ([NBC] The Difference, 2010). Its seco nd factor is the flexibility to plan globally and act locally, this includes the process of vertical integration, hybrid distribution, and basket of beverages ([NBC] The Difference, 20 10). The company currently employs 1,200 workers (Businessweek, 2010). Corporate Policy and Ethics Ethical conduct is vital to ensure successful and lasting business relationships (National Beverage Corp.Code of Ethics, 2007). National Beverage Corp. also sets high standards of ethics for all its employees, supervisors, and managers. These include the procedures for the employees to act accordingly when dealing with the following: ? Conflicts of interest ? The use of entertainment, gifts, and payments Soft drink Industry 13 ? Relationships with customers or suppliers, and government employees ? Receipt of items by National Beverage Corp. employees ? Complete and accurate financial records as well as communication ? The use of company assets ? Workplace environmentMission and Vision Statement National Beverage Corp. continually strives to set a higher standard for value, quality, variety and innovation as a leader in the beverage industry ([NBC] The Difference, 2010). It continually positions itself as a unique beverage company with innovative ideas. Furthermore, the company places its people, products research and development, environment, packaging, and consumers at its forefront to create innovative advantages for the company. VII. Alternatives Financial Objectives According to most observers, there are two strategies for achieving superior erformance in any business. One strategy is product and service differentiation; the other is low -cost leadership. In National Beverage Corp.? s case, it is appropriate to suggest a low-cost leadership strategy. This method focuses on consumers? attention on product pricing, often using such slogans as â€Å"everyday low prices† or â€Å"the lowest price in town. † The goal is for the company to become the lowest cost producer in the marketplace so it can underprice the competition, achieve the highest sales volumes, and still make a profit on each sale.This can be attained by making quantity discount purch ases, having a lean administrative structure, and using production efficiencies from vigorous cost containment. As the business environment changes, few companies actually pursue just one strategy. Most will attempt to implement both-developing customer loyalty while controlling costs. National Beverage Corp.? s management will now ha ve to decide to: (1) improve profit margin, (2) increase asset turnover (more sales volume or fewer assets), or (3) both. In this case, it is best for management to formulate goals to increase profit margin.Profit Margin ROA and Competitive Advantage 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 NBC 0 0. 5 1 1. 5 2 Assets Turnover Soft drink Industry 2. 5 3 COKE 14 Strategic Objectives The core business from these two companies stems from the production of soft drinks. Coca-Cola has its Coke line as National Beverage Corp. has Shasta. Unfortunately, there are many products within Nat ional Beverage Corp. that cause brand dilution. To overcome this effect, the company can shift f ocus back to the Shasta brand and eliminate low performing players. This will in turn, strengthen Shasta and consolidate the brands that are left.Some alternatives the company may want to consider are broken down into short-term and long-term. Short-term In order for Shasta to gain greater brand recognition in a short time, it is imperative that National Beverage Corp. increases its marketing budget. Several possibilities to better market Shasta are: ? Advertise at college sports events ? Target more local domestic stores to increase â€Å"Buzz† effect ? Use celebrity advertising, specifically o lder television show celebrities ? Create a new commercial that is consistent with the marketing strategy of Shasta (example: promote self-identities of consumers through favorite soft rinks) These potential marketing strategies all focus on strengthening Shasta? s brand image. They also allow the company to remain consistent with its overall marketing plan. Long-term Further analysis shows that Shasta? s range of consumers is very narrow. The company only distributes in four states: California, Arizona, Utah, and Minnesota. Several approaches to increase sales of Shasta are: ? Distribute to more states ? Develop distributing partnerships with large retailers like Target Expanding distribution channels will boost sales of Shasta. The residual income can then be used to invest in building new production plants.Moreover, developing contracts and partnership s with large retailers like Target will ensure greater product placement, therefore, revamp brand awareness among consumers. VIII. Recommendations Short Term Create a new commercial that is consistent with the marketing strategy of Shasta Shasta rarely advertises on TV or online. However, it does have a popular commercial, which aired recently, â€Å"Hit in the head. † Unfortunately, it is neither good nor interesting. Besides, it does not match with the company? s current marketing strategy to have cons umers identify themselves with their favorite beverages.If Shasta is able to create a different approach for its advertising method and follow its marketing strategy, it may be able to obtain greater brand recognition and market shares in the soft drink industry. Since Shasta is National Beverage Corp.? s core competency, the company should approach the consumers based on this beverage line. The best way is to create a commercial that promotes self-identity based on the flavors that Shasta offers. With the target market being very diverse, this new commercial might appeal not Soft drink Industry 15 to just different ethnic groups, but also younger consumers who like to be different and unique.Long Term Develop distributing partnerships with large retailers to increase p rofit margin In 2010, National Beverage Corp. had a 66% cost of sales ratio, whereas Coca-Cola had 34. 3%. National Beverage Corp. „s cost of sales was excessively high for industry? s standard; therefore, was the primary cause of low profit margin. In order to increase profit margin, the company should lower its production costs by achieving larger economies of scale through building or developing distributing partnerships with large retailers like Target. This in turn will lower production and distribution costs.Consequently, Shasta cola brand will be availa ble to many other states and reach more consumers and markets; thus, boosting revenue and total sales volume. Soft drink Industry 16 XI. Bibliography About National Beverage Corp.. (2009, January 1). National Beverage Corp.. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from http://www. nationalbeverage. com/10AboutNBC. htm Coca Cola Company. (2008, Feb. 28). 2007 Form 10-K. Retrieved March 29, 2011, from http://sec. gov/Archives/edgar/data/21344/000119312508041768/d10k. htm Coca Cola Company. (2011, Feb. 28). 2010 Form 10-K. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from http://ir. thecoca-colacompany. com/phoenix. zhtml? =94566&p=IROLsecToc&TOC=aHR0cDovL2lyLmludC53Z XN0 bGF3YnVzaW5lc3MuY29tL2RvY3VtZW50L3YxLzAwMDEwNDc0NjktMTEtMDAx NTA2L3RvYy9wYWdl&ListAll=1&sXBRL=1 Coca-Cola Raises Total Pledge to 2. 5bln Yen for Japan Relief. (2011). Asia Pulse. Datamonitor. (2010, Apr. 15). National Beverage Corp: Company Profile. Datamonitor Company Profiles Authority. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from http://search. ebscohost. com. lib-proxy. fullerton. edu/login. aspx? direct=true&db= buh&authdb=dmhco&AN=7E22BD44-DB90-4E61-AE79-F5F25D7169FB&site=bsilive Datamonitor. (2010, May 28). The Coca Cola Company: Company Profile . Datamonitor Company Profiles Authority.Retrieved March 27, 2011, from http://search. ebscohost. com. lib-proxy. fullerton. edu/login. aspx? direct=true &db=buh&authdb=dmhco&AN=37CB5616-D04E-49EE-9F5CFFE75047D6FF&site=bsi-live Disclaimer/Terms of Use. (2009, January 1). National Beverage Corp.. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from http://www. nationalbeverage. com/SiteInfo. htm Events & Promotions – Shasta. (2010, January 1). Shasta Beverages , Inc. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from http://www. shastapop. com/events-promotions/ Grimm, M. (2000). Drink me. American Demographics, 22(2), 62-63. Marketing Mix (4 p's) – Promotion and Promotional Strategies. (2010).Welcome to Learnmarketing. net – Learn about Marketing here. Free Marketing Education, Lessons and Marketing Resources. Retrieved March 27, 2011, from http://www. learnmarketing. net/promotion. htm Mission, Vision, & Values. (2011) Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values. html National Beverage Corp. (2007, Jul. 12). 2007 Form 10-K. Retrieved March 29, 2011, from http://sec. gov/Archives/edgar/data/69891/000095014407006550/g08320e10vk. htm National Beverage Corp. (2007). National Beverage Corp. Code of Ethics. 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Soft drink Industry Coca Cola Analysis The Coca Cola Company The company that I have chosen for my course project is the Coca Cola Company. The reason for my selection is simple, I am impressed with growth associated with Coca Cola and plan on further researching and analyzing how such growth of this magnitude is possible. The company was founded in 1886 by John Pemberton as a simple soft drink, created solely out of curiosity. John Pemberton, a pharmacist, mixed together the caramel flavored carbonated drink and initially starting selling it for 5 cents.Now 126 years later, Coca Cola has more than 3500 beverages, sold in over 200 countries and employ more than 146,200 employees. What debuted as a simple soft drink in an Atlanta pharmacy, now has a global success rate of 1. 8 billion servings per day. Product List The following product list is from research gathered covering the Coca Cola drinks of the North American Region in the United States. Globally Coca Cola has over 3500 products. The products sold solely in the Un ited States range from juices, energy drinks, soft drinks, coffees, teas, sports drinks and drink mixers.Coca Cola diverse efforts to cover every aspect of liquid drinks, whether for sporting events or simply enjoyment, have made up a total of XXXXXX in the United States alone. The original Coca Cola product was first introduced in 1886 and distributed nationally by 1899. Today you can find your favorite Coca Cola product literally anywhere in the world. Due to higher concerns for health and nutrition, in 2007 Coca Cola furnished caffeine content per serving along with already available nutritional information. Product Lines and MixThe Coca Cola Company has 7 product lines within their beverage selection. They all fall into the non alcoholic liquid beverage sold in restaurants, stores, vending machines and distribution companies in the United States. Of the 7 product lines (see table A below), you can see that the most variety falls under the soft drink line with over XXXXX of produ cts. Table A. Product Coca Cola Products have some of the most distinct flavors. At times they were criticized for adding certain ingredients, such as cocoa leaves, to enhance flavor and increased desire to drink the soft drink.Today the Coca Cola products sold in stores in the United States range from carbonated delightful drinks, to sports drinks used to fuel the body with electrolytes (See Table B. below). Coca Cola's first product was actually made by mixing a â€Å"fragrant, caramel flavored liquid and combined with carbonated water. (Coca Cola Co. , 2012). It became an almost instant sensation and today Coca Cola owns some of the favorite soft drink products sold in the U. S. such as Dr. Pepper, Sprite, PowerAde, Minute Maid, and Dasani. Table B. |Type of Drink | Popular | |Soft Drinks |Carbonated -flavored |Coca Cola- Sprite | |Juices |Non carbonated fruit drinks made from real fruit juice and |Minute Maid Lemonade | | |flavoring | | |Energy Drinks |Energy carbonated drink s made from Ginseng and Tuarine |Monster Energy | |Sports Drinks |Combines carbohydrates with fluid for hydration |POWERADE | |Tea / Coffee |Iced Coffee and Tea |Nestea | |Water |H20 |Dasani | |Other |Drink mixers, lactic drinks, and coffee blend |Bacardi Mixers | Include competition and SWOT ANALYSIS here before final draft!!! Branding Founded in 1886, the now famous brand that can be found world wide, Coca-Cola is the face to many different popular brands that we find on store shelves. In the 1950's Fanta joined Coca Cola only to be followed by Sprite, Tab, Minute Maid, Mr. Pibb, and Mello Yello.In the 1980's the famous brand Diet Coke and Cherry Coke were added, and the 1990's brought about the PowerAde and Dasani era. The Coca Cola logo has remained unchanged and impressively a letter script font so simple has become globally recognized. Packaging In 2010, Coca Cola switched from â€Å"The Coca Cola Management Company (TCCMS)† to the â€Å"Coca Cola Operating Requiremen ts (KORE)† to ensure quality, and product safety. Coca Cola holds a high standard in packaging and quality control of their operations. Coca Cola is consistently refining their efforts to maintain a high level of packaging and implementing new requirements as deemed necessary.Since Coca Cola is packaged globally, the â€Å"KORE† has implemented a set of requirements that are must be in accordance with packaging guidelines in order to protect the integrity of the product wherever it may find it's destination. The Coca Cola company first started bottling their product in 1894 in a now commonly known bottle called a â€Å"Hutchinson†. You can now find the product in a 6. 5oz, 10oz, 12oz. , 26oz. , bottle, plastic and aluminum containers. The product can also be found in a concentrate form. Sold in a carton box with the concentrate inside a plastic sealed bag, restaurant owners can then connect to their carbonated mixers and serve fountain drinks. Product FeaturesCoc a Cola has some very unique features and on top of having a patented flavor that has literally been untouched since its' debut in the late 1800's, the Coca Cola Company has now expanded it's diverse taste palette to accommodate anyone’s preference of taste. From soft drinks, to energy drinks, you can literally find a match from a Coca Cola product. One of Coca Cola's biggest product features is that you can find your favorite product shelved at a local store, anywhere in the world. A great product feature is that you can purchase it in bulk or by a single unit. Labeling The Coca Cola Company provides several labels for their customers to attain facts of the beverage that they are consuming.Nutritional Facts and UPC codes can clearly be found on Coca Cola Products. Since 2007, Coca Cola began furnishing a detailed â€Å"caffeine content in addition to nutritional information already provided. † ( Coca Cola, 2012). As of 2008, Coca Cola began providing â€Å"servings-pe r-container† and â€Å"calories-per-serving† for all customer's. Finally in 2009, Coca Cola's packaging was formatted differently to provide an immediate visual presentation of the calorie content on front of packaging. Competition It is no secret that Pepsi Cola Company is Coca Cola's direct competition. For many years we have seen the on going marketing battle of the two companies literally feuding via commercial air waves.The long battle is due in large part to Pepsi's direct marketing strategy to out due or match every single move that Coca Cola makes. The shadow-like improvements of each mega marketing campaign have proven to be cornerstones in marketing and advertising trends that we see today. The mega moves and strategies that each company has the ability to afford are a great tools for any company to take notes on and follow suit. Interestingly enough, Pepsi competes with Coca Cola in a different approach; Coca Cola has over 3500 soft drink products and Pepsi w orked its' way into marketing their brands of chips, oatmeal, snacks, cereal, teas, soft drink PricingDue to the variety of sub- brands under Coca Cola, price segmentation is in place due to the different markets and global distribution pricing as well. In the United States, Coca Cola Company and Pepsi Cola have become mega players in the oligopoly market. With less competitors, and the same brand names seeking larger market share, the pricing strategy on a product that sometimes can be found for $1. 00 U. S. , is uniform delivered pricing. (Lamb, Hair, McDaniel, 2012). Since distribution is world wide, the companies prefer to factor in their own freight and production costs, to deliver the price demand that competitors are available to offer. There is a mutual agreement when in a market such as oligopoly.The pricing strategy is still competitive pricing strategy, due to the fact that if Coca Cola decided to lower prices, Pepsi Cola would soon follow suit to stay within the target m arkets price demand. It is also very realistic that when competitors raise or lower prices, the opposing players can decide not to match opposing prices as a strategic stronghold to maintain position in economic market spot. In a recent article from the â€Å"News by Industry†, Pepsi announced a â€Å"festive promotional price cut† and sources close to Coca Cola said that they would not match the cut. (â€Å"Pepsi to Cut†, 2012) Since the beverage commission has very little companies with a lot of buyers, the pricing strategy is competitive and based on competitors pricing.Pricing in this market is very elastic and companies have the ability to change pricing as they wish depending on their geographic locations. The pricing in vending machines can also vary since labor costs do not exist and can basically sell the product all day, every day. The pricing strategy on Coca Colas different product sizes is extremely strategic. Depending on where you purchase the pro duct from, prices will vary. According to a recent poll question asked on Yahoo, â€Å"how much does your Coca Cola cost where your at? †, average cost on a 20oz. bottle of Coke is about $1. 25, average cost for a 2l bottle of Coke is about $1. 10, nationwide. Promotional pricing can be found regularly on 2l bottles and packages with larger per volume products.The pricing strategy is tactical and allows for consumers to feel the need to upgrade to save on price and increase volume. The most expensive form of consumer product purchase is the 5 gallon â€Å"bag in box† form. This concentrated syrup is usually purchased by restaurants/bars industry, and can yield 30 gallons of fresh fountain product. This price also varies on your geographic location and distributor, but on average here in Texas can be purchased from Sam's Club for $69. 83. (Sams, 2012) When sold in restaurants, soft drinks now sell for about $2. 00 for a 10-16oz glass, making it extremely profitable and cost effective to purchase the concentrate.On the other hand, Coca Cola benefits for simply selling the concentrate and less costly forms of packaging. Place Since Coca Cola is one of the most popular soft drinks in the world, distribution is in high demand and in a multitude of channels. The distribution method that is used by Coca Cola is in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods. Here the products do not rely on a long shelf life and due to the moderate and easy pricing, products are in high demand, sell at a high rate and distribution is high. Ranging from mobile vendor carts on the streets to some of the large amusement parks such as Disneyland and 6 Flags, distribution is effective in every form.At the end of the day when added up globally, Coca Cola is at the top of the beverage consumption list. Some of the many distribution channels include the following. Mobile/ cart vendors- mobile vending can satisfy consumers conveniently at their location instead of having the consumer come to a retail store or stand. Provides easier access to consumers in special events or parks with the satisfaction of a cold beverage in any location. Vending Machines- with an occasional restocking visit, a vending machine provides an assortment of products at no labor cost. The vending machine provides product to areas that are remote or not within walking distance to the store, accessibility and great advertising.Vending machines are favorites in schools and business lounge areas. Retail stores / grocery stores- with places such as Wal-mart, this allows for a wide array of variety to be shelved and advertised while selling the product. Coca Cola holds contracts and agreements to provide for strategic placement of their product so that the first visual product such as Coke is in plain site. Competitors products are pushed to the end of the aisles. Hotels, Restaurants, Cafe- This is by far the largest number of consumption since restaurants and bars use a large number of soft drinks an d mixers. Contracts and sponsorships with these locations provide for major distribution.Amusement Parks, Museums, Civic Centers- Areas like Disneyland and 6 Flags over Texas are the biggest types of distribution forms. Amusements Parks hold concerts and special events where the â€Å"official beverage† of the theme park are displayed profoundly. Within the park are restaurants and food courts that are also limited to selling the â€Å"official beverage† adding to the large number of distribution methods. In a recent article provided by Beverage World, â€Å"Six Flags Entertainment Corp. and The Coca-Cola Company have announced a 10-year extension to their partnership agreement, designating Coca-Cola as Six Flags' official beverage sponsor for all domestic parks. (â€Å"Coke, six flags,† 2012) With a partnership agreement of this magnitude, competition is increased due to the large number of exposure and distribution that is provided. Coca Cola has had this sam e contract with 6 Flags for the last 50 years. Any media that is released or furnished by 6 Flags Over Texas, (i. e. Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo) will automatically provide the â€Å"Coca Cola-Official Drink† stamp. With a consistent strategic placement in a venue such as ginormous as an amusement park, it can be said that all of Coca Cola distribution channels undoubtedly cover important areas to contribute to the 1. 8 billion serving per day in over 200 countries. Promotion Communication StrategyA communication strategy is the way in which a company relays information for the products or services to reach the consumers hands and attention. The Coca Cola Company has several strategies which it employs to reach their target market. In order to reach the correct target market a strategic and precise strategy must be applied. Although specific, detailed marketing information could not be obtained, in 2006 roughly $2. 6 billion dollars were used for advertising expenses in pursuit of reaching a solid communication strategy. In 2000, only $1. 7 billion was spent on advertising. (Coca-Cola FAQ. 2012) In my summary the amount of advertising investments paid in relation to dividends generated will be defined.According to a recent article by Forbes Magazine, The Coca Cola Company is at the top of all beverage companies, and ranked #3 among the most powerful brands in the world. Forbes Magazine also estimates Coca Cola's advertising expenses at around 3. 2 billion (Badenhausen, 2012) In order to form a powerful communication strategy, the target audience must be defined. The following target market is what Coca Cola has found to be beneficial for the companies growth. . Young athletes- young athletes are a good source to start with. By increasing product awareness at a young age, you inspire taste bud recollection and a higher return. Young athletes are easier to inspire with promotional ads, billboards and endorsements from professional athletes. More of the sport s drinks and water fits into this category.High School Athletes- High school athletes are constantly looking up to professional collegiate athletes. Adding the endorsement incentive to these young athletes is a primary step in increasing product consumption. Sponsorships Collegiate Athletes- here athletes are influenced by professional figures and the hopes of the Olympics. Endorsement deals are larger here since the competition is fierce with hungry rising, mature individuals. Sponsorships Pro Athletes- Endorsements are the main source of advertising. Professional athletes are the main element of advertising and sports drinks are seen everywhere. Young Adults- Non Athletes- Clubs, bars, and nightclubs are the focal point in order to attract this demographic.Professionals- very open form of market. Basically all elements of the previous demographics factor into the professionals. This is an ongoing form of demographic that derive from the adolescent to present day professional. Larg e Audience- there is no specific market here as it applies to the whole general consumer base as a whole. It is the maximum exposure that creates a large audience base. Olympians- The entire universe participates in these events and are a great source of advertising. Here endorsements here are extremely valuable as athletes are in a world wide arena and competition is extremely fierce. Other- made up of all elements comprisedSales Strategies Coca Cola has several different sales strategies that have actually worked for them numbers wise. According to an article posted by â€Å"The Packaging Digest† in 2011, a recent sales strategy boosted sales by 8% to 2. 2. billion world wide, and actually increased the product price by 3%. (Crocker, 2011) This is a proven method that has given results. The placement of products is strategic. When shopping for health foods, one of the most popular fruits being the bright yellow bananas, you will find â€Å"Dasani† , eco friendly recy cled water bottles right under them. Pairing items like this is a tactic that has proven effective since 2011.Another strategy is one that Coke Zero uses to place their products in the beer section, to encourage the designated driver to consume their products. Finally, the 2 liter coke that is found in the grocery stores near the pre-cooked chicken is also a strategy to make it easier for you to â€Å"grab and go†. Making it easier for people to shop faster is key. Vending machines and coolers with the product before check out are some of the sales strategies that Coca Cola uses to increase sales in a market of $1 products. â€Å"The competition is actually pretty fierce for the overall beverage dollar,†¦ It requires a lot of marketing and promotional support. â€Å"(Crocker, 2011) Sales ApproachIn order for a product to remain within the realm of competition it is necessary for your product to remain as fresh as it was as when you opened it. Coca Cola claims that thei r approach is quite simple in this aspect according to a recent article in the Forbes Magazine. Jeff Tripodi, CMO of Coca Cola, claims that their strategy is innovation. (Dan, 2012) Having a state of the art dispensing machine will increase sales, further connecting with your consumers will also increase your chances at success. One of the recent forms of innovation are the â€Å"Freestyle† dispensing machines that can pour 125 different beverages with a perfect pour each time. Building a strong cultural connection with your geographic area you plan on promoting to is a huge plus in improving overall sales.In order to promote sales a great promotional mix is required to ensure that all advertising expenses are maximized and yield awesome results. The following is promotional mix that includes all of the avenues thru which sales are promoted. Promotional Mix Advertising- commercials, billboards, visual advertisments, vending machines Sales Promotion- Battle of Bands, My Coke R ewards Personal Selling- Coca Cola Representatives Social Media- Facebook, Twitter Communication Channels / Media A recent article on Coca Cola's webpage, March 27, 2012, announced the acceptance speech of the companies induction to the â€Å"Advertising Hall of Fame†. With over 120 years in the beverage business, there is no doubt that Coca Cola has held some very important marketing campaigns.Their first campaign came in the 1920's, with â€Å"The Pause That Refreshes†, then with â€Å"Things Go Better With a Coke† in the 1960's, and present day â€Å"Open Happiness†. Today over 845 million people are connected to Coca Cola via Facebook, 6 billion cell phone subscriptions, and 2. 5 million connected regularly via the webpage. (â€Å"Remarks in acceptance,† 2012) In order for these communication channels and effective marketing efforts to be maximized, a diverse array of marketing efforts are taken into account in the following channels. Promotion al Tasks: Internet Sporting Events Billboards TV Advertising Press Concerts Sales Promos Promotional SWOT Analysis SWOT |Positive |Negative | | |Strengths |Weakness | |Internal |Globally recognized |Product shipment could be damaged | | |Established distribution |Recalled products costly | | |Established Market shares |Endorsements could cost face of the company with a | | |Brand identity |simple mistake | | |Opportunity |Threats | | |unlimited partnerships |Pepsi is the biggest competitor | |External |unlimited new product offerings |the product is inexpensive and easily lose consumers to | | |globally recognized brand |competitors | | |offer beverages for all carbonated or â€Å"un†. |the caffeine and diet craze could prove costly. | Conclusion to Promotional Analysis The Coca Cola Company deals with promotional aspect of their business on a mass communication level. The company usually doesn't know the type of people with whom they are trying to communicate with but rather who their target market is.Careful management of this delicate area can ensure that messages are being met and no clutter of message or mixed signals occurs. The promotional campaigns that the Coca Cola Company is operating grew 20% to 10. 2 billion dollar in the year 2011 so that you can say that it is extremely effective and does work. The Coca Cola Company is represented by everyone who drinks it and when they do, they are literally providing advertising with a profit rather than at an expense. Coca Cola originated in the U. S. A. and has built a brand that has represented many countries during the Olympics. For that reason Coca Cola has had a successful and prosperous lifespan.They have allowed the people that drink the product the opportunity to share in many of its' triumphs during the Olympics and built a brand that is represented by the people who enjoy Coca Cola. 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Forbes Magazine, Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/powerful-brands/ Crocker, R. (2011). Sales pop as coke refreshes strategy. The houston chronicle:Packaging digest, Retrie ved from http://www. packagingdigest. com/article/519787- Dan, A. (2012, 03 15). Coca cola's joe tripodi on staying relevant.Forbes Magazine, Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/sites/avidan/2012/03/15/inside-the-coca-cola-marketing-machine/ Lamb, C. W. , Hair, J. F. , & McDaniel, C. (2012). MKTG 4 (6th ed. ). New York: Cengage. ISBN: 9781133190110 . Sams Club. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. samsclub. com/sams/dr-pepper-syrup- The Coca Cola Company FAQ's. (2012) Retrieved from http:/www. coca-colacompany. com/contact-us/faqs. The coca cola company. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. thecoca-colacompany. com/ourcompany/index. html The Pepsi cola company. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. pepsico. com/ Yahoo (2012). Retrieved from http://yahoo. com ———————– [pic]