ZARA Fast Fashion

Table of Contents Inditex (Industria de Diseà ±o Textil) Strength of Inditex Weaknesses and challenges Coping with managing multi-chain stores Should it start up or add more chains Conclusion Reference Inditex (Industria de Diseà ±o Textil) Inditex, a global retail specialty, manufactured and sold accessories, footwear and apparel for men, women and children. These products were distributed and sold through Zara and other five chains linked to it in other parts of the world. Inditex was located in Spain and was the owner of Zara and other five apparel retailing chains and was founded by Amancio Ortega Gaona.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on ZARA: Fast Fashion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In 2001, as it was coming to the end of its fiscal year, it had accomplished much. For instance, it had acquired a selling space around the world including Spain, an area of about 659,400 square meters and on it operate d 1284 stores. In addition, it generated 54% of total revenue of â‚ ¬ 3,250 million in the 515 stores it had outside Spain and showed a continued trajectory of rapid and profitable growth from Zara and its other chains with a net income amounting to â‚ ¬340 million (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). Inditex had many employers who worked both in Spain and in other retailing chains outside Spain. Its total number of employees was 26,784 and out this number, 10,919 employees worked in the retail chains located outside Spain. Over 76% of Inditex employees were women and put together with men, they had an average year of 26. Additionally, the company had split its employees to work in different departments and sections. For instance, 8.5% of the employees worked in the distribution, logistics, design and manufacturing departments while over 80% were doing retail sales in the stores. The remaining activities were carried out by the small group that worked in the headquarters. To maintain its operations, Inditex split its capital expenditure giving 80% to new store openings, 10% on maintenance or logistics and another 10% on refurbishing (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). Its working capital was higher in some season in the year and lower in others. Therefore, to deal with these issues, it had to come up with plans to tightly manage its working capital and its capital expenditure which was â‚ ¬50-510 million.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Also, it ensured that it had opened 230-275 new stores with the capital across all chains. It is important to note that in 2001, Inditex operating economics had involved operating margins of 22%, operating expenses with a revenue equivalence of 30%, of which one half of the 30% were related to personnel, and a gross margin of 52% (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). Moreover, Inditex operated six retailing chains at the beginning of 2002. The r etail chains were Zara, Oysho, Stradivarius, Bershka, Pull Bear and Massimo Dutti. These retailing chains formed 60 companies consolidated into Inditex at the group level. The remaining chains were involved in finance, real estates, logistics, manufacturing, and textile purchasing. The net income of Inditex generated 82% from internal transfer pricing and other policies. The six retailing chains were organized as separate business units together with six support areas dealing with raw materials, logistics, manufacturing plant, real estate and so on. In addition to the separate business units, Inditex had nine corporate departments each operating independently with its own strategy personnel, financial results, image, distribution, and manufacturing system. The group management was to set strategic vision of the group, provide them with administrative services and coordinate the activities of the concept. Inditex ensured that coordination had been increased particularly in the areas of expansion and real estate. Also, it formulated plans to open up other chain stores in other locations with Zara helping to accelerate the process of expansion of new chain stores in other areas. Oysho, one of Inditex’s chain stores drew 75% of its resources from other chains and within 6 months it had come to operate stores in seven markets in different parts of Europe (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). Also, top corporate managers of Inditex came up with strategic plan to control their performances, run the chains, approve business strategic of the individual chain and control the business. Inditex had a major scope in production than the three retailers. However, the competitors of Inditex outsourced all their production. It is important to know the strength and the weaknesses of the three strong competitors of Inditex.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on ZARA: Fast Fashion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To be gin with, The Gap’s level of apparel production was internationalized as it outsourced 90% of its production from outside the US. It was founded in 1969 and between 1980 and 1990 it had achieved great profitability from selling smart casual work clothes and collections of jeans and T-shirts. Its major operations were based in the United States. Secondly, Inditex faced stiff competition from Hennes and Mauritz (HM). This was a high performing retailer in apparel founded in Sweden. It performed better than Zara in terms of industry standards. By 1990, it had generated more than a half its sale outside Sweden through internationalizing its operations. In addition, HM outsourced to the suppliers in Europe half the sale of all its production. It was strategic in its approach to business getting into one country at a time and starting a center that dealt with distribution focusing on the northern part of Europe. Another competitor of Inditex was Benetton. Its outsourced activities to subcontractors were labour-intensive and these earned it prominence in the 1980’s. In addition, it used its investment to control many production activities. Strength of Inditex In its operations, Inditex set up strategies to assist it in increasing its production and gain market for its products. Being a global specialty retailer, it widened its market scope by opening Zara and five other chains that sold accessories for men, women and children around the world. Basically, its ability to achieve this lied in the number of stores, the selling area, its employers and the division of labor among its workers. For instance, Inditex had 659,400 square meters of selling area around the world occupied by its 1,284 stores. In addition, these stores earned Inditex a huge amount of revenue of about â‚ ¬3,250 million (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). A greater percentage of that revenue came from its 515 stores located in Spain. Moreover, it employed people to work in Spain as well as in t he chain stores outside Spain. Its total number of works was 26,724 with about 78% being women. Among the total population of workers, Inditex used 8.5% of them to work in distribution, design, logistics and manufacturing while over 80% were to do sales in the retail stores (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, it organized its expenditure and operating working capital to cover the plans of opening new stores across all chains and for refurbishing and maintenance. Also, Inditex derived its strength from its structure. Its top corporate managers set out corporate and business strategies, and controlled the operations and performance of all the chain stores down to the local store level. This was to ensure that they have maintained a high standard in returns on capital employed, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin and on sales growth. Additionally, performance metrics reports were monitored daily as well as being monitored personally by the CEO Castellano once a week. Moreover, Inditex had one of its six chains that was large, most internationalized and a source of most of its capital. This chain store was referred to as Zara. Zara operated 507 stores in Spain and in other countries around the world. Out of the total 659,400 square meters of working area, it occupie d 74% and earned Inditex â‚ ¬2,477 million which was about 76% of the total earnings (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). Basically, Zara was the driver of the growth of Inditex through its international operations. In its operations, it had made quite tremendous achievements in terms of investments in manufacturing logistics and IT, constructing a warehouse of 130.000 square meters in Artexio close to the corporate headquarters and an advanced telecommunication system to connect production, supply and sales locations with the headquarters. Additionally, In the 1990’s Zara mandated internal development of information, merchandizing, financial, retail and logistical systems. Through Zara, Inditex was able to attract more customers’ preferences and placed with both internal and external suppliers. Compared to the 2000-4000 items produced by its key competitors like The Gap and the HM, production in Zara increased to 11,000 to several hundred thousand with variation in sizes, colo r and fabric putting consideration in time-sensitive items. Additionally, it was able to stock goods in stores within a very short time. This facilitated continuous manufacturing of new merchandise and reduced the intensity of working capital. This gave Zara and the whole of Inditex an advantage over its competitors as it could much later than its competitors commit to the bulk of its product line. This was in sharp contrast to the traditional industries that took up to three months for manufacturing and six months for cycling of new designs. Therefore, Inditex through Zara alone was able to overcome traditional retailers who restocked and designed only 0%-20% compared to Zara’s 40%-50% of the purchases of finished products from suppliers, 35% of purchase of raw material and product design and during the period when seasons started, it undertook 85% of the in-house production (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). Also, Zara offered its customers garments and accessories like bags, jewelry , scarves, shoes and even cosmetics and toiletries that were fresh. The garments were of designer style and were being sold at relatively low prices. This was a strategy that drew fashion conscious customers and devout shoppers visited the chain 17 times a year compared to their competitors who only received such visitations three to four times a year. Weaknesses and challenges In its course of business, Inditex has faced a number of challenges and setbacks in Spain and in its other chains all over the world. The positioning of the company’s headquarters in Galacia posed a major problem to it in terms of communication links with the rest of the country. Even though Spain had a strong history of Galacians being tailors to aristocracy, their apparel workshops lacked a strong foundation upstream in textiles, demand, universities and technical institutes to facilitate training and specialized initiatives. Furthermore, they lacked association in the industries to underpin other ac tivities that were potentially cooperative. Also, most of the citizens of Spain depended on fishing and agriculture. As consumers they demanded low prices on goods. Inditex faced a challenge of stiff competition from its competitors like The Gap, HM and Benetton. For instance, The Gap had its production internationalized and so was competing with Inditex for international markets. It outsourced 90% of its production from the United States (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). Its products like Inditex’s fresh and designer wear garments were considered to be unpretentious and fashionable in the 1980’s and 1990’s. it also had high stellar profits. These pose a great challenge to the business of Inditex as at such a time the attention of most of its customers were The Gaps products that had dominated most of the markets in and outside Spain. In addition, Hennes and Mauritz (HM) dominated most parts of the market outsourcing all of its production. Half of all its outsourced prod uction was taken to European suppliers. Due to this, HM significantly led in the market ahead of Zara for a long time. While Indited maintained its many chains style of operation, HM adopted a more focused single format approach and entering one country at a time. It had become internationalized faster than Zara by a decade and by 19190, had generated most of its sales outside Sweden, used several label in marketing its clothes and built distribution centers in each nothern Europe country it entered. Its decade of business ahead of Inditex gave it a solid foundation, popularity and dominance in some markets that would have otherwise been dominated by Inditex. Moreover, Inditex faced another competition from Benetton. It had become prominent in the 1980’s and the 1990’s. The news about its outsourced activities that were scale insensitive and labour-intensive to sub contractors that made it popular was due to its controversial advertising as a networked organization. In addition, it made heavy investments on production. Coping with managing multi-chain stores Inditex could have managed to cope with the complexity of managing multiple chain stores because it had a well established market all over the world. Its growth in terms of profit had reached â‚ ¬340. In addition, in the year 2001, it had an oversubscribed Initial Public Offering and a 50% increase in stock price (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). Also its market valuation had rose to â‚ ¬13.4 billion. Its market projections were higher in terms of expectation and growth. Additionally, Inditex was a Global apparel retailing business system with chain stores spread all over major markets in the world. Global apparel chains are normally characterized by a unique combination of high value research, marketing, sales and financial services that allow retailers, branded manufacturers, branded marketers to act as strategic brokers. These strategic brokers link market with the overseas factories. Therefo re global apparel chain becomes a prototypical example of a buyer driven global chain. The attribute displayed by the strategic brokers distinguish other labor intensive industries from the vertical structure of the commodity chain in apparel stores. Labor intensive industries such as Toys and Footwear Chain stores, are dominated by upstream manufacturers rather than down stream intermediaries. Through the brokers, Inditex could manage to link its other chain stores with the market and even the overseas factories. Besides, Inditex was able to manage other retail chain stores because of its increased concentration of apparel retailing throughout the major markets. Having multiple chain stores would increase its dominance in shaping imports in the countries that have developed. In the 1990’s half of the apparel sales in the USA were done by the top chain stores. Therefore operating multi chain stores gives Inditex the opportunity to increase its concentration everywhere and to dominate the markets by displacing other independent stores. This does not compromise the excellence of individual stores because it had been the trend in the 1990’s. This trend had helped many chain stores to increase their sales and store sizes over time. Additionally, Inditex could have managed to control multi chain stores because of the set of policies and practices promoted by quick response (QR). These sets of policies and practices coordinated the roles of the manufacturers and the retailers for the purpose of increasing flexibility and speed of responses to a shift in market trends. Through QR, Inditex was likely to be able to control all the functions of its existing chain stores or others regardless of the geographic or organizational boundaries. In addition, QR would help retailers reduce inventory risks and forecast errors by planning, placing smaller initial orders and reordering more frequently, probing the market and planning assortments closer to the selling season. It is important to note that QR offered the global apparel chain stores many advantages. For instance, it led to improvement of information technology and significant compression of cycle times. It also changed the style of women dressing. This type of business strategy would have placed Inditex in a better competitive position as a way of coping with its larger number of chain stores. Managing multi chain stores would have been easy and like the individual chain, Inditex would have maintained excellence because of the availability of market and customers. In 2000, worldwide spending on apparel or clothing reached approximately â‚ ¬900 billion. According to the estimates, Asia accounted for 23%, United States for 29% and Europe for 34% (Ghemawat Nueno, 2003). The difference in per capita spending on the population level and on clothing was reflected by the differences in market size. However, an increase in per capita income tended to lower per capita spending which was also affected by price level. Another coping strategy was that Inditex had a variety of customers who had different tastes and preferences. Therefore it was important to have more chain stores in other countries to meet the demands of their customers. For instance, more shops in Britain would ensure that the needs of people in Britain were met. These individuals sought went to stores based on social affinity. Other chains would serve the needs of those in France and Italy who were fashion forward focused on quality and variety of the apparels. Additional multi chain stores would have catered for the ever growing needs of many nations to buy apparels. The British, other than seeking stores out of social affinity, bought apparels nine times a year. The French and the Spaniards also brought clothing at different times of the year. These time differences in places and by different nations reflected the great need for additional multi chain stores. In addition, both within the regions an d between regions demands for apparel increased. In japan, teenage market segment was making most demand for apparel. Therefore, managing the operations of multi chain stores would have required Inditex to arbitrage international factor price difference, minimize tangible investments, and invest in brands. Also, there was the need to emphasize partnering. Should it start up or add more chains From the perspective of meeting the growing market demands and its ability to make more products, Inditex should add more chains. The sourcing and manufacturing levels of Inditex had over the years expanded substantially. Through the help of its headquarter personnel and its purchasing office in Hong Kong and Barcelona, Inditex through Zara outsourced finished products, fabric and other inputs from the external suppliers, manufactured 40% of the finished products internally and sourced from Europe and North Africa approximately two-thirds of the items while one-third came from Asia. Zara, by it self, had enough factories to carry out this process and it also had its own centralized distribution system. More chains are needed to cater for the growing market needs. The plans that Inditex had for the year 2002 were to increase stores for Zara with 55 to 66 new stores. These stores were to be in Spain and outside Spain. Those outside Spain were to be 80% of the total added stores. These decisions to add more stores across the world would ensure more consumers are reached since Zara had accounted for a greater selling area due to such expansions. There was a need to do more significant investments in other areas North America, South America and Asia. In addition, other areas like the Middle East were profitable and worth having stores and products for consumers. In this region, expansion efforts could be made because of the higher than expected demand that would be able to cater for operating costs and it would offer the brightest prospects for a significant and sustained growt h. Also, Inditex could have added more chains through joint ventures in areas where it was difficult to obtain licenses to open a new store. Some of the difficulties in opening more stores that Inditex competitors face were solved through joint ventures. For instance, 1998 Benetton formed a joint venture to help it secure a location and obtain multiple licenses required to open a new store. Also, inditex had formed a joint venture with Percassi, an italan group specializing infashion retail and property in the year 2001 to enable it expand its stores in Italy. Conclusion To sum up, the growth and performance of Inditex was attributed to its good management team, strategies, policies and other chain stores that were performing well in Spain and in other countries around the world. Additionally, Inditex had well established international expansion strategies, a committed workforce, a good market for its products and a well established distribution system. Also, Inditex ensured that it made progress towards implementing a social strategy that involved a dialogue with local communities, non-governmental organizations, subcontractors, suppliers and employees. Reference Ghemawat, P. Nueno, L.J. (2003). Zara: Fast fashion, Harvard Business School, pp.1-35. This report on ZARA: Fast Fashion was written and submitted by user Blaze Banks to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Harnn and Thann Marketing Plan

Harnn and Thann Marketing Plan Free Online Research Papers EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The objectives of the report is to analyze the German natural home spa product market based on the previous Socio-cultural analysis and Economic analysis in order to devise marketing plan for Harnn and Thann. This report describes the detail plan for Harnn and Thann’s premium products that will penetrate to German market. To start with Market Audit, it is important to understand our own company’s strengths and competencies as well as the foreign market needs. An absolute research is required for Harnn and Thann’s aggressive advantage and the major problems as well as resistances that might challenge their product acceptance. The competitors’ analysis which is mentioning in this report, are L’Occitane of France, Crabtree and Evelyn of US, Aveda of US, Molton Brown of the United Kingdom Another part is the preliminary marketing plan which consist of Marketing objectives, the types of promotional mix, the distribution mode and distribution channels which fit to German market. In this section also mention about price determination, term of sale and methods of payment which will be used in this case and finally we provide the Pro forma financial statement and budgets and analysis of resource requirements. With the successful research and marketing plan is resulting in company’s achievement in its goal and ability to expand its business with broaden opportunities in Germany. A. PART ONE – MARKET AUDIT AND COMPETITIVE MARKET ANALYSIS I. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to do marketing plan for retail and wholesale Harnn and Thann natural home spa products, natural skin care, unique aromatherapy products and gift sets in Germany. Since Harnn and Thann, a young energetic Thai company, has a plan to expand their business to Germany by setting up their outlets and distribute the products to local distributors. Based on the result of Socio-cultural and economic analysis, today, Germany has an undeniable potential market and opportunities becoming available in the beauty, wellness and health therapy sector which has the reputation as one of the most comprehensive spa cultures in Europe.(Spa: Sanus per Aquam an Old Roman Cure, n.d.).(13) In other word, Harnn and Thann are convinced that Germany is the next treasure for them to spread out their premium products and verifying their reliable name in EU market after their previously disclosure in few countries in EU. However, the marketing strategies to be used in German market i s crucial and thus, the research need to be done carefully by analyzing market audit and marketing plan based on provided socio-cultural analysis and economic analysis in assignment one and two respectively. II. The Products Harnn and Thann aromatherapy products which uses natural ingredients. 2.1 Perceived Product Innovation 2.1.1 Relative Advantage i. Harnn natural plant extracts are active ingredients which can counter stress and allows you to exile yourself from the urban environment and way of life. These traditional extracts/ medication have been proven by scientifically. Harnn natural plant extracts in hair and body care products nourish, clean, soothe and also protects the natural balance of ones skin and hair. ii. Harnn natural spa products improve circulations and stimulates ones senses when used with traditional massage techniques. iii. Harnn home fragranced products and other similar accessories create a different environment within ones home. Such products come in different dynamic colors, shapes, textures and fragrances which craft a relaxing and a pleasant environment. (Harnn, 2008) iv. Thann products concentrate more towards using plant extracts to develop natural aromatherapy products. (Thann, 2008) 2.1.2 Compatibility Harnn and Thann products are made from natural plant extracts and work towards creating a more natural environment through their diverse and dynamic characteristics of their products. According to International Social Survey Program, the data shows that there has been increased spending on the environment in countries like Germany. This shows great compatibility between Harnn and Thann’s product theme and the objectives of creating a â€Å"greener† and natural environment in Germany. (Skrentny, 1993) 2.1.3 Complexity Harnn and Thann products are easy to use without complicated packaging. The layout makes Harnn and Thann’s products more appealing yet simple. 2.1.4 Trialability Harnn and Thann aromatherapy products when on display in stores create a closer bond between customers and the product. It allows customers to choose which smell of their preference. 2.1.5 Observability Its appealing yet simple packaging creates a competitive advantage over other spa products. 2.2 Problems and Resistances to product acceptance German consumers prefer to use its country’s products rather than foreign products. Studies have shown that most youth, the more educated, and consumers who are more familiar with the products would be more willing to try out foreign products. However, a big factor that can cause product acceptance in Germany is consumer nationalism. For example, Japanese cars are more favored over American cars by Americans. However, because of consumer nationalism, in Germany, German made cars are rated higher over Japanese cars. (Papadopoulos Heslop, 1992) Harnn and Thann could face product acceptance due to such factors. However, Thai spa products have created a good reputation around the world for its traditional and natural approach. Harnn and Thann has expanded it stores into countries like Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, France, Guam, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Estonia, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Ukraine. Its expansion into Europe especially, shows the company’s growth and success. In the period from 1996 to 2006, the number of wealthy people earning more than 200 percent of the average income level went from 6.4 to 9.2 percent and the number of poor earning less than 50 percent of the average increased from 7.3 to 11.4 percent. (Germanys Middle Class Shrinking Fast, Study Says, 2008) This tells us that the average income levels have been rising. With increased incomes come increased spending, therefore we look at opportunities where Germans can spend more on luxury products and other wants. 2.3 SWOT Analysis a. Strengths ? Thailand is one of an undeniable world renowned destination spa. ? An excellent reputation which considered #1 in Asia. ? Natural, organic, and non-animal tested ingredients ? Rich powerful mother company – No franchises ? EU accepted as it is already disclosed in some EU countries. ? Romantic and relaxing image with huge product range ? Premium product with high affordability. b. Weaknesses ? Low brand awareness ? Harnn and Thann has no experience in Germany especially, high challenges with local competitors who are already well established. Therefore Harnn and Thann probably have to face some problems initially. ? Young company which has established in 1999 for Harnn and in 2002 for Thann. ? There are a lot of gaps to fill in terms of Research Development in EU. c. Opportunities ? Boosting confidence of consumer by falling unemployment rates and rising GDP ? Germany has one of the most comprehensive spa cultures in Europe ? Booming demand of skin care products by aging population ? Market development space d. Threats ? Strong competitors ? Adapting to the culture differences Tendency of male caring about appearance Tendency of free time activities ? Culture differences III. The Market 3.1 Market in which the product is to be sold 3.1.1 Geographical Region i. Spas are very popular in Germany and have been around since Harnn and Thann will look at opening in three major towns/ cities where it can reach its target market easier in Germany. ? Aachen is a town on the west of Germany bordering with Belgium and Netherlands. This spa town offers many historic sites and hosts many annual cultural events and festivals. Aachen is an ideal place to get away and spend a good few days to relax and get away from the city life. One can drive or take a train to Aachen. Aachen is a major hub for the European trains. Trains connect to cities like Cologne, Brussels, and Herleen. (Hartley, n.d.) Harnn and Thann will benefit from such a town because it makes it easier to reach its target market. Aachen being a tourist destination will allow Harnn and Thann to sell its products to hotels and spas. ? Munich is a vibrant city south of Germany. This city attracts a lot of tourists from all around the world. Opening Harnn and Thann retail outlets in malls will allow consumers to bring a natural and a relaxed environment to their homes in comparison to the fast moving city life. Munich offers travelers the choice from its international airport, underground railways, suburb trains, trams and buses. ? Baden-Baden is situated at the foot of the Black Forest. This is another relaxed tourist destination with a number parks and gardens. It is a small town which is easy to get to either by air or train. (Baden-Baden, n.d.) Sale of Harnn and Thann products can be sold to hotels and spas in this small tourist destination once again reaching out easier to its target market. 3.1.2 Consumer buying habits The idea of Germans loving spas is to relax. There are a lot of spa towns and holiday destinations in Germany. Due to the trend of turning more environmental, consumers are more conscious about the environment and prefer more environmental friendly products. However, research has shown the buying trends of foreign products to be less attractive to Germans. (Papadopoulos Heslop, 1992) 3.1.3 Distribution of the product Distribute to retail outlets at shopping malls, hotel retail store and direct selling and distribution as accessories for hotels and spas. 3.1.4 Advertising and Promotion 3.1.4.1 Media Used Advertise in Magazines like Elle, GQ, Marie Claire to promote Harnn and Thann natural spa products (promote here only because we want to reach a niche market rather than target a mass audience. Another media used is through brochures placed at information desks of shopping malls. 3.1.4.2 Sales Promotions Registered members of Harnn and Thann are given product discounts up to 15 percent retail outlets/stores, and discount coupons to established spas. 3.1.5 Pricing Strategy In the period from 1996 to 2006, the number of wealthy people earning more than 200 percent of the average income level went from 6.4 to 9.2 percent and the number of poor earning less than 50 percent of the average increased from 7.3 to 11.4 percent. (Germanys Middle Class Shrinking Fast, Study Says, 2008) Even though we see an increasing rate of average income, entering the reserved German market as a foreign product is difficult. Germans are less price sensitive due to their high incomes but are more hesitant and reluctant to buy imported products. Therefore, our prices should be positioned well for the middle income earners yet still delivering quality aromatic natural spa products. Harnn and Thann’s pricing objective is to offer rising income earners a taste of luxury and comfort. 3.2 Compare and Contrast your product and competition product(s) 3.2.1 Competitor’s product(s) 3.2.1.1 Brand name 3.2.1.2 B. PART TWO – PRELIMINARY MARKETING PLAN I. Marketing Plan Enter the German market and create awareness of Harnn and Thann aromatherapy natural home spa products. 1.1 Marketing Objectives To gain spontaneous consumer awareness to 20 percent of the target market within one year and to communicate that Harnn and Thann is the only one that provides a sense of authentic home Thai products for better physical health and natural radiance. 1.1.1 Product Objectives i. To offer the German market a sense of authentic home Thai products for better physical health and natural radiance. ii. To exploit a holiday destination in Germany as a market for authentic Spa products from Harnn and Thann, a product of Thailand that is well renowned for its traditional spa products. iii. To create awareness of Harnn and Thann spa products, in a holiday destination in Germany. 1.1.2 Selling Objectives i. Gain spontaneous brand awareness of 20 percent of the target market within the first year upon entry. ii. Gain a market share of 5 percent within the first 6 months upon entry. 1.2 Product adaptation or modification Core Component The design will not change according to German culture since we are emphasizing on the Thai traditional natural spa products. Packaging Packaging will differ from products; however we would emphasize on products like for example natural hair products will come in different sizes like in bottles of 50ml or 100ml. Labeling and text used will be inscribed in German. As for products sold for hotels and spas, bundled packaging will be employed. 1.3 Promotional Mix (personal selling, advertising, publicity, and sales promotion) A. Advertising i. Objectives Gain spontaneous brand awareness of 20 percent of the target market within the first year upon entry. ii. Media Mix Print media- Magazines like Elle, GQ and Marie Claire Brochures We use magazines and brochures only due to cost factors. In addition, magazines such as Elle already have a certain group of people who read it, therefore making it more effective for Harnn and Thann to reach its target market. iii. Message Take your body, mind and soul closer to nature with Harnn and Thann’s aroma therapeutic natural home spa products. iv. Sales Promotions Registered members of Harnn and Thann are given product discounts up to 15 percent retail outlets/stores, and discount coupons to established spas. PEST Analysis ? Political (and legal) forces i. Stable political environment ii. Reduce the Trade Restrictions ? Economic forces i. The German economy has been improving since early 2006. ii. Both GDP and consumer spending have increased to +2.7% and + 1.8% respectively. iii. Positive changes in the economy in 2009. ? Sociocultural forces i. Nuclear family, high family income, 66% middle age population ? Technological forces i. Germany has 50.4 million internet users. ii. Ranked 4th of the World’s internet users 1.4 Distribution 1.4.1 Mode selection Harnn and Thann choose Multi-distribution mode like air freight, ocean freight and road transport for their product distribution. The company plan to distribute the products to retailer or distributors by Air freight via Dubai (DXB). (Airfreight, n.d.) (10) By choosing this option helps the company to distribute their products on time. On the other hand, as for distribution to their 3 outlets in Aachen, Baden-Baden and Munich Harnn and Thann use Ocean freight which categorize in Less- than- container loads. It is the ideal solution for smaller shipments as it is more suitable for larger quantity and time constraints is not crucial. Furthermore Harnn and Thann can use road transport to distribute their products to their distributors in other major city. (Ocean freight, n.d.) (9) 1.4.2 Port selection Harnn and Thann ship their products from Lat Krabang port to the port of Hamburg which is Germany’s biggest seaport, and Europe’s second largest, turning over almost 6.1 million TEU standard containers in 2003. (The Largest Ports, n.d.) (11) The port of Hamburg handles 28 percent of all container traffic in Northern Europe. (Germany: Europe’s Logistics Hub, 2005) (12) 1.4.3 Freight forwarding Harnn and Thann choose Maersk Logistics Thailand as a freight forwarder since Maersk Logistics is one of a recognized and leader of international logistics companies with an excellent wide range services. Moreover, the forwarder will handle all documentations needed to meet the export customs and destination requirements such as Bill of lading, and all shipping documents. Maersk Logistics will also help in arranging warehouse storage and distributions as well as insurance claim if required (Value added services, n.d.) (14) 1.5 Channels of Distribution (Micro analysis) 1. Retailers a. Type and Number of retail stores b. Retail Markup for products in each type of retail store c. Method of operation for each type (cash/ credit) d. Scale of operation for each type (small/large) 2. Wholesale middlemen a. Type and number of wholesale middlemen b. Markup for class of products by each type c. Methods of operation for each type (cash/ credit d. Scale of operation (small/large) 3. Import/ export agent 4. Warehousing a. Type b. Location A. Retail Distribution Harnn and Thann will open in three outlets in Germany, one outlet in each city/town Aachen, Munich, and Baden-Baden. When the products have arrived at the airport, a delivery truck will transport the products to the retail stores. There will be no middleman in terms of warehousing. A trucking company will be picked after a bidding session to transport the products. 1.6 Price determination Price of Harnn and Thann’s products for exporting to Germany need to be calculated in detail as when it comes to international business, it is not only the cost of raw material, but it also has additional costs that need to be included such as cost of shipment, cost of transportation, Insurance costs, all handling expenses as well as custom duties, Import taxes and VAT etc. Moreover, the company needs to ensure that the products’ margins are decent and hence price will be set according to the level of market segment. 1.7 Terms of sale In term of sale, Harnn and Thann use Cost, Insurance and Freight or the so called CIF which has an agreement that the cargo insurance and delivery of goods to the named port of destination (discharge) at the sellers expense. On the other hand, buyer will handle for the import customs clearance and other costs and risks of loss and damage. ( bmishipping.com/inco.html). This method has selected as the Head Quarter (Thailand) needs to ensure that retailer or distributors will pay the expenses and the especially, to make sure that the products are not spoiled by the time it is delivered to distributors’ hand. 1.8 Methods of payment Since Harnn and Thann has a plan to open outlets in Germany as well as distribution the products to suppliers or distributors, the method of payment will be done through Letter of credit (L/C) or Cash in Advance for those distributors which the commodities will be delivered once the payment have made and documents are completed. These modes of payment will help in reducing the risk of nonpayment due to the Bank guarantees. As for the outlets’ operation, Cash and Credit Cards will be used as modes of payment. II. Pro forma financial statements and budgets 2.1 Marketing budget 1. Selling expense 2. Advertising/ promotion expense 3. Distribution expense 4. Product cost 5. Other costs III. Resource requirements 3.1 Finances The financial resources of Harnn and Thann outlets in Germany in the first few years will be received from its Head Quarter in Thailand. After that, each of those outlets will be operated financially by its own profit. 3.2 Personnel Personnel resource is one of the most important resources requirements. In each outlet should consist of Outlet manager, Sale and Marketing Department, Administration and HRM department and operation teams with majority are local people in order to save cost and avoid challenges in hiring foreign staffs as well as language barrier as German language is used throughout the country. Thus, the total personnel should be up to 60 initially. 3.3 Production capacity Since Harnn and Thann use all the raw material and ingredients from its own mother company with a factory in Thailand, the production capacity is very challenging for them. However, the company is well prepared by forecasting the market demand and ensures that their production capacity is able to support high volume of products’ order. V. Conclusion According to Chin (2006) over 2500 people worldwide have already been chipped, with floodgates potentially about to open. While there is no doubt about the benefits for society and commerce in general this product is revolutionary and requires a significant cultural shift in South Africa to gain acceptance. This paper has performed a market audit and preliminary marketing plan drawing on the findings of socio-cultural and economic analysis completed in the previous assignment. We have taken the facts presented in the analysis identified problems and suggested solutions on how to address them. Ultimately we have identified the market and document how to go forward with introducing the product to the South African market once certain socio-cultural barriers are deemed to have been removed. Through this market audit and marketing plan, Blackberry is able to formulate well preparation strategies before implementing the real operational of sales and marketing subsidiary in Singapore based on the economical and socio-cultural analysis (summary in appendix 12 and appendix 13). During the first year, the marketing will focus on attracting people attentions and awareness; encourage trial or interest of the Blackberry brand by several marketing methods. In addition, the next years will be focusing on increasing the desire and purchasing that pilot the rises’ number of sales and profit. Therefore, eventually Blackberry is capable to be the smart-phone leader in Singapore, and in the same time embraces the Southeast Asia market. The scope for growth in the German leather industry is high. Tata international have to adopt the marketing strategies recommended to differentiate them from its competitors in international market. These marketing Mix strategies are to be followed to attain high relative market share and for the growth of the company. They should keep themselves aware of their competitors move and should react quickly to their actions. Should develop a good recognition to them in market and should rise to a leading leather exporting company in Germany. VI. References 1. german-business-partners.com/index.php?id=home 2. industry-park.de/eng/index.html 3. germany-tourism.de/ENG/nature_active_recreation/spa_vacation.htm 9. maersklogistics.com/sw35555.asp 10. maersklogistics.com/sw34805.asp 11. nordcapital.com/main/nca/en/impressionen/largest_ports.jsp 12. kompetenzcluster.org/fileadmin/vdidaten/Logistik/Fakten/Germany-Logistics-Hub.pdf 13. howtogermany.com/pages/spas.html 14. maersklogistics.com/sw34806.asp 15. Reference 1. Skrentny, J. D. (1993). Concern for the environment: A cross-national perspective. International Journal of Public Opinion Research. Extracted 26 June 2008. From: http://ijpor.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/5/4/335 2. Papadopoulos Heslop (1992) Product Country Images: Impact and Role in International Marketing. Extracted 25 June 2008. From: http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=z8PE4zEFSGkCpg=PA96lpg=PA96dq=foreign+product+acceptance+in+germanysource=webots=9zIXIpm4G6sig=uwW47zKnoPK4U2O26jJhNRZG1VMhl=ensa=Xoi=book_resultresnum=1ct=result#PPA96,M1 3. DW World (2008) Germanys Middle Class Shrinking Fast, Study Says. Extracted 26 June 2008. From: dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3311197,00.html 4. Hartley, M. (2008) Aachen Travel Guide – An Introduction to Aachen, Germany. Extracted 25 June 2008. From: http://gogermany.about.com/od/greatdestinations/p/Aachen.htm 5. Munich (2008) Munich Germany. Extracted 23 June 2008. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich 6. Wikitravel (2008) Baden-Baden. Extracted 27 June 2008. From: http://wikitravel.org/en/Baden-Baden 7. The World Fact Book. (2008) Germany. Retrieved on June 14, 2008 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html 8. Worldbank (2008) The World Bank, Key Development Data Statistics – Germany. Extracted 27 June 2008. From: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20535285~menuPK:1192694~pagePK:64133150~piPK:64133175~theSitePK:239419,00.html 9. Harnn (2008) Harnn Story. Extracted 27 June 2008. From: harnn.com/store_location.php?zone=thai 10. Thann (2008) Corporate Philosophy. Extracted 27 June 2008. From: thann.info/ The political stability assured the distribution preferences in Singapore. Moreover, the government plays a major role in deciding and implementing economic development, which it is excellent. Blackberry will do direct export, which is the manufacturer undertakes the exporting rather than delegating the task to other agent distribution (Fletcher Brown, 2005). Direct distribution is done through blackberry web-store at www.shopblackberry.com. The customer who buy online may subscribe the solution from those three providers. However, with setting up the subsidiary office, either corporate or individual customer can directly contact the office to get information and purchase the products instead of buying online. They can subscribe the e-solution separately after the purchasing. For the retailer partner in Singapore who interested in selling blackberry product can directly contact the Singapore’s subsidiary office to make an order. After that, BlackBerry in Singapore will send the products ordered from manufacturer in Canada to blackberry’s warehouse in Singapore. After that the devices are checked, the retailer may collect it from the office or directly from the warehouse Research Papers on Harnn and Thann Marketing PlanAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Incorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalOpen Architechture a white paperRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City Overview

1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City Overview The 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico Only ten days before the 1968 Olympic Games were to open, the Mexican army surrounded a group of students who were protesting against the Mexican government at the Plaza of Three Cultures and opened fire into the crowd. It is estimated that 267 were killed and over 1,000 were wounded. During the Olympic Games, political statements were also made. Tommie Smith and John Carlos (both from the U.S.) won the gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200-meter race. When they stood (barefoot) upon the victory platform, during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, they each raised one hand, covered by a black glove, in a Black Power salute (picture). Their gesture was meant to bring attention to the conditions of blacks in the United States. This act, since it went against the ideals of the Olympic Games, caused the two athletes to be expelled from the Games. The IOC stated, The basic principle of the Olympic Games is that politics plays no part whatsoever in them. U.S. athletes violated this universally accepted principle . . . to advertise domestic political views.* Dick Fosbury (United States) drew attention not because of any political statement, but because of his unorthodox jumping technique. Though there had been several techniques previously used to get over the high jump bar, Fosbury jumped over the bar backward and head first. This form of jumping became known as the Fosbury flop. Bob Beamon (United States) made headlines by an amazing long jump. Known as an erratic jumper because he often took off with the wrong foot, Beamon tore down the runway, jumped with the correct foot, cycled through the air with his legs, and landed at 8.90 meters (making a world record 63 centimeters beyond the old record). Many athletes felt that the high altitude of Mexico City affected the events, helping some athletes and hindering others. In response to complaints about the high altitude, Avery Brundage, the IOC president, stated, The Olympic Games belong to all the world, not the part of it at sea level.** It was at the 1968 Olympic Games that drug testing debuted. Though these Games were filled with political statements, they were very popular Games. Approximately 5,500 athletes participated, representing 112 countries. * John Durant, Highlights of the Olympics: From Ancient Times to the Present (New York: Hastings House Publishers, 1973) 185.** Avery Brundage as quoted in Allen Guttmann, The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1992) 133. For More Information History of the OlympicsList of the Olympic GamesInteresting Olympic Facts

My Sister's Keeper Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

My Sister's Keeper - Movie Review Example Kate Fitzgerald was diagnosed with a terminal form of Leukemia at an early age and was not expected to live past the age of 5 without a proper organ donor to help her out. With that in mind, her parents agree to conceive a genetically engineered child whose sole purpose in life would be to "help" her sister survive.The film tries to take a deeper and more intimate look into how the illness of one child can manage to rip a family part at its seams. Sara, played by Cameron Diaz is the overly affected mother who will do anything to save the life of her eldest daughter Kate.Keeping the above information in mind, I shall evaluate this movie based on the following criteria:- A possibility of the story actually happening in real life;- character and event portrayals in the movie as compared to the original book counterparts;Â   - current medical emancipation laws in the state of California in relation to the movie.All of the above questions or criteria will show us how the rights of a minor are just as important as the rights of an adult. Even more important because they rely on their parents to protect their rights.The movie was partly based on the story of the Ayala sisters, whose parents used the placental cord cells of second sister Marissa - Eve in order to put the Leukemia of older sister Anissa into remission. However, Marissa was not conceived as a designer baby the way Anna was in the movie. The movie, took reality one step further in order to create more dramatic tension between the players which, if you ask me, was a bit of an overkill since the topic of death and survival is already morose as it is.

Cinematic Technique & Its Use in Les Amants Du Pont Neuf (Lovers on Research Paper

Cinematic Technique & Its Use in Les Amants Du Pont Neuf (Lovers on the Bridge) - Research Paper Example entary element of the movie manages to capture the real sights and sounds of life of the homeless in Paris and brings the viewer in touch with how life really appears to be like for such people. In setting the scene for the plot involving Alex and Michele, the movie shows Alex returning 'home' and finding his sleeping place occupied by a strange lady. Hans, an older 'resident' of the bridge attempts to get Michele to leave but Alex prevents her eviction. Michele had run away from home after the breakup with his boyfriend and was suffering from an eye disease. Eventually, Michele gains acceptance by Hans and a series of events leads her friendship with Alex growing stronger. They eventually end up in a brawl of romance and Michele becomes part of Alex's life. Michele's family begin to look for her and her eyesight gets worse. Alex, sensing that Michele's departure from him will mean emptiness does everything she could to prevent Michele's family from finding her. The storyline of this movie is strongly enhanced by the cinematic techniques that utilizes very professional techniques and skills to tell the story. The narration is strongly complemented by these tools and techniques which bring the story to bear. This paper examines the technical details and tools that are used by the film crew to present an otherwise simple mundane story in a way that merits the international attention this movie acquired. The ingenuity of Carax is first examined from the overall perspective and then an effort is made to examine specific techniques that the writer identified in the movie and the intended effect it makes on a viewer. Professional Reviews of Les Amants Du Pont-Neuf There are numerous reviews of this movie which give an overall analysis and assessment of the major cinematic... This paper is a literature review of the movies Les Amants Du Pont-Neuf which is recast in English as The Lovers on the Bridge. There are numerous reviews of this movie which give an overall analysis and assessment of the major cinematic techniques and misc-en-scene of the whole movie. Most of the analysis provides very positive views and opinions about Carax's movie. Critic, Pragasam states that the film uses elements of cinematography to capture the humanitarian crises that exist amongst France's homeless populations. He emphasizes on the overall ability of the movie to capture scenes of the life of people who live on the streets of France through various techniques which makes it educative. He also mentions the ability of the movie to incorporate elements of the French Bicentennial celebrations and how it was expertly blended into the movie through the camera works and efforts of the crew. He emphasizes on the juxtaposition of the explosion of the love between Alex and Michelle wi th the fireworks which are carefully captured in the background behind the two as they dance through the 'rain' of excitement and incite the emotions of viewers. Clearly, this pioneering work has found its way into numerous videos and it is now very symbolic of directors to show a scene of love with a distant view of fireworks somewhere in the background. Daley & Dowd critiqued this film into great detail. They identified that Carax managed to evoke the life of the street dweller through many artistic methods like capturing very mundane but crucial elements of street life.

Case Study for Final Exam Essay Example for Free

Case Study for Final Exam Essay Green Cabs is an environmentally friendly taxi company in New Zealand which was founded in late 2007 by Callum Brown and three other partners. Green Cabs now operates a multi-million dollar business in three main centres of New Zealand – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The company is also contemplating expanding into other areas with its distinctive bright green taxis. Callum Brown is the primary inspiration behind Green Cabs. However, you could argue that Al Gore provided the initial spark for Callum to start thinking about being more environmentally conscious personally. Callum is in his 30s and has spent 10 years working in information technology for various government departments and private sector companies as a business analyst. He grew up close to nature and enjoyed activities such as surfing and tramping. All these things kept Callum close to nature. Despite his love affair with nature, Callum was quite sceptical of climate change. He explains: I thought – how can you tell that there is global warming when we’ve only been taking recordings on temperature for the past whatever, how many years. Hence, it could be seen as fairly surprising that Callum founded a green business! This personal awakening was a direct result of watching Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Little did he know at this stage that a major business opportunity would come from his new environmental consciousness. The impetus for the business idea came when Callum was at work. He travelled extensively for work and consequently found himself catching a lot of taxis. It was on one such overnight trip to Auckland that he became aware of the huge amount of carbon emissions he was generating through travel. He elaborates: I sat there watching all the taxis come and drop people off and thought about the emissions and everything they were producing; there’s got to be a better way than this. Why is there no eco-friendly option and that was the light bulb moment, and saying, ah, why not? Following this light bulb moment, Callum contacted a former colleague who was  also a taxi driver. Together the pair set about establishing an environmentally conscious taxi service with two other partners. They struck the New Zealand taxi industry at what they called a lucky time. The government had just tightened legislation to make it consistent for all operators. The Land and Transport Authority was supportive and helpful in making sure everything the emerging Green Cabs did was in line with the new legislation. The Authority too was excited by what Green Cabs was hoping to achieve. Once started, Green Cabs experienced rapid growth and within six months had approximately 85 cabs and self-employed drivers and employed 15 support staff (mostly in its 24-hour call centre). Callum never had aspirations to become an entrepreneur, nor any experience in business ownership, but his extensive work background as a business analyst made him feel he was well equipped to investigate whether the Green Cabs idea would be successful. In fact, prior to coming up with the business idea Callum felt afraid of the risk involved in having his own business. However, once he had the idea, these risks vanished: I was so passionate about Green Cabs, once I had the idea, there were no perceivable risks for me. That was how strong the drive was to do it . . . It’s like I’ve never doubted for a moment that Green Cabs was going to succeed. It has. Any concerns Callum had about risk were dissipated when he took on a number of business partners to share the risk. These business partners all understood and were sympathetic to the worsening state of the environment and to Callum’s vision for the company. Callum’s vision resulted in a company which entered the taxi industry with the goal of achieving much more than a traditional taxi firm. Green Cabs wanted to force change, to preserve the environment and inform the public about climate change. This meant a whole new way of thinking about business and the principles of the business founders were intertwined with the business model. Green Cabs offers the same basic service as any other taxi company. The key difference is that it is an environmentally conscious company. The main means of the company being environmentally friendly is that its vehicles are hybrids (Toyota Prius). There are substantially fewer ongoing running costs in providing the service. Green Cabs passes these savings onto consumers and is therefore able to offer considerably lower prices than its competitors. It already is forcing change in the taxi industry with many competitors rapidly switching to hybrids  because they can see they will save on emissions a nd fuel costs. The difference between these competitors and Green Cabs is that those changing due to lower running costs do not necessarily have environmental concerns at the forefront of their decision making as does Green Cabs. Indeed, sceptics could argue that the competition is switching because it is losing market share to Green Cabs and is attempting to imitate the service. Therefore, Green Cabs has been successful in changing behaviour in the industry to being more environmentally friendly, but this has come at a cost to the business, as Callum explains: I have had such an impact on the market that I had planned, that they (competitors) are now switching. Now, from an environmental point of view, it’s fantastic that I could have that impact, but from a business point of view it’s not good. However, competitors are still failing to offset their carbon emissions whereas Green Cabs prides itself on being carbon neutral. To achieve this Green Cabs drives only the Toyota Prius, the car it considers to be the best option for lessening the impact on the environment. The remainder of its carbon emissions are ‘paid for’ by providing funding for trees to be planted (predominantly in the developing world). Green Cabs donates to ‘Trees for the Future’, an organisation that has already organised the planting of 50 million trees, which retrieve approximately a million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere annually (www.greencabs.co.nz). Green Cabs also ‘pays off’ its carbon debt prior to its accrual. That is, it calculates its future carbon footprint (down to the number of squares of toilet paper used) for the next year and funds the planting of sufficient trees to offset this before it emits the carbon. Although this is one of the key environmental strategies Green Cabs carries out, it actually is sceptical of buying carbon credits. This is because this carbon strategy essentially dispatches the problem to someone else; it does not help reduce the carbon in the atmosphere. As such, Green Cabs aims to both reduce carbon and offset before it accumulates. The business model of Green Cabs is based on the premise that the customer has a greater connection with the product or service. By using Green Cabs customers will feel part of a greater commitment to the environment and they will choose Green Cabs product over the competitors. As Callum notes, the  business model is win-win for both consumers and the environment: It is cheaper, it’s eco-friendly, it’s quieter, you’ve got a pleasant driver, we do a whole lot of feel good stuff as well. Give me a reason why you wouldn’t take a Green Cab. Green Cabs target market is the corporate sector and government departments. However, they pay tribute to the ‘grassroots’ support they have received. This is from people who have seen what Green Cabs are doing and even if their company has no agreement with Green Cabs, when they take a taxi they want it to be a Green Cab. Callum has also noted that younger people are more environmentally aware and appreciate the choice they are being offered in Green Cabs. One future development is for Green Cabs to install roof signs on their vehicles to promote the environment. These will not be advertising signs for businesses but to say something individuals can do for the environment. Green Cabs intend to use advertising space on their vehicles to promote the environment, not fizzy drinks or the like! FINDING BALANCE BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT AND PROFIT ‘For me anyway, it’s not just about turning a profit.’ – Callum Brown Finding a balance between profit and the environment can be a difficult one. To be successful in Callum’s view, you have to understand and have faith that doing things and sticking closely to the set of values that the company started with is what is going to bring success. Too much compromise for business then you will compromise the overall success of the business. The business might still be profitable but will not captivate the public into changing their behaviour regarding the environment. These environmental values are held firm by Green Cabs and are an underlying part of their distinctive business model. Callum elaborates: If we compromise on those values then that put us at risk of just being like any other taxi company out there and doesn’t set us apart. Following through on their commitment to the environment easy for Green Cabs and they suggest that other should look at the environment differently in their businesses. For example, Callum is frustrated by talk about how much it costs to offset carbon emissions. He suggests people fail to see that the whole process is a cost saving exercise. In becoming sustainable, businesses look at ways of reducing  electricity, travel and so forth. All of these areas can reduce a company’s carbon footprint while also reducing their overall costs. Their commitment to the environment is one side of the equation in Green Cab’s business model. The business must be sustainable and there are investors, franchisees and employees who expect returns from their input into the business. Callum is conscious of this need to make a profit, but he has some boundaries: I want to make some money but at the end of the day, I don’t even need a million dollars a year to live on . . . I really like my life in New Zealand, I like the things that I do and the things that I do don’t cost a lot of money. Callum has found that as the business has grown, more investors (such as potential franchisees) are becoming better aligned with his personal views on the environment. However, that is not necessarily the case for all employees of the company, as Callum notes: I have people working for me who don’t have necessarily the same value set. I mean they’ve got good values and wouldn’t be here if they didn’t but to the degree where mine are – no, they’re not anywhere near there. In April 2009, Green Cabs has grown to 16 employees and 104 drivers. The business has many opportunities to grow their business into other location and other services (e.g. courier services). As the business continues to grow Green Cabs are looking towards carbon neutral certification, and implementing ISO 14001 and 14064 certifications. The ongoing financial success of the company is also attracting more interest from other investors who are not necessarily focused primarily on the environment, but see Green Cabs as a solid investment opportunity.

Hazardous Drinking and Sexual Assault Essay -- Social Issues, College

Heavy drinking among college students has been a problem and studies have indicated this for several years (Turrisi, Mallett, Mastroleo, & Larimer, 2006). This topic continues to be a crucial subject of study. Hingson, Heeren, Zakocs, Kopstein, and Wechsler (2002) suggest that approximately 1,400 college students between 18 and 24 passed away in 1998 from alcohol related injuries. Hingson et al. found 112,000 arrests among college students aged 18 to 24 in 1999 for alcohol related crimes. Hingson et al. also reported 630,000 assaults of students between the ages of 18 and 24, 400,000 students had unprotected sex due to drinking, and there were 70,000 victims of sexual assault. Hingson et al.’s study used records held by the Center for Disease Control on the number of unintentional injury deaths, motor vehicle deaths recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and medical examiner research to determine their numbers. Three surveys of college students determi ned the numbers of college student deaths in the study. Hingson et al. used the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse which surveyed 6,930 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 across the U.S. Another survey used in the study was the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey in which 3,077 students in 136 colleges across the U.S. participated. The third survey used by Hingson et al. was the Harvard School of Public Health Alcohol College Survey that surveyed students from different colleges in 1993, 1997, and 1999. In 1999 12,317 students from these colleges covering 40 states participated. Hingson et al. mention a few reasons why their numbers might be conservative with one reason being social desirability. Another reason suggested by Hingson e... ...ion membership 7 (8.6%) of those who reported regretted sex under the influence in the past 12 months were greek organization members while 74 (91.4%) were not. We used a Mann-Whitney U test to compare the AUDIT scores of those who reported unwanted sex under the influence in the past 12 months with those who did not. There was a significant difference between those who reported unwanted sex under the influence in the past 12 months and those who did not (mean ranks=1416.53 versus 823.24; U=10992.50 p

Population Health Essay

Population health is the aggregation of various approach to health care that determines the health outcome of a group of individuals (Nash, JoAnne, Fabius, & Pracilio, 2011). Population health brings together the total quality of health of individuals in the community, considering the disparities in cultures, socioeconomical status, demographics, etc. The outcome of health of individuals in a giving population is highly determined by the policies that govern the healthcare delivery and care interventions (Nash et al., 2011). The care interventions include health screening, promotion and prevention, disease management, and chronic care management (Nash et al., 2011). To improve safety and and eliminate health disparities in the population, it is important to improve the quality of care of individuals, and the community as a whole by creating awareness about disease, providing education and setting in place facilities to help treat such diseases early before it becomes chronic illness. These are all categorized under primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention. According to Kindig, & Stoddart (2003), the concept and measurement of health and health outcomes focuses attention and research effort on the impact of each determinant and their interactions on some appropriate outcome, and it also allows one to consider health inequality and inequity and the distribution of health across subpopulations, as well as the ethical and value considerations underpinning these issues. Nash et al. (2011), the basic attributes of population health as follows: Patient-centered care Identified care provider Interdiciplinary healthcare team members such as physical therapists, spech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, etc Knowledge and recognition of determinants of health and the impact on individuals and the population Integration of the community systems with public health Application of evidence-based practice to provide good quality, and cost effective care provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate care and health education Implementation of interoperable cross-sector health information technology Nash et al. (2011) defines health disparities as â€Å"difference in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and the burden of  diseases, as well as other adverse health conditions or outcomes that exists among specific population groups, and have well-documents in subpopulations based on socioeconomic status, education, age, race and ethnicity, geography, disability, sexual orientation,, or special needs†. Disparities in healthcare can lead to high mortality and morbidity rates. It can also lead to low quality of life (Nash et al., 2011). It is important to recognize the impact that social determinants have on health outcomes of specific populations and strive to improve the health of all groups. Population health has opened the eyes of the government and other private sectors to the disparities in population health, and these bodies have come together to improve the healthcare system of the country. Over the years, efforts to eliminate disparities and achieve health equity have focused primarily on diseases or illnesses and on health care services. During the past 2 decades, 1 of Healthy People’s overarching goals has focused on disparities. In Healthy People 2000, it was to reduce health disparities among Americans. In Healthy People 2010, it was to eliminate, not just reduce, health disparities. In Healthy People 2020, that goal was expanded even further: to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups (Nash et al, 2011). Kindig, D., & Stoddart, G. (2003). What is population health? Am J Public Health. 93(3): 80-383 Nash, D., B., Reifsnyder, J., Fabius, R., J., & Pracilio, V. P. (2011). Population health: Creating a culture of wellness. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC

Reaction Paper: Film About Life The Forest Has Essay

The film that we watched showed what kind of life the forest has and how large diversity of life inhabits in it. The trees are not only the living things that exist in it but many kinds of animals and insects as well. Life in the forest is so rich and there are many biotic forces that strive hard just to survive. Trees for example, need light for making food and getting energy but since they are too many in numbers, only the oldest and the strongest get to grow. Even so, since life is a cycle, a death of a powerful tree sheds birth to small plants and a new cycle or generation comes about. Animals have their way of surviving too. They usually go or live in large numbers so as to get a strategic territory. Chimpanzees for example live in colony and protect their habitat from other chimpanzees and other animals as well. They love fig trees too. Since many other animals like birds and squirrels like fig trees, the chimpanzees ward off their territories by creating noisy screams or sounds to frighten their enemies. Survival is the most important thing in the forest. One has to be strong to be alive and to keep their species reproducing. One also has to be wise and strong but it is not insurance to life. Many species became extinct and many reproduce a lot. I really like the film because it showed how diverse the biotic forces in the forest. It gave the viewers the glimpse of life in the forest and the never before seen happenings in it that lay people do not know or have no knowledge about. I learned how important our forest and the ecosystem in our life and how we should take good care of it. We should ensure it is healthy because if it dies, all the living organisms living in it will die. And surely, not long afterwards, the human race will die with it. Therefore, we should start conserving our forest. We should not wait until it is fully destroyed beyond repair because all the living forces will suffer the consequence, including us.

death of a sales man essays

death of a sales man essays was a good on in that all the charters were not wearing masks. Well anywise Willy Loman was played by Dustin Hoffman and well he did a great job portraying his charter. And he did very well. The move well little slow to the start but after it introduced all the charts and the things starting falling in place then that is when everything came clear. But I really feel sorry for Willy but in the same persificted I am pissed off at him, but he is cheating in his wife and well in my mind I dont think that is a good idea. But his sons take most of the flak cus he makes them out to something they are not. See in my mind Willy is a dreamer and well he wishes that he and his family could always live the good live but in fact they cant. He lives in the burbs and well he is also in a dead end job, that will never take him or his family any where. His family consisted of his loving wife Linda, she was the back bone of the family she kept everything in live and going in the right direction for Willy and his sons. Then there was Happy, he was the player and tycoon and always looking for recognition from his father, but never really got it. Because there was Biff his pride and joy he thought the world revolved around him. Then there was Charlie Willy only true friend ever thought they would fight on a regular basic that still were friend and Charlie ever help Willy out with a little side cash just to keep things running at home. But still Willy is always in a dream state it is like he is taking drugs and seeing theses thins and imagining them. He should have tried to get some help but he was to staborn. In to I see so many of my own friend day dreaming cus well, dreaming is good ...

Origins of the Cornucopia in Greek Mythology

Origins of the Cornucopia in Greek Mythology Definition: The cornucopia, literally horn of plenty, comes to the Thanksgiving table thanks to Greek mythology. The horn may have originally been that of a goat which the infant Zeus used to drink from. In the story of Zeus childhood, it is told that he was sent away to a cave for safekeeping to prevent his father Cronus from eating him. Sometimes it is said that he was nursed by a goat named Amalthea and sometimes that he was fostered by a nymph of the same name who fed him on goats milk. While an infant, Zeus did what other babies do cry. To cover up the noise and keep Cronus from finding out his wifes plot to protect her son, Amalthea asked the Kuretes or Korybantes to come to the cave in which Zeus was hidden and make lots of noise. There are various versions of the evolution of the cornucopia from a horn sitting on the head of the nurturing goat. One is that the goat tore it off herself to present it to Zeus; another that Zeus tore it off and gave it back to the Amalthea-goat promising her abundance; another, that it came from a river gods head. The cornucopia is most frequently associated with the goddess of the harvest, Demeter, but is also associated with other gods, including the aspect of the Underworld god that is the god of wealth, Pluto, since the horn symbolizes abundance.

Pointillism of A Sunday on La Grande Jatte Essay

Pointillism of A Sunday on La Grande Jatte - Essay Example ans do not have an idea as to what publications on color that Seurat studied, he undoubtedly relied upon features of these connecting theories in developing pointillism. Georges Seurat’s themes (1859 – 1891) addressed within his paintings were as well impressionist subjects, however, he portrayed them in some resolutely professional way. Seurat developed a disciplined as well as painstaking system for painting, which devoted itself in analysis of color. He had much less concern on immediate color sensations recording than he was with organizing them in some careful into some new type of pictorial arrangement. Seurat disciplined the free as well as fluent play for color, which characterized impressionism into calculated arrangement founded on scientific theory of color. Neo-Impressionism happens to be a term that is practiced on an Avant- garde movement of art, which flourished during the period between 1886 and 1906 in France. The Neo Impression circle artist, led by the good example, Georges Seurat, renounced the accidental spontaneity for impression in favor for some measured method that was grounded within science as well as the study for optics. Fortified by existing the writing on theory of color, the discourses of Eugene Chevreul, Odgen Rood and Charles Henry for instance, it came to the believe of Neo Impressionists that interwoven pigment’s separate touches lead to a superior color vibrancy within the eye of an observer than achieved by conventional pigments’ mixing on the palette. They felt that the careful paint application, as well known as Melange Optigue or optical mixture, would appreciate a lively sparkle of light on canvas. Separation of color through individual pigment strokes became to be referred to as divisionism and on the other hand, application of detailed dots of paint became to be called pointillism (Fred, 664). â€Å"Ile de la Grande Jatte† interprets as the â€Å"Big Bowl Island† as well as the enormous work done by Georges