New York 16 oz. Soda Ban Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

New York 16 oz. Soda Ban - Research Paper Example As statistics show, Americans ingest approximately 55 billion liters of soda yearly, this add up to about 214 liters or 55 gallons per individual.2 This accounts for a large amount of sugary content consumed by one person considering the composition include high level of fructose corn syrup which not only is the top calories source but also the key cause of obesity. Lancet in his research on consumption of soda and childhood obesity demonstrated that: The 12 year olds who drank soft beverages regularly are usually overweight that those who don’t. Those that consume diet soda are indeed consuming poison, since diet soda compose of artificial sweeteners and not caloric sweeteners. They also do nothing to curb obesity, since diet soda and obesity are related in different ways .3 In the year 2010, USA researchers reported that 25,000 people who died were connected to sugary drinks; the beverages were linked with 133,000 victims died of diabetes, 6,000 victims died of cancer and 44,000 victims died of heart disease.4 Although industries involved in producing soft drinks would react against the Michael Bloomberg’s idea to impose a ban on sodas, with the belief that business is more important than the public’s health, they should however admit that a disease like obesity and diabetes is a key issue that not only affect their customers but the whole society at large. Sugar-sweetened drinks are the leading cause of obesity which awareness simply isn’t enough anymore. When we are serious about fighting obesity then we have to be honest about it and courageous about how to tackle it. We believe it is reasonable and responsible to draw a conclusion.5 People’s freedom of choice is also affected. The society, a vehicle of tax of tax payers, who in return have to perform their duty, the score of it helping to cater for medical costs are liked with diseases like obesity, disability and overweight, not forgetting expenses in their

Comparing Millennial Generation To Boomer Essay

Comparing Millennial Generation To Boomer - Essay Example These generations constitute strong possibilities for analysis as they represent polar opposites in terms of birth, with the Baby Boomers constituting the generation born immediately after World War II and the Millennial Generation those born between 1982-2001. This essay examines these generations in terms of educational opportunities, One of the prominent areas of consideration between the Baby Boomer Generation and the Millennial Generation is the nature of educational opportunities. A notable consideration in these regards is the understanding that both generations emerged in an era of relative prosperity where pursuing higher education was not only a possibility, but an expected course of action for much of the population. Within this area of understanding statistical figures further elucidate areas of differentiation between the two generations. In terms of male education for Baby Boomers, it’s indicated that 25% have some college and 13% have four years of college or mo re. This is compared to males in the Millennial Generation wherein 34% have some college and 15% have four years of college or more. In these regards, the figures for individuals completing college are highly similar. This is not true for females where the disparity between the generations is marked, with 20% of Millennials completing four years of college or more as compared to 11% of Baby Boomers. These changing educational opportunities are also indicative of the shifting of gender roles among the two age groups. While Baby Boomers matriculated in an era where the male was still seen as the primary bread winner, the Millennial Generation increasingly saw the increase of women’s responsibility in the workplace. Another prominent area of consideration is the relative level of diversity between the Baby Boomer Generation and the Millennial Generation. One of the main considerations occurs in the reduction of the majority ethnicity between the two generations. In these regards , the Baby Boomer generation is noted to constitute 77% white, 9% Hispanic, and 12% black. This is compared to the Millennial Generation which demonstrates a demographic make-up of 61% white, 19% Hispanic, and 13% black. The main distinction between the two is clearly the strong rise in Hispanic populations between the generations. While this is indicative of shifts within these generations, it is also highly indicative of general shifts in the overriding population, both demographically and socio-culturally. While educational opportunities and diversity levels are statistically correlated they are also indicative of a number shifting attitudes and perspectives between the generations. Within this context of understanding, a number of qualitative understandings have been articulated. Starbucker presents the Baby Boomer contrast to Don Tapscott’s seminal text on the Millennial Generation Growing Up Digital. Among the comparative elements Starbucker considers contrasting attitu des on the nature of freedom, with both generations valuing it, but the Millennial Generation achieving heightened levels with increased access to digital technology, such as cell-phones and portable Internet access. Another prominent differentiation between the two generations is the outlook on the advance of technology. While the Baby Boomer generation experienced great technological leaps in terms of medical care, the television, and advancing car efficiency, the Millennial Generation has come to be almost identified with the shifting nature of technological progress. Another prominent area of consideration is the shifting attitudes towards the political spectrum. From a broad and qualitative under

What Christians believe about life is up to them Essay Example for Free

What Christians believe about life is up to them Essay AO3: What Christians believe about life is up to them. They should not try to make others accept their position Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have given more than one point of view. Refer to Christianity in your answer One can understand why one might agree, because of free will. We are allowed to make our own rational choices, the story of Adam and Eve illustrates this belief. However, those choices have to be made wisely and they may not only affect the individual but also affect others and society (Abortion and Euthanasia). God have given us many teachings about life, in the bible and he has told us that every person is an individual and is unique therefore giving us all the right to make our own interpretations about life. Nevertheless, he also tells us that we must spread the word of God, this means the beliefs and the teaching of the gospels about the sanctity of life, and you shall not kill so what Christians belief about life is not up to them In the ten commandment they set down a set of rules and in these rules there is a rule which states that one shall not kill this means that people must belief that life is special (no matter what someone may individually think) and must be protected at all costs, like the Catechist teaching. However, the Quakers have no such rules and believe that each person has their own unique situation and that they will be guided by the Holy Spirit, to make the right decision. So that they can make their own decisions about life. A general belief by many Christians is that one should show care and compassion for all non-Christians, even those who are weak in society, unborn or dying. However, one cannot force this view on anyone because the Sanhedrin in the New Testament tried to force their beliefs on Jesus, and he rejected the legalistic approach of the Pharisees and Scribes. But, Jesus challenged these approaches and then was murdered by crucifixion by the Sanhedrin and the Romans. He disputed the authority and was murdered and so we should dispute the authority of the Pope and his archbishops and bishops. They must not make an ill-advised decision on life. Beliefs about life and death affect God, temple of the holy spirit and image and likeness of God. Even though some may argue that beliefs are personal, God is living in us and so he must have a say in the decision. Our society is not longer exclusively Christian and so we cannot make others subscribe to Christian beliefs. This is may seem a very even case but I am certain that people must be able to make their own decisions and not be told what to do. I disagree with this statement and believe that the public in general must also disagree. This is why dictatorship was not at all popular and democracy is. Martin Luther King was man who made his own decisions about life. He believed that all people we equal, and so he made a decision and changed the way we humans live for eternity. Although, the bible may seem out of date with the current times and so we must make decisions based on the modern understanding of what is being written.

Analysis of Marks and Spencers Marketing Mix Executive Summary

Analysis of Marks and Spencers Marketing Mix Executive Summary Marks Spencer is one of the most renowned and oldest retailers of Britain. It was found in 1894 through the partnership of Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer. The first store was opened in Manchester and the company was based on primary values emphasizing on high quality, value for money, service, innovation, and trust. Due to these corollaries, the organization experienced a great success which led to national and global expansions. Today, it is one of the largest clothing retailers with 895 stores in more than 40 countries around the world. Its also listed on the London stock Exchange and FTSE 100 index. The companys current main products include clothing range, home ware and food products with a supply chain of more than 2000 suppliers globally. Nevertheless, the company started facing problems due to the various reasons such as outdated fashion products that were not on par with the fashion trends. This was primarily due to the fact that it lost focus on their central business by introducing a wide range of products that were not compatible with their core competencies. This led rivals to steal the market share. In order to tackle these issues MS decided to move into the Chinese market where they saw better and wider opportunities. Why Chinese market? China is the worlds third largest economy (behind the USA and Japan in US$ terms) and the country has the largest population of 1.3 billion (in 2008) making it one of the fastest growing economies. When the recession hit the worlds economy and the leading retail markets like US and Europe the companies were looking for opportunities to expand and diversify the risk. China was one of these markets that were not affected by the economic downturn. In 2009 its retail sales hit  ¥12.5 trillion ($1.8 trillion), an increase of 15.5% from the previous year. This was due to the continuous rise in the same year of the per capita disposable income which amounted to  ¥17,175 ($2,515). http://chinabusinessreview.net/public/1005/lu.html In 2008, MS opened its flagship store in Nanjing Road, Shanghai. However, the outcome of this venture was not as successful as expected due to several problems ranging from product incompatibilities to superstitious beliefs. The first section of the paper highlights the current financial performance of the company. This is followed by an exploration of the problematic marketing mix that contributed to the failure of the firm in China. After which, recommendations will be provided for MS to use as a turn around strategy. othman Financial highlights: The financial and trading performance is the measurement of the results of a firms policies and operations in monetary terms. These results are reflected in the firms return on investment, debt to equity ratio and many other ratios (Dictionary, 2010). A ratio is one value divided by another. The result is representative of the value of one quantity in term of another (Ross, Westerfield, Jordan, 2006). During this section the light will be put on the financial aspect of Marks and Spencers business to assess whether its financial situation is adequate or if there is any loopholes that the company might have to consider in the future. For a matter of better understanding, the financial key performance indicators will be compared to TESCOs ratios. Income: From these figures, it can be seen that Marks and Spencer has be gradually increasing its net revenues. However, even if they increased, its net income and earnings per share decreased. This can be explained by the investments that have been carried out by the company to realize its internationalization strategy. Not all of these investments have been successful as some did not succeed like in France for instance where the company decided to close all its stores and exit the market. Indeed, they abandoned their opportunity to expand in France but the cost to exist was relatively expensive mainly because of the labor force protection by the French Government (Global Oneness, 2010). Revenue by region: Stock performance: Ratios: In short term solvency, it can be said that the company is managing normally its activities in an inefficient way. Indeed, if it was to pay its short term debt immediately, the company would just be able to cover around 80% of them. If Tesco is taken as an example, its current ratio is 345% (Yahoo Finance, 2010) which means that Tesco is more secure financially than Marks and Spencer. Thus, investors would be willing to invest more in Tesco. This situation also spread bad image for the company in its financial circle which can have the effect of reducing the investing power of the company. Regarding the long term situation, the level of Asset-to-equity and Debt-to-equity ratios show that the company have a large part of its assets financed by Debt. Consequently, it highlights a high level of financial leverage, approximately 64%; which is supported more by the debt ratio. Problematic areas of Business: nafisa Marketing mix Porduct: Clothing It is crucial in fashion industry to get the product right. In the past decade, MS had downturns of business and brand image related to its apparel getting old fashioned. Although analysts say they have recovered, they seem repeating product mistakes in Chinese market as well. Experts in fashion, have identified key issues that may lead a fashion product to fail. According to Jackson and Shaw (2009), here are the common reasons why fashion products fail: poor or outdated design; poor sizing or fit; unfashionable or irrelevant styles/prints/colours; poor positioning or in-store presentation; poor value or uncompetitive price; poor or non-existent consumer awareness of the product and/or its availability; hyper strong competitive offers elsewhere. Researches and analyses on the MS expansion to Chinese market indicate that all above points were relevant to their products. 4.1.2 Sizing Each clothing retail brand has its basic pattern block that probably has been made after studying target groups measurements and taking the average from that. Marks Spencers typical apparel customer is a woman after 40s who prefers comfortable fit and quality. This has affected MS fashion and sizing as well. Customers complain MS clothes and underwear are larger compared to the same sized item from another shops. In mass production of several thousands of pieces of garments, shrinking the measurement in to unnoticeable 1 cm may make noticeable reduction in cost. Therefore fashion is created according to feasibility, cost effectiveness of the designs and it is influencing the way clothes fit and the sizing as well. The reason why MS clothes seem greater compared to cheaper rivals is actually can be explained by the philosophy of not compromising on quality. Average size in Chinese apparel industry is smaller than European size in every dimensions. It is shorter; sleeves are 2 inches shorter, sizes up to 16-18. In Europe it is up to 26. When a fashion retailer enters a new market, it is important to research consumers sizes, body structure, and culture. Because these things influence peoples fashion tastes and clothing culture. Style and Fashion: In the Chinese market, MS offering large size garments that pleased expatriates who struggle to find their size in shops, which target average Chinese women. However, Chinese customers showed very low interest, as the clothes are too big and too simple. MS is a department store that tries to meet the needs of all age groups with different needs. Where as competitors try to focus on one segment and one fashion concept and therefore perform effectively. The brands failure of drawing young Chinese peoples attention could be due the failure of Everything for all positioning in general. Fast fashion requires the retailer to focus on certain, preferable well-specified segment (like Zaras, classy chic over 20s). May be it is time for MS to give in-house brands independence and expose number of different brands, keeping MS just a store name. Diversified products result in bigger and slower supply chain. Because competitors are adopting efficient and quick product turnover, smaller and faster batches, MS clothes, when arrived to stores cannot stand the competition. Costumers find them out of fashion. Brand value is a key for success in fashion industry. Fast moving, better-positioned and low price competitors are jeopardizing brand value of once famous clothing retailer with heritage. Celebrating its 125 birthday, MS resembles older generation fashion and in store brands and young celebrities used as brand ambassadors not helping to attract 20-25 year olds although they are helping to retain more customers whod switch to competitors otherwise. According to research by Datamonitor, more than 75% of shoppers in the food halls of MS, are over 45. In the fashion department the problem is worse: 65% of its main clothing shoppers were aged over 55, as were those who accounted for 48% of spending on MS clothing last year. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/22/bolland-marks-spencer-problems ) hassan Food: Limited range and Long life food products: Marks and Spencer has been criticized by its Chinese customers that the food products in shelves were produced a long time ago from the date of purchase. So there is only a small portion of fresh products and also the range and variety is limited. Majority of products are approaching towards expiry date. The food items contain preservatives that effect taste of products. Further research shows that a large amount of products were destroyed due to expiry, spoilage and bad conditions. Almost all products are made in UK so this leads to customers perception of Marks Spencer as a British store. Research shows that the main reason for above mentioned problems is that Marks and Spencer imports its products from UK. It takes a significant time in shipment of goods from UK to China due to enlarged supply chain cycle involved. A portion of products is deteriorated due to inefficiencies in handling, storing and transportation procedures. Branding issue Marks and Spencer brands all its products under its trade name MS. this brand name appear strange to Chinese people and they have translated it into a Chinese term. Also this brand name has no direct linkage with products. This is due to company policy towards branding and trends in UK market as much of retailers such as Tesco brands their products under their trade name. 4.2.3 Packaging issue: Marks Spencer customers are finding product packs confusing and misleading. Research reveals a customer complains that he bought a packet assuming it to be biscuits but when he opened it were snacks. The above problem is a result of standardized strategy towards packaging and labeling. The labeling lacks Chinese description and also rich in text and without product images. othman Marketing Mix Price: When setting the price of a product, the company must understand perfectly its cost and the customer value perception for the product (Armstrong, Harker, Kotler, Brennan, 2009). Marks and Spencer did surely understand these points when operating in UK and in other successful countries but not when it came to China as the company failed to set the price correctly. Normally, the price the company charges will fall somewhere between one that is too high to produce any demand and one that is too low to generate any revenue (Armstrong, Harker, Kotler, Brennan, 2009). These are the extremes and Marks and Spencer leaned far too much to the high price end. As a result, the company found it very hard to sell its product and generate profit for a viable business in China. One example would be the cashmere scarves that Marks and Spencer was selling or pretending to sell, as no one bought them, at  £50 where it was possible to get them for far less at nearby stores (Moore, 2009). However, in some cases the prices of products were convenient but the customers still did not buy them. The reason is primarily that Marks and Spencer did come late. Indeed, Wal-Mart and Carrefour were there before and had more than enough time to impose their respective brands and enjoy the lions part (Crabbe, 2010). Marketing Mix Place: When entering a new market, one of the crucial decision that a company has to make is choosing the right location to open in. indeed, the location is one of the key factors to a business success firstly due to of being the least flexible of the strategic retailing issues and secondly, because the location set the geographical boundaries of the trading area from which the store draws its customers (William Ferrell, 2010). As a result, in the following paragraph will discuss the problems related to the Marks and Spencer stores in China. Marks and Spencer has opened since 2008 two stores in China, one in Huaihai Road in Shanghai, the equivalent of Londons Oxford Street (City Focus, 2010). And the other one is in Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai major attraction and commercial hub (City in pulse, 2010). These stored, especially the first one, has suffered poor trading in the last months. This was due to many factors but the discussion will only focus on location related issues. The first issue concerning the location was the first store opened. Marks and Spencer had chosen one of the most popular streets in Shanghai because it wanted to show its brand reputation and refined stores. But at the same time, the company wanted to expand quickly and as a result the store was not ready to welcome the new Chinese customers. Indeed the walls were scuffed and the paint job was poor (Moore, 2009). As the old adage confirm, the first impression is the last impression and by failing to make a good one in the Grand opening of its first store, Marks and Spencer condemned itself of having a bad image in China. The second issue was that the company underestimated the differences in operating in China and Hong Kong, therefore using the same strategy to find the store location in China. Indeed, Sir Stuart Rose admitted to the Financial Times during his visit to the Shanghai store that Marks and Spencer did misunderstood the Chinese mainland market, assuming that its experience in Hong Kong could be directly transferred to this market (News, 2009). vaishali Marketing Mix Promotion: Brand awareness: One of the major problems with Marks and Spencers (MS) venture into China is the fact that many local people were not aware of the brand. In fact, one of the articles regarding MS in China talks about local men saying weve never heard of this company. Many female shoppers also claimed to be unfamiliar with the brand. Although it is a well-known British company with many outlets overseas, it is fairly unknown amongst Chinas local public. This means that there is a lack of brand awareness and advertising as the locals do not have much knowledge of its history. As a result of this, many customers would not be instantly drawn to it as they do not recognize it. Lack of familiarity discourages people to enter the stores which will inherently affect sales. Other issues: teja Supply chain: Global supply chain management is an important area for MS in its expansion to China. Global supply chain management involves the companys worldwide interests. In Chinas expansion it is noticeable that the supply chain related issues are based on the following areas. Timing Proper timing in approaching a market gives advantages for a company. For example first movers in a market always have advantages in gaining profits. Chinas retail industry has grown rapidly during the recent history. The move of MS to China was taken during the recession. Even though China was less affected by recession due to its closed financial system, the worldwide demand for Chinese exports were decreasing. It was a time when cash strapped consumers were moving away from expensive ready cooked meals and thinking about buying the cheaper substitutes instead of the expensive. Luxury ready prepared meal that is the mainstay of Marks and Spencers offering. Marks and Spencer dont have enough flexibility to move  their offerings at the time of Moving to China.   The result is loss of customers to competitors and it will become difficult to recover them when economic times get better. Institutional Factors Product controls, government regulations, tariffs affects supply chains. When MS initially started the business in China the company had lots of difficulties in getting products into the country. Chinese custom officials blocked MS goods. This situation created empty shelves in the food department of the store. (http://www.jddchina.com, 2010) Corruption and government bureaucracy remain a major issue in China. Business activities and financial related activities can take a lot more time than comparing with UK and the administration costs remain extremely high. The higher amount of control in the economy by the government creates policy uncertainty. This uncertainty exists as a major challenge for businesses operating in China. Integration According to the experience of successful international businesses in China such as Sara, HM and Tesco, it is necessary to take a long view in China. Existing products should not be transplanted into Chinese markets without making them localized. In the localization process it is necessary to have a proper integration with the local talents that can create better customer links. Nilesh Superstitious beliefs: Although China is one of the big and a great country in all the aspects of the world but still they have lots of superstitious beliefs. Marks and Spencer in china has suffered from these kinds of beliefs. China has a main impact of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is widely used to orient buildings. According to the retail competitors of Marks Spencer the main store is at a cursed location of the city. This superstitious gossip was because just at the four days of opening of the Chinas main MS store there was a death of one of the man named Harshit Shah. He got killed accidently while leaning over the side of escalator (The Telegraph, 2010). As MS is in China we cant neglect these things that could have been one of the reasons of the failure for Marks Spencer in China. Most of the Chinese people have some traditional beliefs about the numbers. They consider no. 4 is associated with the death so most of the times they dont even buy products that price starting or ending by number 4. They consider number 8 for prosperity and good luck. They also skip the 4th floor in many of the buildings. Different styles forms of the Feng Shui are often used to block or reduce the negative energies that occur. According to some believers of the Feng Shui the structure of the Marks Spencers store was wrong and that led think of superstitions as one of the problems for MS in China. Recommendations: nafisa Marketing Mix Product: Clothing Researches show Chinese consumers are not familiar with MS brand. This gives an opportunity of positioning the brand differently than it is positioned in home country. The construction of store image, comprising both tangible and intangible dimensions, compounds problems of moving into international markets as consumers in the host environment are less familiar with the intangible dimensions of image, which have been built up over time with exposure to the retail company. Retail companies therefore need to fully understand the importance of image in competitive positioning and the components of store image before attempting to replicate this image and positioning overseas. Repositioning the brand can give a chance to reach the desired customer, 25-35 year old Chinese consumer with higher disposable income. With current strategy MS cannot be as successful in china as in the UK. Because older generation in China do not have high disposable income unlike their European peers. BCG researches indicated that Chinese consumer is very young. Although fashion has become global already, it still needs localization when entering a new market. Jessica Lo, of the China Market Research Group warns that western brands should not bank on Chinese consumers directly paralleling European and American shoppers when it comes to taste and aesthetic appetites. Many western companies forget to localise both their styles as well as advertising. They use celebrities and images that work in the UK and Europe, but that dont resonate with Chinese consumers. It is critical that companies get the right product selection and style and advertising image. (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6objectid=10650170 ) Marks Spencer can increase its Petite range products and bring it to Chinese market with different, localized brand. When petite sizes are average, its better to replace the name, because it may sound offensive rather than just size attribute. It is recommended that MS researches fashion preferences, consumer behaviour of Chinese people and then create an in-house brand customized for Chinese market. Similar brand should be created for menswear as well. hassan Food: Limited range and long life products: Chinese people are very conscious about their food selection because they link it directly to their good health and long life. So we recommend the following actions to be taken and implemented. Marks and Spencer should develop local production facilities so that products are produced and processed in china than importing from UK. So as a result people will get fresh products at best taste. This will also change its image from a British retailer to a local manufacturer. Develop methods and improve conditions so the preservatives are not added in the products. This can be achieved by improving packaging, storage conditions and efficient supply chain and product replacement cycle. Re-engineer the import process so the inefficiencies in handling, packaging, storing and transportation are removed to ensure minimum wastage. The freshness and pureness (no preservatives) features will be used for promotion of products as it is a successful practice now days used by high profile food manufacturers. The company executives can perceive local production as a costly operation when comparing to demand but it will increase demand in long term by bettering product image. We can also export our made in china products to other near locations like India and other markets. It will also lower the cost and will drive prices in a competitive range. Packaging: The packaging is a core area of concern as it acts in a multiple way by communicating product information and brand character. It is the first point of contact of product with customer so it should be attractive in terms of design and colour. The Chinese link longness to long life so package should be designed in long shapes and the colour are also important. As they will be attracted towards red packs which is a symbol of prosperity and avoid using black colour as it is for bad luck.( http://chinasearch.co.uk/buy/marks-and-spencer/) Package should be functional and clear so it shows the true picture and nature of product. It should be convenient for Chinese people to open as they avoid cutting things with scissors and knives. Package should be well labeled about product, brand and all relevant information. Marks and spencer should label products using a bilingual approach. Using both Chinese language and English so it will be useful for customers to read all information they need. The label can be made more attractive and functional by adding Chinese recipes. othman Marketing Mix Price: To make the prices of products more affordable and competitive, one solution would be that Marks and Spencer improves its supply chain to reduce cost: First, by exploiting the technology in its stores by introducing hand held communicators to track clothes from the distribution to the sales floor which helps to know exactly what is in the stores. The result would be a more efficient and cost effective delivery system Second, by introducing a technology that consists of counting the number of items sold by kind automatically when the transaction is handled; For clothes especially to know what items are better sold and what are the ones that have to be removed. Another suggestion would be to carry out a consumer shopping experience research to know what kind of design Chinese prefer, and what products should go together in order to get rid of unwanted products and consequently reducing the cost of unsold goods The last but not least is to make enough space between clothes and food so that the stores looks more attractive thus reducing the concern about price. Marketing Mix Place: As it was said at the beginning, the location is the less flexible asset. Consequently the suggested solution will focus more on upcoming stores. The ideal location for these future stores would be places that people can access more easily, also MS should think about starting to open small stores to catch also the low volume buyers as this type of potential customers are willing to become loyal clients but are not going to waste time in a supermarket just to buy few items. For future stores, Marks and Spencer should evaluate the relative ease if movement to and from the site, including factors such as pedestrian and vehicular traffic, parking and transportation (William Ferrell, 2010). The company should also evaluate the characteristics if the site itself: types of stores in the area and the visibility of the lot under consideration (William Ferrell, 2010). One last thing to do is to look for compatibility with neighboring stores merely because stores that complement one another d raw more customers for everyone (William Ferrell, 2010). vaishali Marketing Mix Promotion: Re-branding and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Due to the fact that the company has been battling with bad press and negative public views due to several reasons such as offering products that do not cater the needs of the market, lack of products, providing wrong sizes and superstitions due to the occurrence of a death during the opening week, MS needs to re-brand itself in order to move away from the negative connotations, erase the past image and start afresh. This can be done by changing the store look and layout. It should have colours and products that exude vibrancy and freshness. The MS logo should be re-designed in order to bring a sense of novelty. The focal signboard outside the store should grab attention and be vibrant. It can be designed with neon lights and a different shade of green, together with black in order to make it look noticeable. The window displays should also be creatively designed with mannequins dressed up in vibrant colours and innovative designs. The arrangement should grab hold of the passerbyà ¢ â‚ ¬Ã… ¸s interest, especially the female youth- which will be MSà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s new target market. Although this is an advertising technique, it primarily falls under re-branding the store and giving the brand a new image. All these efforts should be concentrated towards recreating a store that does not remind the customers of the old store or their views of it- it should feel new to the customers and help develop positive impressions. Another way of erasing bad memories and creating a positive image in the minds of the public is by engaging in CSR (corporate social responsibilities) activities. MS should consider taking up a project that can prove to be beneficial for Shanghai and its people. One such way is by engaging in charitable causes that help raise funds to help out some of Shanghaià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s poor population. Such activities should have proper news coverage so as to disseminate the message amongst the people about MSà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s good, unselfish deed. This will help change the minds of at least some of the people and help develop an optimistic view of the brand. Increasing brand awareness: Due to the fact that many people were unfamiliar with the brand, MS should engage in heavy advertising. It can include various mediums, some suggestions for MS are as follows:  · Television: This is the most successful way of reaching mass-market, especially in China where it is very popular. MS should consider buying slot times during programs that have the highest viewership. For example, the China Central Television (CCTV) claims to have 600 million viewers for its daily evening news- making it the most watched news program in the world. Adverts can also be shown during the running of popular programs like the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Spring Festival Galaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ (one of the highest rated show in China), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Fashion Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ (on Gungxi TV, which shows the highlight from fashion shows around the world- also one of the top-rated shows) or during famous soap operas like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Wo Juà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. MS should create eye-catching ads with catchy tunes and cool graphics and also make use of famous local celebrities like Yao Ming, Zhang Ziyi and Jay Chou to establish a connection with the local people. Famous international celebri ties, like David Beckham or singer Rihanna, can also be used for TV ads to catch the attention of the expats, and these ads will still manage to get the attention of the Chinese people who also like and recognise them (celebrity branding).  · Print advertising: Newspapers are also Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s most popular advertising medium. Papers like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Jiefang Ribaoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ (Liberation Daily) and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Jingji Ribaoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ (Economic Daily) have high readership rates- nevertheless, these are mainly read by the working class people. In order to reach out to the youth market, MS can advertise in the popular Chinese Youth Magazine known as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Zhongguo Qing Nian Baoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. Popular female magazines like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Elle Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Harperà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s Bazaar Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ can also feature MS adverts and it will help reach out to middle-upper class women interested in fashion. Also, television-based brochures also have high circulation rates. MS can feature its ads in the Shanghai Weekly Radio Broadcasting and TV known as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Meizhou Guangbo Dianshià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸, which has a circulation of 2.8 million in Shanghai.  · Online advertising: This is the usage of the World Wide Web in order to get the message across and build interest for your brand. In China, 1/3 of the population is found online, this makes it the second largest à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾internet communityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ in the world. Internet is a good way of reaching out to young people, and this is important to note as they will be MSà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s target market for the clothing department. In China, Facebook is not as popular as websites called à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾QQà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾360 Quanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ (Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s largest social networking sites). Whereby companies today are creating facebook pages to reach out to the youth market (e.g. Burberry), MS should try and join the aforementioned sites to create awareness, inform the youth about the brand and its products and encourage them to buy them. This is also a good way to connect with the

Moral Development in Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby Essay exampl

Moral Development in Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby      Ã‚   Moral Development, according to the Webster's dictionary means an improvement or progressive procedure taken to be a more ethical person, and to distinctly differentiate between right and wrong.   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Great Gatsby, both pose as pieces of literature that vividly portray moral development through the narrator's point of view.      Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, wants the reader to see and focus on the search for freedom.   As on the other hand, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, author of Great Gatsby, wants you to see the American Dream, which is a freedom as well, a socio-economic freedom. These authors have chosen their narrators well, as we see a significant number of action that have brought them to be ethically developed.   Narration in a story is important, and is usually told by a main character.   These narrators face a world of confusion, a world of fear, a world of adventure, and most of all, a world of opportunity.   By these things I mean that Nick Caraway, and Huckleberry Finn have a chance to mature as time progresses though the novel, and then make a remarkable move to end up as a hero. The narrators of The Great Gatsby and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn develop morally as the relate the story that reflects each one's position in society.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Great Gatsby, by Fitzgerald, is narrated by Nick Caraway.   Nick is a sophisticated observer of character, who starts out as an amoral person.   His character is a very peculiar one, because he is somewhat neutral though this whole st... ... The Great Gatsby. Ed. Ernest Lockridge. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. 37-53. Crowley, Donald J., ed. One Hundred Years of Huckleberry Finn: The Boy, His Book, and American Culture. Columbia: U of Missouri, 1985. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. London: Penguin Books, 1990. Harris, Susan K. "Huck Finn." Huck Finn. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1990. Johnson, Claudia Durst. Understanding Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood P, 1996. Poirier, Richard, Huck Finn and the Metaphors of Society. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Simpson, Claude M., ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1968. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. (1884) Secaucus: Castle, 1987.      

MLB Salary Cap Is Needed Essay -- essays research papers

Anyone who has been involved in an organized sport, whether it is backyard football or a high school sports team, knows that these sports all have organizations that are responsible for setting rules, determining conditions of play, and penalizing individuals who infringe the rules. Some of the organizations like the National Football league and the MLB are familiar to most people, the rules they follow are not generally understood by anyone who is not closely associated with the sport. Most fans and sport critics assume that what is happening inside these organizations are of little concern to them. However, this is not the case. In the MLB, the New York Yankees spend an excessive amount of money every year to obtain big name players. A luxury tax was put into effect for teams that go over the spending limit. However, the Yankees are the only team that pays the tax because they are the only team that exceeds the spending limit. The players, coaches, fans, and I have argued that a s alary cap would be the best possible way to allow teams in the Major Leagues an equal opportunity getting to the World Series. For the last 30 years, the New York Yankees have been a dominant force in Major League Baseball. Other teams do not make as much money as the New York Yankees therefore they have less capital to spend on big name players. In 1994, the Major Leagues put the luxury tax into place. The idea was to tax a club’s payroll if the total payroll exceeded a certain limit. However, the Yankees seem to exceed this limit every year. The Yankees are a notable team not only for their impressive history on the field, but also for their financial situation. The Yankees owner spends more on player salaries than any other franchise in baseball. â€Å"As of 2004, the team payroll is more than $182 million, which is $51 million more than the second-highest team, the Boston Red Sox, and more than the six lowest-payroll teams combined† (Wikipedia Encyclopedia†). The millions of people who are associated with baseball in this country, many of whom had only a vague idea of what was happeni ng, are now asking themselves whether or not the game is being played fairly. Even though teams like the New York Yankees are able to assemble top-notch teams by ignoring the spending limit, a salary cap is necessary to maintain the equal competitive nature of major leag... ...uld be acceptable would be to issue a salary cap like every other major sport in America. The NFL and NBA were forced to have a salary cap and we haven't seen a dominant team like the Yankees since the Celtics in the 50's and 60's. Every year there is usually a different "dominant" team and the Super Bowl and NBA Championship is always up for grabs. Attendance is slowly declining in the MLB because people do not want to support their home teams when in reality, they will lose to the usual dominant high paid teams. This is not fair to any sports fan and the only acceptable solution to keep attendance high and ratings up is to issue a salary cap. Selig, Bud. â€Å"Baseball Almanac Biography.† January 12, 2001. [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/budseligs_biography.shtml] Staudohar, Paul D. â€Å"Salary Cap in Professional Sports† June 21, 1998 [http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/archive/spring1998art1.pdf] George Bob. â€Å"Money Battle† December 1, 2000 â€Å"Wikipedia Encyclopedia.† Accesses November 27, 2004 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page] Steinbrenner, George. â€Å"Steinbrenner Speaks To the Press† September 21, 2002 [www.baseballjunkies.com/articles/2001/april/seasontalk.html]

Films Present Psychosocial Disabilities Essay

A number of films feature psychosocial disabilities simply because some people suffer from these illnesses in real life. Through analyzing films, one can comprehend the attitudes of society toward people with these disabilities. It can be a special emphasis on their capabilities or a barrier on their participation in the community. Since these individuals have to relate with society in order to grow and mature as individuals, films try to convey their stories to the audience. Through film, the societal attitudes and on how these affect the lives of people with disabilities are explored. These may be strategies that either help or delineate the societal attitudes on those who have psychosocial disabilities. (De Leon, 352) Therefore, it helps to examine and understand the contributions of these societal attitudes and theories of personality in order to comprehend the relations of those who have psychosocial disabilities to society. The way they cope with their illness and react to loss is slowly observed and from there, the method to relate is determined. It is important to describe the developmental concepts of the person suffering from the illness. His regard on body image and self-concept are factors on how he adjusts with his disability. By reviewing the psychosocial models of adaptations to the disabilities and emphasizing on the patient’s experiences, behaviors, reactions and phases, it is easier to come up with the conclusion on how he can adjust to society. A technique films use in presenting psychosocial disabilities to audience is to figuring out the patient’s commonalities that are both personal and transpersonal to society. By observing the experiences and the reactions from these events, the onset and root of the disability is discovered. (Farrington, 135) Films dealing with psychosocial disabilities increase the understanding of society to what people with these disabilities have to go through. Some will say that these are just movies; however, these movies are inspired by real life. By becoming familiar with the psychosocial adaptations of both the patient and society, counseling and therapeutic procedures will benefit those who need it more because their techniques in coping and adjusting have been tried and tested. This paper will discuss three films that show psychosocial disabilities: 1. ) autism in â€Å"The Rain Man†, AIDS/HIV in â€Å"Philadephia† and mental retardation in â€Å"There’s Something about Mary†. All three films are popular and have been watched by most Americans, therefore it is easier to cite examples in these movies on this paper. For coherence, this paper will present how the disability was represented in the film by describing the patient’s functional limitations. It will also discuss how the disability affects the patient’s body image and self-perceptions. Then it will proceed to the reactions, as well as the coping strategies of the patient with his disability. At the same time, the paper will indicate how society’s reaction towards the patient and his ability affect his attitudes. †Rain Man† (1988) follows Charlie Babbit (Tom Cruise) and his transformation from a selfish yuppie to a selfless brother. This is because of the days he spent with his older brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) who is the benefactor of their father’s financial assets but is autistic and has difficulties in communicating. Charlie’s initial reaction to their father’s decision of leaving $3 million to his autistic brother is general as that of most people. He believes that Raymond does not understand the whole concept of money. Therefore, Charlie was determined to get his share. He goes on a road trip with Raymond, only to be annoyed by his neurotic habits. It even gets to the point that he thinks Raymond is pretending to be autistic in order for Charlie to not get his share of the fiscal assets. Autism is a brain development disorder that affects communication and social interaction. It results to repetitive and restricted behavior. In the film, Hoffman does acts that autistics usually do. An example is the memorization of details which most â€Å"normal† people do not pay attention to. In one scene, Charlie and Raymond are supposed to fly to California but the latter resists. He then cites knowledge from both media reports and the encyclopedia on airline accidents and crashes. Raymond creates a scene when Charlie forcefully drags him to the terminal. (Stowe, 12) This is only the beginning of the sling of Raymond’s eccentricities which Charlie has to adjust with. Charlie uses the two-lane highways because Raymond is convinced that highway driving is fatal. He also refuses to go out when it rains. The whole road trip annoys Charlie because he wants to get his inheritance as soon as possible. On the other hand, the people who meet Raymond are amazed of his uniqueness. In a restaurant, one waitress is baffled on how Raymond knows her name and her home phone number. Apparently, he has read up and memorized the directory. The same waitress drops a box of toothpicks on the floor. Raymond calculates the number of toothpicks on the floor and gets the right number. Autistic patients often prefer to do things in order. In the film, Raymond wants maple syrup served before the pancakes. When he does not get his way, he throws a tantrum which brings Charlie to a boiling point. He grabs Raymond’s neck and says, â€Å"Stop acting like a retard! † Autistic patients also like to keep notes. In the movie, Raymond carries a red spiral notebook where he jots down â€Å"squeezed and pulled and hurt my neck in 1988. † Charlie’s relation with his brother Raymond is an allusion of society’s interaction with autistics. Initially, there are feelings of annoyance and irritation. Eventually, these strong quasi-hateful emotions will soften. Like Charlie, society has a growing sense of responsibility to protect autistics from the negative aspects of the world. (Turnbull) †Philadelphia† (1993) tackles HIV/AIDS. The main character is Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) who is a University of Pennsylvania law-school graduate. He works for a large law film in Philadelphia. He has not come out of the closet. Also, he has AIDS. It gets to the point where his condition has developed Kaposi’s Sarcoma. This is a form of cancer that is apparent because it comes in multiple tumors on the skin and the lymph nodes. Through a scheme that involves the deleting of the files on the case he has pondered on, he is fired from his job. In the library people leave immediately as soon as they see Andrew with the blotches on his skin. Witnessing the discrimination Andrew has to go through, Joe changes his mind and takes on the case. HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a retrovirus that results to AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The immune system fails to function properly. This leads to life-threatening infections in the human body. Throughout the film, Andrew and Joe establish respect and trust for one another. Joe’s homophobia is not an issue. Despite the shock of the Pennsylvanian population, Joe presents to everyone that Andrew is not a virus in society. He berates Andrew’s boss of perjury by humiliating Andrew claiming that he is incompetent, simply because he is finding a reason to let him go. In the end, Andrew wins his case and he receives a total $4,240,000. This win makes a statement on sexual discrimination in Philadelphia in terms of preference. Unfortunately, for Andrew, the news is bittersweet as he stays in a hospital with his family around him. He undergoes medication to lessen the seizures. There is a moment in the movie wherein Joe approaches Andrew and helps him with his oxygen mask. In that act, Joe’s fingers touch Andrew’s face. This is the complete opposite of how he reacted in the earlier part of the film – when he shook his hand and wiped it clean, after knowing he had AIDS. Released in the early 90s, â€Å"Philadelphia† signaled the move for Hollywood to depict homosexuals realistically. Since then, movies and TV shows feature gays and lesbians, which is a breather to those who are open-minded. (Gary, 224) Schools require sex education in order for teenagers to be informed and knowledgeable on HIV and AIDS. (Green, 42) †There’s Something About Mary† (1998) is a comedy directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly, collectively known as the Farrelly brothers. Unlike â€Å"Rain Man† and â€Å"Philadelphia,† the psychosocial disability in â€Å"There’s Something About Mary† does not have an entire effect on the film. As opposed to the fact that Charlie and Raymond’s relationship are affected by Raymond’s autism and it is Andrew’s HIV that begins the case in the first place, the psychosocial disability in â€Å"There’s Something About Mary† is Warren’s mental retardation. Warren, played by W. Earl Brown, is the older brother of Mary (Cameron Diaz). He has stunted language and motor skills and has an intellectual capacity as that of a child. In the movie, he gets mad whenever strangers touch his ears. Thus he always has to have these covered. People who are mentally retarded have slow developmental abilities. They have a delay in their learning and development. In the movie, Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) tries so hard to take care of Warren in order to show Mary how much he cares for her, that he is willing look after her brother. Warren in the movie has a hard time speaking. He also finds it hard to remember things and cannot understand the social rules. Whenever Warren does not get his way, he threatens people with his baseball bat. He also has a trouble thinking logically and throws tantrums. The common bond among autism, AIDS and mental retardation is that these are disabilities and are not diseases. Unfortunately, there is no cure to any of these. The only way the family of the patient can help is to support and be physically present as the individual goes through this hard phase. In the United States, there are agencies which assist people with psychosocial disabilities. It is operated by the state and is non-profit. There are departments that provide housing to the staff of the nurses and doctors who care for the patients. An example is the institution Raymond is staying in. Apparently, in real life, there are also institutions such as these. Another social issue that was previously taboo is homosexuality. Thanks to the participation of media, gays and lesbians are given a voice through the characters in movies and TV shows. A stereotype on homosexuals is that they are the ones who have AIDS/HIV. Apparently, straight men like Magic Johnson can also get the disability. Through information technology, people are informed on the 411 of HIV. People with psychosocial disabilities may take several medications but it will not lessen the complications. Therefore, society must participate in special programs that will enlighten them on how to care for those who have these disabilities. It may take some time to accomplish this but the finish line is for â€Å"normal† people and those who have psychosocial disabilities live together, without annoyance and prejudice. (Farber, 124) The prejudice and the exclusion by society of people with these disabilities result to the factors of recognizing those who are intellectual, physical and psychologically smarter, despite their illness. This is what films featuring these disabilities have brought forth into the real world. It may be entertainment, but it is interesting to note that both â€Å"Rain Man† and â€Å"Philadelphia† were somehow inspired by real life stories. Raymond was inspired by Kin Peek while Andrew Beckett’s inspiration was the real-life attorney Geoffrey Bowers who also sued his law firm. One of the current concerns of society is equality. There will always be the struggle for equality, especially in marginalized parties. The equal rights give individuals the ability and the power to make their own decisions. Unfortunately, autistic and those who have mental retardation cannot do as such. Therefore, the social model of disability has been created. This requires a change in society. This motivates people to be more positive toward those with the disabilities. The former must not underestimate the latter’s behavior and traits for the very reason that these may be potential qualities of a contributing citizen. There are social support organizations that deal with the resources, barriers and discrimination of people who have disabilities. (Patricia, 243) Lastly and most importantly, just as like that of HIV/AIDS, these organizations inform the general society what they must know about autism and mental retardation. Just because a loved one is not suffering from the psychosocial disease, it does not mean that one family will stop caring. Films encourage us to care. By letting us into the world of which we are not familiar with, we take in the knowledge that we can, be it the side comedy provided by the supporting character Warren in â€Å"There’s Something About Mary†, or the side story of the courtroom drama in â€Å"Philadelphia† or the best example out of all three, the very reason for two brothers to re-discover one another. Works Cited De Leon, George, Community As Method: Therapeutic Communities for Special Populations and Special Settings, Praeger Publishers, 1997 Farrington, David P. , Early Prevention of Adult Antisocial Behavior, Cambridge University Press, 2003 Stowe, Matthew J, â€Å"Tools for Analyzing Policy â€Å"On the Books† and Policy â€Å"On The Streets†, Journal of Disability Policy Studies, Vol 12, 2001 Turnbull, Rutherford III, â€Å"I Have Six Kids Who Are Autistic†, The Mirror, March 12, 2005 Green, Philip, Cracks in the Pedestal: Ideology and Gender in Hollywood, University of Massachusetts Press, 1998 Arnold, Gary, â€Å"’In’ Fails To Keep Out Incoherent Plot Twists†, The Washington Times, September 19, 1997 Farber, Bernard, Mental Retardation: Its Social Contexts and Social Consequences, Houghton Mifflin, 1968 Ainsworth, Patricia, Understanding Mental Retardation, University Press of Mississippi, 2004