Digital Diversity Essay - 1294 Words

Digital Diversity Does the international scope of the Internet entail an end to the cultural and historical diversity of style in composition? In the past several decades, technology has led to a giant connected network of computers. This new Internet (and mainly the World Wide Web) has become a new communication and information exchange tool. All data that used to be transmitted by voice, paper, radio, television, or other mass media device can now be done so digitally, and these messages can be personal as well as broad-scoped. Throughout the ages, the style of messages being delivered has reflected upon the culture and history of their origin. Although the Internet reaches most places in the world, it will not homogenize the†¦show more content†¦The idea that English is the primary language behind the inner workings of the Internet leads some people to mistakenly believe it will dominate the global communications world. However, this is far from the case. The actual protocols and scripts making the digital world possible have very little English in them. An example of commonly used PERL code is shown below. # Read in text if (MethGet) { $in = $ENV{QUERY_STRING}; } elsif (MethPost) { read(STDIN,$in,$ENV{CONTENT_LENGTH}); } @in = split(/[;]/,$in); Most of the English words in the code can be replaced by whatever the programmer chooses. In this case, those are â€Å"#Read in text†, â€Å"QUERY_STRING†, and â€Å"CONTENT_LENGTH†, and could have been written in any language. Everything else is very terse and shorthand and really does not force the English language upon foreign programmers in any way. Even people brought up speaking English still have to learn the new commands and syntax. However, these new â€Å"languages† will not help bring out any sort of universal language like Esperanto tried to do in the early twentieth century. With more and more programs designed to help a normal user avoid this computer code interaction, few people will actually have to learn and understand the various computer languages. People will be free to create their web pages in whatever design and language they choose. Currently web pages exist in over 75Show MoreRelatedThe Digital Of Digital Forensics1586 Words   |  7 Pagesadvances in digital technology, the scope of digital crimes has also increased multi-fold. Digital forensics is a science, which involves collection, preservation and documentation of the digital evidence from various digital storage media. This entire process must be undertaken in fashion that is appropriate forensically, and results in collection of data, which can be made admissible in a court of law during the investigation of a crime. Since most of the transactions today happen across digital mediaRead MoreEssay about What ´s Cooperative Space-time Coding?889 Words   |  4 PagesLiterature Survey: Cooperative diversity for a simple three-terminal relay channel was first introduced in [12]. Later, in [1], several improvements were made in capacity bounds and cooperative schemes, such as decode-and-forward, were introduced. Modifications to amplify-and-forward scheme were proposed in [13-16]. Based on these, more relaying schemes were introduced in [17-24]. The performance and other characteristics of the aforementioned schemes in several environments were studied in [17-27]Read MoreThe Value Of Diversity Within The Workplace1163 Words   |  5 PagesThe Value of Diversity in the Workplace Globalization sets the perfect environment to develop diversity in the workplace. This new society, in which we are currently living, has created a new workforce that is based on its diversity that can greatly help with any business development and growth. In business, diversity brings opportunities to grow, expand and reach out to other markets by utilizing the values, ideas and the diverse skills that people from many different backgrounds have to offer.Read MoreThe Takeover: New Media’s Role on Civic Engagement2292 Words   |  10 Pageslooked at as a way to create new networked forms of communication with new demographic political culture (Banaji Buckingham). New media has given society a variety of mediums such as Internet and mobile medias which have promoted digital immigrant learning, a digital economy, the occupy movement, and increased citizen’s participatory roles in civic opportunities. The World Wide Web, also known as the Internet, marked the beginning of the new media frenzy that has taken over our world. The InternetRead MoreOrganizational Change - Kodak1770 Words   |  8 Pagescustomers to gain their confidence, focus will on be on the employees to gain their trust, and a relationship will broaden with the suppliers. This paper will describe the organizational change Kodak experienced as a means to maintain success and in this digital driven and diverse economy. George Eastmans wish was to make photography as convenient as the pencil and began by creating the first handheld camera which could take pictures with a push of a button in 1889 (Kodak, 2008). He built the companysRead MoreIntroduction Of The Antenna Systems4702 Words   |  19 Pagescanyons the wavefronts are scattered, and thus it take multi paths to reach the destination. Fading, cut-out (cliff effect), and intermittent reception (picket fencing) are the problems caused by late arrival of scattered portion of signals. In a digital communications system, it cause a reduction of data speed and number of errors is increased. In order to eliminate or minimize problems caused by multipath wave propagation, a new technology has been introduced and it is Smart Antenna TechnologyRead MoreLiterature Review Cooperative Communication3956 Words   |  16 PagesCHAPTER 3 – COOPERATIVE COMMUNICATION Background We have introduced a new form of diversity for the concept of mobile communications system of cooperation. Cooperation by mobile phone users for each user is assigned. Cooperation can be considered as a new form of space diversity, antenna diversity in the transmission process, however, and other complications, Intermobiles noisy channels, each phone has sent a separate message. (W. Yu and T. Lan, 2007, pp. 2646–2660) According to A. Goldsmith (2005)Read MoreA Writing Ecology Is A Dynamic, Interconnected System Of Communication906 Words   |  4 Pagesstory, hears from primary source speakers and undergoes a more sensory engaging experience. Jenkins (2010) himself writes, â€Å"The power of participation comes not from destroying commercial culture but from writing over it, moulding it, adding greater diversity of perspective, and then recirculating it.† Jenkins draws upon the idea of online written ecologies as an interconnected culture by emphasising the ever-changing environment in which it exists. Web spaces such as Snowfall demonstrate this notionRead MoreThe Importance Of Online Networking Over The Fabric Of The Association928 Words   |  4 PagesCenter programming. Contact Kodak:- Takes you to a site page where you can contact Kodak. Order Supplies:- Takes you to a page where you can arrange KODAK supplies for your printer. ASSESSMENT ON PLANNING SYSTEM †¢ Cost Restructuring – Supplier Diversity thru outsourcing †¢ Expansion specifically on Asia – Recovery of loss in the U.S. Market due to economic slowdown – Introduction of e-voting (Kodak’s partnership with Phils. Thru provision of 5 Kodak printer that finished printing of 50,850,940 ballotsRead MoreMetadata Quality : Importance, Standards, Assessment, And Challenges874 Words   |  4 Pagesassessment looking at transferability of an assessment method between types of surrogate records. Palavitsinis, Manouselis and Sanchez-Alonso (2011) developed the Metadata Quality Assurance Certification Process (MQACP) and tested it on multiple digital libraries. MQACP worked by establishing certain control points that could apply to all metadata records and allowing the remaining record to be established by the institution. References Bruce, T. R., Hillmann, D. I. (2004). The continuum of metadata

Marathi Press India - 4755 Words

Marathi: Big Newspapers Are Elephants By Robin Jeffrey To understand the Marathi press, one needs to appreciate two cities-Mumbai (Bombay) and Pune (Poona). Mumbai is the Manhattan of India-a buzzing, multi- lingual magnet of an island. As well as the industrial and commercial focus of India, it is the base for the advertising industry and for Indias two biggest newspaper chains, The Times of India and The Indian Express. Pune, on the other hand, is Maharashtras Boston (indeed, both have brahmins) where history, culture and more cultivated ways of life are supposed to prevail. Mumbais magnetism has meant that it is not a solely, or perhaps even predominantly, Marathi city. Migrants come from all over India to seek their fortunes in†¦show more content†¦It ran training camps for its journalists, promotions and cultural events for its readers and letters to the editor on its front page. Parulekar converted Sakal into a private limited company in 1948, with himself, his French wife, their daughter and one or two other shareholders. When he died in 1973, he left the paper with practices and traditions that wore well. It survived the first shocks of Indias revolution in newspaper technology and carried on for more than 10 years. But he also left a complicated ownership structure: a minority of shares went to his wife and daughter but most went to individual trustees and to a trust. Widow and daughter do not appear to have got on well with the trustees and the trust, which put their shares on the market at the end of 1984. The Pawar family, whose best known member was Maharashtra politician, Sharad Pawar (chief minister, 1978-80, 1988-90, 1993-95), bought them over the opposition of Parulekars wife and daughter who went to the courts. At the same time, the rapid changes overtaking the newspaper industry, and the death of the long-serving editor, S.G. Mungekar in 1985, reinforced the sense that Sakal was at a turning point. The sale and renovation of Sakal illustrate the increasingly tight interlock between capit alism and newspapers. In the early 1980s Sakals circulation fell when newspapers elsewhere in India, including itsShow MoreRelatedRole of Marathi Press in Freedom Movement of India1204 Words   |  5 Pagessearch Ravindra Kelekar Born March 25, 1925 [1] Cuncolim, Goa, India Died August 27, 2010 (aged 85) Margao, Goa, India Resting place Priol, Goa, India[2] Occupation freedom fighter, activist, linguistic activist, poet, author Language Konkani Ethnicity Konkani Ravindra Kelekar (March 25, 1925 – August 27, 2010) was a noted Indian author who wrote primarily in the Konkani language, though he also wrote in Marathi and Hindi.[3] A Gandhian activist, freedom fighter and a pioneer inRead MoreCholas and Culture1308 Words   |  6 PagesChola Nadu (Tamil: à ®Å¡Ã  ¯â€¹Ã  ® ´Ã  ® ¨Ã  ® ¾Ã  ®Å¸Ã  ¯ ) is a region of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. It encompasses the lower reaches of the Kaveri River and its delta, and formed the cultural homeland and political base of the Chola Dynasty which ruled most of South India and parts of Sri Lanka and South-East Asia between the 9th and 13th centuries AD. Uraiyur served as the early Chola capital, then medieval Cholas shifted to Thanjavur and later cholas king Rajendra Chola I moved the capital to Gangaikonda CholapuramRead MoreRole of Press in Indian Freedom Struggle1801 Words   |  8 Pagesthe first Hindi daily, Samachar Sudhavarashan, and two newspapers in Urdu and Persian respectively, Doorbeen andSultan-ul-Akbar, faced trial in 1857 for having published a Firman by Bahadur Shah Zafar, urging the people to drive the British out of India. This was followed by the notroiusGagging Act of Lord Canning, under which restrictions were imposed on the newspapers and periodicals. Notable Role In the struggle against the British, some newspapers played a very notable role. This included theRead MoreIndian Politics5736 Words   |  23 PagesPolitics of India India is the largest democracy in the world. India has the biggest number of people with franchise rights and the largest number of political parties, which take part in election campaign. In the 1996 national elections, almost 600 million people voted and an average of 26 candidates competed for each of the 543 territorial constituency seats. Elections are held at different levels. The two major election levels are at national level, after which the national government is establishedRead MoreConsumer Buying Behaviour of Magazines7993 Words   |  32 Pages Under the Supervision of Under the Guidance of Dr. Vandana Mathur Mr. Sumit Bhardwaj Programme Leader Deputy Manager MBA (Entrepreneurship) Outlook (India) Pvt. Ltd. In Partial Fulfilment of Award of Master of Business Administration AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH SECTOR 125, NOIDA - 201303, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA 2011 Acknowledgement I hereby take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to the persons who made this project successful and possible. Read MoreHindi Dalit Literature3310 Words   |  14 PagesHindi Dalit literature’s moment has arrived. After years of obscurity and unflattering comparisons to the maturity and expressiveness of Dalit literature in languages such as Marathi and Tamil, creative Dalit writing in Hindi is finally reaching a more visible level of popular recognition. Hindi Dalit novels, autobiographies, short-story and poetry anthologies, as well as volumes of literary criticism, are today being regularly published by Delhi’s top Hindi-language publishing houses, Rajkamal andRead MoreMass Communication Effects on Indian Society3799 Words   |  16 Pagesmedia as facilitating social agreement through the dissemination of information and contrary opinion. Review of literature also indicate that although media has a central role in mediating information and forming public opinion, however, the advent of press freedom has given rise to unprecedented abuse of the mass media by unscrupulous ma ss communicators and authoritarian leaders in society (McQuail, 2003, Cohen and Weimann, 2000, Croteau and Hoynes, 2000, Doyle, 2002). Much of this could be due to manyRead MoreHistory of the Indian Rupee2823 Words   |  12 PagesThe currency of India is the rupee. Rupee is derived from the Sanskrit rupyakam which means coin of silver (Indian Rupee). The rupee has transitioned through several governing bodies over its recorded history. Each transitional phase can be traced by the examples of the rupee notes as follows: early private and semi-governmental banks, Government of India, King George V, King George VI, Indo-French Territories, Indo-Portuguese Territories, Prisoner-of-War Coupons, Princely States, cash couponsRead MoreThe Impact Of Women During A Patriarchal Societal Set Up1964 Words   |  8 PagesIn the initial part of the paper, the trademark of every woman from the birth is analyzed. Their flexible attitude in a more male-oriented and idealistic society is also m entioned in the latter part of the paper. Vijay Tendulkar the most prolific Marathi writer exposes through his plays the lower and lower-middle class people of all walks in its original form. Most of the topics of his plays deal with power and violence, social taboos, corruption, oppression, sensationalism, plight of a woman etcRead MoreCommunication Style and Cultural Features in High/Low Context Communication Cultures : a Case Study of Finland, Japan and India5045 Words   |  21 PagesCommunication Style and Cultural Features in High/Low Context Communication Cultures: A Case Study of Finland, Japan and India Shoji Nishimura1, Anne Nevgi2 and Seppo Tella3 1 Waseda University, Japan 2 Department of Education, University of Helsinki 3 Department of Applied Sciences of Education, University of Helsinki Abstract People from different countries communicate in ways that often lead to misunder-standings. Our argument, based on Hall’s theory of high/low context cultures (1959, 1966

Legal Restrictions on Downloading Music and Videos- myassignmenthelp

Question: Write about theLegal Restrictions on Downloading Music and Videos. Answer: Internet has provided innumerable advantages to the society. The major advantages of Internet include presence of information in every aspect and every field, downloading several files of music, videos, movies, educational documents and many more (Bechle, 2014). However, in spite of providing such tremendous advantages, Internet is often considered as one of the major problems in modern technological world. The files of music, videos and movies are restricted by government in many countries. Entertainment is important for all generations in modern world. It removes the monotony in life. The common types of entertainment include music, videos, and movies. These are mostly provided by the Internet. Internet is one of the most important boons that technology has provided to the world. Individuals can download these entertainment files easily from the Internet (Lertwachara Ayanso, 2015). However, these benefits are often exploited by certain number of people, who have wrong intentions. Illegal acts are involved due to this benefit. Moreover, these are downloaded from pirated sites. This involves in copyright policies. For this particular reason, downloading music and videos are legally restricted in almost all countries. The government has put a ban on the limits of downloading music, videos and movies and this has invited various problems for the modern generation. They are unable to download any more files from the Internet. The government is not wrong in their own terms. It is illegal to download any file from copyright and pirated websites. As per the copyright law, any type of obtaining and distribution of a work that is copyrighted without any type of permission from the copyright holder is absolutely illegal (Waelbroeck, 2013). The main problem has occurred for those individuals, who do not have any kind of wrong intentions. Even these people are suffering due to these legal restrictions. The people, who do their works from these downloaded files of music and videos, are suffering extremely. The government is allowing only those people, who are downloading from non pirated web sites. The files that are downloaded from original sites are often much expensive and not affordable for everyone (Hansen Walden, 2013). The normal people are not unable to download these files. The only way left for them is the copyrighted website. They are bound to download the files from the copyrighted websites for the sake of their job. These types of legal restrict ions have created major problems for these innocent people. These legal restrictions and limitations should be abolished on an immediate basis. Rather there should be restrictions that illegal and unethical files should not be downloaded from the Internet. The restrictions should be abolished without failure (Lertwachara Ayanso, 2015). There should be a legal site that would allow downloading all types of ethical and legal files of music and videos from the Internet. Therefore, from the above discussion it can be concluded that Internet is one of the most important boons that technology has provided to the world. All types of files can be downloaded from Internet easily. However, there are certain people who download several files from the illegal and copyrighted websites. There are restrictions that are set legally on the downloading of music and videos. All people do not download such files with wrong intentions and rather they do so for their job purpose. These restrictions should be abolished on an immediate basis. References Bechle, T. (2014).eMusic-Legal issues concerning downloading music over the Internet(Doctoral dissertation, University of Cape Town). Hansen, J. M., Walden, E. (2013). The role of restrictiveness of use in determining ethical and legal awareness of unauthorized file sharing. Lertwachara, K., Ayanso, A. (2015). Online Digital Music Piracy: Legal and Managerial Perspectives. Waelbroeck, P. (2013). Digital music: economic perspectives.

The Role of the Bolsheviks for the Decline and Fall of the Romanov Dynasty free essay sample

The central figure of this eradication was Tsar Nicholas II, often described as an incompetent leader, absent of the â€Å"commanding personality nor the strong character and prompt decision which are so essential to an autocratic ruler † (Sir G. Buchman, British ambassador to Russia from 1910 in H. Seton-Watson, The Decline of Imperial Russia, 1964, p. 108) What caused or defined the decline and eventual fall of the Romanov dynasty cannot concluded by one influencing factor but an amalgamation of Tsar’s leadership, certain events that impacted on Russia and Revolutionary groups that aided this process. From these it is evident though that Tsar Nicholas’ role, to a major extent, was the key factor in the end of the 300-year reigning Romanov rule and subsequent execution. In exploring Russia in the early 20th Century, the revolutionary groups, mainly including the Bolsheviks, can be seen as having a minor role in that actual reason for the decline of the Romanov dynasty but rather a larger role in the events after the fall, in regards to the execution itself and shaping Russia’s future afterwards. We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of the Bolsheviks for the Decline and Fall of the Romanov Dynasty or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Utah Symphony and Opera

The organizational structure of the two organizations is well spelt out in the official chart and everybody’s duty is highlighted as well as the chain of command. In the case of Utah Opera Company, it is clearly indicated that the CEO is at the top of the chain of command and reports directly to the board members.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Utah Symphony and Opera specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On top of that, the CEO is assisted by the director of productions and it is expected that the two should work together consulting each other when making important decisions in the company. Though the CEO is expected to be the director general overseeing the operations of a company, there are managers in each department who assist the CEO in implementing, and sometimes making, decisions that directly affect their areas of operation (Naoum 2001). In the case of Utah Opera Company, the CEO, Anne Ewers, has vari ous managers under her who help in overseeing the daily events of their sections and report to her. They include director of finance, director of marketing, human resource manager, director of production and music administrator. The departmental directors are responsible for general decisions that affect their areas of operation and they are supposed to be consulted in case the board of directors or the CEO wants to introduce some changes (Jelinek 2010). It should however be noted that, for the case of the Utah symphony both the CEO and the director of music report directly to the board of directors. This is because musicians play a critical role in the operations of the symphony and they need special attention. However, the chain of command and decision making remains somehow the same as that of Utah Opera where each section has a manger that oversees the day to day affairs of the section and reports either to the CEO or the director of music depending on the department involved. M ajor decisions are made by the board of directors in consultation with the CEO while in other cases the CEO can make decisions but mostly in consultation with the departmental heads who are supposed to implement these decisions.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the departments, authority is given by departmental heads to their assistants and down the chain to the lowest (Daft, Murphy Willmott 2010). However, it should be noted that for both the Opera and the Symphony organizations the chain of command in every department is clearly outlined and decisions are made after consultations. Unfortunately, though the official organizational charts of the two companies spell out how decisions should be made, it is depicted by the case study that this is not necessarily the case. To begin with, it is the requirement that when the chair to the board of directors steps down due proce ss should be followed in determining the chairperson to take over (Miner 2007). However, when Scott Packer the chair to the board of the Symphony decides to step down he simply nominates Chase Petersons and the two make agreement on how and when to inform the other board members. In addition to that, it is expected that since Keith Lockhart, the music director of Utah Symphony Organization, reports to the board of directors he should be receiving directions from the board. On the contrary, it is depicted that Lockhart indirectly influences the actions of the board of directors due to the importance of the section he heads to the survival of the symphony. This is shown when the directors make their decisions while taking caution to know how their steps will affect Lockhart since they do not want to loose him. On the same note, in any department the departmental head is supposed to guide the juniors on the day to day events (Naoum 2001), but Lockhart will do anything just to please th e musicians whom he is supposed to head. Lockhart, knowing the effect the orchestra has on his effectiveness he is easily manipulated by the musicians because he is ready to do anything to maintain the relationship he has with them. Additionally, the artists have a union which enables them to speak and present their views as a group. The union was able to bargain for salary increases and its members earn more than others in the industry.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Utah Symphony and Opera specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As it has been depicted, the union is very influential in the operations of the Utah Symphony to the extent that decision making process has been changed, and through Lockhart their issues are directly communicated to the board. In conjunction with that, the union has great influence on the organization structure as depicted when through their representative they present their proposals on h ow they should be governed; actions which other employees are unable to achieve. On the same note, Anne Ewers, the CEO of Utah Opera, is supposed to be assisted by departmental heads in decision making and consultation with them is necessary in any decision she makes (Griffin Moorhead 2011). On the contrary, it is depicted in the case study that Ewers is dictatorial and not only bypasses the laid down procedures when making certain decisions but also disregards the departmental managers who are supposed to implement the decisions. On top of that, when discussing about the merger with Utah Symphony Ewers disregards opinion of departmental directors and did not even consult her immediate assistant, Leslie Peterson, who is the director of operations which makes Peterson to resign. References Daft, R. L., Murphy, J., Willmott, H. (2010). Organization Theory and Design. Stanford: Cengage Learning. Griffin, W., Moorhead, G. (2011). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizat ions. Stanford: Cengage Learning.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Jelinek, S. (2010). The Impact of Management Practices and Organizational Structure on Firm Performance: A Cross Country Empirical Analysis. Munich: GRIN Verlag. Miner, J. B. (2007). Organizational Behavior: From Theory to Practice. New York: M.E Sharpe. Naoum, S. (2001). People and Organizational management In Construction. London: Thomas Telford. This essay on Utah Symphony and Opera was written and submitted by user Omari Diaz 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.

Free Essays on Politics Sociology

Politics Within Sociology Political participation and action within the community should be extremely significant for civilians. In America, the country that I reside in, we the people caste votes for elected officials to carry out laws for us. Although due to contrary belief at times we feel slighted, based on social injustices and rigid corruption within our government. Thus it is important that we are conscious of our leaders decisions from the birth of our nation, most importantly the present, and never shying away from the future. In order to fairly advocate certain beliefs of an ideal government it is important that people are naturally educated on domestic and foreign policies. Once this has been accomplished one can infer their own opinions and implement them within a notion of practicality. When we think of politics we generally think of an authoritative figure. But the definitive meaning is quite broad. Basically it refers to a relationship from wherever power exists. Two general terms of political activation is micro and macro politics. Micro politics refers to the exercise of power on a daily base. In America this can be related to your first amendment rights. On the converse side of things macro politics can be clearly defined of the exercise of power within a large group. Max Weber has stated that power can be defined as legitimate or illegitimate. Legitimate power is known as authority and illegitimate is referred to as coercion. The government also known as the state has the authority to punish people however they’d like, even through violence. Sometimes the state oppresses people and revolution will eventually take its toll. Traditional authority throughout history requires tribal custom to dictate certain laws and precedents. Whether it’s based on role or gender the group has indefinite power through out tradition. The second type of authority is called rational league authority. It’s not based on cust... Free Essays on Politics Sociology Free Essays on Politics Sociology Politics Within Sociology Political participation and action within the community should be extremely significant for civilians. In America, the country that I reside in, we the people caste votes for elected officials to carry out laws for us. Although due to contrary belief at times we feel slighted, based on social injustices and rigid corruption within our government. Thus it is important that we are conscious of our leaders decisions from the birth of our nation, most importantly the present, and never shying away from the future. In order to fairly advocate certain beliefs of an ideal government it is important that people are naturally educated on domestic and foreign policies. Once this has been accomplished one can infer their own opinions and implement them within a notion of practicality. When we think of politics we generally think of an authoritative figure. But the definitive meaning is quite broad. Basically it refers to a relationship from wherever power exists. Two general terms of political activation is micro and macro politics. Micro politics refers to the exercise of power on a daily base. In America this can be related to your first amendment rights. On the converse side of things macro politics can be clearly defined of the exercise of power within a large group. Max Weber has stated that power can be defined as legitimate or illegitimate. Legitimate power is known as authority and illegitimate is referred to as coercion. The government also known as the state has the authority to punish people however they’d like, even through violence. Sometimes the state oppresses people and revolution will eventually take its toll. Traditional authority throughout history requires tribal custom to dictate certain laws and precedents. Whether it’s based on role or gender the group has indefinite power through out tradition. The second type of authority is called rational league authority. It’s not based on cust...

Soil Mechanics Exercises Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Soil Mechanics Exercises - Math Problem Example From the chart we have D10 = 0.2 D30 = 0.45 D60 = 1.20 So Coefficient of uniformity is = D60/D30 Cu = 1.20/0.2 = 6.0 And Coefficient of curvature of the soil is = D302/(D10 x D60) Cc = 0.452/(0.2 x 1.2) = 0.84375 (iv) From the particle size distribution chart we can see that the particles are distributed over a wide range. So, this is a well graded soil. ... 3 (a) At 0 m Total stress= ?= ?d hw +q = 16 (0) + 10 =10 Kpa Pore pressure = u = ?w x (h – hw) = 9.81 (0)=0 Effective stress = ?’= ? – u = 10 – 0 =10 Kpa At 1 m Total stress= ?= ?d hw +q = 16 (1) + 10 = 26 Kpa Pore pressure = u = ?w x (h – hw) = 9.81 (0) = 0 Effective stress = ?’= ? – u = 26 – 0 = 26 Kpa At 3 m Total stress= ?= ?d hw +q + ?sat (h – hw) = 16 + 10 + 20 (2) = 66 KPa Pore pressure = u = ?w x (h – hw) = 9.81 x (2) = 19.62 Kpa Effective stress = ?’= ? – u = 66 – 19.62 = 46.38 Kpa At 7 m Total stress= ?= ?d hw +q + ?sat (h – hw) = 16 + 10 + 20 (6) = 146 KPa Pore pressure = u = ?w x (h – hw) = 9.81 x (6) = 58.86 Kpa Effective stress = ?’= ? – u = 146 – 58.86 = 87.14 Kpa (b) Unit weight of silty sand = ?s= porosity * specific gravity * 9.81 = 0.54 x 2.61 x 9.81 = 14 kN/m3 Saturated weight of clay =?c= = = 17.82 kN/m3 At 0 m Total stress= ?= ?s h = 14 ( 0) = 0 Pore pressure = u = ?w x (h – hw) = 9.81 (0) =0 Effective stress = ?’= ? – u = 0 At 2.5 m Total stress= ?= ?s h = 14 (2.5) = 35 KPa Pore pressure = u = ?w x (h – hw) = 9.81 x (0) = 0 Effective stress = ?’= ? – u = 35 - 0 = 35 Kpa At 5 m Total stress= ?= ?s h = 14 x 5 = 70 Kpa Pore pressure = u = ?w x (h – hw) = 9.81 x (2.5) = 24.5 kPa Effective stress = ?’= ? – u = 70 – 24.5 = 45.5 Kpa At 9 m Total stress= ?= ?s h +?c (h – 5) = 14 x 9 + 17.82 (4) = 197.3 KPa Pore pressure = u = ?w x (h – hw) = 9.81 x (6.5) = 63.76 Kpa Effective stress = ?’= ? – u = 197.3 – 63.76 = 133.54 Kpa Question No. 4 (a) Shear box apparatus The soil is contained in a box which has a separate top half and bottom half. A normal stress is

Market Competitiveness for SOEs in China Essay

Market Competitiveness for SOEs in China - Essay Example However, in spite of its attractions and potential, Western businesses are still apprehensive about the business environment in China. Its huge population has resulted in unique problems for China. Thus, the government has had to adopt a very cautious approach to guide the country towards its future. One such assiduous yet formidable step towards reassuring the world community about the intentions of Chinese government is the Reforming of the ‘State Owned Enterprises’ (SOE). Despite China’s future potential, there are still some strict regulations, political interference, guanxi (a need for relationships to operate in the market) and low disposable incomes of the Chinese consumers. Hence, China’s recently opened market presents both challenges as well as opportunities for the foreign businesses. This dissertation examines the status of SOEs and recommends some positive steps to make these enterprises more competitive. Further, the author analyzes the effect of the removal of the excessive state cover over the business enterprises which pave the way for a competitive environment in China. Industries that provide better employment opportunities for the people and a reliable source of income for the poor have been established to reduce poverty and to achieve equitable and sustainable development. Therefore, it is imperative that the growth of labour-intensive industries be a central theme of development economics and policies. The proponents of liberalization and globalization claim that globalization has granted access to newer vistas of trade and business all around the globe. Interestingly, several theorists believe that the launching of these economies have tilted the balance in favour of market forces. This is no doubt helping the consumer by way of providing quality at reasonable prices but at the same time the profit motive is leading to some aberrations where the welfare measures

Group reflective on mental models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Group reflective on mental models - Essay Example The major thesis or argument of the article is based on the Senge’s discussion about mental models. This is a type of reflective essay. The study will evaluate the arguments of the author. Moreover, the study will reflect on the group’s presentation. Reason behind writing the Chapter According to Peter Senge, mental models are intensely ingrained generalizations, assumptions or even pictures of the images that influence the understanding and thought process of the individuals. Organizations generally have several kinds of mental models. In case of non-profit organizations, mental models are generally developed around the role of an organization, people served within an organization and several activities performed by an organization. Peter Senge became familiar with several disciplines of group dynamics and organization theory in graduate school. It is true that several individuals within the organizations have different level of perceptions about the organization. Pete r Senge wrote this chapter to make people understand about unique perception level in the minds of the individuals. Unique perception profoundly influences the lives of people on a specific individual level. According to Peter Senge, mental models generally offer a flawed but useful representation of reality like several architectural models or computer models. The author wrote this chapter in order to educate the people about different aspects of mental models in a business environment. Purpose of the Chapter Major purpose of this chapter is to determine the characteristics and effects of the mental models. Mental model is a type of filter that helps to pass the refined data and information. Generally mental models are restrained and powerful. These are restrained because the individuals are not aware of the effects of these mental models. On the other hand, these mental models are powerful because these help to determine to what the individuals should pay attention. The mental mod els are quite conservative in nature. These models are left unchallenged. These guide us to see a broader picture from the achieved and filtered data and information. However, the characteristics and effects of these mental models are discussed in the evaluation part. It is clear from the detailed readings of the chapter that the author has effectively drawn the conclusion. Therefore, it can be stated that Peter Senge significantly tried to meet his purpose. However, the chapter is lacking some practical and real time examples. It is true that an individual will find it difficult to gather real time and practical examples as the subject highly depends upon imaginary and perception process of an individual. It would be effective for him if he could gather more real time examples regarding group dynamics and organization theory. It would help him to develop an effective insight of study. Argument of Author There are several mental models. The discipline of this mental model starts wit h the turning of inward mirrors. These models help an individual to learn internal pictures of the real world in order to bring them to the practical surface. These mental models also include the significant ability to carry on effective and meaningful conversations in order to maintain an effective balance between advocacy and

Malaysias Economy Exports

Malaysias Economy Exports Malaysia Economy Exports Introduction Malaysia, the place called ‘Truly Asia’. It lies on the Southeastern Asian peninsula bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and the South China Sea. It’s filled with different Asian cultures from Malay, Chinese, Borneo and other indigenous groups. Having no or little issues about societal upheavals, corruptions and such being published in international media, Malaysia continues to be a puzzling country known for its present natural splendor as it continues to flourish as one of Asia’s leading countries. However, knowing its experiences that led to its present growth is what’s really interesting about this country. After gaining independence from Britain in 1957, it was noted that the Chinese was the chief force in Malaysia’s economy. In the 1960’s, Malaysia’s economy was dependent on exports of agricultural goods. During this period annual Gross Domestic Product increases on an average rate of 6 percent per year. Then in the late 1960’s racial pressure started and caused the creation of the New Economic Policy which aimed to ensure that by 1990’s at least 20% of the economy must be controlled by ethnic Malays. In the 1970’s, high deflation and mismanagement of government enterprise caused its economy to experience severe economic downturn. By 1985, recession having negative 1.2 percent GDP growth was experienced. As solution to the downfall of the economy, the government shifted its focus from the agriculture sector to the manufacturing sector. It liberalized foreign equity ownership from 10 to 20 percent in order to attract foreign investments. These efforts resulted to a success by achieving a positive GDP growth of 13.4 percent from 1986 to 1990. Although the country’s internal economic factors continued to be strong, its external economic factors affected it in a negative way. Huge capital outflows from the Malaysian economy and other South East Asian economies were hurt by the Asian crisis. From positive 7.7 percent Malaysia’s real growth rate in declined to negative 7.5 percent in 1998. Interest rate also increased from five percent to nine percent. Furthermore, inflation and the increase in unemployment from 2.4 percent to 3.2 percent caused poverty to boost from 6.1 percent in 1997 to 7 percent in 1998. In addition, the health sector was also affected due to the increase in the price of imported drugs which in turn also made it harder for the poor to afford medication. Despite its condition, Malaysia rejected IMF assistance and stabilized its money with the help of Bank Negara Malaysia, its Central Bank, through lowering exchange rates, interest rates, and government spending. Also, the government increased capital controls by halting, several mega projects and established the National Economic Action Council (NEAC). With all these efforts, the country achieved a positive annual growth rate of 5.4 per cent in 1999. Malaysias economy continued to surge despite all terrorist threats and health diseases such as the SARS. The Package of New Strategies was established in 2003 to generalize domestic sources of growth, promote private investment and strengthen the countrys competitiveness. In 2006, The Ninth Malaysia Plan was issued. This plan reiterates the target of lifting Malaysia’s economy to developed nation by 2020. After knowing all these facts, this paper will now discuss about the economic condition of Malaysia starting from the year 2002 to 2006. It will tackle the GDP’s contribution to growth and growth by sector, lending and inflation rate, money supply, trade and economic indicators and some movements of selected exports. Gross Domestic Product Contributions to Growth (Figure 2.24.1) Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product was highest during the year 2004 with 7.2 percent. To further analyze the changes, the factors affecting the Gross Domestic Product would be discussed. First, consumption was analyzed in two separate types: Private Consumption and Public Consumption. From the figure, it could be seen that consumption is an unstable factor in their economy. Private consumption in 2002 was 2.0 percent and rose until it reached 4.9 percent in 2004. However it started to decrease in 2005 and by 2006 private consumption was only 3.5 percent. Private consumption in the last five years grew by an average of 3.58 percent. When in comes to Public consumption, 1.4 percent growth was attained in 2002. It grew by 0.2 percent by 2003 then started to fall and reached 0.8 percent in 2005. It picked up its pace and increased to 1.2 percent in 2006. The average Public consumption growth is 1.18 percent. It could be noted that private consumption became the largest GDP contributor in the years 2003 to 2006. The increased consumption is caused by the low interest which encouraged business investments and higher income for the household to dispose. This in turn generated income for the businesses which could eventually lead to expansionary means that would produce employment. Next, investments were also presented as two types namely Private and Public investments. Private investment started at a negative growth of 1.9 percent in 2002 then increased to positive 2.9 percent by 2004 and decreased to 1.3 percent in 2006. On the other hand, Public investments kept on fluctuating from positive 4.1 percent in 2002 it decreased to a negative growth in 2003 and 2005 until it sustained a positive 0.3 percent in 2006. As could be seen from the figures, public investments started as the largest GDP contributor in 2002 but kept on decreasing while Private investments tried to maintain its positive growth. The increase in private investments was due to a healthy business relationship achieved through the trust established in the economic plans such as the Ninth Malaysian Plan. With regards to the country’s net exports was negative during 2002, 2004 and 2006 with negative 1.3, 2.5 and 0.4 percent growth. In 2003 and 2005, positive 2.0 and 1.3 percent were obtained. Overall, Malaysia had the lowest GDP in 2002 with 4.4 percent growth and as said earlier, it achieved 7.2 percent growth in 2004 and ended with 5.9 percent growth by 2006. The highest contributor in the years 2002 to 2006 were public investments for 2002 and private consumption for the following years. From all these, it could be deduced that Malaysia’s GDP growth was reliant on private consumption. The problem is that as people consume more, they might not have enough to consume in the future therefore increasing the other factors in the GDP should also be done. Growth by Sectors (Figure 2.24.2) The growth it’s Agriculture, Industry and Services sectors, no one sector dominated the others by having a consistent increase per year. This might be caused by the shifts in the strength of production in such sectors. For instance in 2002, Services had the greatest contribution to their economy. However, by the Industrial sector increased by almost 70% in 2003 and continued to rise by 8.22% in 2004, causing it to contribute more to the GDP of the country. By 2005 and 2006, Industry decreased and as finance and trade businesses rose, Services became the largest contributor again. With these, total employment increased in 2006 by 2.5%. As could be noted Agriculture was the least competitive sector. This sector which has been very important to rural incomes and exports might have still been affected by the 1985 act of shifting focus away from the Agriculture sector. It only attained a 6.4% GDP contribution due to the increased prices of foreign crops. Inflation Rate and Money Supply There are 3 types of money monitored by the Central Bank in Malaysia namely M1, M2 and M3. M1 is narrow money, and M2 and M3 considered broad money. M1 is composed of private sector currency and demand deposits. M2 is M1 plus financial assets while M3 is M2 plus: fixed deposits of the private sector; net issues of NCD to the private sector and transactions effected by finance companies, merchant banks, discount houses, and Bank Islam. The adoption of the managed float enabled the central bank to gain flexibility with the money control in monetary policy. Through it they were no longer stalled with always having to off-set the increase in money supply with a substantial increase in money demand in order to keep the Ringgit fixed. In the past 5 years (Table A9), money supply has changed positively. This might have been through their imposed decrease in interest rate. In fact it reached its peak in 2004 by having a 25.4% increase in money supply. With regards to inflation, the Malaysian economy has been experiencing a low inflation (Table A8). Inflation has been under an increasing and decreasing trend per year. However, their rate is not worrisome since it’s still managed in low single digits. From 1.8 in 2002 it reached an inflation of 3.6 in 2006. This price increase has been mainly caused by the increase in fuel prices and electricity cost. In addition, the positive growth in money supply was also a factor in this inflation. It should be noted that despite the inflation consumption still increased because the actual increase in the prices did not hurt the consumers knowing that it was off-set by the strengthening economy or national income. Unemployment Rate The country’s unemployment was unstable. The rate did not increase to more than 3.0 figures (Table A6). In fact, from 3.5 in 2002, it decreased to 3.4 in 2006. This might have been greatly influenced by the sectors especially industry or manufacturing and the services sectors. This is one accomplishment of the macroeconomic objective of reducing unemployment. Further it could aid to an increase in national income through the reduction of the poverty situation in the country. Exchange Rate, Imports and Exports Due to the 1997/98, Bank Negara Malaysia decided to have a â€Å"currency peg† thus fixing the Ringgit exchange rate. As can be seen (Table A19) until 2005, the Ringgit was valued RM 3.8 to one U.S. dollar. Fixing the rate caused damages to the economy since their currency did not increase in value in response to the weakening economy of other countries such as the U.S. Also, although foreign investors might feel comfort in knowing that the exchange rate wouldn’t change most were also hindered from investing. This was because investors know that in time they would lose since the Ringgit does not have a chance to increase its value thus they would look for other profitable investments in other countries. It was a good thing that the Central Bank decided to shift to a managed float system. In 2006, Malaysian Ringgit appreciated to 3.6 per U.S Dollar. The managed float is more favorable for foreign investments since more profit would be attained by investors. It would be the Bank of Negara’s role to ensure control over short term variability and let the demand and supply factors to affect the long-run trends. The exports and imports of the country were not severely affected by the exchange rate knowing that it was still fixed during 2002-2005. Other factors affected the trade of the country. In 2002, 2004 and 2005 the growth in imports was more than that of the exports (Figure 2.24.5). Although the percentage growth of exports was less, surplus was still attained because the total amount of exports was more than the imports. This was attributable to the industrial sector’s contribution in electronics and the rising oil, gas and crops to be exported. Imports grew through the increased consumption of foreign goods. Government Revenues and Expenditures Government revenues were in a declining trend (Table A22). From 23.1 in 2002 it decreased to 22.1 in 2004 and ended at 21.7 in 2006.Likewise, government spending was also declining (Table A21). From 28.7 in 2002 it reached 26.4 in 2004 and 24.3 in 2006. This decrease in earnings might be bad for the government because they would have little funds to finance government programs. It was good that as the earnings decreased, the expenditures also decreased. This direct proportional trend would enable the country to not experience a great loss unlike those countries that tend to spend more although they have the knowledge that they are not earning much. The decrease in government expenditure could be attributed to the decrease in government borrowing as a result of the fiscal policy. The contractionary fiscal policy enabled the country to lower government spending to achieve a long term economic growth. In addition, increasing prices of exports was used as a compensating factor for expenditure’s effect on revenue. Revenue from these exports represents 37% of government revenue. Conclusions Malaysia could be an interesting topic for a lot of economic enthusiasts because of the cycle that it has gone through. Malaysia’s economy has undergone many changes. It started as a well-off economy until it experienced a lot of crises including the Asian crisis. This country is among the lucky ones who have been able to get back on its feet and improve its condition. The increased growth in the pattern of its GDP signifies the strength of their economy. It shows how their national income increases as being affected by the said factors. However, it should still continuously work on improving the condition of its net exports and investments because increasing consumption now could result to less consumable goods in the future. When it comes to the sectors, the performance has been good. The increased electronic productions, crop harvesting and service providing could boost their economy further. In addition, employment is greatly increased by these factors. Moreover, they have a fine control of their money supply. The positive increase in their money supply enables the increased consumption and decreased interest rates but higher inflation. Their inflation is not worrisome being stable at a low inflation figure. With their exchange rate, it has been a right move to shift to a managed rate instead of the pegged rate since more investments and profits would be generated from this. Factors other than the exchange rate have had more influence on imports and exports. Since their exports are still more than their imports its positive contribution to the national income could still be anticipated. Lastly, with regards to their government revenue and expenditure they should find ways in generating more revenue but increasing the spending at the same time because government spending is one of the main factors of national income. With all of these, it could be deduced that Malaysia has a chance of achieving more economic growth. However, the possibility of achieving the Ninth Malaysia Plan is still unfeasible. Although their economy is rising they should still consider more expansionary means of creating a long-run growth and produce realistic goals. This will enable them to catch up and become one of the developed countries. Sources http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/ADO/2007/MAL.asp www.econ.upm.edu.my/~azali/FN.pdf www.mier.org.my/mierscan/archives/pdf/drariff1_8_2005.pdf http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Malaysia-OVERVIEW-OF-ECONOMY.html http://www.pbs.org/nbr/site/research/educators/060106_10d/ http://0-proquest.umi.com.lib1000.dlsu.edu.ph/pqdweb?index=7did=1169443391SrchMode=1sid =1Fmt=3VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1193566062clientId=47883 Appendix 2.24.1 Contributions to growth (demand) Sources: Bank Negara Malaysia, available: www.bnm.gov.my, downloaded 28 February 2007; staff estimates. 2.24.2 GDP growth by sector Source: Bank Negara Malaysia, available: www.bnm.gov.my, downloaded 28 February 2007. 2.24.5 Trade indicators Sources: Bank Negara Malaysia, available: www.bnm.gov.my, downloaded 28 February 2007; staff estimates.

Lipton Marketing Plan Essay

Unilever The Unilever Group is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods. Besides having a significant global presence, Their Lipton brand is a leader in the international market. This report contains and explains the major variable components, which are essential in the process of marketing. It will give an in depth analysis of the tea market. It will also give a comprehensible picture of the internal and the external factors involved that encircle the Tea Product. Lipton Herbal Tea Ingredients Holy Thistle –has been used medicinally for over 2000 years, most commonly for the treatment of liver problems by supporting it in the release of toxins. It has been highly regarded for therapeutic uses and was cultivated throughout Europe. Holy thistle products are still popular in Europe and the United States for various types of liver disease. Holy thistle is believed to have great power in the purification and circulation of the blood. Persimmon –leaves are a good source of important dietary antioxidants, such as vitamin A& C. It has been widely used as a tea in oriental countries. Persimmon leaf is anti-allergic in composition. It is also used topically in some beauty products to help to clarify the skin and eliminate dull and dark areas. Malva Leaf –was considered as a perfect plant in early literatures. In ancient days it was not only valued as a medicine, but was used to decorate the graves of friends. Marshmallow Leaf –has been traditionally used to soothe and support the intestines. Herbs such as Marshmallow are often helpful for symptomatic relief of coughs and irritated throats. Topically, marshmallow is used to soothe and soften irritated skin. Marshmallow leaf is completely non-toxic. Marketing Planning vs. Strategic Planning Developing a marketing strategy involves two steps: (1) Selecting a target market and (2) Developing the best marketing mix (the 4 P’s or 7 P’s) to satisfy this target. Ultimately, the tactics becomes much more specific and provide more precise details about such matters as, say: where should we advertise? When should we run the ads? How will we get distribution in certain types of  stores? Etc. In effect, the tactics describe how to achieve the strategies and how to manage resources that are required to implement the tactics. Companies need to analyze and track what their competitors are doing. It is important to know the strengths, weaknesses, objectives, and strategies of the competition. The marketing plan is an important document used by companies for planning. It is a road map and surveys the business environment, describes problems, threats and opportunities in the industry, contains a marketing strategy, and has financial projections/budgets. We must not confuse a marketing plan with a business plan. A marketing plan is concerned more with strategy whereas a business plan is more concerned with financial information. The primary purpose of a business plan is to raise money from venture capitalists or bankers; the primary purpose of a marketing plan is to provide direction for a company. The marketing plan is an integral part of the business plan. Marketing management constantly have to assess which customers they are trying to reach and how they can design products and services that provide better value (â€Å"competitive advantage†). The main problem with this process is that the â€Å"environment† in which businesses operate is constantly changing. So a business must adapt to reflect changes in the environment and make decisions about how to change the marketing mix in order to succeed. This process of adapting and decision-making is known as marketing planning. On the other hand,  strategic planning  is concerned about the overall direction of the business. It is concerned with marketing, of course. But it also involves decision-making about production and operations, finance, human resource management and other business issues. The objective of a strategic plan is to set the direction of a business and create its shape so that the products and services it provides meet the overall business objectives. Marketing has a key role to play in strategic planning, because it is the job of marketing management to understand and manage the links between the business and the â€Å"environment†. It can help to: †¢Identify sources of competitive advantage †¢Gain commitment to a strategy †¢Inform stakeholders in the business †¢Set objectives and strategies †¢Measure performance Marketing planning is also important since it is often a prerequisite for obtaining funding whether one is a marketer in a large corporation seeking additional money for his or her department or is part of a small start-up company looking for initial funding. Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy There are three processes toward an effective customer driven marketing strategy such as Segmentation Targeting Positioning Segmentation identifies the difference category like as age, location, & religion.- Targeting means product for specific people.- Position means minds of the customer. Lipton’s Neighbouring Segments: Geographic–The market of Lipton is segmented according to geographic criteria such as nations, states, regions, countries, cities, and neighbourhoods. Demographic –Demographic segmentation consists of dividing the market into groups based on variables such as age, gender, family size, income, occupation, education, religion, race and nationality. Demographic segmentation variables are amongst the most popular bases for segmenting customer groups. This is partly because customer wants are closely linked to variables such as income and age. Psychographic –Through psychographic segmentation Lipton’s consumer are divided according to their lifestyle, personality, values and social class. Lipton’s Target Market: Choosing a targeting strategy depends on company resources, product variability, product’s life cycle stage, market variability, and competitors’ marketing strategies. Lipton has equal benefit for everybody. We will have to focus on the all group of ages. Thus we will use Undifferentiated Marketing (or mass-marketing) where everything about the product is designed to bring all people to Lipton. This is a market coverage  strategy in which a firm decides to ignore market segment differences and go after the one market with one offer. The reason of choosing full market coverage is to be a market leader in future. †¢Geographic Target: Lipton’s geographic customers are of USA, Europe and India but in near future after establishing the product in these areas they will definitely launch their product in the rest of the continents. †¢Demographic Target: All age groups Lower, Middle, and High income class †¢Psychographic Target: Higher-Middle class Middle class Lower-Middle class †¢Current Market Trend: Market trend is now headed toward a more sophisticated and aware customer. The preference for high-quality product is increasing as customers are learning to appreciate the qualitative differences. Lipton’s Positioning: Lipton tea has been positioned in the market as â€Å"great tasting and good for consumers† because it is rich in protective antioxidants (Unilever 2007).It is globally promoted as â€Å"the perfect drink for active, healthy lifestyle† (Unilever 2007). The following flavours of herbal tea are currently available: †¢Herbal tea with Lemon – Herbal tea with a twist of citrus flavour †¢Herbal tea with Raspberry – Herbal tea with raspberry flavour †¢Herbal tea with peach – Herbal tea with peach flavor Consumer welfare and sustainable development have been the main driving factors behind the packaging and marketing of Lipton Herbal Tea till now. Therefore, in order to meet the diverse tastes of consumers all over the world, Lipton is continually adding new flavours in the product. These attributes are allowing the organisation to develop and expand its niche at a fast pace in the global arena. Furthermore, Unilever has a strong presence in the developing and emerging markets yet there is plenty of ‘white space’ to move into. These markets are the next in our planned rollout. SWOT Analysis (Business Portfolio Analysis): When the situation is viewed in terms of SWOT analysis, the following can be highlighted: STRENGTHS: †¢Strong Financial Backup: Lipton Unilever has been established as a group by five investors who are also its board of directors; providing Lipton Unilever with strong financial assistance. †¢Emphasis on Quality: The Company manages to provide improved & innovative products to the consumers through research and development. Lipton Unilever is established with the primary concern for uncompromised quality in mind and all of their products are perceived by the consumers as the best in business with respect to quality. They maintain their high quality standards by importing professional expertise and technology from developed nations. †¢Encouragement to innovativeness: The Company has a very aggressive strategy when dealing with developing new products, i.e. they are ready to take risks and come out with products that have unique differential advantages and are unavailable in the market. †¢In-house research facility: Lipton Unilever has an in-house research facility, where market research can be done about consumer preferences and our competitors; the information is very useful to top level managers for decision making. WEAKNESSES: †¢High Price: Since the cost of production of most of their products is high because of various factors (imported ingredients, technology, quality and maintenance etc), they charge high prices for the items they produce. †¢Inexperience in the Tea market: Although Unilever comprises of highly professional people and a strong marketing strategy; they are still considered new entrants in the tea market. OPPORTUNITIES: †¢High Growth Rate: Tea industry has high growth potential in line with high rates of population. †¢Brand Equity: There is strong possibility to establish brand equity by creating awareness in untapped segments of the market. †¢Increasing concern for health: Since the media explosion from the mid-90s, people have convenient access to information. Hence, people are being educated about the concern and need for health awareness and therefore have adopted increasing concern for their health and appearance. THREATS: †¢Rivalry firm: The tea industry facilitates a lot of competition from market leaders like Royal. Their longer existence in the market has given them an established consumer base and loyalty and has provided them with the experience that Lipton Unilever lacks. †¢Economic Factors: Increase in government tariffs, import duties and political situation of the country i.e. economic instability could be a threat to Lipton’s product. An Integrated Marketing Program The Marketplace and Customer Needs and Wants: Global Tea Market: The tea industry is about 170 years old. It occupies an important place and plays a very useful part in the global economy. Tea plantations are mainly located in rural hills and backward areas. The major competitive countries in tea in the world are India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, China and Indonesia. China is the major producer of herbal tea while Sri Lanka and Indonesia are producing mainly orthodox varieties of tea. Kenya is basically a CTC (Crush, Tear, and Curl) tea producing country. India is facing competition from Sri Lanka and Indonesia with regard to export of orthodox teas and from China with regard to herbal tea export. Above Line graph clearly indicates that till 1991 Tea consumption grew at the phenomenon rate of 32.2% where as in recent past few years the average rate of consumption growth is 0.7%. Tea being the only beverage which is consumed at the largest following Water hence there is no trouble to global tea market future with growing population. Customer Needs and Wants: The health related issues are increasing day by day due to the lifestyle and inclination of the generation towards fast food or junk food which is generally responsible for health hazards. Unilever’s research shows that majority of the people have developed health consciousness. This is mainly due to the various health programs being broadcasted on television as well as a variety of articles being published in magazines and digests. Lately trends show that people have started reverting back to the natural means of maintaining health. Natural means ensure high nutrition as well as health enhancement. Moreover nowadays more and more people are getting literate and educated. The education in turn brings awareness in the people and they understand what  do’s and don’ts. There is class of people who are very health cautious and most of them fall under high class societies. Since it is difficult to change the lifestyle of people all of sudden; people look for better product which can keep them healthy and offer resistance or meditate their health for long life and better health. We must keep in mind that tea is hot beverage consumed by people all over the world at highest after water. So it is a great idea if tea can prove as tea as well as medicine and offer better health & immunization as it is consumed twice to thrice a day. If tea can provide health benefits it will be surely welcomed by the class of health conscious people. Furthermore, A few recent studies suggest that the health benefits would drive the performance of Lipton herbal tea across the globe (Winslow 2006). Consumers generally perceive tea consumption to be a healthy activity and are more likely to consume herbal tea rather than other soda based drinks. Therefore, the 100 percent Natural Tea and 150 mg of protective natural antioxidants has made Lipton tea a major participant in the gl obal tea market. Integrated Marketing Plan for Lipton: Our Marketing Objective: †¢To offer consumer best health advantage through Lipton Tea. †¢To establish Lipton as market leader in herbal tea industry. †¢To enable Lipton Tea to satisfy, fulfill the consumer’s personality & lifestyle. †¢To increase Lipton Tea’s popularity as an icon in Herbal Tea product. In order to achieve our objectives we will use following strategies while developing our marketing mix. Value Based Pricing We will set our product price, based on the benefits it provides to consumers. Because our offer is unique and highly valuable features are better positioned to take advantage of value-based pricing. Multi-Channel (Hybrid) Distribution Systems We can utilize more than one distribution design by following a multi-channel or hybrid distribution system. As Example, we may use a direct retail system by selling Lipton Tea in company-owned stores, and through a direct  marketing system by selling via direct dispatch, and through a single-party selling system by selling through grocery stores. This approach will allow us to reach a wider market; however, we must be careful with this approach otherwise channel conflicts will arise. Promotion Mix (Integrated Marketing Communications) In order to deliver a clear, consistent, and compelling message about Lipton and its product we will use; Advertising as it will allow us to reach many buyers and repeat message many times; Sales Promotion since it provides wide variety of tools and rewards quick response; Public Relations because it is very believable and will dramatize Lipton and its product. Marketing Mix of Lipton Tea: †¢Product –Lipton Tea will be a high quality product offered as specially blended herbs tea. Contents of the Lipton Tea will be:40 bags, 80 bags, 150 bags, 250 bags (Family pack)The amount of bags refers to different target groups.40 bags for singles, 80 bags for couples,150 bags and 250 bags are Family Packs. (250 bags is most famous nowadays) Packaging: Customer perception of a package creates brand equity and purchaser loyalty. The image presented by the package largely determines success or failure of a tea line. Appearance stimulates memories and emotions inside the purchaser, who often times is female, often buying for an entire family. Thus colour, image and slogan of Lipton must all combine to facilitate customer allegiance. Before coming to this idea we had to systematically search for new product ideas through analysing our internal sources, customers, competitors, distributors, and suppliers. Afterward we marked the best idea and dropped poor ones by examining the market size, product price, development time and costs, manufacturing costs, and rate of return. †¢Place –High quality tea for a reasonable price will be bought from Assam & Darjeeling (India) and will then be blended and packed in the Lipton factory. Then we may open up company-owned stores to start a direct retail system to sell Lipton Tea. We can even sell Lipton tea directly to the end  consumers by sending direct dispatch from factory. At the same time the final product will be distributed to authorized dealers and retailers such as supermarkets and main tea shops so the end consumer has easy access to it. Place in supermarket: On the middle and lower levels of self. The Lipton Tea will be placed according to the content of tea bags. †¢Price Prices for the tea will be as the following: – Price of $18 for regular sized pack -Price may be increased to reflect quality Reasons for pricing policy: Lipton Tea will be competing against the main player on the Herbal Tea Market Royal Tea by setting a higher price but offering more value for it. Various promotion activities, giveaways and advertising on radio and television will help to establish the brand and gain market shares. †¢Promotion – The promotion is the most important point to launch our products because we want to be able to compete with our biggest competitor. We must focus on this point because the people like to purchase bargains or buy products that offer free gifts. Other brands do not offer as many promotion and free gifts. This is why it is important to focus especially on the Promotion activities of the marketing mix. We are going to set up original events in order to attract new customers and consumers of other tea brands. Our objectives: -Develop awareness -Generate traffic -Build loyal customer base In order to achieve above mentioned we will pursue the following: – Stand in the supermarkets: we want to set up a stand in the supermarket in order to make tasting to the supermarket’s clients. The stand should be placed between the fresh food and the food with the aim  to attract all the consumers. The stand should represent the brand with the colour of the company, the logo, the environment of Lipton. For example, the stand could be coloured with a combination of red and yellow. Moreover, the hostesses can give some presents to the children like, balloons with the logo of the brand and pens with the logo. Also, during the launch of our product (one week), all the customers at the supermarket will receive a sample of â€Å"Lipton Tea† for free at the cashiers including a voucher which explains the game to win a trip to London. Promotional offers during the year: If a client buys a box of 150 bags, he will get a free coupon a spoon or a little kettle. In addition, during first two months, we can organize a game: when you buy Lipton, you win some points and with certain numerous of points, you can get a present which represents the brand image. Promotional event for Lipton Tea launching: During one weekend in a big city we will organize a big event. In the street, there will be hostesses with special clothes who will distribute samples and cups with tea to offer the product to passer-by. After the show, they will hand out flyers the people can fill in so as to win the weekend trip to London. At the end of the event, there will be a drawing of lots. The winner will receive the present(tea boxes) via post way. Furthermore, in the street there will be a lot of decoration of the brand image. Advertisement: At the beginning, the strategy is to focus on the Internet, the radio and on daily newspaper to reach a lot of customers. These media are noticed by a large target group which will help the firm to be known. After six months or one y ear, we will begin a campaign on television, in magazines and on airports. Building Profitable Relationship and Creating Customer Delight Customer Relationship Management: Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to building one-to-one relationships with customers that can drive value for the firm. The continuing evolution of CM is made possible by understanding the interactive relationships that develop between firms and customers and among customers themselves. Lipton will increasingly be able to customize marketing messages  to larger target audiences on the basis of the customer’s expected response and the customer’s value to the firm. By following the CRM strategies discussed here, firms can reduce overall marketing costs, increase overall customer response rates, and, most importantly, increase overall customer and firm profitability. For example: Lipton’s marketing plan has data on markets, prospects, and lists. This is also supported through a third party vendor. But marketing needs to drive generated leads to Sales for follow up. Thus, the marketing department also could use feedback from service and sales about what campaigns are working. Customer Service has excellent customer feedback, but it’s not looping back into marketing department. This is the type of data that can act as the foundation for upcoming marketing campaigns. Customer Service can also provide sales representative important product information or specific account issues that would be invaluable for sales to have before they call on an account. Finally, Customer Service can be used for cross sell and up sell opportunities. The key is to have all your customer information integrated. This provides each department with a 360-degree view of the customer, and ensures that the data is current and complete. Lipton’s CRM applications will also enable companies to interact with customers throughout multiple channels including the Web, phone, fax, direct mail, e-mail, and in person or through partners. Partner Relationship Management: Partner Relationship Management is a used to describe the methodology and strategies for improving communications and relationships between companies and their channel partners. These solutions include key features for selling, commission, opportunity, marketing campaigns, inventory access, and other features designed to facilitate the relationship between manufacturers and their channel partners. Partner relationship management can take a number of different forms. In some cases, delivery of a product is needed during specific times of the day. For example, in Lipton’s shipping and receiving departments, suppliers must deliver within a certain time frame. In the busiest of locations, that window could be as little as 30 minutes.  When traveling across a large geographic region, that can be a hard target to hit. Using software and other communication tools often provided through a partner relationship management strategy, suppliers, shippers and the end users can keep incons tant contact with each other. This means the end user will be able to know where each item is each step in the process and when to expect it. Depending on the situation, this may allow Lipton’s factory to adjust production so that the entire operation does not shut due to supply concerns. Partner relationship management is also important for a manufacturer and reseller or retailer. Software allows the producer to understand when a certain product is in demand and allows that producer to adjust his processes likewise. Without this benefit, Lipton would need to wait for an order from the retailer or reseller. That could delay the process and thus allow both sides to miss out on valuable sales. In addition to communication, partner relationship management can also provide services in other areas. For example, it may include a partner loyalty component, which will provide a benefit to both companies. As those relationships are solidified, it will provide a good customer base on which both can depend. Capturing Value from Customers to Create Profit and Customer Equity The first four steps in the marketing process involve building customer relationships. The final step involves capturing value in return. 1) By creating superior customer value, the Lipton herbal tea creates highly satisfied customers who stay loyal and buy more. 2) By Creating Customer Loyalty and Retention 3) The aim of customer relationship management is to create not just customer satisfaction, but customer delight. 4) This means that companies must aim high in building customer relationships. 5) Customer delight creates an emotional relationship with a product or service, not just a rational preference. 6) Lipton herbal tea is realizing that losing a customer means losing more than a single sale. It means losing customer lifetime value. 7) Growing Share of Customer 8) Share of customer is defined as the share the company gets of customers purchasing in their product categories. (Thus, banks want to increase â€Å"share  of wallet.†) Building Customer Equity Unilever want not only to create profitable customers, but to â€Å"own† them for life, capture their customer lifetime value, and earn a greater share of their purchases. Customer Equity in Lipton Tea Marketing consists of actions taken to build and maintain desirable exchange relationships with target audience involving a product, service, idea, or other objects. Customer equity is the total combined customer lifetime values of all of the company’s current and potential customers. Clearly, the more loyal the firm’s profitable customers, the higher the firm’s customer equity. Customer equity may be a better measure of a firm’s performance than current sales or market share. Building the Right Relationships with the Right Customers Not all customers, not even all loyal customers, are good investments. â€Å"Strangers† show low potential profitability and little projected loyalty. The relationship management strategy for these customers is simple: Don’t invest anything in them. â€Å"Butterflies† are potentially profitable but not loyal. The company should use promotional blitzes to attract them, create satisfying and profitable transactions with them, and then cease investing in them until the next time around. â€Å"True friends† are both profitable and loyal. There is a strong fit between their needs and the company’s offerings. The firm wants to make continuous relationship investments to delight these customers and retain and grow them. â€Å"Barnacles† are highly loyal but not very profitable. There is a limited fit between their needs and the company’s offerings. Important point: Different types of customer require different relationship management strategies. The goal is to build the right relationships with the right customers. Factors Affecting the Effective Implementation of the Marketing Plan Human Resources Capabilities: The people working in this organization are the  key to achieving effective implementation of those strategic plans. Staffing competent employees involves recruiting, training and retaining a capable and adaptable workforce. Knowledgeable, dependable and versatile employees have the ability to overcome the obstacles to change, and can meet performance goals even when other resources are scarce. If all of the other elements listed in this article are present, but the workforce does not meet these criteria, then achieving those objectives may be nearly impossible. Favourable Environment: We have to Rethink existing policies and procedures, and make any changes necessary to facilitate the changes resulting from our strategic initiatives. We may find that certain aspects of our existing operational framework can actually impede strategy implementation, and that certain areas may stand out as being lacking in policy guidance in light of our new strategic goals. Technological Infrastructure: Technology can give our organization valuable assistance in implementing new policies, procedures and initiatives. Utilize technology to enhance and maintain communication and accountability for all relevant managers and operational employees throughout the change process, and to keep track of implementation and performance goals and their achievement. This may require adding new systems and infrastructure, ensuring that all systems will function reliably, and training all relevant staff to use new systems and programs. Incentive Systems: We must consider altering existing incentive systems to coincide with our new strategic objectives. As an example, if we can alter existing incentive system rewards employees on the basis of tenure, but our new strategic plan calls for a 50 percent increase in service plan sales to reposition our company as a service provider, then consider altering the system to reward employees or teams with high monthly service plan sales numbers .According to â€Å"Crafting and Executing Strategy† by Thompson, Strickland, and Gamble, our employees’ incentive-based goals will always coincide with our organizational objectives. Strong Leadership and Culture: Organizational culture and strong leadership are inseparable. We must encourage and train our management team to be agents of change, with the ability to champion new ideas and coach employees through the change process. Also, use our influence as a leader to reset the tone of our organization to reflect the importance and seriousness of our new strategic plans, and lead by example in terms of flexibility and dedication to change. Capital Resources: All of the internal elements listed in this article require capital to employ. For example, highly skilled workers demand higher wages, technological infrastructure can be costly, and reward systems require capital if material goods are offered. Thus proper budget have to be introduced.

Walgreens Analysis

Walgreens Strategy Analysis Retailing: MKTG 3740 B April 7, 2013 I. History and Mission Statement Walgreens has grown from a small, neighborhood-oriented drug store to a trusted, national pharmacy. Founded in 1901 by Charles R. Walgreen, the company bloomed from a commitment made to perseverance. Walgreen came from Dixon, Illinois at the age of sixteen, working an unpleasant job at a drug store after he lost a portion of a finger that left him incapable of continuing a career in athletics.He left with an ambition of entrepreneurship as the flourishing city of Chicago welcomed him with the booming pharmacy business. Devoted to his goal, Walgreen worked his way through gaining experience and financial stability within the growing industry. His work experience through jobs with different pharmacies allowed Walgreen to analyze the strengths and weaknesses in their business operations. Focusing on the gaps in service and the needs by customers that were not being met, Walgreen had an oppo rtunity to capitalize on the industry’s shortcomings by opening his own pharmacy.After earning enough money to put a down payment on a loan for the store that he was working in at the time from Isaac Blood, Walgreen finally owned a store in a great location just south side of Chicago in a prosperous area. He renovated the space, employed a colleague, broadened the selection of products offered, and priced at a fair rate to improve efficiency. One of the differentiating strategies that Walgreen implemented was through utilizing his development of the â€Å"two-minute† drill.This service allowed a local customer to call Walgreen’s store, request an item, and have it delivered by one of Walgreen’s handymen within two minutes of the customer calling. The good reputation of his service spread quickly among the community. The next chapter in Walgreens store innovation and competitive edge was his idea to sell hot food items during the winter, cooked by his wife , Myrtle Walgreen. The trend of that time for many businesses was to have a soda fountain that served cold drinks and milkshakes, which Walgreen also served during the hot summer months.His approach to customer service carried through to winter months with the hot food serving, while his competitors failed to keep up with what would eventually become an essential part of drug store business. Walgreen’s store was growing at a strong pace. By 1929, he had 525 operating stores, 633 in 1975, and hit one thousand open stores in 1984. Today, Walgreens opens around 425 new stores, on average, each year. Through the company’s mission statement, Walgreens strives to be the most trusted and innovative pharmacy with health and wellness solutions and serve consumers across the U.S. Walgreen set out to help people get well and stay well. With constant innovations in technology and customer satisfaction, the company is expected to continue to soar. II. Key events that shaped the com pany Over the past century, there have been economic conditions, changes in demographics, technological advancements, and competitive pressures that Walgreens has had to face and overcome. The first major event that shaped the company was the featuring of the soda fountain in the store in 1909, which lead to the introduction of the malted milkshake that became an American icon.Although a minor triumph at the time, the milkshake attributed to the growth of the company overall. The next event to affect the company hit hard. The Great Depression was a difficult time for most businesses and many were dying out and closing. Walgreens, though vulnerable itself, was able to push through this time by implementing the value of marketing. Through smart advertising and innovations in customer service, Walgreens not only survived the depression but also was able to help by employing workers and added to its testament of always being able to adapt to the changing times.After the death of Charles Walgreen in 1939, his son took over the president position in the company. Fast-forwarding to the next significant even in 1950, when Walgreens opened its first small, self-service store. This event is representative of the innovation and move toward the future that Walgreens will continue to see. A jump to 1975 is a marker of importance as the company reached $1 billion in net sales. In 1999, Walgreens. com opened, offering a convenient shopping experience for its customers online.Today, them most influential growth strategy Walgreens has implemented is the partnership with Alliance Boots to form the world’s first pharmacy-led enterprise. The two brands coming together will position Walgreens for growth in the long-term by transforming Walgreens drug stores into a community, daily living destination while expanding across new avenues of markets and reinventing cost structures. III. Key Financial Data The financial highlights from the income statement of Walgreens Co. n 2012 include a net sales figure of $71,633 million; a decrease of 0. 8% from the previous year. Net sales combined with a cost of sales of $51,291 million lead to a gross profit of $20,342 million; again, down from the previous year by 0. 7%. A net earnings comparison shows a 21. 6 % decrease from $2,714 million in 2011 to $2,127 in 2012. Some in-store sales figures help explain some declines with a prescription sales decrease of 3. 1% and front-end sales increase of 3. 6%.These key financial figures represent a trend in diminishing profits for Walgreens in prescription drugs for the past fiscal year, but a growth in front-end sales, which is an indicator of pharmacy-related issues. IV. The drug store industry analysis As an industry that has been around since the late 19th century, the drug store is comprised of staples and pharmaceuticals retailing. History of the industry recalls the first drug store being opened in 1823 and strictly worked with pharmaceuticals under the first regist ered pharmacist. As the tores became more popular and customers’ needs grew for different products, the industry transitioned into including staple items. Today, the average retail products include (but not limited to): prescriptions, food, cosmetics, toiletries, and tobacco products, but dominate in the pharmaceutical department that holds the highest profit. Chain drug stores currently possess the greatest market share in the industry when compared to independent stores and the majority are incorporated at 76% of all drug store firms. Among the top three company chains are CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid.This segment within the industry is highly competitive with demand growing. V. The future of drug stores With demographics changing, especially within the U. S. , the future of drug stores is expected to transform their product offerings. A shift to concentration on prescription drugs sales, as the general public grows older, will be responsible for a decline in products that are no longer demanded as staple items (ex. beauty aids and fragrances). A growing trend seen in the current market is self-diagnosis and self-treatment along with the addition of generic drug sales.Customers are being offered a generic drug alternative for a lower price and are becoming more inclined to self-treating without the help of a pharmacist. Another movement towards the future includes implementing advancements in technology. Many stores currently use self-serve checkouts and photo printing booths. Advancements in electronic prescription filling and ordering refills online are playing a big role in development. Therefore, a broader depth of target market research and differentiation in product offering based on research results may be beneficial to the survival and growth of the drug store industry.VI. SWOT analysis of Walgreens Strengths and weaknesses Walgreens, as mentioned before, is one of the leading examples of success within the drug store industry. A continuous ne ed for improvement and adaptation to the changing market keeps Walgreens alert and attentive, in step with customer wants, which serves as one of its major strengths. The past 3 decades for Walgreens have been those of growth and exceeding competitive sales. The use of technology incorporated in Walgreens store operations allows the company to receive and analyze real-time sales data and customer interaction.Systems such as the POS (Point of Sale) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) generate up-to-date information on impact of certain store displays on sales and record marketing data needed to maximize profits. In order to serve customers more effectively, Walgreens offers convenient services online, such as photo printing and prescription call-ins. The implementation of technology as a tool for tracking data and servicing is another strength of the company. Walgreens offers a loyalty program to its customers to further improve on customer satisfaction.The reward program, call ed Balance Rewards, is a point-based system that gives discounts and coupons to customers whenever they use the loyalty card and earn points. Many ways to earn points include filling prescriptions, purchasing certain items in-store and online, using the mobile app to purchase items, and a Steps with Balance Rewards that tracks when the customer is living a healthy lifestyle. The customer can redeem his or her rewards for more coupons and discounts on future purchases. While the success of Walgreens is prevalent, weaknesses within the company prevent Walgreens from reaching perfection.A major weakness and concern for the company is opening too many stores. This may seem strange, considering the growth in demand for more stores is perceived as a positive characteristic, but cannibalizing their own market at the growing pace could lead to a mass reduction in sales and revenue by stealing customers from their current top selling stores. As Walgreens is always adapting to its market and looking for new opportunities, an important factor to look into would be limiting how many new stores they are opening and evaluating their product portfolio. Threats and opportunitiesThreats are inherent in any business. Competition would not be possible without external threats. The biggest threat to Walgreens is the rise in grocery store and supermarket discounters. Before, drug stores competed against other drug stores and pharmacies in a highly competitive market. Now, stores like Target and Kroger are offering prescription drug services and are able to do so at a discounted rate. Since these stores carry a much larger assortment of products and more SKUs than a typical drug store, they operate at lower costs and charge a cheaper price.The current economic state poses a threat to businesses everywhere. Within the drug industry, the cut from Medicaid in 2007, by $3. 6 billion, impacted many pharmacies and affected the sales of generic drugs in the U. S. Today, uncertainty around the long-term viability of the Affordable Care Act is threatening the insurance industry, or at least the affordability of coverage. Currently, about half of the states in the U. S. are refusing to participate in the new insurance exchange program, which is driving insurance rates up drastically.Moving away from the challenges of business, opportunities also present themselves within the industry. One opportunity that Walgreens may be looking into is how to market more towards the generation it has been growing with: the baby boomers. This market is the general population that is now getting older and has the most experience with Walgreens. As this generation ages, their needs change and require different products. More prescriptions for aging health issues need to be filled and less beauty supplies are being purchased, for example.The opportunity to transition and focus on this particular market could benefit Walgreens’s sales. Further prospects for Walgreens includes going global. International business opportunities offer drug stores an entire new market, which if executed correctly, can be a major growth possibility. It’s easy to oversaturate a market when operated domestically, as is the case is for Walgreens in the U. S. , so expanding past our borders to different nations may be a prospective move for the company. If there was only one opportunity Walgreens should take on, it would be most important to increase the sales of non-prescription items.Although marketing towards the older generation and profiting from more prescription fills is demanded, incorporating the sales of items that people will buy, as a related product to their main purchases, will boost profit. VII. Competitor’s strengths and weaknesses Walgreens’s biggest competitor is CVS (Convenience, Value, and Service). CVS Caremark is the largest, most profitable drug store/ retailer in the U. S. Strengths CVS Caremark operates under three different retailing segm ents: the CVS pharmacy, Caremark pharmacy services, and its MinuteClinic.Under these three segments, CVS is able to offer its customers lower prices, loyalty programs, cover over two thousand healthcare plans, and operate a walk-in clinic service. Through their services, CVS is able to hold the strongest market share at almost 20% of the prescription drug market. It also has one of the largest loyalty programs for customers; more than 500 million customers who use the loyalty card through the Extra Care program. CVS has made substantial investments in technology and incorporating it into their programs.The company’s strengths have lead them to push a revenue of over $100 billion and net income of $4 billion. Weaknesses The only complaints to come from a customer’s point of view at CVS is that the store consistency varies occasionally, meaning one CVS store may be too different in product offering than another CVS store, which confuses some customers. The employee turno ver rate is also higher than ideal for a large company operating many stores, meaning focus should include keeping employees happy with more benefits. VIII. Key competition comparison SimilaritiesBoth Walgreens and CVS have loyalty programs that they use to reward customers and offer valuable customer data. Using a customer rewards program to offer coupons and discounts builds loyalty to that company’s brand and image. This incentive strategy has worked well for both companies. However, they differ in the way each one works. At CVS, when a customer purchases multiple items in one transaction, the reward points/ coupons are split amongst the items within the one transaction. The customer receives more incentive with each purchase whereas at Walgreens, the reward is based on the number of transactions only.A customer can purchase the same number of items in each store, but receive more reward points/ coupons at CVS. Differences When compared to CVS, Walgreens carries more of a â€Å"mom and pop† store reputation, which benefits their image. The company’s stores are all linked, making it easier for customers to get prescriptions filled at any Walgreen store, which is an advantage over CVS. Walgreens also offers prescription labels and in-store advertising in other languages and is open 24 hours in many locations across the U. S. , another incentive that CVS does not offer.These distinctive traits represent Walgreens’s commitment to pleasing its customer and fulfilling needs. CVS is differentiated from Walgreens through store layout and product offering. CVS stores are known to be larger and customer more customer-friendly in space and appearance than Walgreens. CVS has also brought in more net revenue, over $100 billion as compared to Walgreens at $75 billion, leading by about $25 billion. As mentioned earlier, Walgreens has seen a diminishing performance, financially, while CVS is rising. IX.Recommendations The first recommendation fo r Walgreens to move towards better sales and profits in the future would be to capitalize on the baby boomer generation. As explained before, this would require readjusting the marketing platform to appeal to more prescription sales and aging health products. This strategy has potential for short-term and long-term growth. The second recommendation would be to become aware of cannibalizing its own market. This strategy would lessen the investments in real estate space being made currently.Instead of opening more and more new stores each year, the company should focus on evaluating and expanding the current services in each existing store. Innovations in store layouts and product differentiation in the existing stores may help individual store sales and not oversaturate the market with too much of the same thing. The final recommendation for Walgreens is to enhance its customer service through the convenience factor. Developing more online services will help also help the aging gener ation as it becomes more difficult for them to get in a car and drive to a brick-and-mortar store.This kind of innovation is what customers like to see in businesses and the company will be benefiting from the multichannel strategy. X. References CVS Caremark |. (n. d. ). CVS Caremark |. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from http://info. cvscaremark. com/ Page Through Our Past: Page 4 | Our History | Walgreens. (n. d. ). Welcome to Walgreens – Your Home for Prescriptions, Photos and Health Information. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from http://www. walgreens. com/marketing/about/history/hist4. jsp